The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-12-21
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

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That cigar leaf tobacco growers may
not repudiate contracts entered into
with cigar manufacturers or others be-
cause of any increase in the market
prices was demonstrated last week
when compromise was entered into
by the parties to the breach of contract
suit Of Haas Bros, Cincinnati cigar
manufacturers, against John Wertz,
Tippeeanoe City, Ohio, tobacco farmer,
whereby the defendant agreed to pay
the full amount of damages claimed
This compromise is said to be dis
tinct victory for buyers of tobacco in
Southern Ohio in that it assures to them
redress in case any grower fails to
carry out contract made during the
planting season to furnish his entire
output of tobocco leaf at the end of
the growing season at stipulated prices.
E. Fl, and r. A. Kerr, Tippecanoe City
attorneys, represented Haas Bros. in
this suit, which was Instituted in the
Court of Common Pleas for Miami
county. In it's petition the Cincinnati
concern set up the contract entered in
to by it with the grower and charged
the grower had disposed of his entire
crop to others at a price of four cents
pound in excess of the contract price.
The amount sought to be recovered
represented difference between the
contract price and the selling price.
81
The 1917 Connecticut Shadegrown
acreage, according to figures prepared
by Ernest G. Beinhart of the Bureau
of Plant Industry, Department of Ag-
riculture, was 1854 acres, against 4939
in 1916 and 1909 in 1885, The increase
over 1916 was but 18 per cent against a
81 per cent increase in acreage in 1916.
The hail and frost damage which cost
raisers of sun-grown tobacco several
million dollars dealt kindly with the
Shadegrown plantations which, with
one exception, escaped serious injury.
The yield of merchantable Shadegrown
tobacco should average between 1850
and 100 pounds per acre, and should
total in round numbers 5, 800, 900 pounds
of leaf, which should pack approx
mately 20, 400 bales of first grade to-
bacco and about II, 700 bales of medium
and inferior grades. Allowing very
ample yield of "a pounds per thousand,
the top grades should wrap something
over ], $40, 900, 900 cigars. The cost to,
the grower to produce this crop is, of
course, increased materially, the labor
item being $50 per cent over that of
1916, with almost double wages and the
efficiency of the labor secured greatly
reduced The cost of materials prob
ably increased 25 per cent.
Highly gratifying to the trade will
be the announcement that all restric-
tions on the importing of tobacco, as
far as the War Trade Board is con-
concerned, have been indefinitely sus-
pended except in the case of tobacco
imported direct from the Dutch East
Indies and in that instance every con-
sideration will be shown the importers.
In fact, only limitations on cargo space
imposed by the Shipping Board threat
en- to interfere with the shipment OF
tobacco direct from Java and Sumatra
and as is we'll known the tonnage re-
quired is so small as to be compara-
lively insignificant, hence there is lit
tie probability that importers OF this
class will have any difficulty in secur-
ing the necessary licenses. The Suma-
ira Purchasing Corporation, New York,
which is acting as agent of the prlncl-
pal cigar manufacturers in America
direct in the East Indies, buying their
| requirement of the 1917 Sumatra wrap
per crop for Importation direct to the
United States. during the past week
concluded its signing of contracts
among important users of Sumatra leaf
| to an extent that foreshadows clos
| ing of the lists to newcomers in the
very near future.
The decision by the United States
| Supreme Court this week that employ
ers may legally operate their plants as
open shops and prevent cOnspiracles to
bring their non-union employees into
| labor organizations is taken as a great
victory for both free labor and manu-
facturers who refuse to submit to union
| labor dictation It will help to relieve
many of our tobacco and cigar manu-
| facturers from being subjected to bull
doing tactics for maintaining open
shops. Labor disturbances and inter-
ference with the legitimate pursuit of
our tobacco industries may in conse--
quence be expected to be thing OF
| the past. Tobacco Journal.
~
In order to conserve shipping space
the British government prohibited any
tobacco firm from importing more than
| one third of the amount of tobacco that
1t had imported during the previous
year, but to avoid shrinkage Of sup
| plies the Brltish-American Co. proposed
| to the government that it be permitted
| to bring its tobacco over on neutral
ships not then engaged in trade with
England, which at the same time would
| bring materials essential to this cos1n-
| try. This proposal was accepted.