The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-02-13
vox PopULI.
SAYS Mr.. BINGHAM is
CORRECT REGARDING CIGARS,

Editor Pensacola Journal:
The report Of the manufacturing
committee of the Pensacola CONNER
cial Association, and a subsequent in
terview with the chairman of this
committee, Mr.. F. E. Bingham, pub
lished in last Saturdays edition of
the Pensacola Journal, has undoubt-
edly created a great deal Of interest,
but its real significance is perhaps un-
derestimated by Mr.. Business Man
and the public in general.
First of all, il shows that the COM
mereial association has become what
1t should be. a live wire where the
industrial and commercial welfare
and future OF this city is concerned.
It shows that there is something
afoot. that public spirit embodied in
men of the calibre of Mr.. Bingham is
earnestly engaged in the struggle for
q Greater Pensacola A Pensacola
alive with vast industrial plants, astir
with commercial activity and inhab-
tied by many thousands more of pros
porous citizens, as at the present
time. Nor do believe that the
amount OF work it will require TO
bring about this great accomplishment
is underestimated by Mr.. Bingham
and his associates. That he knows
what he is about is clearly shown in
his talk concerning the cigar indus
try of this city, In which he touches
the sore spot that has thus far pre-
vented. Pensacola to push itself for
ward as an industrial center. mean
the patroniZing of home industry.
The other day l got into q CONVEX
,sation with a business man who
came from some other city a few
years ago and has since bz4ilt ND a
nice trade. / asked him how he liked
Pensacola, and what he thought OF
the city's future possibilities. We'll"
~ I'LL t. lowe 1fsF--
ing wonderfully, but 1t lacks re-
sources. industries. We should and
must have industries to make it a
real live business town.
And there is the habit Of a goodly
portion of our people to get a lot of
goods by mail orders. If we can once
make them understand that 1t is TO
right here and to PATRONAGE home in
dustry, it would mean a great deal to
all concerned"
Just then my friend was in the act
of lighting fresh cigar. reeog-
nized the cigar at once as an outside
product, and I did not hesitate to
ask the gentleman whether he knew
that the brand he was smoking
wasn't made in Pensacola. why"
he exclaimed in a surprised tone, Il
have never given it thought. ]
have been smoking this brand right
along without realizing that I could
have smoked a Pensacola cigar just
as WE'LL
There Is the rubl Ny Mr.. Merchant
was ready to complain about people
getting goods from other cities when
they can get them just as good and
Just as cheap here if they try, but
when his own wants are concerned
he didn't bother about the source of
the things he consumed himself.
1t may seem an astonishing fact to
many people that of about ten mill
lion or more of cigars consumed in
Pensacola annually only about one
tenth are manufactured in this city.
and yet this is the case. Very little
has been done by local cigar dealers
and by cigar consumers to encourage
local cigar manufacturers. In spite
of the fact that I, and I can speak
for the Manuel Gonzalez Cigar Man
ufacturing Co. as wen. can compete
with any product offered in the
market outside of Pensacola in quail
| ity and price, but some dealers are
content to give us a small order once
/ in a while of, say one or two thou
sand cigars. and then expect to buy
at the same price they pay to out
side manufacturers when buying In
| lots of $4,000 or $4,000 and more.
The growth of the cigar industry OF
Tampa, St. Augustine, Jacksonville
| anu Ol1lSI cigar lEuLC1S Mo0Ad I'D "
been impossible had the manufacture
ers not met with such a hearty CO.
| operation on the part of officials
business men and people of these
| places. Some cities have even gone
as far as building factories and free
/ ing manufacturers from taxation Of
their plants. and now these cities are
| enjoying the fruit OF their far sight
edness
Mr.. Bingham calculated right wher
he said that with the home trade
alone the local manufacturers are abb
| to increase their force of workingmer
SO as to bring up the yearly payroll
to $4,000. But with sufficient encOur-
agement the manufacture will be
able to look for other markets fol
their goods, and to compete with otheI