The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1913-06-13
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

Growers have had a week of cool
weather in which to fit their fields for
the reception of the new tobacco crop,
which they have improved to the ut
most. The soil is in fine physical con-
dition to receive the young plants and
the work of transplanting will be under
full swing the coming week which is
not far from the usual date of starting
transplanting in a general way. The
extremely cool temperature of the
week has held back the growth of the
plants somewhat, while the light frosts
undoubtedly touched the unprotected
beds, but to what extent they are in
jured cannot yet be foretold. Only the
careless growers would leave their beds
uncovered with such a warning as the
drop in temperature surely afforded.
Bot as warmer days have returned,
danger from this source is now doubt
less over for the season. The fields al
ready set probably have been slightly
touched by the freeze, especially on
low ground.
An additional excise tax on cigars
and tobacco which is to yield $4,000 a
year, and may bring about what is
called real dissolution of the tobacco
trust is provided in an amendment to
the Underwood tariff introduced by
Senator Hitchcock, in accordance with
the suggestions of Atty. Gen. Mercy
nolds. The progressive excise tax pro-
posed would not reach manufacturer
until he controlled about 25 per cent of
the total production. Above that
amount he would be taxed in rising
scale on tobacco cent pound for the
first 1000, 900 pounds per quarter and
SO on up to 6 cents pound. These
graduated taxes would be in addition
to the regular 8 cents pound tax that
all manufacturers pay on tobacco. Gem
panies of ordinary size would not be
subject to this tax because it does not
apply to production of below 80, 000,
900 pounds of tobacco.
Missouri broke the worlds record for
the quantity of plug tobacco its fac
tories produced in 1912, leading all
states with total output of 62, ,048, 100 |
pounds, worth, at so cents pound, re-
tail. S31, ,024, ,O85. No other state, and, |
in fact, no foreign country, came with |
in Is, 900, 900 pounds of this high pro-
gdHetion mark. For years this state has
held first rank as producer of manu- |
factured plug tobacco, but it remained
for the output of last year to break |
any previous record The tobacco in |
dustry of Missouri helps a long way to |
meet the expenses Of the present
81, 900, 900, 600 government, Sc, ,979, 099
having been poured into the United |
States treasury from this source by |
this state alone, as a revenue tax in |
1911. When it comes to tobacco grow
ing, Missouri, in 1912, produced 6,000.-
600 pounds.
Deputy Consul Ernest Harker, sta
toned at Birmingham, says that con-
siderable interest is being taken in the
efforts now being made to revive the |
tobacco growing industry in the Eng
lish counties. The Birmingham Post |
states that several acres are to be cul- |
tivated in the Pershore district of Wor-
cestshire and Gloucestershire and War |
wickshire, adding: "This should con-
stitute fair test of what can be ac-
complished in the West Middle district |
of England . Very good smoking to- |
bacco was produced on small scale in |
various parts of the United Kingdom
last year, and several large manufac- |
turers have expressed their approval |
of it's quality. Fruit and hop growers
are hoping that nicotine extract, the |
basis of many insecticides, may be
cheapened if they are allowed to grow
tobacco for this purpose. One OF the
obstacles in the way OF tobacco grow
ing in England has been the lack OF |
proper arrangements with the excise |
authorities. This has now been over
come.
The measure recently introduced In
congress by Representative Hinebaugh
of Illinois, to levy an internal revenue
tax of per cent of the value of the
merchandise sold by mail order houses,
would affect the cigar and tobacco bus
mess less than many other branches OF
merchandise. Nevertheless, since the
new parcel post law went into effect, a
number of new mail order cigar fac
tories have sprung into existence, and
these with some of the older establish
ed ones have been conducting very ag-
gressive campaigns of late to sell their
cigars direct to the consumer. In our
opinion, the mail order game is not
likely to prove fortune maker nor to
develop into an appreciable menace to |
local retailers, but if the Hingebaugh
idea becomes law, this tax together
with the heavy advertising expenses
necessary to a heavy mail order busi-
ness, would likely drive what few
houses there are today to quit the
game and do business along established
ines.-Tobacco World.
The people of the United States are
the greatest tobacco users IN the world. |
This fact is brought to public light as
a result of the treatment accorded to |
tobacco duties in the Wilson Under |
wood tariff bill. The per capita con-
sumption of the weed in this country |
is six pounds. If only the males over
ten years of age are considered in con-