The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-30
HAVANA CIGARS
DEARER
PRICES LIKELY TO ADVANCE
BEFORE LONG.

Tn Supply OF Tobacco Now short. Gays .
Cuban Manufacturer lin Addition the
1901 Tobacco Crop ls Unusually Heavy
But the Cigars VIII he Extra Coed.
That the smoking public will have TO pay
more for imported cigars within the next
three months is the opinion Of one Of the
best kno-n cigar manufacturer In Cuba
who is paying a visit TO New York, but
he adds that the cigars will be OF exoeps
rionally good quality.
"In the last year or So" said the manu-.
f~acturer, we nave been working at q clear
loss Of s. on the 1000 cigars-that 10. q loss
Of fully 10 per cent. The Of this ID
the high priceaf leaf tobacco.
Taking everything into consideration.
our tobacco costs us just three times az
much as it did before the Spanish war.
The 1905 crop was q failure, and there 10
no older tobacco left in the island. Conse-
quently the warehouses are cleaned up
| absolutely and In the factories stocks are
exceedingly low.
1T is true that the 1907 crop IL large.
but II will not be ready TO work for Soma
time to oome. This crop is Of a peculiar
character.
AT the beginning Of the year Il looked
az IL it would be destroyed by drought.
Rain. however. came in the nick Of time
and saved il, but the leaf as a result Of lack
OF moisture in the earlier stages of its
growth is thick and heavy and will take
q long time to cure.
much Of it, indeed, will not be ready
for the manufacturer until well on in next
year. In the meantime tobacco will be exc
oeedingly scarce, and prices will probably
rise higher than ever.
Again, the cigars made from this tobacco
will naturally be heavier than those sold
now, and az a greater part Of the duty on
cigars Is assessed by weight there will be
a. increase in the cost Of h cigars landed
In this country, and part at least OF this
will have to be borne by the manufacturer.
] estimate that the increase in weight will
be at least is per cent, and you can figure
what that would mean at $500 a pound.
THAT the manufacturer losing money
at the rate OF 10 per cent, as he is, should
endure this additional burden without an
attempt TO recoup himself is hardly to be
expected. The matter has been informally
discussed by the manufacturers several
times and the unanimous opinion has been
that cigar prices must go up.
Il think the advance will be about 10 per
cent, with which we should do little more
than break even. AS regards the effect on
retail prices, they will have to be raised too.
l do not think that there will be any change
in the is cents, 25 cents, so cents or 81 straight
cigars, but the dealer will have to charge
more for those sizes now selling at two
for rs cents, three for so cents, three for q
dollar and the like.
However, I can give this much con-
ISOLATION, the consumer will get value for
his money. For thA thick heavy tobacco
will make cigars N exceptional richness
and aroma, and it is my opinion that the
cigars put on the market in 1908 will be
the best since 1881, the banner year.
Concerning the domestic made Havana
cigar, | am hardly in a position to speak,
but l should think that the domestic manu-
facturers will also be compelled to raise
their prices sooner or later, for they declare
that with present prices Of tobacco they are
losing money, and there is every indication
that they will soon have to pay ever more
for their raw material"