The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-09-07
CRAVE EXPLAINS
 CIGAR PRICE RAISE
INCREASES ALI AROUND M4DE SUCH ACTION NECEs-
 SARY.

Speaks at Liquor Dealers, Ranoue+ .s
 saVin Rock--OrganiEed Labor Not
 Responsible Alone-ofIcers EJectcs
 by the AssociatiOn-Frank P. Quinn
 Chosen as President-Five New To-
 calls Added During the Year. Mat,r.
 Total of Seventeen-About One 7uu.
 dred Present.
 The Wine Liquor and Beer Dealers, association of Connecticut, about 1oo delegates and members in attendance held its thirteenth annual session at the Stanford hotel, savin Rock, yes- terday The day was spent in busi- ness session from before noon un4,l nearly o'clock. The morning session was occupied with business matters relating to the objects of the order. put 1t was stated that no important discussions were indulged in.
 After a recess came the election of officers in this choice: President. Frank P. Quinn, of this city; vice president Leo F. Guethlein, of Hartford. stata recording secretary, John J. Kinney. of New Haven; treasurer, IF. J. Griffin of Merlden, and sergeant-at-arms, P. B. Gillern of New Haven.
 One of the matters that has been up- permost in the thoughts of many mem bers of the association and tn discus sion yesterday, whether debated fr the meeting or not, concerns the increase in the wholesale price of cigars, which has created considerable interest of late. In consequence of the widespread opinions aroused by 1t Frederick ID. Grave, the well-known New Haven ci- gar manufacturer, was present last evening at the banquet at his own in itiative, to attempt to explain the man. ufacturers standpoint in regard to the situation. On account of this step talk en by Mir. Graves the association voted to lay over the cigar question to the executive board for final action. This each town and the executive officers.
 MT. Graves said in substance: I feel that many of the members of this as- sociation are lafboring under a misoon- ceptfon in regard to the increase in the price of cigars, and so I have asked your president for an opportunity 10 attempt to explain the facts of the case,
 It is not true that the increase is dueto organized labor. The increase would have come about whether the or ganized laborers struck or not. Or ganized labor only helped to make tfe break Tobacco, both that of Connecti- cut and that from Havana, has been number of years past, with the excep- tion of last year, when there was prac- tically no crop to sell This increase averaged from ten to fifteen cents per pound Now the United States govern men requires that twenty-five pounds of tobacco shall be used to make 1000 cigars. Consequently this increase meant $2.50 on thousand cigars.
 Then came the strikes, first in Bos- ton, then Hartford, and then here. No manufacturer here would have stood out against the strike day if crop conditions had been normal But un, der the conditions it was just what they wanted. It was practically god- send
 After six weeks the manufacturers gave in and started to make cigars again. They are crowded on one hand by organized labor and on the other hand by the tobacco trust. I believe in keeping up the standard of cigars, even if it means raising the price We should stand against the trust, Cor if We do not the same conditions will | Y1rQ<ro1 SyO thn fio fpnI Io s,o other tobacco lines There will be wholesale houses in every city and you will have to pay $20 more per thousand than you do now, and you will buy them like postage stamps If we CO., operate we may keep off these condi- tons for some years at least.
 There has been an increase in the cost of raw tobacco, in labor and in even the price of boxes, aggregating an increase of $4.50 per thousand cigars. Ths represents the normal profit of ci- gar manufacturers in New England. Therefore the increase in selling price.
 About 100 members present yesterday. There are now seventeen locals in the association, an increase of five during the past year. The place and date for the next meeting was left to the state executive committee to determine,
 After the meeting the members en- joyed 8 splendid banquet, for which Stanford catered Among the speakers besides MT. Graves were Commissioner E. Foote Thompson, John Tyler, ex- chairman of the excise and temperance committee of the Connecticut house Of representative J. B. Sullivan of Bridgeport, Leo F. Guethlein of Hart ford, and e. H. Olcott of New Britain. and John J. Hogan of this city