The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-15
GREAT GROWTH OF TOBACCO INDUSTRY IN UNITED STATES Now Regarded as One of Americas Most Thriv-
 ing Industries STEADY GROWTH FOR
 PAST 100 YEARS Normal Production of All Types and Grades in the United States Is
 Now Nine Hundred Mill
 lion Pounds
Bx c. ID. srEwARr

Washington, December 14.-(Special b. The wonderful growth and development of the tobacco industry in the United States when it is reduced to figures and dollars and cents is enough to give those who preach against this insidious foe to longevity in the human race the shivers and cause them to pause before the gigan- tic task of trying to rid the public of the firmly established habit of consuming the poisonous weed" in some one of the va- rious and attractive forms that it is now being placed before it.
 The commercial culture of tobacco in this country was almost coincident with the first permanent settlement established at Jamestown Va, in 1907. The people of Great Britain and of Continental Eu- rope had already become familiar with the use of tobacco from the numerous ex- petitions to various parts of the new world during the previous 115 years since it's discovery by Columbus, and during the last 50 years of that period it had be- come common to include a smuch tobac- co as possible in the return cargo from the various parts of the new world where it might be obtained from the natives. Tobacco was introduced first because of it's supposed medicinal effects The taste and demand for it, however, soon became general in much of Europe and the British Isles.
 One of Chief Industries
 Today it is one of the principal indus tries of this country and many of the countries south of us, and it's users are practically enumerated with the census returns of the adult males in our popula- tion, and the population of almost every other country in the world. And the con sumers of tobacco is not confined either to the adults or to the male population. Many boys use the weed, and the habit is also getting firm hold upon the women, at least upon a good sized mi nority of them.
 Tobacco is not only one among our largest exported commodities but it is also one among the largest imported. While we raise a great deal of tobacco for the foreign trade. we also buy and consume great quantities of tobacco raised in other countries, particularly in the form of cigars and cigarettes. We also consume many millions of cigars and cigarettes, raised and manufactured in the United States, which we believe to be imported, and they answer the same purpose. History records that John Rolfe was growing tobacco In the streets of Jamestown in 1912 and in 161S the first official statement of exports is recorded, which amounted in that year to 20O00 pounds of tobacco at a valuation of 54% cents per pound. The Virginia colonists soon found that it was about the only commodity which they could produce that would exchange to advantage against the various manufactured necessities or lux uries which they desired from the home country. Nothing else that could be grown would produce so large an ex- change value. Hence, 1t absorbed almost the entire attention of the early settlers, aside from producing sufficient corn, wheat, and vegetables for mere subsist- ence. With the arrival of new colonists the production of tobacco increased with wonderful rapidity. From 10000 pounds in 161S tho exports increased in 1927, nine years later to 100000 pounds.