The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-01-12
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES:


ing what tremendous prosperity has
come to this country during the past
year because of the extraordinary de-
mand coming from the nations engaged
in the great European war, there has
been an unequal distribution of its
benefits The tobacco trade as whole
increased demand for this product but
the local dealers in the growing states
did not receive any considerable por-
ton of it partly because of the low
stocks held by them and partly because
of the unfavorable crop conditions the
past few years. Those who carried at
the beginning of the year portions of
the 1914 tobacco have been able to turn
them at satisfactory figures, but 1913
comprised good share of the stocks
cause it had been under a spell of
Hblack eye" since it was packed and
was mostly unloaded before any boom
struck the market. In the later months
packers have found ready market for
all the odds and ends Of all old leaf they
may possess so that almost everything
up, leaving their warehouses almost
proven somewhat of disappointment
were there other old leaf to be had
mand has helped bring an active mar
ket for anything the packers had to
sell of low grades at moderate prices
which has also helped sweep the local
warehouses clean SO the new year finds
/ Loan nol> oh - e Il Il
leaf than ever before. A rising mar
ket, therefore, has not given local op-
orators much more than the ordinary
profits of an average year. Another
handicap to the prospects of local pack
ers has been the unusual high prices
paid for the 1916 crop which few had
the courage to make investment of
capital expecting to realize profit at
the selling end of the game. AS re-
suit the crop has gone largely to the
larger operators and the small fry are
crowded out for the year or made to
assume long chances in the speculation.
The growers on the other hand have
had big year with almost absolute as
surance of high prices for the next two
or three years to come or until some
surplus leaf is accumulated. The fact
Of the matter is the country has not
been producing cigar tobaccos enough
to meet the growing demands for the
pastotWo- years while all the time living
eon the the surplus of other seasons un-
til the market is squarely up against
shortage of cured leaf.
One of the epoch-making years in the
annals Of trade is closed. Epoch max
ing not only in regard to the fate of
the belligerent nations but epoch-mak-
ing also as to the pacific progress and
prosperity of our own country Nothing
like it has ever been recorded before in
the economic development of the Unit
accumulated wealth of this country
during the short space of twelve months
are simply stupendous. In this ire
sistable wave of undreamt-of prosper
ity the tobacco trade and it's various
interests have been carried along alike.
The billions of dollars that fructuated
the country during the year, far in ex-
cess of any previous normal calcula-
tion, could not but diffuse a stream of
gold also into the channels of this
producer of domestic leaf; his share of
dollars, which he will receive in excess
of his returns for last years crops as
announced officially by the Department
of Agriculture. The tremendous de-
mand of the warning nations for Amer
lean leaf tobacco has nearly doubled
prices for American tobacco growers.
And although exports of our tobaccos
were periodically inhibited by the Brit
ish Admiralty the door for free ex-
ports was opened on remonstrance of
our government long enough to drain
these markets of all kinds of export
able tobaccos. Not only were the
stocks of hogshead leaf exhausted by
this maelstrom of exports but also all
kinds of cigar leaf that had accumu-
lated in warehouses for years as un-
suitable for domestic trade were drawn
into sudden demand abroad. Domestic
leaf stocks were thus swept clean not
only of all surplus but also of all unde-
sirable types which had figured not
only as handicap, but also as irrepar-
BILE loss. With this sudden and tre-
mendous clearance the price of new
crops became subject to forcible ad-
vance. This increase was heightened
by the increased activity of our cigar
WuICu l01SCI OCCCho
for increased consumption than in many
years past. And so the price of do
mestic leaf commenced to jump from
twenty-five per cent to one hundred
per cent, according to the grade of the
product offered. Never before, even
in times of crop failure, has the avail |
able leaf commanded such figure as it
did during the current year. The leaf |
trade, therefore, was one of unbroken |
activity and quick sales at ever advanc-
ing prices. The value of filters and |
binders rose nearly fifty per cent. Do
mestic wrapper leaf shared proportion
ately and imported leaf, both the Su-
matra and Havana, manifested for
ward movement. Moreover, no leaf |
stock went begging. Bargains had |
disappeared During the entire year |
it was in the leaf trade but question |
of supply and not of demand. The vol |
une of business must have passed all |
previous experience. And while leaf |
merchants and packers are still in the /