The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-12-29
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

PANoS
did not continue long enough to permit
much hanging tobacco to be removed
from the poles. In the lower portion of
the state some leaf from the outer tiers
of the sheds was taken down and strip
ped, but very little of the crop generally
is yet ready for delivery. Quite good
many growers have little of their crop
already in the bundle but packers do
not like to accept parts of crops, so but
few warehouses will start operations un-
til larger portion of the seasons crop
can be made ready for delivery. Even
if the tobacco had reached better case
at the last damp spell, the near approach
to the holidays might have prevented
growers from taking their tobacco down.
,as many do not care to attend to the
work of stripping during this season, nor
do they like to leave the tobacco long in
the bulk after it is removed from the
poles. After the new year packers will
be very much disappointed if they are
not able to start warehouse handling,
especially those holding contracts for
large quantities of the crop, but it can
not be helped. 1t begins to look now as
If we must wait until the usual January
thaw before work at the packing points
will become general. And should casing
weather hold off until we'll towards
spring every available asserting house in
the state would be brought into use, for
never before has so large a portion of a
tobacco crop been purchased in the bun
die for warehouse packing.
***
The year 1905 has smiled on the to-
bacco trade in all it's branches. Will
1906 smile as sweetly? Who can tell?
The indications point to prosperous
year. General conditions are good. So
far as our own trade is concerned, the
only dark cloud on the horizon seems to
be the limited supplies and high prices
of raw material. Ii you can believe re-
ports, great many of our cigar and to-
bacco merchants have Jared we'll in Wall
street this year. This is. perhaps, mis-
fortune in disguise for the novices, but
ieC US hope that the old hands at the
business will salt at least part OF the
profits away. The average trader is
bull at heart, and it is difficult matter
for him to discover the top to prices. l
am not stock market forecaster, but if
the prices for many securities are not
reaching the danger point, [ shall be
very much surprised. My uncle says it
is no great trick to make money in the
Street, but the man who, after turning
his profits into cash, can stay out of the
market long enough to catch his breath,
is rara avis. The people who buy to-
bacco for quick turns and small profits
are having hard time of it just now. 1t
is easy enough to sell tobacco when you
have it, but to replace it is quite diff
ferent matter. Holders of tobacco in the
growing sections want every cent there
is IN it, and are not willing to let even
shaving of profit go to the middleman.
Of course, you can't blame them for TAX
ing advantage of a market position
which does not come around very often,
but at the same time it is rather hard on
the leaf dealer. Everybody seems to be
pretty we'll cleaned out of tobacco, and
yet the manufacturers are crying for
more. Recently, | made trip through
the tobacco growing sections of three
States [ wanted to buy thousand
cases. got less than a hundred and
fifty When [ did run across a grower
or country packer who had some good
tobacco, the prices asked for it were pro.
hibitive. A party in Pennsylvania asked
me 15c for lot of tobacco that [ would
have refused to consider at 7c year
ago. And while | did not buy the lot, I
believe the holder will get his price for
it, This condition of affairs makes
mighty hard shedding for the city tobac-
co dealers, and they are all praying for
increased supplies of raw material. Per
sonally, do not see much chance for
increased supplies or lower prices. The
fact is that the consumptive demand for
cigars has taken the bit in its mouth
and run away with the raw material
market.-'The Beginner" in N. Y. Leaf.
Xxx
The Ways and Means committee of
the House of Representatives has re-
ceipted for the social entertainment of
It's members by the Philippine govern
ment last summer in passing the per-
nicious Payne bill for but 25 per cent.
duty of the Dingley rates on Philippine
cigars and tobacco with the provision of
absolute free trade in 1909. The junket
planned and executed by our Philippin-
lied Secretary of War has therefore
proved a we'll paying political invest
ment for-the Filipino. The favorable
report by the Ways and Means commit
tee on that death-knell to our cigar and
tobacco industries means that if you
want your rights, your inherent and con-
stitutional rights of self preservation or
to exc out an existence for yourself and
family you must abdicate your Ameri-
can citizenship and become Filipino
ward. Nothing for you as an American,
but everything for the Filipino, who by
the decision of the U. S. supreme court
is not an American citizen that seems
to be the craze in Washington that holds
spell bound both our administration and
congress under the benign hypnotism OF
our Philippinized Secretary of War.
Even the truth and sanctity of the Cos
pei would not under these circumstances
have made any effect Oh the committee
It was bound TO pay its debt and cring-
ingIy It did it and with indecent haste.