The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1913-12-12
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


Neither the tobacco growers or deal
erS even take very much stock, we i'm
agine, in the scare article sent out to
the daily press this week concerning
the sfurore of excitement over the
condition O. the new crop since strip
ping was started and delivery rendered,
claiming that farmers had taken down
and stripped their tobacco before it
was cured. The prediction that there
would be heavy loss resulting from
sweating in the bundles and. that con-
tracts had been thrown overheard and
reflections at delivery, needs further
confirmation. There is no doubt but
there will be some high case tobacco
resulting from the long continued cas-
ing spell, but it is purely the fault of
the grower and he cannot take advant-
age Of the new law in forcing the pay
ment if he attempts to deliver goods
not up to the normal merchantable
standard. The careful grower who
wants to do the right thing needs fear
no trouble from this source. And be
sides, there is good portion of the
crop that has not yet been removed
from the curing sheds. 1t is time
enough to talk about trouble when you
meet it.
Verdicts of guilty were secured in
the courts of western Kentucky re-
Gently against the Imperial Tobacco
Co of Great Britain and Ireland and
the Imperial Tobacco Co. Of Kentucky,
which have been on trial for alleged
violation of Kentucky's antitrust laws. |
Two separate verdicts were returned,
and fine of $500 was imposed against |
each defendant. A motion for new
trial was made Immediately by the de- !
Tense and, if denied, an appeal will be
taken The trial was long and hard |
fought one, the presiding judge enter |
ing the jury box for time in order to |
prevent jurors being tempered with |
The two companies, operating extern |
sively liz the stemnling tobacco district !
of western Kentucky, were indicted for |
alleged conspiracy to depress prices |
paid tobacco growers in this region. |
The verdicts, if upheld, will automat-
ically withdraw the right of the com
panies to DO business, by charter, in |
Kentucky.
~
According to the manufactured TO-
bacco monopoly law of Japan, private
individuals may cultivate leaf tobacco
only on permission of the government. |
TIL Leg +obaaor no bu thnco in
dividuals is taken over by the govern |
ment, and compensation decided upon |
by the government experts is paid the |
grower. The tobacco is manufactured
at government plant, and the manu- |
featured article is sold at fixed prices |
by dealers licensed by the government. |
Foreign tobacco cannot be imported
except by the government or persons
appointed for that purpose by the gov
eminent, while tobacco can be export |
ed only by persons specially permitted |
to do so by the government.
AS under the Cantrill law the manu-
facturers and dealers in tobacco are
obliged to make truthful statement |
to the government of their stocks in
hand on every April and October 1st,
their statement as published by the
Census Bureau must therefore be as
sumed to contain the correct and ac-
curate figures. For it cannot be sup
posed that with the vigilant and search
ing eye of the government on them
they would rather oler-estimate than
underestimate their holdings Of to-
bacco stocks. To over-state the stock !
on hand could be caused by only one
motive and that would be to mislead |
the tobacco growers as to the quantity |
of supply in order to effect depres- !
sion in the price of their product. But
the plain fact of the market conditions |
in leaf supplies would contradict and |
invalidate such motive. For the leaf |
markets of the country are anything |
but flushed with available supplies. |
Nor is there anywhere prevalent ten |
dency or movement to depreSS prices. |
On the contrary Our readers are |
aware from all reports published from
both the leaf markets and tobacco
raising districts that farmers are hold |
ing their crops for an advance and that |
manufacturers are only too anxious to
pay that advance in order to secure an
early and certain supply. Moreover,
in certain tobacco sections the price |
for the new green crops was contracted /
for at an unprecedented high figure by
the eagerness of manufacturers to Sc
cure supply year in advance before
the possibility of their actual use.
When, therefore, our dealers, IN cigar |
leaf and manufacturers of cigars report |
having stock of 346, 600, 900 pounds of
domestic leaf on hand plus SIS, 600, 900 !
pounds of imported leaf, making total
of over 400, 0OO,0 pounds, they seem
to indirectly testify that the surplus OF
consideration as meaning over-stocking. |
Our consumption of cigar leaf for our
cigar industry on the quantity allowed |
by law averages now yearly to about |
80, 900, 600 pounds. Consequently, there |
must have been on hand on October 1st |
an excess of 25O, 900, 900 pounds. And |
yet, there is no over-sufficiency of CT
gar leaf noticeable in our markets. If |
anything, scarcity is making itself |
felt in the more desirable types. The |
oyoocc ra17cf fhoroforn no in fhn |