Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-02-01
TROUBLED TOBACCO MANI

ny FREDERIC }. HAskIN

hiNiiMoND. VA. January 3l--Ml of
me large number Of tobacco ,nauufac-
'"rers VINO are located IN this city are
now III u peculiarly elevated and virtu-
GUS frame OF mind; they are nlled with
the emotions OF aitruism and m,rtyr
dom: they have the lofty consciousness
OF suffering for the good OF others.
STRANGELY enough, tho tobacco men do
NOT Seeni TO appreciate the rare. p:!vi-
reyes OIL their position. Instead ,b,y
Wear worried looks and do much heavy
thinkins To the inuuiring stranger
'hrF say that unless the price of lrn
'obacco goes down. the price Of pIps
tobacco VIII surely have to go up.
we can, stand the pressure much
longer say the tobacco men. lightly
waving al the delights of unseinsh
cndcavU".
Then they no on 20 tell Won viii.
much emphasis ANA some ndienation
mat the tobacco YOU smoke Is about
tne only thing that does no; cost more
imam III ala n year OF even five Years
ago. You stun got the same numbrr
OF ounces OF pipe tobacco in the same
klnd 81 Il TIN can for the Same price
Nearly all OF the standard brands of
c'ShreiicS ar" selling for the same
price INC same is true Of cherootS
ana domestic cigars. Of chewing to.
bacco and Of snuff. Amid tic trials and
calhlhitics OF II steadily rising cost of
necessities. the cnnsoiiug weed stand.
ny ~ tnc same old price.
Eut tt cart last. according 10 the
tobacco makers. For two years they
have been paying from 10 to 20 per
cent more for their loaf tobacco than
they did before. and the margin of
nroiit has been sliced very thin indeed
Liz" everything else This condition
l. attributed to the European war.
sumo OF tn" Governm cnts arc furnish!
ing their soldiers with tobncco. and
~ all of tho countries at war tobacco
- Tho present most often Scut to The
men IN the ':cnchcs. Ia Canada i'm
mcnSt tobacco funds have been raised
IN all Of the cities. The tobacco stores
advertise special packages for shin
m"nt t" Europe. Thousands Of pounds
Of Tobacco" 20 forward daily To tho sol
dicrs Peasants and lahorcrs who could
meyer afford a smoke before arc NOW
enjoying the best OF iohaccos and
cigarettes
wnr snIcs H-Ip Li,Ic.
Thc worst Of 1t. from tho p-iu, ~
VIC" Of tho American manufactured, is
ma Ia" gets IL on these war sales
only /" q very limited nNtent In AUS
trta Spari Italy. France and many
other European countries. the tobacco
business iS a government monopoly
aud manufactured t"harcos are no, Inn
ported ut all and tncsc governmental
'""non"i'o& buy Tho most of their ra vs.
material In this country. and COM
pct" with the Richmond ard other man
u'aCiufcs f'r The Leaf England is an
omen country. hut certain preferences
aud advantages ar" given - the British
manufacturers.
:" TIA" effect of t.. ..,. an Rich
n"nd Hnd othc" American tobaccJ
towns Ia" h"cn simply to raise tito
price Of the leaf wi;hou, creating an,
r"w market o. price for the product;
Nud tn" problem al raising the price
, 81 Smoking tobacco il hard ono The
si@r Of tho packages aud what ;hcy
sEall contain les fixed ny tile govern
( ".c" - as 10 facilitate tho collection.
81 r"vcnuc, and this makes II - diff
i'"lt luhtt"r 10 PAT out a si.ll..
r1"k"rc . tho same price. while to
Charge. say, II cents for tia" usual 10
60 nt tin would not bc practicable. Tn
lrss -! OF the manufacturers acted
|, simultaneously, 1t would merely re-
'u' 10 loss to those who took IN.
st"p Another solution % the problem
would be to rails" tho wholesale price
~ TIC product, making tho retailer
. siinr, ne loss with tho manufacturer
and y Is viii probably he done
Tho :, Op'c in THIS country, /, an
r"S:s. .ro using NOR" :ohacco even