The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-04-25
OnitS Our Tobacco.

The Baltimore Sun of last Friday said:
Dealers in Maryland leaf tobacco were
much concerned yesterday because the
contract of the French Government for
this year did not call for any of the Mary
land crop. This contract, which is to be
awarded on May 14th, specifies only Ohio,
Kentucky and Virginia tobacco. The
quantity of Ohio asked for is 1850 hogs
heads, while about the same quantity
of Kentucky and Virginia used last year
will again be needed. Of the Kentucky
crop France took 1890 hogsheads of
Burleigh, 1880 hogsheads of light and
300 hogsheads of fine stock, making II,
900 hogsheads in all, and of the Virginia
crop 1000 hogsheads were contracted
for They took last year about 1900 hogs
heads of the Ohio crop. making a total
for these three States of about Ii, 700 hogs
heads.
In addition that Government contract
ed for and was furnished with $1,000
hogsheads of Maryland tobacco. This
was nearly one-half of its total needs,
apparently, and was also nearly one half
of the total crop of this State, as the
production here last year was between
32, 900 and 81, 900 hogsheads.
1t is most unusual for the French Gov
eminent to fail to include large proper
ton of Maryland tobacco in its annual con-
tracts, and bids for this have been asked
at the same time that the bids for the crop
of the other producing States were sent in.
Dealers here are puzzled to know the rea-
son for it, and none of them have definite
information nor venture to offer a satisfac-
tory explanation.
1t will be noticed from the figures above
that France is not making up elsewhere
for its loss in the Maryland product, and
this leads many to believe that perhaps
that contract for the Maryland tobacco
will come along later. Others again
think that the Government may secure
what it needs from this State without re-
sorting to its previous method of contract
ing, though exactly the method to be
duOpGSu 10 uOG SiCdl az Vllo
Those who hold this opinion are streng-
ened in it by the fact that the French
Government has had a representative in
this city recently who looked thoroughly
over the field This was NJ. GrouZelle,
who is directly connected with the bureau
which CONTROLS the tobacco monopoly in
France. MIR. Grouzelle was here for a
week and came in close contact with the
dealers in Maryland leaf tobacco. He
went carefully over the situation, and
| while he secured all the information
possible he volunteered but little. Local
| dealers say that whatever his mission was
| he kept his secret we'll and when he left
| the city the tobacco dealers were lie
wiser than when he came. From here he
| went West, but stated at the time of leav
| ing that he would return to Baltimore
again and spend some time before going
back to France.
1t was regarded as significant that i'm
mediately following Mr.. Grouzelle's visit
his Government should omit its usual
supply of Maryland tobacco from its an
nual contract. In some quarters it wa:
thought this may have been on Lis advice
as he may have seen means of obtaining
what his Government needs without tn,
necessity of entering into a formal con
tract Dealers here do not think tina
France can do without its usual supply o
the Maryland crop, especially as such
large portion of it has been heretofore
consumed, but deep concern will be fel
until that Government makes known it
intentions.