The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-10-22

NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

| IdliScu IIluCIl. LOO low W ASSIST III Tile
satisfactory curing of the hanging to-
bacco crop. Warmer days than those
which do not range much above the
freezing point are necessary to help out
the curing of the late harvested tobac-
co. Especially green cut tobacco makes
| but little progress under such condi-
tions, and unless milder weather is yet
to come there is greater danger from
fat stems than was anticipated few
weeks ago. There may be warm In
dian summer days yet in store for us,
to relieve any anxiety growers may en-
tain from this source, and they are
needed. For similar reasons the strip
ping of the early crops may have to be
postponed beyond the usual dates be-
| cause Of the slow curing of the stems.
| Little can be gained by removing a
crop from the poles until the mid-rib is
| thoroughly cured out, for the moisture
of the stem is absorbed by the leaf
| after being placed in the bundle and
L
of the most difficult problems the pack
er has to contend with is how to treat
the high case and heavy stems that
frequently reach the warehouse largely
through neglect or inexperience of the
grower The consequences that de-
veloped from the '06 crop have not
been forgotten.
A we'll known packer has recently
taken the trouble to gather an estimate
of the proportion of the '09 crop sold,
and reports that statistics returned from
over twenty points in the state show
that 65 per cent is under contract at
that date. Deduct further at least 10
per. cent of the crop ruined by the early
freeze in the northern sections and you
gain an approximate estimate of the
crop yet to market.
*e*
Not only the American Tobacco Com
pany, but every large corporation doing
business throught the various states,
await with interest the case to be
heard in the supreme court this month,
when the appeal of the tobacco combi-
nation from the decision of the circuit
court comes up. The case is of such
Importance and the outcome SO vital to
the commercial and industrial world,
that it is not to be wondered that al
ready more than two years have passed
since the first hearing took place In the
lower court. Should the government
again win, the decision will naturally
! be far-reaching in it's effects. 1t might
amount to little less than a revolution
ary change in the business methods of
| most corporations now engaged in in
| terstate trade, and under conditions
not dissimilar to these which caused
| the federal authorities to take hand.
| The remarkable growth of the Ameri-
can Tobacco Company, the gradual OBJ
! liberation of competing concerns, the
| manifest displeasure of the remaining
| independent manufacturers, in meas
ure, forced the government to make
inquiries that led to the suit which was
| filed in the United States circuit court
July Il, 1907. In the petition of the
government it asked that the combina-
| ton and cOnSpiracieS in restraint of
! trade and commerce among the states
and the foreign nations, together with
the attempts to monopolize, be declared
illegal and in violation of the act of
Congress July 2, 1890. The petition
also asked that the holdings of stocks
+! by one of the defendant corporations in
| the other be declared illegal, and that
each of them be enjoined from continu-
| ing to hold or own such shares in the
| other, and from exercising any right in
| connection Herewith. 1t was further
asked that the court declare the Amer
ican Tobacco Company, and a number
| of it's subsidiaries, each combination
| in restraint of trade and interstate
| commerce. Itwas asked that receivers
be appointed to wind up the company.
-
The calamity visited upon Key West
with such disastrous results as detailed
| in another column, by the tropical cy
clone last week, is doubly unfortunate
because it's destructiveness struck the
| Islands chief and most f1ourishing in
dustry, just at time when all its re-
| sources were in most active operation
to meet the holiday demand. Tropical
hurricanes are no phenomena for Key
! West. But never before in the history
| of that Island has the fury of the ele
ments wrought such havoc as last Mon
day. Half of the city has been wreck
| ed and seven of it's most fourishing and
famous cigar factories laid in ruins.
The trade will appreciate what it means
for cigar factory to be made inopera-
tive just now at this season. 1t is one
of the inscrutinable and unpreventative
catastrophes which challenge both the
awe and sympathy of mankind. We
are sure that the sympathy of the
trade all over the country will be ex-
tended to the victims of the wrecked
factories, not only in sentiment, but in
practice by giving them a little time
for recovery to execute the orders con-
tracted for and by also holding the or
ders intended for them. In sore trials
like these the spirit of Americanism is
at its best. No matter how much
weighed down by disaster the spring of
it's recovery gains in elasticity. The
owners of the destroyed factories will
surely find ways and means to be In
Iactive operation without the least de-
How and tboir customers ShoI1Id exer-