The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1906-08-17


Total .......... $685. 5Os1A aO77 3O26A
These figures indicate that something
like the old time acreage is again being
devoted to tobacco. It will be noted
that the increase over year ago is about
33 per cent, being considerably above
any previous estimates. Ii this increase
occurs over other tobacco sections Of the
state, then the figures of the government
statistical department of Ii per cent. are
entirely out of the way. AS usual, the
town of Porter is the banner town of the
county, growing 866 acres, with Fulton
next with 832, and GAINESVILLE, Center and
Spring Valley not very far behind. While
the tobacco area of the county has in
creased nearly 1000 acres, the sugar beet
area has dropped off 1000 acres, and the
two crops together hardly reach the
acreage of tobacco few years ago. On
the face of the returns it would appear
that the sugar beet people must 60 out
side the tobacco growing sections for
their acreage in the future.
***
The u. S. Tobacco Journal has taken
the trouble to analyze the figures of the
annual output of cigars for the last fiscal
year and some interesting conclusions
are reached that are worth the attention
of the leaf trade. The doubling of an
industry's production in less than dec
ade speaks of itself volumes for its pro-
gress and prosperity and yet there are
GROWERS and kickers who disclaim to see
in these figures any proof of the progress
and prosperity of our cigar industry be-
of oil
continually forced out of business. The
inference which their complaints intend
to convey is that the trust and few
large concerns are the only beneficiaries
of the undeniably marvellous growth of
our cigar industry and that the trade at
large is rather a loser than gamer by
the overgrowth of the few at the expense
of the many. Neither is the inference
that only the trust and few large con-
Germs are the sole benefciaries of the ex-
traordinary expansion of our cigar indus
try borne out by the facts. AS the few
very large concerns in question may be
taken those with an output of hundred
millions and over, and among those can
be reckoned the trust credited with an
output of fifteen hundred millions, the
United Cigar Manufacturing Go. cred
tied with an output of four hundred mil
lions, and two concerns in Pennsylvania
each credited with an output OF hun
dred millions. Here then is an output
of two billions which is supposed to be
of no benefit to the leaf trade as it's man
ufacturers are said to buy in the market
only when in pinch, while as a rule
they provide their raw material by di-
rect purchases from the farmer and by
direct importation. But there remains
an output of six billions to be accounted
for which is to be credited to the twenty
six thousand less larger, medium and
smaller factories all of which are de-
pendent for their supply of leaf on the
distributing tobacco markets of the
supply from the leaf markets by 80 per
cent larger than wher the cigar industry
produced only four billion cigars and
had not in it's ranks concerns with an
output of hundred millions and over.
The true inference therefore is that our
medium and less large factories are ben
eftting proportionately much more from
the marvellous increase In the consump-
tion of the products of our cigar indus
try than the very few large concerns
forming a class by itself, and that they
draw on the leaf market for much
heavier supply than was the case nine
years ago when there was no trust in ex-
istence or any hundred million and over
factories. And the acknowledged short
age of the markets leaf supply and the
steady advance 10 price of the raw ma
terial are additional proofs of the relia-
bility of our statement. It seems to us
then that the growth of the smaller into
medium sized factories and of the latter
into larger and larger establishments is
confusing the calculation of those who
are in the habit of dealing only with the
small fry. 1t is the same as when par
ents cannot realize that their boys have
grown to men and their girls to women
and that these boys and girls are setting
out for themselves But such is human
life, and the commercial and industrial
life of nation only reflects the course
of the natural life in it's ever changing
evolution. And the strenuous evolution
of our cigar industry is no exception: 1t
can neither be impeded nor halted by
narrow minded conceptions or by growl:
ings reflective only of individual disap-
pointments.