Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-11-08
Tobacco and the Revenue.

old verse has it, but it will rot be
denied that the use of it by Americans
goes far toward helping Uncle Sam
pay his household expenses. And just
now it happens to come to the relief OF
the financial situation. A New York
paper says that the unusually large
exports of tobacco are a distinctly nit
icatinS feature of the financial situa-
ton. 1t is said the exports of manu-
featured tobacco during the present
fall will exceed fifty million pounds. for
which Europe will pay over $lo1.000 900.
and thai large part of this sum will
be- available in the New York money
market almost Immediately, as the con-
tracts with the European importers
call for payment on delivery. These
figures relate to manufactured tobacco.
the value of which is far greater than
the farm value of the crop.
In 1906 there were in the United
States 7?6,o99 acres in tobacco. which
yielded eScc, $3.50 pounds, valued in the
raw at sGS932.547 The latest statistics
Of tobacco manufacturers are for 1905.
At that tine there were 1866 concerns
making cigars and cigarettes: The cap
ital employed was s145. 13o,94J. the cost
of raw material used in the year was
ssI. l34. .G1. and the value of the output
was $.l4 350,057. For making chewing
and smoking tobacco and snuH. there
were -i33 establishments: the capital
employed was Sl1SS41, $50; tht cost Of
raw material used in the year was
A4,354 ,041, and the value of output was
sl16 1850.
y government bulletin tells US that
the crop this Year IS the largest on rec
ord and the export OF manufactured
tobacco will be correspondingly large.
This country produces several times as
much tobacco az any other country in
the world. and While it consumes more
than any other country, it has Il large
surplus for export. Its Use is more
nearly universal than any other arti-
Gle and it is The most heavily taxed
product of the wOrl.i, though not near
~ so heavily taxed in this country as
i'll some others. The average rate OF
taxation on all kinks of manufactured
tobacco in this country is about t., cents
a pound. and last year the tax yielded
Il revenue of nearly SJo,n0p,0 900. Every
person who smokes Il cigar or cigarette
pinch Of snuff, contributes to this rev.
enue
Germany is the only country that iIn-
pose a lighter tax on manufactured
tobacco than the United States. its tax
being, only s cents q pound. England
levies a tax on raw tobacco of n to 81
cents IL pound according to the amount
of moisture it contains liz France the
government has a monopoly of tobacco
anu tbs tax Is Sc cents a pound. The
SoyerMntnts of Italy, Spain. Austria
and Turkey also have Il tobacco nloTop-
oily and impose heavy taxes. 1t is a
greet revenue producer the world over
ana. in this country. Il great wealth
producer fer those engaged in tie pusi
ness. The revenue Of the British gov
eminent from this source last year was
$6e, 500 800. and that nf France from its
monopoly was S9013l.70o The italian
government derives three times as
much from It's monopoly on tobacco as
it does from that on salt. In This Colln-
try the manufacture RS Of tobacco make
much more out Of it than the Govern
mcnt does by it's tax.
The enemies of the weed may say
what they please. but most people will
feel like thanking it for coming to the
rescue in u time of financial stress In
this regard it stands with wheat. corn.
cotton. meats and other food Stuffs.