The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-06
SHORTAGE OF CROP
BLOW TO SMOKERS
The Supply of Good Cigars
VIII be Reduced
STOGIES ALSO COST MORE
But the Present Famine May Lead to
a Better Future Supply of
the Finest Tobacco
Known.
STOGIES ALSO COST MORE

Smokers will soon find it necessary to
limit themselves to cigar on Sundays
unless they happen to be millionaires
with a reckless disregard for money,
The tobacco crop in the Vuelta Abajo
this year came so near being destroyed
by excessive rains that no more than
half the usual yield can be cut.
Doubtless there are a number of men
in this world who never heard Of the
Vuelta Abajo, but some of them are in a
fair way to be made aware of its exist
enee before another twelve month rolls
around. The Vuelta Abajo produces the
finest cigar filters that are grown in all
this big round world; hence when this
supply is reduced one-half there must he
privation and suffering among tobacco
connoisseurs. The Vuelta Abajo is
section covering a space of 800 square
miles in Pinar del Rio, the most westerly
province of Cuba. 1t lies on the sunny.
southern slope of the Organ mountains,
projected from the steady winds which
thrash and bruise the delicate leaves in
other sections. Like the wines produced
by a few small vineyards in the French
province of Champagne, the tobacco
grown In this small district has a charac-
teristic delicate flavor that has so far
proved unattainable elsewhere, Numer-
Gus learned scientists have tried in vain
to discover the secret of this superior
quality, but they have failed. But Cuba
has recently established an agricultural
experiment station under the direction Of
an American expert trained in the gov
eminent agricultural department at
Washington, so nature will probably not
be able to hide the secret much longer.
Once the conditions are thoroughly un-
derstood, Cubas output of Vuelta Abajo
quality of tobacco will be increased a
hundred fold and become so cheap that
even in political campaign every one
will be able to smoke good cigars.
Three Sections in Cuba.
There are three tobacco-g growing sec
lions in Cuba--the Vuelta Abajo In Pinar
del Rio, which produces the exquisite
filler and some fine wrappers: Partldo' In
the province of Havana, which produces
fine wrappers and some filters; Remedies,
In Santa Clara province, which produces
heavy filters of the kind used in so-called
seed and Havana" cigars. In the FIRST
named province there will be barely half
a crop this year; In the other two the
crops will be nearly normal In quantity,
but of very poor quality. so that the
money value of the crop of the whole
island will not be more than half of the
usual amount.
Tobacco growing does not require the
costly plant that sugar raising does. so 1t
is peculiarly Cuban industry, whereas
the sugar industry Is passing into the
hands of foreigners, chiefly Americans.
One hundred thousand persons make
living in Cuba by raising tobacco. A 81
per cent reduction of the income OF
100000 persons makes, of course, cur
tailment of their buying capacity by just
that amount. AS nearly all manufac-
tured goods and a considerable amount
OF food products come from the United
States. this misfortune to the islands to-
bacco crop will be felt here IN more ways |
than one
In 1904 Cuba exported 1874 tons OF
leaf tobacco, 206. ISL, 600 cigars and 49,
S21 900 packages of cigarettes. of which a |
large part came to the United States. In
fact the United States is becoming moro
and more dependent on Cuba for Its to- |
bacco supply. In 1900 the value of to- |
bacco In all forms imported Into the |
United States from Cuba was S9.SO7 693, |
while in the first eleven months of 1905 |
the amount had Increased to s13.663'622.
The total value of the 1905 crop was |
s45, coo 600, of which s29000,000 worth was |
exported. In the face of the tremendous |
increase in the consumption Of tobacco |
any shortage In the supply Is serious
matter Reduced to figures by the in
ternal revenue bureau, the increase In
cigars manufactured In the United States
is shown to be from $4,163972. 440 cigars
and 3,32S,477 675 cigarettes in 1905 to $780,
9l4,575 cigars, 1876, 633, Gas cigarettes and
7S, 422, $50 little cigars in 1905. The amount
OF manufactured tobacco and snuff in
creased in the same period from 259l0l,
1l5 pounds to 355, 620,970 pounds.
Value of Crop.
A good example of what a short to-
bacco crop In Cuba means to the people
of the United States was found when
Weyler the Butcher prohibited the ex-
portation of tobacco. The price OF scraps
and cuttings, which is the refuse of cigar
factories at one time regarded as utterly
worthless. but which were found later to
be available for stogies and cheap cigars
rose in price from cents a pound to
IA cents. In view of the prospective
in Cuba this season the tobacco
trust is making strenuous efforts to get
hold of every available pound of scraps
and cuttings at 30 cents a pound. The
result is already felt by those who smoke
stogies, for they now get two for nickel
instead of three, as formerly. AS usual
1t Is the poor man who bears the burden.
Those who can afford to smoke cigars of
good quality will not be affected II they
are careful to stick to brands of estab-
lished reputation. Large manufacturers
here carry stock of raw material suf-
fcient to last them from twelve to eigh-
teen months. They dare not increase the
price nor reduce the quality of their lead
ing brands for fear of losing the sale of
them because the average smoker Is ac-
customed to paying a fixed price for
fixed grade. and will change brands rather
than submit to an increase. The only
recourse for the cigar manufacturer Is
to reduce the advertising and selling ex-
penses, pocket the remainder of the loss
and wait for better times. The next year
will be harvest time for what manu-
facturers call flake" cigars-a smoke
which is everything a cigar should not
be and nothing 1t pretends to be-put out
by IRRESPONSIBLE makers under firm names
invented for the occasion, and sold at
prices that will yield fat profits. Also
prize coupon schemes of all sorts to boom
new cigars are already doomed to an
early death. Tobacco costs too much to
allow an, manufacturer to indulge In
fa ntatic advertising schemes of question:
able value. Over in England where the
situation is somewhat different. the price
of cigars has been advanced Is per cent.
VIII Raise Price.