The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1907-07-26
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


1t is hard to conceive of weather con-
ditions that could produce more satis-
factory growth of tobacco crop than
have prevailed during the month of July
SO far. Certainly no crop ever made up
the lost prestige of late start more rap
idly. We're it not that so much rain
prevents the cultivation necessary to
keep down the weeds, growers could
scarcely be better satisfied with the
prospects that confront them at this
writing. Some fields on uneven ground
have been badly washed by heavy rains,
it is true, but aside from this the growth
is phenomenal and the early fields will
be in bud not far behind the date for
topping in other years.
sx*
The Internal Revenue Department has
again reversed itself. Through the ef-
forts of President Cullman, of the Ma
tional Cigar Leaf Tobacco Association,
Commissioner of Internal Revenue Cap
ers has modified the ruling of former
Commissioners Yerkes that leaf dealers
should make an entry of each sale at the
one warehouse in each district where
registered, the names and addresses to
whom it was sold, which would have re-
quired the dealers to disclose their en-
tire business. The leaf dealers thought
this requirement was too severe, as it
would give their agents in other cities
an insight into their business and they
could see what customers dealt with the
main house. This would cause consid-
erable trouble, SO the leaf dealers point
ed out, as their agents could, If inclined,
go in business for themselves, and
through the knowledge of their former
employers customers could pry those
customers from their former employers.
Under the regulations as agreed upon
by Commissioner Capers and the leaf
dealers, the latter will be permitted to
sell the tobacco direct to anyone in any
part of the country and make the entry
of said sale on book SO in the principal
place of business. For instance, if leaf
dealer in New York wishes to sell tobac-
co to a manufacturer in Boston, the sale
may be made by the agent of the seller
in city outside of New York, and the
entry made in New York, thus preclud-
ing the possibility of the agent knowing
to whom the tobacco is going, as it will
be consigned to the purchaser in the
name of the firm making the sale. This
will protect the business of the leaf
dealer from becoming known to his
agents. Provision has also been made
for the transfer of tobacco received from
farmers entered in book SO at one ware
house in each district to book SO at the
principal place of business of the packer
during or at the close of the packing
season. Another feature of the agree
ment is that when a leaf dealer sells
quantity of tobacco to customer, that
customer can withdraw it at any time,
but only the original entry of the bulk
sale will be made on the leaf dealers
books.
A Washington correspondent to a
trade paper says the complaint of the
government in it's suit against the tobac-
CO trust should have been entitled
Trust Making, Up To Date Being
Romantic History of the Relations Be-
tween the American Tobacco Company
and it's Allies, and the United States, in
Nineteen Chapters and Seven Exhibits" ="
the title would have aptly described the
petition. 1t consists of 135 pages cram
med from cover to cover with facts re-
lating to the growth of the business OF
this concern, with more or less light as
to the methods pursued. Generally
speaking, the document is disappointing
in that it is deficient in specific instap ces
showing violation of the law as to pro-
cesses of purchasing and marketing to-
bacco. It is presumed however, that
the government has in reserve testimony
and evidence with which to sustain the
broad charges. To incorporate such
charges in the petition would not only
have made document of unseemly bulk,
but would have too plainly betrayed the
case of the government. The petition
deals with the operations of the defen-
dants from the purchasing of the tobac-
CO for the use of the various concerns
down to the marketing of the manufact.
ured product through johbers and retail
establishments. 1t is significant that
the government charges that many con-
Germs operating as ostensibly indepen-
dent companies, are in reality controlled
by the trust and this charge is support
ed by statements as to the ownership of
the stock which seems to bear out the
contentious of the government. Details
as to how, when and why the trust Sc
cured control of the institutions recog
nized as constituent parts or still con-
Quoted as independent concerns, are
given with degree of exactness which
indicates that the information was cffic-
tally obtained. Sometime since the
question arose as to whether collectors
of internal revenue should be permitted
to make public the quantities of stamps
sold in their districts, it being repre-
sented that the publication of such sales
NIGH put competitors on the line of the
business done. Yet as the petition gives
the number of cigarettes, smoking to-
bacco, chewing tobacco. etc., etc., man.
ufactured by the different concerns
charged with being connected by the
trust, it would seem that these statistics
must have been obtained from the in
ternal revenue bureau. The Department
of Justice has been assisted by the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor in
making its investigation, and it is ap-
parent the Treasury Department was
also called upon. The proceedings are
against the tobacco trust and all its
branches. including the manufacture OF
cigars, cigarettes, chewing tobacco. smok-