The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1914-08-28
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES
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Since the rains of week ago the
tobacco crop has been making phenom-
enal advancement, both in size and
spread of leaf in the later fields which
now give promise of reaching nearly
normal proportions. Even the tobacco
sabout ready for the sheds has been
greatly improved and more hopeful
feeling pervades the growing districts.
Reports coming to US from the hail
stricken sections indicate that the
storm has wrought considerable dam
age, mainly small in area except in the
Vernon county section where strip 35
miles in length, from the Mississippi
river eastward acros Vernon, Craw-
ford and Richland counties, with an
average width of Is miles, covering
some of the best growing sections in
the district In some places where the
tobacco is yet small the injury will be
largely outgrown, so the salvage is
likely to be considerable. The heavy
wind accompanying the storm has also
wrought considerable damage to sheds
outside of the hail sections. On the
Dahle estate farm in Deerield, where
an Is acre crop is growing, the sheds
were all wrecked with only one acre
harvested.
~
The continued loss of tobacco curing
sheds something like 500 to 800 hav-
ing been destroyed by tornado or heavy
winds the past year in Wisconsin-is
bringing prominently to notice thatmore
substantial sheds must be erected in
the future, especially if growers expect
to secure protection of tornado insur-
ance. These companies have already
begun to insist that sheds shall be
properly anchored and be built of such
construction that will withstand any
ordinary heavy wind pressure.
The iron hand of war holds Europe
in its grip and threatens the commerce
of the world. Even our own country
feels the Tightening of the powerful
grip that is squeezing the life-blood out
Of Continental Europe. Imports are
struck a staggering blow and the
United States faces the problem of
feeding the warning nations. War
brings to the United States the prob
lem of sustaining the financial loss that
this war involves. It is estimated that
it will cost this country one billion dol
lars; the cost to the countries involved
in this titanic struggle is beyond estl-
nation. The problem of increasing
the revenue Of the country to care for
this loss now faces congress. Without
doubt the stamp tax will be brought
into use again, but it is doubtful if this
method will be sufficient. There is
talk Of adjusting the income tax law to
include smaller incomes, thus adding
millions to the national treasury each
year. The tobacco industry has suf
fered and the buyers of domestic leaf
for foreign countries have, for the
most part, ceased activities. Manu-
ufacturers in the United States face
the problem of securing Sumatra and
the prices for this product are destined
for rise. The inscriptions to have
been held at Amsterdam and Rotter-
dam in September will undoubtedly
have to be transferred and at the pres
ent their new location is a conjecture.
Cigar factories in Cuba which depend
upon Europe for an outlet for their
goods have been forced to close and the
Cuban government now faces the prob
lem of caring for thousands of cigar
makers who are out of employment.
The cigar industry in the United States
at the present time is showing an i'm
provement and it is not believed that
this part of the industry will be mater
tally affected.
The entire tobacco trade is aroused
at the proposed war tax likely to be
inflicted upon this trade. Big and little
e. IL