The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-04-07
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

1t is very evident that the buying sea-
son for the 1904 crop must come to a
close much sooner than was predicted
by those not closely in touch with the
situation in the country districts. The
movement of gathering in the unsold
remnants has been much more thorough
than was suspected until it is alleged
that the crop is sold out cleaner than for
several seasons past at this date. The
same may be said concerning the old
leaf in country hands. With the country
SO nearly bare there promises to be less
trading during the summer months than
for many years past. 1t is even asserted
that at no time within the last ten years
has there been so little tobacco carried
over by growers as there will be this sea-
son. The situation clearly reflects the
condition that the trade has at last
awakened to- of shortage of available
leaf suitable for needs of domestic man.
ufacturer. Just how much the growers
will attempt to relieve the market by in
creasing the acreage of the coming crop
remains to be seen. We look to see no
large expansion of tobacco area in the
older growing counties, though the pros
pect seems excellent for obtaining re-
munerative prices for the next cigar leaf
crop under anything like favorable
growing season. The chances are en-
tirelytf for maintaining the full acreage.
This is good thing to think about when
laying out the plant beds for another
crop.
~
Congressman Fl. A. Cooper is booked
to join junket trip arranged by Secre-
tary of War Taft to the Philippines this
summer. The party of about sixty mem-
bers of the senate and house leave San
Francisco by Pacific mail steamer July
lst for three months absence. The
itinerary has the steamer touch at Hon
olulu, Yokohama and several Japanese
ports before landing at Manila where the
party will remain ten days, being enter
tanned by the Philippine commission
which bears the expense of transporta-
ton of the government officials who
tase the trip. After visiting Manila the
party will take a government transport
and spend twenty days in tour of the
commercial ports in the southern islands.
1t is to be hoped that our congressman,
after he has made an investigation of
our island possessions, will return thor
oughly convinced that his American
tobacco growing constituents are enti-
tied to fair measure of protection when
Secy. Taft's proposition comes up to ad-
NIT Philippine tobacco free of duty into
this country. If he has that convic-
tion the trip will not be made in vain.
Xxx
Announcement has been made that
there will be another effort next summer
to corner the growing tobacco crop, un-
der the auspices of the Burley Tobacco
Growers company, and that the details
of securing the loan would be under
taken with more care than in the last
deal, which was broken through tobacco
trust influences. The farmers of every
county in the Burley tobacco belt have
held meetings during the past few days
and have again promised to pledge their
tobacco to the growers company.
February's internal revenue receipts
H1o %~x, Oh 4
erable increase in the output of full
hedged cigars and moderate one in the
production of manufactured tobacco, but
decreases of more than ordinary size in
the output of little cigars, cigarettes and
snuff. The increase in full hedged ci-
gars amounted to 31,398,477 in a total
output of 497, 800 800 against total out
put of 466,51O,913 in February last year,
and the increase in manufactured tobac
co amounted to 228,107 pounds in total
production of 25,07O925 against total
production of "a ,842, 738 in February last
year. The decrease in little cigars, how
ever, reached 1875, 500 in total output
of 54,193,5OO against total output OF
68, ,789,OO in February. 1904, the decrease
in cigarettes 1885, 1892 in total output
of 2O9, ,028 against total output of
lCO,OOl,OOS III 6UIudFy ldSt y0dIs ouu
the decrease in snuff 220,044 pounds in a
total production of 1,617,544 against a
total production of 1885,, ,588 pounds in
February, 1904.
*x%.
The commissioner of internal revenue
has made an auxiliary ruling on Section
3,4O6, Revised Statutes, which places
much more liberal construction on the
first regulation. AS result of this aux
iliary ruling, it is made plain that gen
uine "empties" can still be used by the
cigar dealer for advertising and display
purposes. In other words, all cigar
boxes that are received by the dealer
properly stamped and labeled and filled
with cigars that are packed in accor
dance with the law can be used for dis
play and advertising purposes by the
dealer after they are emptied, providing
he destroys the stamp, according to the
statutory provision, as soon as they be-
come empty. The dealer cannot receive
such "empties" from the manufactures,
or from any person, or dispose of them
to anyone without first destroying the