The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1907-09-27
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


2lst, leaving its mark here and there on
low ground, and consequently more or
less of the standing tobacco has been
touched. But for the delays of the
heavy rains last week, the crop would
have been pretty generally secured. AS
matters stand, probably one-quarter of
the crop is yet in the fields. which if not
on high grounds or otherwise protected
will show the effect of the freeze. The
race has been an unequal one. Frequent
rains have KEEP. le crop growing instead
of maturing and the scarcity of help just
at the pinch when the rush of the work
was at hand, all tended to the delay.
Considerable tobacco, too, it is thought,
has been cut too green because of the
anxiety of growers to beat out the frost.
One thing seems clearly demonstrated
the last week in September is too late to
harvest tobacco in this latitude, to say
nothing of the chances of securing the
curing of the leaf in the sheds. We must
yet be favored with plenty OF warm
weather to bring about the curing OF the
tobacco lately transferred to the sheds.
So escaping frosts is not the only danger
to be encountered by late crop.
~
1t is refreshing to note the cheerful
ness of some tobacco growers regarding
the market situation for the coming crop
when they get an opportunity to air
their views IN print. For instance, Mr..
r. Hayner of Sun Prairie very modestly
tells the Madison Journal he has the
finest crop in southern Wisconsin. But
to use his own words: "We will get
about 20 cents pound for our crop this
year, which is double what we have been
getting said Mr.. Hayner recently. 81
estimate that it costs me not more than
cents a pound for the labor required
to handle it, 80 there is II cents profit
per pound. Allowing for ground rental
and other little incidentals, | should
clear Is cents a pound. This crop OF
mine is the biggest and best in this
neighborhood. Few farmers have any
thing thet equals it. This is due to the
ifact that the land has been used for
pasturage for nearly 20 years and is
therefore exceedingly rich. If you look
! around you will find crops that are not
worth harvesting, and there are some
which may be caught by frost before
they have a chance to ripen.' No one
| will blame Mr.. Hayner for praising his
own crop, or his ambition to boost the
market price. But what strikes us as
| the most singular part of the interview
| is that he should be engaged in throw
| ing a few bricks at his neighbors who
| have not been so fortunate and may
| have to be satisfied with a profit of only
| Is or Is cents per pound. 1t is quite
possible, too, that some of his neighbors
may take issue with him on the estimat-
ed cost of raising.
*.*
In a circular letter addressed to all
collectors and deputies, Commissioner
Capers reads a lecture to his officials
! whom he wants to pay more attention to
| actual violations of the revenue laws
than to the technical omissions. They
should assume the attitude of advisors
and counsellors and by virtue of their
experience in the service tell the people
| who know less about it what is expected
of them. II want no let-up whatever in
vigorous search for violations of the
law" saws the circular, "but | want wis
dom on the part of officers of this bureau
to take the place of an activity to make
"a record. finally at the expense of the
government. which is entirely at vari
ance with the letter and spirit of the law. ;
| *xx
Secretary Taft is the champion of the
Manila tobacco growers and clgarmak
ers. He advocates reduced duties or
raw tobacco and cigars and after time
free entry for both into the United
States. 10 spite of all arguments TO the
contrary, he says these articles cannot
be brought into this country and sold al
a profit in competition with our home
products of the same kinds Our consu
at Calcutta, India, writes to his home
government as follows: ga firm IN Mad
ras advertises three of it's best cigars a
IL cents, 3 cents and ~ cents each
respectively. | suppose these cigar;
would sell in the United States at 10 tt
| ID cents 6acQ, or Two IOF quarter. us
| men who grow the tobacco that is, the
laborers in the field get 10 to II cents
day, and the men who make the cigar:
get from 12 to 90 cents day = hotf
classes boarding and lodging themselves
Nice looking stogies are manufacturer
in Madras and sold at wholesale for 3;
cents thousand. Cigarettes made il
India sell at proportionately low figures.
There does not seem to be much differ
ence in the cost of growing tobacco il
India and the Philippines. The climate
is pretty nearly alike. Wages are abou
the same If we we're to get free trade
, with the Philippines there is nothing tt
prevent our home market from beinE
overrun with these low-priced cigars
How could the cigar manufacturers o
Lancaster county compete with th
cheap labor of the Philippines? How
could our farmers on their high prices
lands grow tobacco at price that woult
allow manufacturers to put their cigar
on the market at 80 cents per thousand
If the tobacco interests of the UDite'
States are sufficiently awake to their in
, terests they will never consent to the to