The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-03-15
BOOSTING A HOME INDUSTRY.


Richmond industry that has not only
not prospered exceedingly during the
past few years, but that has also in
several instances gone backward. The
appeal of the cigar makers union that
the citizens of Richmond patronize the
local industry and call for home made
But it seems to US that it is unfair for
this union alone to shoulder the work
of trying to build up this industry. A
part of the work Of educating the peo-
pie to a true appreciation Of cigars
made in Richmond should be born by
the local manufacturers.
Cigar stores, groceries and drug
stores are the chief retailers of cigars
in our city and the majority of Gig
ars sold by these various stores are
either made by the great tobacco trust
or by eastern manufacturers. The
point 10 consider about this, however,
10 the fact that there is a demand for
the goods produced by these foreign
firms. In the case OF the tobacco trust
extensive advertising has been done
in both the Richmond newspapers. In
fact it can be stated with absolute
truth that the tobacco trust spends
considerably more than four hundred
dollars annually, advertising their pro
duct In this city. 1t pursues the same
policy in all other important cities of
the country. In Richmond the local
cigar manufacturers, however, do not
spend hardly anything in the way of
legitimate advertising thus leaving
a clear field to the trust as far as
pushing the product is concerned.
Those of our citizens who are partial
to a good cigar know that the adver-
Using of the trust has made them ac-
quainted with its various brands sold
by local dealers. They know that they
have been influenced by this advertis-
ing to try these brands. And from
the fact that the majority Of cigars
sold in Richmond today are trust
made cigars it is self-evident that this
advertising has influenced SO many
smokers that the line of trust cigars
is the most profitable to handle from
fhe dealers standpoint. And that is
the very point We wish to make for
the benefit of the local cigar manu-
facturers. They must create a demand
for their own product sufficient to
make It highly profitable for the local
dealers to handle their product.
In the past Richmond made cigars
have enjoyed a far greater popular
fty than they do at present Only a
few years back there were from fifty
to sixty cigar makers employed in
this city in the manufacture of cigars
Today there are but about thirty cigar
makers employed in the city and not
all these are employed regularly. In
Fort Wayne, a city Just about twice
the population of Richmond, over 800
cigar makers find employment, or ten
times as many as there are in this
city. AS a comparison this shows
that more than ten times as many
nome made cigars are sold in Fort
Wayne as are sold in Richmond. Fort
Wayne evidently has met the conpe-
tition of the trust in no uncertain
way
AS far as the relative merit of home
made cigars is, as compared to the
.out-oftown article the balance lies
with the Richmond product. Cigars
made in this city are made in sanitary
shops and the best of tobacco enters
into their construction. Some of the
cheaper grades of cigars made in the
east by small firms-and it is possible
that some of these could find their
way on the local market-are manu-,
featured in sweat shops, subject to
every form of vile and contagious dis
eases
Now as 10 reinstating home made
cigars in the favor of Richmond smok.
ers. we can give no better advice than
that the local manufacturers follow
the example of the trust and advertise
their product. The advertising of the
trust has proven highly profitable in
creating a large demand here for its
cigars and 1t should do the same for
local manufacturers if used wisely.
It is clearly up to the local manufac.
turer If he expects TO interest the 10
cal dealer. 10 show that dealer that
he intends to DO his share towards
pushing his product before the atteu.
ton of the consuming pubic. He can
not expect TO buy his cigars and then
leave it 10 chance - bring the public
in TO buy that article II he sells his
cigars to Il dealer he must interest the
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