The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-12-08
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


The crop statistics of Dane county
compiled from the assessors returns, are
Eefore US. 1t has been our usual Gus
tom to reproduce the reported acreage
devoted to tobacco, as this county has
the largest acreage in the state, bnt we
find on examination that the table con-
tains such glaring errors that a summary
would be both misleading and untrue.
The certified statements of the number
of acres of growing tobacco in 1905 is
given as 12,9241s, as against 12,5691s
acres in 1904. But in making up the
total we find the town of Crosse Plains
2630 acres and Dunn at 55S6 acres. Each
of these figures are palpable errors, for
the year previous Crosse Plains is not
reported as growing any tobacco while
the town of Dunn was credited with
only $40 acres. Here then is mistake
amounting to nearly 1000 acres in the
two townships involved and to eliminate
them would be to bring the acreage
down below what the county is supposed
to have produced in years past. We find,
however, Albion reports last year over
zoo acres short of 1904 Christiana 100
acres, Dunkirk nearly 100 acres, with
Pleasant Springs about as much decline
The towns of Bristol, Burke, Rutland,
Vienna, Windsor and Westport all show
slight decrease in acreage and totaling
close to 1900 acres. Deducting this from
the acreage of 1904 we would have / 900
acres as approximately the acreage of
1905. This instance only shows how un-
reliable such statistics may become if
not given careful oversight. The new
office of supervisor of assessment can
with good deal of propriety take hold
of this matter and see that the assessors
comply with the law in the gathering Of
farm statistics.
~
The Leaf Tobacco Trade is scattering
broadcast the following circular of ap.
peal to tobacco growers: The Secretary
of War, who has just returned from the
Philippine Islands, has determined to
make every possible effort to secure the
ps Slage early in the coming congress of
ts,aSo- called Curtis bill providing for the
ri, yuction of the duties on Philippine
leaf tobacco, cigars, cigarettes, ETC., to 25
per cent of the Dingley rates. Should
this bill become law very serious injury
to the tobacco industry in the United
States would follow There are two i'm
portant points to be kept in mind in con-
sidering the tobacco industry in the
Philippine Islands: The low wages pre-
vailing in the islands and the unlimited
opportunity there for the extension of
tobacco cultivation. Farm hands in the
Philippines average, according to the of
fetal reports, from Is to 20 cents per day.
Fertilizers are not necessary in the pro-
duction of Philippine tobacco and are
never used for that purpose; as you are
we'll aware, they are essential in this
country in order to grow our domestic
types successfully. AS to cigars, the low
wages of the Philippines will cause the
transfer of our cigar making industry to
the islands. Philippine cigar wages are
from cne-sixth to fourth of our
wages, and as cigarmakers get so much
per thousand, this furnishes an absolute
ly correct basis of comparison. The ca
pacity of the Philippine cigarmaker ex-
actly equals that of the American, &C
cording to the tables furnished by the
War Department. The whole purpose
of the Philippine tariff reduction agita-
tion as applied to tobacco resolves itself
into plan, not to give back to the Fill
ipinos prosperity in the tobacco busi-
ness that has been taken from them by
the United States, but to provide new
market here for them at the expense of
our farmers and manufacturers. In other
words, the United States is to offer the
Philippine Islands premium to go into
the tobacco business on larger scale,
and the domestic tobacco trade is to suf-
fer the consequence. Congress will con-
vene in Washington on December 4, but
in the meantime you will have an oppor-
tunity to write to your senators and con-
gresham, calling their attention to the
danger that would menace your liveli-
hood should the Curtis bill become a
law; and I do not doubt you will be able
to make them see the Importance of pre-
venting the passage of this measure,
which is certainly a most i'll advised form
of philanthropy. Prompt and concerted
action on the part of the tobacco grow
ers of the country will be most effective
in averting this threatened injury to our
industry. Be sure to let your congress
man and your senators know how you
feel regarding the proposition to reduce
the duty on Philippine tobacco
***
The terrorizing condition that prevails
in some of the tobacco growing sections
of the south is attracting the attention
of the country. The agitation growing
out of an effort to control the dark to-
bacco crop of Tennessee and Kentucky
between the trust and an association of
growers and capitalists has become so
bitter that ''night riders" are touring
through the dark tobacco districts in an
eff ~ 10 ha ~