The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-05-22

The y. S. Tobacco Journal calls atten-
tion to a peculiar phenomenon of the
trade in the decrease Of the number of
cigar factories in spite of the increase in
the output of our cigar industry. And
the greater the production of cigars the
greater the proportionate disappearance
of factories producing them. The num-
Der of cigar factories operated in the
United States during the calendar year
1900 was 27 1866 This number decreased
in 1901 by 2,799, although the output of
cigars and little cigars increased during
the same year over seven hundred mil
lions In 1902 the. output of cigars in
creased again over five hundred millions
and again the number of cigar factories
decreased by several hundreds Instead
of the 81 1866 cigar factories in 1900 there
are today probably not more than $4,000
in existence and yet this by four thous-
and smaller number produces billion
and half more cigars than the much
larger number in 1900. This is truly
remarkable phenomenon. But what is
it that caused this growing decrease in
cigar factories? Lack of business it
could certainly not be. If the output of
the cigar industry had gone down instead
of up the wiping out of the cigar factor
les would have been but natural con-
sequence of the shrinkage of business.
Many undoubtedly will be ready with
the answer that the annihilation of so
many factories was due to the Trust.
But the Trust has not absorbed three to
four thousand factories; it has probably
taken in a dozen, and it is very likely
that even these have retained their old
factory numbers and are therefore Off
cially recorded as still existing individ-
ually. Besides, as has been, first and re-
peatedly since shown in these columns,
the phenomenal increase ia the output
of our cigar industry has been shared to
larger extent rather by the so-called
independent factories than by the Trust.
Consequently the disappearance of three
to four thousand factories cannot be laid
at the door of the Trust. The cause of
their disappearance lies in an entirely
different direction, and paradoxical as it
may sound, in the good times which fol-
lowed the panic of 1893 and which good
times have stimulated and are stimulat-
ing the enormous increase in our cigar
production. In other words, the thous-
ands of factories have not been forced
out of existence through necessity, but
have voluntarily quit operations which
were but temporary anyhow, because
their owners could find more remunera-
tive employment again at the bench.
For it will not be controverted that of
the twenty eight thousand cigar factor
les in existence in 1894 fully one-half, il
not a larger portion, were merely buck
eye shops, and that these one-man con-
Germs have rarely, particularly in large
cities, settled existence. AS the coun-
try was greatly disturbed by the cigar
strikes during the early nineties and as
nothing is easier to start than cigar
manufacturing, hundreds of cigar MAX
ers who had lost their. jobs on account
of strikes started out on their own hook
Thus the number of factories increased
the year after the panic though the ci-
gar production decreased. This and the
later period give us therefore the correct
clue to the apparent paradox that an in
creased cigar production should witness
a decrease in cigar factories while de-
crease in the cigar production should
have the contrary effect of increasing