The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1912-01-05

In it's annual review of the tobacco
trade of the year the U. S. Tobacco
Journal says: AS the most pre-eminent
event in the trade record of 1911 is en-
grated the final adjudication of the
great tobacco case which has touched
deeper and stirred up more passion than
any other event so far in the history of
the tobacco trade. To the year 1911
must be credited the legal extinction of
the Tobacco Trust. In the most i'm
portant commodity, the wrapper leaf,
the year witnessed some surprises and
some disappointments. The surprises
came early in the year, first when the
limited quantity of New England shade
grown leaf was swept off the market
by what appeared like hurricane de-
mand, and secondly when shortly after
wards the spring Sumatra inscriptions
recorded almost unprecedented prices
paid for light marks. AS disappoint-
ment came the New England wrapper
crop. The Broadleaf did not fully
measure up to the expectations that
were created by the crop of that type
two years ago, and the Havana Seed
was being mostly classified as seconds
and binders. Nevertheless the crop
went into consumption, if not with an
instant boom and with boom prices, but
gradually and with fair return to the
investor. This years New England
crop has been visited by an early frost
which did irreparable damage over a
tobacco. What has been thus lost may
be made up by the largely increased
acreage of shade-grown leaf. The early
vast expance of it. But whether for a
profit or loss account only it's market
ing next year will decide. The binder
supply of the year was rather limited
It's most available and desirable type,
Wisconsin, moved off, therefore, as
fast as marketed and at advancing
prices. But as this years crop had
met with reverses from unfavorable
weather conditions at the early grow
season, a number of large cigar manu-
featuring concerns pounced upon the
crop in advance of the leaf packers in
order to secure themselves against get
ting short in binder supply. By this
premature action Of cigar manufacture
ing concerns the packing fraternity felt
itself aggrieved for being ipterfered
with unreasonably in their legitimate
occupation. In filler types the trade
was we'll supplied, particularly with an
exceptionally unobjectionable Pennsyl-
yania crop. For this crop, the 1910,
the packers competed so eagerly with
each other that the prices for it climb
ed up to the boom figure of 1906. But
the crop is taking we'll with the manu-
facturers Notwithstanding its advanced |
and still advancing price. The Ohio |
crop did not come up to its standard Of |
former years and its disposition was
therefore somewhat backward. 1911 |
was not great year for the leaf |
trade, nor was it poor one. Business
was steady all the year round with but |!
the usual intervals of relaxation in the |
off season. In reviewing the year in |
its entirety it might be described, as
far as the trade is concerned, as neith- |
er record breaker in its business vol !
ume nor as a smasher in values. It |
was perhaps not as profitable as hoped |!
for but neither as reverse and retro !,
grade as the general unrest and discon- |
tent throughout the country might |
easily have made it. The trade met |
with severe losses in membership but |