The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-07-08
WILL NOT BUY ON
LONDON MARKET
Imperja| Will Purchase Tobacco
Through Agents Here.
ENCLARD's NEW GREAT TRUST
II Has Found it Necessary to Enter
America and Fight Mr.. Dukes
Strong Company on its
Own Ground.

c..isfence in the trade depended to GER
,ain extent upon the answer. the Impe-
-.iaI Tobacco Company of Great Britain
and relanG makes on the eve OF the
o,,eu:I1s of the tobacco season a second
and final announcement That 1t will ho
longer appear on the British market as
a buyer OF the Virginia, North and S0uth
Carolina product, though it VIII continue
- purchase Western tobacco as hereto
fore A copy of the statement issued
and sent by the Imperial TO ioitE
FL slish merchants and brokers has oeeii
received here and is attracting much az
1sltson The document bears d.A'e u
june 10th. ,,,.,,,
The significance Of the anhoul Il,,:n,.
will be apparent to every PEI so. -, No.
with the tobacco situation. Up ~ nc
ginning of the present big tohdcco nc"
s., I;ritain the market there was an Open
on, made no of independent colcel i's'
which used vast quantity OF llls ~ W..
lean weed This tobacco came ii 5a!.o,;,',
gina. North Carolina Sout'' ~, bsre
ond Tho West 1t was shipped from hsi
r--,and nv American exporters ana
.c,5 70 the English manufacturers pS
,e.,,ieb commission merchants. Inc lliiC-
die r,en-the exporters and the merchants
made their living off the trace.
simultaneously with the INVASION o. u.o
r;riijsh field by the American Tobacco
Company came the formation oi the I'M
neral Tobacco Company. organized as
rr,1ective measure against the lhColiitne
trust from this side. a maloItE Oh 'iie
Enolish manufacturers entered TINS ne"
60. lbination. which has ltseli TaP!uIE u
,,a,r,,ed into a giant trust. In oraeF 10
o,e successfully compete with the
! ,,oerican Tobacco Company. this Eng
: lei concern has now found it necessary
~ enter the American field ana lish.
Fir. Duke on his own ground l11steau %
huring tobacco through exporters M
oon,,nission merchants. they decided 10
:. airac+ from, the farmer, coming
here to do it. The middle men "sie |u'
1.;s a,rlies to Virginia, and the Two
r-aroIinas In the West the conditlots
Nil remain as they have existed loi al.
,Ime. though this will be snaii Cum M, %
TO exporters in Richmond. o, N.lo o,,,ission
IRE n large number. BRUSH coi-'''t' -r,.a..
,,,ercbsnts are equally stirred UP. heS
,.,or. INST what was coming, OUT ihes
hn-ed Tor the best and Instituted 1nqul-
ries. And the reply they got so"ide" 't'e
death KEEL Of their hopes.
COPY OF THE LETTER
80 ,ettar which they each received
from, the Imperial was brief ana 10 iiie
point It is as follows:
"Da.r Sirs.-As We have been asked
~, some importers as the proSPeC. "a
tho firms comprised in the Imperial o
hacco Company buying any OF the siaue
imported from Virginia ana Norlh anu
South Carolina, from TINS season 5 ciop'
we think il only right to inform you
,ha+ our arrangements for direct imports
nra so annie that we see no proba olllsy
of oy4r being buyers on the British mar.
Gets.
Regarding all tobacco coming from tHe
Western States. We may take TINS oppor-
funity of stating that we shaH De pre-
pared to buy heretofore
yours faithfully.
l"The Imperial Tobacco Company Of
/ Great Britain and Ireland. Li1nitedo
lc;e,,adl '.N, II. GUM,
Secretary"
INDEPENDENT TRADE REMAINS.
one source of consolation remains. how
ever to the socalled middle men. Inc
1nperial hasn't absorbed all the factories
In England. and these independent Eel
snc.s will still levy III the old way. Thu
,,oi,+ ,urns upon how many of them
,hera are A gentleman we'll posted on
.ha situation declared yesterday after
noon that their number is very small
and that they represent but about one
,an,h Of the trade If that be correct
the outlook is indeed gloomy Others
however, are disposed TO believe that
.he independent trade will be much larger
than is generally supposed. and that 1t
will in fact be sufficient to support tn,
greater number of the exports and com
mission men. In either case, the re
,noval of the Imperial from the field is
a severe blow.
A GREAT STIRRING UP.
While it comes hard to this particular
class of tohaconists. the presence of the
Imperial Tobacco Company in this coun-
! ~, will reflect vast benefits to the trade
ct large.
There will be such another stirring UP
IN the tobacco trade this season as was
never seen before. The two great
trusts will meet on the same field with
the same purpose in view--purchasing
tobacco-and a clash is inevitable. Both
concerns declare merely that they are
going to buy tobacco and make no par
ticular reference 10 the rival on the
ground ut theoutcome of it ala can
easily be seen. Prices will shoot up sky
high and American tobacco farmers will
reap rich harvest.
The season has already opened in South
Carolina and the Imperial is there on
+ the field doing business. Every town,
every crossroad, where tobacco is sold
has its representatives. and they are
there with blood in their eye ready to dc
or die In North Carolina and in vir-
Einia, also. the field is equally we'll COW
cred. The operations in Richmond will
be comparatively small though the head
quarters Of the concern IS located here.
Richmond has declined as a market for
bright tobacco. and It is such that the
Imperial needs. Still an effort will be
made by local warehouses to stir up a
big bright trade here next season, and if
the attempt succeeds conditions may
change. At the present time nothing
can be learned concerning the big re-
4 handling plant which will be erected here
by the Imperial, but it is practically
certain that it Will be built. for a lot of
tobacco Will probably be shipped here,
though y cannot be bought the To-
cal market There are such plants In
other cities and towns IN all Of the
three States and there will have to be
one here. The buyer of the Imperial
on this market will be Mr.. Leslie Reed
In England the Imperial is constantly
extending operations. A new firm, that
\ OF Mardon. Son and Hail., limited, has
4 inst been absorbed