The sun., 1902-03-09

tempts him TO do uT
Here is a little aritbmetioal Illustration
by way Of showing what the temptation is
Cost price Of q given grade OF Manuel Garcis
cigars. in Havana, per oo.........."... $50
Present duty,..... oVo
Incidental expenses, literally estimated ... go
New YORK cost price. sl1oV
Selling price ai IS cents straight. .....,..... 1900
Pront (honesu 500
Cost Of spurious fac -slmies of Manuel Garces
per 100. '.................,...'..' so
Pront. (dishonesp at is cents straight... sio.t
"The most obvious way Of protecting
ones self against the substitution swindle
is to buy the cigars by the box. OF course,
there are forged boxes, forged labels and
all the rest; there are whole factories de-
voted TO the business.
But the risk OF detection Is far greater
when forged boxes are sold than when
single cigars are palmed of out OF genuine
boxes. In general way viii undertake
to cay that any man who can satisfy him
self that his cigar dealer 10 not working the
substitution swindle on him may be quito
confident that he is working the forged
box swindle instead.
THE Cuban cigar producers made
tremendous effort onoe to stop the manu-
facture Of forged boxes. They spent a
great deal Of money and made out q clear
and satisfactory case.
The net result OF their lsbors was that
after some thousands OF cigars were de-
stroyed the factory was moved from the
State Of New York into the State OF New
Jersey. There are a good many States
and the process was weary and they gave
II up.
with the duty cut down materially, the
genuine Cuban cigar would become 80
easily obtainsble that there would be no
profit in cheating. The smoker would get
what he pays for. The loss would all come
on the dishonest dealer.
st would not fall on the manufacturer
OF honest American low-priced cigars or on
the American cigarmaker. 1t would not
fall on the American tobacco grower.
Next as TO the tobacco grower. 1t
has been represented that enough tobacco
may be grown in Cuba TO swamp the tobacco
market that the plant will grow anywhere
on the island. In one sense this is true:
in another it is nonsense.
"The fine delicately favored tobacco,
from which the Havana cigar Is made, the
fine cigar, the cigar Of luxury, is grown in
one small section of the island. the Vuelts
Abajo. From that one belt come all the
fine cigars that are made in Cuba.
THE Vuelta Abajo tobacco sells at an
average price of 90 cents a pound. Our
domestic tobacco sells for an average price
Of nine cents a pound. So it Ia perfectly
obvious that there is no question Of any
competition between Vuelta Abajo tobacco
and the American grown tobacco.
Outside Of vuelta Abajo all the tobacco
grown in Cuba is heavy and strong favored.
1t Is useful only for giving flavor TO our
comparatively insipid American tobacco,
Cigars made Of this rank tobacco could
not be sold TO any extent worth mentioning
in this country. But its liberal import alton
would immensely stimulate the consumption
Of domestic cigars. II would give favor
and quality TO the domestic cigar.
THE more of the ordinary Cuban to-
bacco. which we may for the time speak Of
as rank tobacco. is imported into this
country. the more native tobacco will be
needed to be Incorporated with II. II is
Of no use independently and It improves
the flavor OF cigar tobaccos raised In this
country very much indeed.
80 there IL no danger to the grower.
The only result Of importation Of this to-
bacco will be that the taste for low-priced
domestic cigars. and by that mean Ave
and ten-cent cigars will be increased and
the consumption OF such cigars will be in
creased. There will be a better market
for domestic tobacco II the importation OF
Cuban rank tobacco is made more easy.
Now as for the manufacturer. There
Is no such thing as high-priced domestic
cigar: the high-priced cigar. the cigar which
Is in a sense luxurious, Is the Havana cigar.
"The great demand in this country is not
for the luxurious cigar. II is for the do
mestio cigar Of low price.
There are 6,00o 900 900 cigars made In
this country every year. A very small
percentage OF these are made TO be sold
fraudulently in the place Of genuine Ha-
yanas. About las, 600 Of imported
cigars would be sold here II there were no
duty. As 1t is some 81 900 900 are sold here.
The Government revenue Is less than
II would be II the duty were lower, the
smoker Is imposed upon and nobody gets
the benefit OF it except the retailer. Cor
tainly the sale OF las. .ooo. 900 Of high srAds
imported cigars will not seriously disturb
the conditions Of a trade which deals in
5000, 900 900 cigars OF which 1850. 900 900 are
low-priced cigars.
The Havana cigar cannot compete with
the domestic cigar. II cannot be made
cheaply enough to compete with the do
mestic cigar.
AS to the laborer. the ciearmaker, the
manufacturer Of cigars In Cuba has a fixed
price for the sale OF his cigars. His profit
may vary; his selling price never varies.
Year In and year out II remains the same,
regardless Of the price Of labor, regardless
OF the price Of tobacco, regardless Of COM
petition.
The cigarmakers' unions In Cuba are
very strong. They fix the price that is to
be paid for the manufacture Of every size
and shape and quality Of cigar. The wages
depend In measure upon the selling price
Of the cigar.
a laborer who works In a factory Of
great reputation is paid more than another
laborer who makes cigars Of the same
size and shape in another factory Of less re
nown. A man who makes cigars that are
sold for 5000 per ! 900 gets II cents per cigar
for making them.