The news & observer., 1905-12-26
Blur Talks of the Bill
by Payne.
He is President Of the National Cigar
e.
Leaf Tobacco Association and
--ssSSs Tells OF the Trade Con-
ditions. u
ditions.
FROM WILLIAM WOLF SMITH.
(Cnnnial CnrrnSnnndnncp l

Gently 'and discussed with your COR
respondent the attitude of the tobacco
trade of the United States toward the
Payne bill to reduce the duties on Phil
ippine tobacco and sugar from rs to
25 per cent of the Dingley rate. Mr..
Blur is we'll informed on this ques-
tion as his Association is the leading
one in this country. and he has made
a special study of the Philippine tar
iff question. He said that the tobacco
growers of Connecticut. Florida, Ala
bama, Ohio. Wisconsin, Minnesota,
and other States, in brief, all States
growing leaf tobacco. were vitality in
terested in this subject and the senti-
ment was all against the bill. He
secuted the suggestion that a reduc-
tion i'm the tariff would make a mar
ket for American grown wrapper to-
bacco. with the exception of the
tobacco that is packed by the Ameri-
can Cigar Company said Mr.. Biiul
"the members of the Association
represent buy ninety-five per cent
of the cigar leaf tobacco of this coun-
try from the growers, sort it, pack IL.
and hold it until ready for market.
Any possibility of extending our mar
ket for tobacco will. therefore. clearly
appeal, first to us who hold and must
diSnose of the stock of domestic to-
bacco, and the extension of q market
for our tobacco can appeal only very
indirectly to the grower. If we be-
lieved our market would be extended
by this bill we should certainly NOT
unanimously oppose its passage. What
we say as to q market in the Philip
pines is that even if we introduce
and sell our tobacco there teh to-
bacco of which we have so disposed
Will return here in the shape of cigars
to the detriment and injury of our
home industry to whom we formerly
SOLD the same goods and to that of
its workmen. We cannot see any ben
eft to any American industry in mere
" exchanging an old and tried Gus
toner for a new and doubtful one
The threat that after 1909 there shall
be free trade between us and the Phil
ippines will deter the packers from
operating in the filler growing States
-PennSylvania. Ohio and Southern
Wisconsin,
Mr.. Blur quoted government sta
tistics to show that the tobacco in
dustry in the Philippines was not in
the distressful condition which the
advocates of the bill attempted 10
show. He found that according to
government reports there was. one to-
bacco factory in Manila which nor
that being but one of the many large
establishments in that city.
Neither my association nor the man
ufacturers who are cooperating with
u.s. said Mr.. Blur lever raised a
hand to prevent the legislation which
lowered and then removed the duties
on Porto Rican cigars and tobacco be-
cause it was clearly announced that
Porto Rico was to be a permanent
possession of our country. and there
fore entitled to the same considera-
ton at our hands as any other part
of our country"
Suppose Congress should make
similar declaration in regard to the
Philippine Islands?' was asked. What
would be your attitude toward this
bill?" IF Congress should make the
plain statement that we intend to re-
tain the Philippines as a permanent
possession. L suppose we would have
to put up with it." was the reply;
but it would certainly be grievous
disaster to the American trade"
Tobacco Growers Feud.
The feud between the tobacco grow
ers in the dark tobacco districts of
Kentucky and Tennessee and the buy
ers for the Italian and other foreign
governments, has, it is believed here
become a matter for diplomatic con-
slderation. For some years past
things have not been running smooth
ly in the tobacco sections. The grow
ers of this class of tobacco have been
keyed up to a high pitch of indigna-
tion against the foreign buyers, as the
result of agitation on the part of va
rious associations which have been
formed for the purpose of controlling
the output. Certain capitalists have
had an eye on the possibility of MAX
ing considerable money out of the
tobacco crop should they be success
full in getting the growers into line in
a scheme to sell the tobacco through
company organized by them. On
two different occasions this effort has
failed, for the reason that q consider
able number of the growers have no
faith in such movements and are con-
tent with the prices they receive for
their tobacco. The growers have been
constantly told that the foreign buyers
have got them by the throat in the
matter of fixing the prices and will
dictate to them in this regard as long
as they see they have chance to do
so. All this agitation against the
buyers has resulted in many unwar-
ranted and outrageous attacks on the
property of buyers, to say nothing of
numerous threats against the lives of
was burned by desperados who are
believed to be incensed against tM
buyers. People on passenger trains
have been held up and threatened
with thir lives if they sell tobacco 70
anybody connected with any corpora
ton. The italian government is un-
derstood to have presented the matter
to our government in a mild but firm
manner. complaining that a great deal
of it's tobacco, which has been bought
from the growers in this country and
stored prior to It's shipment to Italy
is being destroyed by the wanton at
tacks which have been made of late
Mr.. w. I. Huntington. who is the
buyer for the Italian government of
the tobacco purchased in this country
for the Italian monopoly. was recently
in Washington in regard to the mat
ter. 1t is reported that he saw Sec
retary Root of the State Department
and presented a formal complaint on
behalf of his government against the
outrages that have been committed on
the property of Italy.
Spent S1,tl06 To Collect So.
At the Treasury Department some
very amusing things have been learn
ed concerning the collection of Gus
toms duties. For instance. down at
the port of Albemarle, elizabeth
City,. N. c., it required the exhaustive