The sun., 1916-11-26
WHY CIGARS WEAR BELTS.
Autographed Bands Balk the Con.
s~cieuceless Box Suffers.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Str: One
Of our firm clipped from THE SUN the
paragraph asking why cigar bandf
should not be dispensed with and de-
claring that they are a nuisance they
tear the wrappers. and they inspire pro-
family. In n more enlightened day a
good cigar will be known by the gaudy
belt II does not wear"
As all the alleged facts therein stated
are incorrect. and "a publicity Of such
Incorrect statements tends to injure an
industry employing a large number OF
men at good wages. and which con-
tributes Indirectly to many other indus
tries through their purchases. We desire
to call same to II attention.
In the first place. m advance In the
price Of cigars, or reduction OF the size,
would probably be forced upon the
cigar manufacturers owing TO the fact
thai tobacco. labor. boxes. chemicals,
labels and bands have all advanced
materially. It Is not true that the rea-
son for the advance would be because
OF labels and bands having previously
been made In Germany. as only about 10
per cent. of the entire quantity OF this
material used In this country was ever
imported from Germany. Tho price OF
the German article has always been con-
siderably higher than that Of American
production. and VI must admit the
German quality was better.
We must further take issue with you
as regards the futil!ty OF banding and
labelling cigars. This Is not dom for
the purpose OF making the package look
''gaudy.' Cigars. as we'll as any other
article OF individuality. are banded and
labelled for identification. I'M the good
will OF well established quality brands
runs into large figures.
That the manufacturer Ia not pro-
tected without his banding the cigar IL
we'll exempl!fed by an Incident lately
brought to our knowledge. The manu-
~facturers OF a we'll known cigar recently
started to band their product at an
annual cost to them OF about 500. 900.
Since the cigar has been banded It's
sales have increased about 5000. 900
cigars a year. TIL makers attribute
the increased sales not to the fact that
more OF tlD cigars are asked for but to
the fact that prior to having banded
them many inscriptions dealers would
refill the boxes with cigars which cost
less money not alone deprivlng the
manufacturers OF deserved sales but also
damaging the reputation Of their cigar.
as. naturally enough. the substitute
would not be as good as the original.
As manufacturers OF the bands used
on these cigars We know that some
small dealers in Philadelphia are offer
ing AZ high As 40 cents a thousand
for bands OF this brand which have
been removed from cigars without
breaking. As the bands carry no
premium value. the fact that there Ia a
price o n the same shows in itself that
boxes have been resulted and that tho
manufacturer 10 protecting himself by
banding.
As n matter OF fact some OF the large
manufacturers who have started to
band their cigars within the past year
are advertising that their cigars are
now banded for identification and pro-
lection OF the public.
feel that the publishing OF q state
ment like this In THE SuS damages
an industry consisting. to my personal
knowledge. OF eight large Arms en-
pioying probably between 1000 and
5000 men, and purchasing paper and
other supplies to the amount of several
million dollars annually.
WILLIAM STEINER SON 4 Co.
b 8. Rosenbaum. Secretary.
NEw YORK. November 20.