Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-03-20
SUGAR AND TOBACCO
VEX LLOYD GEORGE
Home Industries Must Be
Taken Into Account in Fig
uring on Revenues.
Special Correspondence OF The Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Star
LONDON. March s. 1918.
Two interesting problems are likely to
harass the government when Mr.. Lloyd
| George comes to settle the details OF his
| forthcoming budget statement. One
lates to English sugar and the other to
| Irish tobacco.
| The present law makes no provisions
for excise duty on the sweet comestible.
and no liberal processes to like the i'm
port duty. The zealots OF the govern
ment side even go so far as to say that
IL this tax be renewed a corresponding
impost must be placed on the beet SUI
gar derived from roots grown in the east
ern counties and manufactured at a mill
In Norfolk. The sponsors for this baby
effort. who happen to be we'll known
unionist politicians, declare that IL they
cannot have every possible encourage
ment it will be difficult to fight for the
life OF an industry which It is hoped
would ultimately prove very advantage
GUS to British agriculture
AS Mr.. Lloyd George is just now TAX
ing great interest in getting people back
to the land. some optimists believe that
he will find a method of assisting the
| sugar scheme. but should he do we
| should expect to hear from the Irish ma
tfonalists who are very keen on securing
excheQucr assistance for Irish tobacco
grown in Kilkenny and manufactured In
Dublin.
On Sale at Westminster.
The new weed has. through the infu-
ence of Irish Raleighs. already reached
St Stephens (parliament and has lat
terly been on sale in the restaurants and
Bullets of the house. Irish cigars run to
Sd each. and '-Ture-Irish" cigarettes
(made of Irish-grown tobacco with a
Turkish favor to a penny each. Some
smokers profess to like them. When Mr..
John Burns was asked to recommend the
smoke to the king the president OF the
local government board drew himself up
and answered the enthusiastic Irishman
thus: "Sir. as a minister of the crown, II
is my duty to safeguard his majesty
against possible assassination"
About two decades ago a well known
manufacturer bought crop of tobacco
which had been successfully grown I'm
Kent, and. as he had entered into con-
tracts for the supply OF the soothing
weed from Havana and other foreign
parts, he had the English crop SO doc
tored" that when 1t was used the most
seasoned smoker experienced the sensa-
ton which is known to boys when they
have to drop their first cigarette or pipe
A sample carefully packed In a pretty
box was sent to every member of both
houses OF parliament and the press gal
lery. There were many pale faces in the
Palace of Westminster for at least two
nights, and the growing of tobacco In
England had a tremendous setback.
There are now. however. so many
Richmonds in the field doing their best TO
produce good crops In the United King
dom that 1. would be extremely dffhcult
for any manufacturer. IL SO minded, to
prevent the experiments which IL is
hoped some day may lead to great
British industry.
Permits to TGrow Crops.
1t was announced yesterday that Wis
count Iveagh had been granted permis-
sion by the board of excise and customs.
through the development commissioners.
to grow twenty-five acres Of tobacco on
his Elvedon estate, in Suffolk j. {.
Wallis, the great expert. who has had
considerable experience in growing crops
OF both Virginia and Turkish tobacco, -
to cultivate the twenty-five acres.
Mr. Wallis says that people who grew
experimental crops last year are extend
ing their operations, and the development
commissioners are assisting the enter
prise Plantations are being established
in Kent and Hampshire. as well as in
Norfolk and Suffolk, and also In Wales
and Scotland. Hitherto the excessive
duty has been a bar to the cultivation
the development commissioners a hand
some rebate is being made. and licenses
are being granted to small holders to
grow six acres. Several agricultural coll
leges and cooperative societies are TAX
ing special interest in this new develop