The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-19
TOBACCO TRUST
OPPOSES STAMP
Do Not Want the Imported
Cigars Marked
TOBACCO TRADE is IN ARMS
Are Afraid Roosevelt viii Resclnd the
Order Recently Made to Put Red
Label on Bottom of the I'M
ported Cigar Boxes.

Washington, September 1S.-(Special.)-
The tobacco trade is up IN arms over the
possibility that the action of Acting Sec
rotary of the Treasury Armstrong in
directing that a change shall be made In
the customs stamp on imported cigars
may be rescinded by order of President
Roosevelt. For number of years the
manufacturers of cigars made in this
country of tobacco imported from Cuba
have labored under the disadvantage that
a wide customs stamp, printed in red
was bound about the boxes of imported
cigars and was generally accepted by
smokers as a certificate of merit as it
was the guarantee of the United States
government that the cigars were i'm
ported
The matter came to a mead when the
tobacco trust had acquired majority of
the cigar factories in Cuba. Since that
time the entire independent tobacco trade
of the United States has been working to
have the customs stamp abolished. This
| effort failed as the treasury department.
wishes the boxes of imported cigars
marked to prevent reflling of "box-stuff-
ing by which INSCRIPTIONS dealers palm
off domestic for imported cigars
Decides to Make Change.
The treasury department officials, how
ever, were of the opinion that 1t was
unjust to the Independent American man
ufacturers and to the cigar and tobacco
trade in general that the United States
customs stamp should be utilized sub
stantially as an advertisement. conse-
quently Assistant Secretary of the Treas
ury Armstrong, in charge of the customs
service, after months of careful consid-
GRAFTON of the subject and being convinced
| that the entire American trade, with the
exception of the tobacco trust, favored
a change in the stamp, recently issued an
order that new stamp should be pre-
pared.
This stamp will be conspicuous in char
acter and will be placed ON the bottom Of
the box fully complying with the law,
but of such design as not to constitute
an advertisement of foreisn-mace cigars.
No sooner had the intelligence of this
move beeen communicated to the trade
than letters and kilograms from indie
pendent manufacturers and dealers, both
in cigars and leaf tobacco. from all parts
OI the COuulfyJ pOuIcu III ol Llc LAcdS-
ury department congratulating Mr. Arm
strong on the change.
But One Note of Opposition.
There was but one note of opposition.
and that was from the tobacco trust,
which, it Is understood. has appealed to
the President to have the order counter
manded. The trust is bringing all its in
f1uence to bear to prevent a change in the
stamp and 1t is said hearing will be
given In New York to the representatives
of the Havana Tobacco company (the
cigar trus) which will be held very
shortly, probably tomorrow.
The action of the treasury department
In taking this step has caused much IA
vorable comment among the cigar manu-
facturers and dealers as has been said,
and should the conference with the trust
officials result In the order being sus-
pended or revoked, storm Of protest will
be raised
1t is reported that resolutions from the
National Cigar Leaf Tobacco association,
the New York Leaf Tobacco Board OF
Trade, Havana Cigar Manufacturing as
ISOLATION of the United States and other
organizations having headquarters in New
York, have been sent to the President pro-
testing against any revocation or sus-
pension of the order.