The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1908-03-27
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.


The most encouraging feature OF the
present movement of the tobacco crop is
that so large amounts are being taken
for the export market. Not that the
prices furnish much relief to the grower
as far as returns go, but the fact that a
crop containing so much low grades is
being taken out of the country and will
not hereafter be menace to securing
better prices for leaf suitable for domes-
tic needs, will eventually prove good
thing. This movement abroad clears
the boards for something better when
the new crop comes upon the market.
The editor of the Viroqua Republican
confesses that he is badly puzzled in
trying to solve the tobacco situation.
Here is what he says: "One who at
tempts to reach any logical conclusion
as to the tobacco situation is entirely at
sea as to the rational thought, owing to
the vast difference in the information he
received fro u the buyer and the farmer.
The buyers who have stopped purchas-
ing claim that their reason for so doing
is that the crop is so poor that under
present conditions they are afraid to
take any of the real poor stuff on their
hands. They claim that with the large
amount Of last years crop still on the
market, they consider it dangerous
speculation to load up with any amount
OF anything but the very best of the 1907
crop and consequently they propose to
stand out from under the possibility of
being caught with lot of unmarketable
material On the other hand some of
the farmers claim that such is not the
real reason and that all the buying that
has been done was only a part of plan
to discontinue sufficient number OF
farmers from joining the Equity, SO as to
render that organization powerless. The
arguments OF both the buyer and the
farmer are so full of possibility that it is
hard to conclude which has the prepon-
derance of fact, but it is not entirely un-
safe to recognize the strong probabilities
of certain amount of truth in both.
-
The U. S. Tobacco Journal takes de-
cided grounds against the passage of the
Free Leaf bill which has already re-
ceived the endorsement of the lower
house, Which it declares as socialistic
and in the interests of priviledged
class. The point which it raises seems
to be we'll taken, too, for it says: AS
eysry body is aware, the law as it stands
makes it compulsory on anybody who
wants to manufacture an ounce OF to-
bacco to register as a. tobacco manufac
turer and to pay the prescribed tax on
his manufacture. And woe to him who
would attempt to sell pound of un-
taxed tobacco But all this is to be
changed in favor of the tobacco farmer,
and the tobacco farmer alone and ex-
clusively- The ordinary mortal who is
or would engage in the manufacture of
tobacco is to be held strictly to observe
the law as to his registering as manu-
facturer and to the payment of the tax
due on his product hut the tobacco
grower is to be relieved OF both these
obligations, thus being made class unto
himself with the enjoyment of privileges
directly and absolutely denied to his
other fellow citizens If this is not a
gross and wilful and absolutely mex
cusable violation of our Constitution
LAOu uOhuluS 40 onO Wt1A TO- 4 A0 AuA lA0A
is not entitled to any special privileges
that would differentiate him from the
rest of the people. If he wants to be-
come a manufacturer he should be
treated under the same law as any other
manufacturer whether in his individual
or corporate capacity. And if it is found
necessary to make him manufacturer
exempt from any license and tax on his
product, then let Congress repeal the en-
tire stamp tax on tobacco and make to-
bacco manufacturing free to all. Such
would be the only constitutional method
to give the relief sought for in the
"free leaf'' bill. Suppose our cigar leaf
growers should ask for the same relief
They too have been pinched by last
years crop. They will hardly realize on
it half of what they did on their previ-
Gus years crop. BESIDES it does not
move. Why then should they not also
be entitled to manufacture their unsal-
able leaf into cigars and sell them with
out paying the stamp tax on them!
They certainly have proven themselves
more desirable citizens than the anarch-
istic gang of night riders in the dark to-
bacco belt. and from an ethical point OF
view would therefore be more entitled to
lawful favors than cut. throats.