The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-18
TOBACCO MEN TO
Make BIC FIGHT
Will Oppose Further Reduction.
Tariff OH Philippine Products
Coming Into This Country.
ALLIANCE HAS BEEN FORMED
Urged That Tobacco Industry Of
This Country Might be Z
Dcmoralized.
ORION Our Regular correspondent,

e .5a NErOm Our ReEulnrA COrTcSponuenl.)
WASHINGTON, y. ca, December 17.-
Any further attempt 10 reduce further
Tho tariff on Philippine products coming
into this country will be opposed in the
most determined manner The tobacco
trade will furnish the bulk Of the oDpo-
stion. The beet sugar interests or the
far West and the Pnc,fic slope are also
opposed, but, as stated, the tobacco trade
will supply tho chief opposition to rcdnc-
tlon sicl1ns advocated by Secretary TAFT.
The National Cigar Leaf Tobacco Asso-
citation has been conducting a systematic
campaign for the last six months for the
Z purpose Of arousing the trade to the dan
gers of the proposed reduction. and to a
realization that tho interests OF all con-
ccrnsd were greatly endangered As a re-
suit OF this campaign the following as
socntions have formed an alliance 10
fight the bill: The National Cigar Leaf
TOBACCO Association. the Havana Cigar
Manufacturers. Association. tional As
ISOLATION OF Retail Cigar Dealers, indie
pd,dent Tobacco Manufacturers Assocla-
q TIN. American Tobacco Growers Asso-
jation, and various local organizations Of
8 bbacco growers, especially in New Eng
Z (and a All OF these have formally express
I'D their opposition to the proposed law,
+ hnd important private conferences were
he'd III Philadelphia on M onday@ ind
TUESDAY Of this week atiwhict represent
5ltatives OF the organizations We're present.
and further decisions 10 oppose the bill
I were reached. n, y, 81
Opposition Of Tobacco Men.
- 81, 4
1T Is urged in opposition ID the BILL
that. with cheap labor, cheap land and
& II low margin OF tariff, the tobacco in-s
A dustry3 OF the Philippines will be sim
I ulated to a degree which would democrat
I lie the industry here, and might even
4 ruin It. Two branches Of the trade con-
h slider that their interests are especially
K in danger. The first Is the tobacco grow
Ing interests of the Connecticut Valley,
/ where the Sunatrn seed wrappers are
grown. TO protect these growers the
3 Dinglcy bill imposed q duty OF SLED per
pound on Sumatra wrappers in addition
u to the ordinary duty OF thirty-fivc cents
4 pcr#pound. tota! Of sl.s5 per pound. Y ct
Connecticut wrappers bring only about
thrty-five cents per pound. and eight
million pounds OF Snmatra wrapper is
annually imported. One OF the reasons
given8in supporter the measure Is that
l5cy successfully transferred to the Phil
ippInest II lower duty Is granted. 4 isi
B believed by the New England tobacco
growers that us eight million pounds OF
sunlatra wrapper leaf & Is now I'm ported un-
der "a; dirty OF SLID per pound, the de-
mand for Philippine wrappers OF STU
.matra seed will far exceed that amount.
This belief Is based on the fact that the
climate and soil of8the Philippines closely
resembles that OF the Dutch East Indies.
and, therefore. the wrapper would be al.
most Identical with the original Sumatra.
Being produced with cheap labor and
having to bear duty OF only forty
six cents per pound, they fear thc-Ph
stippine Sumatra wrapper would run the
4 Connecticut wrapper out Of the market.
The other Interest no deeply concerned
is the National Cigar Manufacturers As
ISOLATION. This organization Is composed
principally OF manufacturers Of cigars
snadc entirely OF domestic tobacco or of
\ HAVANA filler and sumatra wrapper. and
4 selling from ten cents downward. 1t is
especially strong in Pennsylvania, which
a leads the countrygin the production Of
cigars and Is the home OF tho stogie In
dustry. Under the proposed reduction,
Manila cigars can be profltably retailcl
lin this country from seven to ten for n
quarter. while cheroots and sfogies would
be much cheaper. The Filipino cigar