The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1904-11-04
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES



The eagerness with which buyers have
taken over the choice selections of last
seasons crop, much of it too, before it
had hardly matured in the fields, both
in this state and in New England, brings
out strongly the fact that there is sell
dom, If ever, grown an overstock of good
cigar leaf tobacco. The experience of
the present season is only repetition
of the history of other years. When
ever there is slow market it is where
the overstock is composed of goods of a
mediocre character. 1t follows, there
fore as law of trade that when prices
are poor the crop is almost invariably
below the average. It is rare that a
grower who has what the market calls
good tobacco for sale is not able to ob-
tain remunerative prices for it. The in
centive is of course to produce only good
tobacco, but the farmer cannot always
do this-soil, season and conditions do
not favor him at all times, but the CEN
trail fact above stated remains true all
the same. Seasons and climatic condi-
tions vary but it is seldom that some
portions of every crop do not fulfill the
requirements of a critical market.
**x
The internal revenue receipts for the
month of September showed slight fall
N hn nf fl1II or
gars and snuff. The decrease in cigars
amounted to 697,627 in total output of
59S,33e,ll0 against a total output of
99,O35737 in September of last year.
In other lines, however, increases took
place. The increase in little cigars
amounted to 1907 600 in total output
of 5S,99l 900 against a total output of
4O,924 900 in September of last year; the
increase in cigarettes amounted to 49,
SAT 300 in total output of Plata, ,799
against total output of 246, 1877 ,490 in
September 1903, and the increase in
manufactured tobacco amounted to B.
592 63S pounds in total production OF
90 524. j19 pounds against total produc-
tion OF 25,931 ,981 pounds in September
of last year.
Was shown the other day copy of a
letter written by prominent cigar job
Der to the member of Congress from his
district, urging him to introduce bill
in the lower house, which would put a
stop to cigar manufacturers stating on
their boxes that the cigars contained
therein were made of clear Havana To-
bacco when such was not the case. 'All
over the country he writes, "the de-
mand has gone forth for pure food laws,
and why should not the smoker receive
the same protection as the buyer of food
products? 1t is notorious fact that a
large percentage of the so-called clear
Havana cigars are not what they are
claimed to be. A smoker may prefer a
cigar that is made of a combination of
tobaccOs, the same as some people prefer
chicory in their coffee, but that does not
give the seller the right to adulterate
without notification to the customer. It
will not be necessary for cigar manu-
facturer using different tobaccos to give
away his ombination, but he should be
punished if he sets up the claim that
they are made of Havana tobacco exclu-
sively. What gives the cigars imported
from Cuba their great prestige is the as
Havana tobacco, and if the smokers of
this country could be protected in what
they buy, large increase in the con-
sumption of domestic made clear Ha-
vanas would follow Beginner in N. Y.
Leaf
*.*
A party asks if it will be permissible
for person, who has had some tobacco
given him by the grower, to have lady
who is visiting near him and cigar
maker make up the tobacco into cigars
for him for his own individual use with
out payment of tax or qualifying as
cigar manufacturer, it being understood
that the cigars are not to be boxed or
sold. The applicant calls attention to
a former ruling of the Commissioner in
which it was stated that no restriction
whatever was placed upon a person
manufacturing cigars for his own indi-
vidual use, provided the same were not
removed from the place of manufacture
for consumption by others, either by
gift or sale. The Com missioner holds
that in the case referred to, that if a
party does not intend to engage in the
business of manufacturing cigars for
profit or sale, but only for his own per-
sonal smoking, whether he makes the
cigars himself or has the lady visiting
nearby make them for him for his ac
commodation, if they ars not to be re-
moved from the place of manufacture
for sale or consumption, he would not
regard the transaction as coming within
the scope of the internal revenue laws
registration and payment of
fax on the cigars. and the manufacture
of the cigars might be permitted with
out interference, provided the collector
of the district was fully satisfied there
was no purpose to conduct an illegiti
mate business. There would be objec-
ton, however, if the lady is a profes-
sional cigarmaker, travelling about from
place to place making cigars for farmers
or others for compensation or hire.
Christian Association Building.