The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1910-09-16

NOTE BOOK SKETCHES



Buying of the better grades of the
new tobacco has been started so it can
be safely stated that the market for
the 1910 Wisconsin crop is now open at
both ends. The selling of the hailed
and storm broken fields has been pro-
ceeding for two or three weeks past
until very large share in most dam
aged sections is now under contract.
In this deal the American Tobacco Co.
or its subsidiary concerns have figured
quite extensively and hold the bulk of
the contracts. The buyers of the Amer
ican Cigar Co. have been most active,
too, in opening the market for the bet
ter grades, which for selections very
satisfactory prices are paid. What
there is of crop this year is unusually
late and under the most favorable con-
ditions scarcely more than half of it
can be safely harvested by the close of
the present week, when in the ordinary
season the crop is practically secured
by Sept. 18th. The inference is nat
ural, therefore, that field buying under
such circumstances promotes the har-
vesting of immature tobacco which is
greatly to be regretted; for it is gen
orally conceded that the harvesting of
unripe tobacco is the chief cause of
damage sustained through mold in re-
cent years. The ice now being broken,
it is likely that buying will become
more general in all sections.
-
A strike among the cigar factories
at Tampa, Florida, which has been
under way for the past nine weeks
without any prospects of settlement,
seems destined to lose to that city a
portion of that industry, for several of
the large manufacturers are preparing
to move to other cities. At a late con-
ference thirty eight of the largest fac
tories decided to close until January l
or later unless the strikers decide to
return to work under open shop condi
tions before that time.
~
The internal revenue returns for AL
gust show falling off in the produc-
ton of cigars over the corresponding
moth in 1909, and it is the first month
ly decrease which has been recorded in
long time. The figures speak with
pathetic eloquence of the deplorable
conditions existing in Tampa City, and
reading between the lines one can see
the great losses which cigar manufac-
turers of that city will find upon their
books at the end of 1910. 1t is inter-
esting, in studying these figures, to OBJ
serve how the cigarette continues to
forge ahead. Every month and every
year records steady growth in popu-
larity of the paper-covered smoke.
-
Two decisions touching upon the le-
gality of tobacco pools have lately been
handed down by inferior courts. At
Georgetown, Ohio, in the case of the
Burley Tobacco society against Henry
Cahall the court held that pooling of
tobacco to be trust. Cahall pooled
his tobacco under the contract which
provides forfeiture of 20 per cent of
the price received for the tobacco if
sold and not delivered to the society.
Cahall sold his tobacco to the American
Tobacco Co., and the suit was brought
to recover the 20 per cent. The court
holds the pooling of tobacco to be a
trust under the laws of Ohio, and that
the society cannot recover. This is the
first definite decision on this question
in the state. The case will be taken to
the upper courts, it is reported. In
the case of the Commonwealth against
James Reffitt at Mt. Sterling, KY, the
jury returned a verdict of not guilty.
Reffitt admitted the pooling and selling
of the tobacco, but based his defense
upon the fact that he signed the con-
tract through fear and intimidation and
under the belief that he would be in
jured in person or property If he did
not sign. The Burley Tobacco society
has been prosecuting the case vigor-
ously.
The New Era of Lancaster, Pa, in
its annual crop review, estimates that
the tobacco crop Of Lancaster county
will likely net the farmers this year
we'll on to S3,OO0,OOO. Speaking of the
crop, the papers expert says: 'EFor a
time it seemed that the crop would
prove partial failure, but the timely
and abundant rains of August saved
the situation, and, while some fields are
not up to the average, the crop as 2
whole may be called full average one.
If we accept 1900 as the acreage for
the present year and only 1400 pounds
to the acre, and this will probably be
exceeded, we get yield of over 23,
000, 900 pounds, which, at an average
of IL cents per pound "a low fgurel
ought to increase the bank accounts of
our farmers S2,5OO,0OO. 1t is not i'm
possible that it will reach the banner
So, 900, 900 crop of 1889. -
Exports of leaf tobacco during the
month of July, 1910, indicate brisk
foreign demand, the quantity shipped
to foreign countries being more than
double the amount exported the pre-
ceeding month of June of the current
year, and good sized increase being
shown as compared with the CORES
ponding month last year. Germany