The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1907-08-30
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


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The tobacco crop. always the most re-
cuperative of all crops produced on the
farm, is now regaining much of its lost
prestige. Under the influence of good
weather conditions it has made most
phenomenal recovery during the week.
The medium set fields are getting a
breadth of leaf and a rapid advancement
that betokens very satisfactory binder
tobacco. There is yet ample time for it
to mature before the usual frost limit,
and even the later set has chance with
late fall to yield quite respectable re-
turns. The harvest of the early fields is
quite we'll under way in most sections
and the tobacco, while not quite up to
other years in size of leaf, is particularly
sound and free from blemish. Hail has
done less damage to the state than the
average year and the fields have been
unusually free from grasshoppers and
worms. The prospects for crop are
good many per cent. brighter at this
writing than at any time before this sea-
son, and if favored with late fall the
growers will harvest much more of
crop than they had reason to hope for
few weeks ago.
*xx
Mr.. n. c. Crawley, state lecturer of
the Society Of Equity writes us, saying
he was misquoted in a comment pub
lished in this column few weeks ago
regarding a speech made by him at
Farmers picnic near town. He says his
statement has reference to the methods
of the tobacco trust not local buyers,
and what he did charge in his words
was: "They send men into the tobacco
districts and induce growers to contract
their tobacco to them long before the
tobacco is in commercial shape and
get control of the entire crop if possible,
thereby later forcing the independent
manufacturers to buy the raw material
of them, the trusts, thereby forcing the
Independents to pay from 20 as high as
48 cents a pound for leaf which the
trusts paid perhaps Or cents a pound"
The writer has no disposition to misrep-
resent Mr.. Crawley or the cause he rep
resents. Our comment was based upon
the complaint of farmers who were pres
ent and were inclined to challenge his
statements, but cheerfully grant him an
opportunity to plead mot guilty
X
The Tobacco Leaf is of the opinion
that the tobacco trade must prepare to
meet hostile movement in the coming
tr ioh 10
ton has heretofore been given. The
publication during the past week of the
annual report of the commissioner of in
ternal revenue, showing an increase OF
more than twenty million dollars for the
fiscal year 1907 over 1906. taken in con-
nection with the upward tendency of
treasury receipts from all sources since
July l, has resulted in the discussion
here of the advisability of legislation
during the coming session reducing the
internal revenue taxes. 1t is argued in
certain quarters that a cut of twenty five
to thirty five million dollars might easily
be made, thereby reducing the current
annual surplus and eliminating at least
one important reason now being strong
ly urged for the general revision OF the
Dingley tariff schedule. The suggestion
for the reduction of the internal revenue
taxes comes from several sources, and is
based on materially different considera-
tions. Certain stand-pat protectionists
would use cut in internal revenue as a
safety valve to relieve the pressure for
tariff revision. The distilling interests
of the country are practically unit in
favor of redultion in the spirit tax
from Sl.1O to about seventy cents per
gallon. The brewing interests favor
cut in the present beer tax, and this po.
sition appears to be perfectly logical
The present taxes on tobacco products
| are relatively small ad valorems, ranging
from less than per cent. on the highest
grade cigars up to 15 or 20 per cent. on
the cheapest smoking and chewing to-
bacco, and it has always been the policy
of the trade to resist changes, even in
the nature of reduction, on the ground
| that the confusion following readjust-
and the loss in discarded containers,
wrappers, labels, ETC., would more than
Offset any slight gain due to somewhat
| larger margin of profit or to increased
consumption. We believe the tobacco
| trade would make a spirited fight against
any changes in the internal revenue
| and past experience has demonstrated
the powerful influence Of this industry
in congress, due in some measure to the
fact that it is widely distributed through
out nearly all the states and congress
sional districts.
*x*
Stunning figures these which represent
the output of our cigar industry in the fis
cal year. 1906 1907. That they are record
breaking goes without saying. But then
the record has been broken so repeated
ly by our cigar industry since 1898 that
the phrase record breaking" has become
| rather stale in its application to the pro-
gress of our cigar industry. How many
people are there who can grasp the vast
| ness and meaning of eight thousand and
six hundred millions? And this the
production of an industry not engaged
ir providing necessities of life, but only
| an article of comfort within the confines
| of single country and for the needs OF
but one na1 on OF the superbly mag
| nifcent total of eight thousand and six
hundred millions, seven and half bill
lions were full-fedged cigars paying the