The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-10-20
Is Growing From Yearto
Year in All Of the
Departments.
BRIGHT OPENING
OF THE NEW YEAR.
Crops MI Over State Smaller.
but Of Much Better Quality.
Richmond Handles Seventy
Million Pounds of Leaf
Per Annunl--Busi-
ness Growing.

While the tobacco warehouses of
Richmond and OF all of the markets
! in the State have been selling loose
leaf from the crop OF 1907, as yet
only portions OF the lower grades have
been oiTered; In fact, but little more
than prmings have been put out on
the warehouse floors in Richrnond
Really the tobacco business year.
| so far as the leaf transactions are
| concerned begins November lst With
good seasons for handling the weed
In barns the probability is that By
lthe first OF the month the farmers who
I market their dark and sun-cured to-
oaccos in Richmond will be coming
ia the city in large numbers. and
| the warehousemen, who have had
/ somewhat of lengthy vacation, will
1 ind their hands full OF business.
At the recent annual Meeting of
I the Richmond Tobacco Board OF Trade
/ the reports OF the officers showed
i ;tat Richmond is not only holding
| it's own as tobacco market, but is
1 growing. Within the past year some-
thing over 7O.000,oO0 pounds OF the
/ weed was handled in this city. The.
factories operating in, Richmond turn
| ed out between 21oo0.0oo and 22.000.-
| oOu pounds OF the finished plug and
/ smoking goods and the leaf dealers,
/, who sell the raw material to manu-
| facturcrs all over the world. handled
l the balance of the enormous quantity
OF the soothing weed that pasted
i through this city. IS
i Growth OF Consumptio AID Trades
/. The consumption of tobacco the
/ world over Is increasing at a rate
that the average reader dreams not
Y Of The internal revenue books OF
/ the United States government show
/ this wonderful increase in figured.
| the accuracy of which can not be
questioned. Tn the year 1870 only
9o.OOo.oOO pounds OF chewing and
smoking tobacco were manufactured
in the United States. In 1905 the out
out OF the factories amounted to
SIT, 100000 pounds, while cigars and
cigarettes increased in the same
length Of time from 1.152,ooo.ooo 20
| ll.S63, 100000.
Richmond In the Swim.
The books show that Richmond
factories have kept right In the front
rank OF the tobacco manufacturing
4 centres that made this wonderful In
crease. Thirty years ago the output
!, OF the Richmond factories amounted
to not over 100000 pounds of chew
ing and smoking tobacco. Last year
i the output was close to 2a.O0o,00O
i pounds. A proportionate Increase is
shown In the matter of cigars. and
4 q much larger increase in cigarettes.
4 The large and constantly growing
il output Of these factories would OF
themselves. make Richmond great
market for the raw material. but
! there are other puyers here, a good
lIly number of them ever ready to buy
! and pay the cash for the weed.
Il What Makes a Great Market.
There are on the Richmond market
forty eighty firms, who In one way
4 and another buy and handle the weed.
The American Tobacco Company, with
i its numerous branches and depart
ments, have buyers constantly on the
outlook for the raw material with
u which to keep their factories OF all
h.nds, located hero and In various
I parts OF the country, with supplies OF
|. material. The nine independent fac
tories, who manufacture about
100000 pounds OF finished pros
! duct per year, with an ever
Il growing trade In all parts OF tho
4 world. are. Of course. enormous buy
ers. Then come the foreign buyers, to-s
! wit: the Imperial Tobacco Company.
:. OF Great Britain and ireland; the
I sGallaher Limited. of Belfast. Ireland;1
the Japanese Tobacco Monopoly, this.
Austrian and Italian government
J. agencies and the German Consulate.
!. Richmond Is the headquarters for
tho buyers and agencies OF all OF.
4, these mammoth concerns for the pur-
], chase of Virginia ana North Carolina
tohaccOs.
In addition there are rehandlers.
commission merchants, who buy for
A nearly every factory in the State. and
J not a few dealers In the weed who
buy on speculation and rehandle and
y order the goods for sale In hogs
4 Ehead lots to outside buyers from
other markets. For all classes OF leaf
tobacco there ia greater demand. and
! more ready sale can be found In.
| Richmond than any market in this.
country.
J Financially Strong Also.
There arc, OF course. other markets
/, that may handle In the course OF .
/ iyear more pounds Of tobacco than this.
e market, but no market IN the Wo1W
. handles as many types OF the weed as
: Richmond. And then, too. there Is no
$ market in the world that Is In a bot
i ter position financially to take cars
. OF the TOBACCO trade. Richmond has
: always been a great tobacco market,
and from the earliest years the banks
have fostered the tobacco trade. They
I do 1t yet. and even In panicky timer
!. the money ~ always forthcoming M
: move the leaf tobacco crop, and In
I fact Ia carry on tic tobacco BUSH
!, ness In Richmond in all of sits