The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1910-10-28

NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

TOBACCO growers has recently passed
resolutions condemning the sale of
trash tobacco, on the ground that it
helps destroy the market for the better
grades. It also goes on record as op-
posed to the practice of paying bonus
in the purchase of tobacco as deception
worked on growers, tending to prevent
healthy competition in buying. 1t has
probably not escaped the notice of ev-
erybody that the price of low grade
leaf has advanced entirely out of pro-
portion to the better grades in recent
years. Filler and trash tobacco have
gone up from 100 to 200 per cent, while
higher grade leaf has scarcely made a
perceptible advance, solely for the rea-
son that there is a stronger demand
and wider market opened for these
grades. Formerly domestic filters de-
pended largely upon an export market,
but since the enormous trade for scrap
and combination brands opened up
there has been an increasing demand
for low grade leaf, including the trash
which our Ohio friends think ought not
to be sold. It is quite difficult thing
to resolve effectively against incessant
demands of an established and fast
growing industry.
Another Indication of improved con-
ditions in the cigar manufacturing
trade is a general advance in wages
paid operatives. Both the United Ci-
gar Manufacturers Go. and Eisenlohr
Bros, who control numerous factories
in the Ninth Pennsylvania district, have
recently increased their wage scale
from SO cents to one dollar thousand,
and most other manufacturers are fall
ing in line. Mr.. August Eisenlohr es-|
Inmates that tyiis advance will cost his
firm about 100000 yearly without any
probable chance to get.it back in rails
ing the price Of the manufactured CT
gars The prosperity that is coming
back to the trade is being passed
around.
So far it is the large consumers of
Wisconsin leaf that are purchasing SO
freely packings of the 1909 crop and it
looks like cleanup Of the packers be-
fore the smaller traders get chance
In. The most natural solution of the
problem is that there is something
about the new crop that don't appeal
to some of our largest manufacturers,
while the old leaf does.
The big Burley pool has apparently
gone to smash, which is another illus
tration of how futile it is to maintain
for any great length of time corner
on any large product of the soil. A
few weeks ago the Burley Tobacco So
ciety, which controls large amount OF
the 1909 Kentucky crop, announced
that they would receive offers on
certain day for their holdings at an up
set price and unless the tobacco was all
sold on that day an advance would be
made, adding also some conditions to
the sale both unusual and objection
able to buyers. The expected buyers
did not appear, so the sale was declar-
ed off. Later the tobacco was offered
at auction sale. The executive COM
mittee of the Burley Tobacco society,
after witnessing the sale of 2,27O hogs
heads of last years pooled tobacco,
cancelled the entire proceedings, there
by establishing little record IN itself,
this being the largest single rejection
Of sales in the history of Kentucky. 1t
was caused by the low price bid for the
tobaccos, there being slump of from
6 to 81 cents from the graded prices
fixed by the society on August 16, the
general average for the day falling to
$7.83 per 100 pounds. Now the mem
bers of the 1909 pool are trying to fig
ure out when they will get the money
for their pledged holdings. In spite OF
the high prices that were obtained at
last years sale of pooled tobacco, the
expense of management, including
number of large salaries for pool man
ayers, cut down the returns to the
farmer considerably. This bred con-
siderable dissatisfaction, and caused
many Of the farmers to be backward
about pooling this years crop. The
pool managers saw that if tie major
portion of the 1910 crop were not bound
up with the pool before it was ready
for TIE market, the situation would get
away from them, and they would be
left holding last years enormous pool
ings, estimated at 120, 900, 900 pounds,
or else would have to market that to-
bacco in competition with the 1910 crop.
The result would have been that when
ever they attempted to unload, prices
would smash, and therefore, about
three weeks ago they made public the
announcement that unless the 1910 crop
was pooled in sufficient quantity they
would Immediately offer the 1909 for
what it would bring. They shortly at
terward made good their threat. The
first days sale brought an average OF
about 12a cents; the second days sale
brought an average of III cents. Last
vaar's crou averapad about lS cents.