The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-09-05
N PARAGUAY POORER
CLASSES SMOKE CIGARS
American Country Is Home
Grown.
REVENUE TAXES ARE HIGH
Additional Tax Placed on Tobacco
Products OF Foreign Country and
Limited Demand Makes Poor Mar
ket For America.

Products OF Foreign Country and
Limited Demand Makes Poor Mar
ket For America.
(By Consul Samuel Hamilton Wiley,
Asuncion Paraguay, In Com
niece Reports.)
The annual production of tobacco
IN Paraguay amounts TO about TO-
500, 900 pounds. AS nearly as can be
calculated, about 80 per cent of this
amount is consumed in the country
and the rest exported. There is also
a small amount of tobacco imported
from Brazil and Cuba for local use
The tobacco consumed here Is prac-
tcally all usde for smoking. as chew
ing and the use OF SNUFF are not in
dulged in to any extent For smok-
ing. cigars are most generally used,
accounting for proba bly, 10 per cent OF
the total consumption. Among the
poorer classes cigars are Used hX both
men and women to a Considera BILE ex-
tent. II Is customary for the people
In the rural sections. and to some ex-
tent the poorer classes in the towns,
to cultivate small quantity OF to-
bacco for personal use or TO buy II in
the markets in leaf form. This to-
bacco Is made up at home into cigars,
generally long and shapeess ones.
which last for an hour or 80.
There are numbers of women who
make up cigars in their homes for
purposes of sale. These retail at from
eight to seventy-five cents per hum
dred and are smoked in large num-
bers by all classes. There are two
companies engaged in the manufac-
ture of cigars of better quality. ciga-
retttes and tobacco for pipes The
cigars manufactured by these two es-
ia Adjustments retail at from twenty
cents TO about 81 hundred. No fig
ures of the amount these esta blish-
ments produce are available. but they
manufacture only small percentage
OF the tobacco consumed
Next to cigars, the most popular
method of using tobacco is In the form
of cigarettes. Practically all the ciga-
rettes consumed here are of domestic
material and manufacture. There are
two companies engaged in producing
them. the prices of their products
ranging from seven-tenths Of a cent
per package Of twelve cigarettes to
eight cents per package of sixteen.
Pipes are smoked only by few for
eign residents. who either use domes-
TIC tobacco or import ANAL quantities
for personal use.
Imports and Exports.
Leaf tobacco was imported into
Paraguay during 1914 to the amount
OF 23.754 kiios f52.25a pounds). from
the following countries: Brazil, 49,
5a4 ktlos (43.107 pounds; Chile. le
kilos t35 pounds; Cuba, 3,424 kilos
7,s33 pounds: Holland, $40 kilos
t.474 pounds; United States. nifty
kiios I1o pounds.)
The expectation of tobacco duding
1914 amounted to 4.532.577 kilos e.
s71,Sss pounds. going principally 10
the Argentine Republic, Germany.
France and Holland
Internal Revenue Taxes.
The import duties on tobacco and
manufacturers thereof are as FOL
lows:
Cigarettes In general, SO per cent
ad yalorem on valuation OF sass
per kilo ca pounds, weight OF in
terror package included.
Cigars, Habana, loose or in pack
ages or boxes. SO per cent ad valorem
on valuation of 1855 per kflo.
weight of interior package included.
All other cigars, So per cent ad
valoremn on valuation OF $3.50 per
kilo. weight of interior package in
Guided.
Tobacco. leaf, OF all kinds. 60 per
cent ad valorem on a valuation of
$0.4s per kilo, gross weight.
Tobacco. graduated or otherwise
prepared for smoking, So per cent ad
valorem on a valuation OF $o.97 per
kilo. weight OF interior package In
Guided.
In addition to these duties. there
are the following charges on importa-
ton: For slingage or handling, 50. %
per ten kilos ttewnty-two pounds),
gross weight: statistical charge, one
half per mil of value.
The internal revenue taxes on to-
bacco and its manufacturers are as
follows:
Tobacco prepared for smoking. in
any form. 20 per cent OF selling price
to consumer.
Cigars and cigarettes of all kinds.
20 per cent of selling price to con-
sumner.
For tobacco product. OF foreign ORR
gin there Is an additional internal
revenue tax as follows:
: Cigarettes in general for each pack
age Of not more than twenty ciga-
rettes. 5000.
Cigars. Habana or limitations
thereof $o.o6 each cigar.
All other foreign cigars, 5000 each
cigar.
Tobacco prepared for smoking.
5000 per fifty grams Zone and three
quarter ounces).
There Is no government monopoly
Of the sale Of tobacco.
Opportunities For Market.
The demand for foreign tobacco.
cigars. or. cigarettes is very limited. A
few of the foreign residents import
small quantity for personal use. The
natives do not care for foreign to-
bacco. preferrtng that OF domestic
production. American tobacco. chiefly
OF English manufacture. has been kept
In small quantities by one or two OF
the importing houses. but the demand
for 1t was 30 limited and the duties
and internal revenue. charges 30. high
that they have ceased to do so. The
demand would not vibrant the es-
tablishment OF factories here for the
manufacture OF American tobacco.
The preference for the domestic
article. and the low price at which it
can be sold, would make competition
almost impossible to meet.