The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-06-29
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

cloudburst in some localities that
washed the fields and flooded the low
places has interfered considerably with
the transplanting of the tobacco crop
this week, which under suitable wealth
er conditions ought to be quite we'll
completed at 5his date. While the
farmers have been kept out Of the
fields by the wet weather the plant
beds have been all the time making a
tremendous growth and in many cases
reaching a size too large for convenient
use in the transplanting machines.
However, in view of the rapid advance
ment of the late sosgn beds there is lit
tie reason to believe there will not be
plenty of plants obtainable for all the
intended acreage. Despite the fact
that the planting season may be de-
layed week or ten days later than the
average date of other years, the out
look for the tobacco crop shows an
even better front than the corn crop at
this writing The opportunity for get
ting good stand of living plants in
the field is rarely equalled in any sea-
son. There has been no hot sun to
wilt or burn the plants SO far in the
planting, heavy rains or washing the
fields being about the only obstacle to
a perfect stand. The damage from cut
worms has not cut much of figure
from reports reaching us.
-
The United States share of the Su-
matra tobacco crop, which has been
purchased by recently organized New
York City corporation for $1,000, 600,
will cost the buyers nearly $1,000, 900
in duty plus the cost of hauling and
transportation, which will probably add
another $500, 900. That portion of the
crop which is considered suitable for
American consumption amounts to
about 100000 pounds. 1t was pur-
chased by the Sumatra Tobacco Import
Corporation. The duty on Sumatra to-
bacco in original packages, unstemmed,
is S1.85 pound. Under normal con-
soitions Sumatra tobacco is sold in AM
sterdam, Holland. The war, however,
has made it impossible to transport the
tobacco to Holland with safety and the
buyers of the crop have made arrange
ments, with the consent of the Dutch
government, &c ship it directly from
Sumatra to New York City by way of
San Francisco. A representative OF the
new corporation said that America re-
ceived only about twenty per cent OF
the entire Sumatra crop, large por-
tion of the remainder going to Germany,
which is one of the largest consumers
of this grade of tobacco. The 8, 500, 900
pounds will be sold in this country upon
the arrival of the shipment in the orig
inal packages. The agreement with the
Dutch government was effcted by the
new corporation in order to insure the
delivery Of the tobacco in this country
and keep the factories going.
***
The tobacco industry could not pro-
duce $50, 900, 900 if the consumer will
abstain from using tobacco, and as the
government is very well aware of this
fact, the tax it placed directly on the
tobacco industry it expects ultimately
to be contributed by the consumer.
The industry itself is but the medium
for collecting this tax; if it's products
were not consumed by the general pub
lie the manufacturers would have to
stop operations and the government
lose the revenue. So, when the con-
sumer complains against the price IN
crease, the retailer should appeal to
his patriotism, asking whether he in
tends to leave the government in it's
stress of war without sufficient revenue
by refusing to pay the small additional
advance. Point out to him that this
advance does not go into your pocket
nor into the pocket of the manufacturer
but is directly remitted through you
and the medium of the factory into the
national exchequer. With an argu-
ment like this to the consumer, we be-
lieve the retailer will have plain sailing
and will convince him of the necessity
for the raise. 1t is not destined for
the profit of the individual hut for the
necessary expense of the government.
Tobacco Journal.
The long awaited and dreaded reduc-
tion in the production of tobacco all
over Germany is to go into effect July
1st. The government decreed that
from that time cigars, snuff and chew
ing tobacco might be produced during
the next year only in quantity equiva-
lent to the total production during the
first seven months of 1916, or during
the first seven months Of 1915, which
ever total was smaller That means
serious reduction in production, for it
not only spells five-twelfths less than
normal, but only 60 per cent of the nor
nal in those seven months, since the
production in 1915 and 1916 was re-
stricted by that much.
Work on the War Revenue bill is not
making much progress, pending efforts
to enact food control legislation. The
Finance committee has done little on
the Revenue bill for several days. 1t
has UOna ovor If caunral times and will