The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1904-01-15
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES.

We publish in another column the
program prepared for the third annual
convention of the Wisconsin Tobacco
Growers and Dealers convention, to be
held at Madison Feb. Sd, next. The con-
ven zion comes on the same date as that
fixed for the meetings of the agricul-
tural, horticultural and kindred societies
that usually call out large attendance
of farmers, and for which the railroads
grant reduced rates. There are more
than five thousand farmers in the state
who also are tobacco growers and it is
certainly to be hoped that sufficient
number of them can make it convenient
to attend convention that is principal
ly gotten up to promote their interests,
to make large and successful gather
ing. The topics to be discussed bear di-
rectly upon conduct of their business.
The growers are equally interested with
dealers in securing a. creditable display
of Wisconsin tobacco at the st. Louis
Exposition and this is an important mat
ter coming up at that time. The state
producing the largest amount of cigar
leaf ought not to be behind those of
lesser Importance which have already
prepare tons in hand for extensive ex
hibits The prizes which the association
offers for samples of '03 crop oughG to
bring out a strong rivalry among the
growers. The reputation of having pro-
duced prize winning tobacco is some
thing which every farmer should strive
for. The writer hopes the growers will
talk up the coming convention and as
sist in making it what it aims to be-a
meeting of interest and profit to all en-
| gagged in the tobacco business
*x*
| The indications are that the impatience
of the tobacco dealer is even greater
| than that of the grower. The latter must
wait for casing weather before he can
| commence business, while the former
has cut loose and is buying tobacco not
withstanding his repeated declaration
! that he would not enter the field until
the tobacco was stripped and he could
! in measure be assured of the quality of
the goods he was getting. Perhaps his
reasoning is that buying pigs in bag is
all right if you don't pay TOO much for
the pig.
1 ~.
Il The winners in the Florodora estimat-
/ ing contest have been announced during
| the week, although it has taken more
! than a month to decide who were the
parties guessing nearest to the number
| of cigars paying So tax during the month
| of November last. The official figures of
the Revenue Department was SIS, ,157 ,470
cigars. That the announcements was not
made sooner should not surprise any
one, when the amount of work to be
| done is considered. About 100000 es-
Inmates had been sent in, and while
these were all tabulated, yet a verifca-
| tion in each case was necessary. The
| task of tabulation had been an immense
one. It had occupied nearly four hun
| dred employees since October. Every es-
innate had to be compared with the let
| ter that accompanied it, and when there
was no regular letter one had to be made
up, in order that the authenticity of the
estimates might be clear at the first
! glance The winner Of the first prize,
$4,000, j. E. Elwell, halls from Ottawa,
Kan. His guess was a pretty good one,
| SIS, ,157, ,407, just 63 short. He was lucky,
| inasmuch as the first, second and third
man came closer in last years contest.
| The next two estimates, which brought
in $500 to each of their lucky authors,
were 13 and 20 worse, respectively, than
the winner, the one above, the other be-
low the golden number. As one goes
down the list the gap widens, of course,
but slowly. The eighteenth, the last
man to win $500 prize, was short 674.
| The lowest cash prize was S., and the
| last winner of this guessed about 10000
off the mark. Nearly 70 per cent. of the
estimates were too high by some millions.
| -
| A puzzling feature has arisen at Wash
! ington over the construction of the new
reciprocity treaty with Cuba. That
| Cuban cigars and tobacco will enjoy no
| benefits in reduction in duty under the
| Cuban reciprocity treaty is proposition
| which some interests are trying to force
| upon the Treasury officials as the only
| construction possible of the new treaty.
| It evidently was the purpose of the
treaty to reduce the duty upon Cuban
cigars and tobacco 90 per cent. Ameri-
! can cigar makers argue that, inasmuch
| as article VT prohibits reduction of
| duty upon American tobacco in any form
going into Cuba, there can be no reduc
| tion of duty upon Cuban tobacco in any
| form coming into the United States, be-
cause Article VII of the treaty provides
| that similar articles shall receive equal
treatment In other words unless Cuba
reduces the duty upon American tobacco
in all forms 20 per cent. the island can
not enjoy the benefits of the proposed re-
duction of 20 per cent. on the duty upon
Cuban tobacco coming into the United
States.
~
vTyi i L.