The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-05-19
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


All reports reaching us from the grow
ing districts agree that the plant beds
are looking unusually promising for the
time of year. So much rain has fallen
since the sowing of the seed. and the alb
sence of cold, dry winds, has brought
about an exceedingly fine stand of plants.
The tiny plants are not only thick upon
the beds but have strong root and
healthy growth. The plants are every
where sufficiently forward and in many
instances must be held back by remov-
ing the coverings or they will be in read
mess for transplanting before the fields
can be made ready to receive them. Ex-
perience has shown that early planting
is desirable and this season the present
indications are that growers will be able
to start this work at as early date as
they may desire. A few days of warm
weather now will bring forward the beds
so rapidly that the farmers must neces-
sarily hustle to prepare the fields by the
time they have reached proper size for
transplanting. The rainy weather of
late has delayed farm work so that it-
ting tobacco land will be crowding corn
planting closely through the tobacco
growing sections of the state.
Bill No. 3Ol S, which the Vernon
county representatives are trying to work
through the legislature, is very liable to
work untold injury to the tobacco in
dustry of the state. While the intent is
to cure grievance which that county
claims to have on taxation matters, such
law would be far reaching and result
disastrously to the packing points of the
state. In an effort to squeeze little
more taxes out of tobacco, there is grave
danger of losing nearly all the revenue
derived from this property. 1t is another
case Of killing the hen that lays the
golden egg, etc. If the tobacco dealers
are alive to their own interests, they will
look to it that this bill does not become
a law. Just why personal matter
should be made the subject of general
iawis hard to reconcile, except there is
a growing tendency towards paternalis
tic legislation and the fever has not yet
run it's course.
***
The report of the tobacco investiga-
tion by the experimental station has
been given quite wide publicity and
awakened the public to the fact that
from three to five million dollars are
brought into the state each year from
this product For nearly half century
this industry has been developing slowly
but steadily, practically without state
aid. While great progress has been
made by the individual grower in pro-
ducing high grade tobacco, there has
been a number of unsolved problems
which vitally concern the future of to-
OdCCO SlOWluS III tIC oUdbO IL was WILL
the purpose of Investigating these prob
lens that the state university expert
ment station was granted, by the last
legislature, $4,000 for two years, and
with this appropriation has been con-
Quoting the investigations, the first re-
suits of which are now being published.
The legislature can hardly afford to re
fuse to continue the appropriation re-
uuested to further this work.
TX
The increasing demand for more reve-
nue. will bring Congress face to face with
the proposition of revising the tariff or
increasing the internal revenue taxes.
The fight between the advocates of the
two plans promises 20 be most bitter
even before the session begins. Those
advocating a revision of the tariff claim
that if the tariff is properly revised the
country will be benefited, its prosperity
increased and the revenues brought up
TO satisfactory figure. A glance at
the statement showing the receipts from
the war revenue acts from June t3, 1898.
to June 30, 1902, shows the alluring
prospect held out to statesmen of reliev-
ing the present financial condition of
the treasury and providing for greater
expenditures through these taxes. The
original war revenue act was IN force
from june 13, 1898, to July l, 1901, in
which time it produced S318.790,5O1, of
which the tobacco trade contributed
S48, ,979,359 on tobacco, S2,790.8l5 on
snuff, $9, ,48O,4 ,444 on cigars and S39O1 1892
on cigarettes, besides additional taxes on
dealers. The taxes were then reduced
but during the next fiscal year produced
SCI ,581 1862. For the three years the full
taxes were in force the revenue from
these sources amounted to from S102,-
OOO,O60 to s1O7 100000 and in the year
the reduced taxes were collected they
amounted to S61, 100000. With the reve-
nues of the country running behind
some forty million dollars for the cur
rent year, the temptation to reimpose