The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-09-06
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES



The tobacco growers very generally
insist that they be permitted to strip
the. filters in with the grades in the
contracts thus far being signed this
season. Even when the filler grade is
bought at separate price the percent
age to be paid for as filters is agreed
upon but the tobacco is TO be stripped
all together. Growers were never so
insistant on this point as now because
they we'll understand that the scarcity
of help at stripping time and the extra
labor of separating the grades must be
avoided as much as possible. The work
of taking out the filler grades will
therefore fall upon the packers the
coming season in the warehouse handl-
ing of the crop, which is an additional
matter of expense to be taken account
of by them. The usual average per-
centage of filters ranges from 10 to Is
per cent. depending upon the soundness
Of the crop, and if they are to be sep
arated in the warehouse sorting an ad-
ditional cost of at least two cents
pound must be placed upon the filler
grades.
There is at least one point in favor
of the 1918 crop-the growers are har-
svesting ripe tobacco, and they couldn't
help it. Not only have the weather
conditions been suitable to an early
ripening of the fields, but the shortage
of help has prevented the harvesting of
much green leaf so frequently prac-
ticed in other years. Because the to-
bacco has been ripe when shielded it
has cured faster than most previous
seasons and at the same time reducing
the chances for shed damage. When
tobacco has been allowed to thoroughly
ripen in the fields it will quickly COM
mence to yellow in the shed after
few days of warm temperatures such
as the past few weeks have given us.
So much of the crop has matured early
this year that the great bulk of it
seems likely to escape all damages of
frost either in the field or shed.
-
No previous crop of tobacco has been
permitted to produce such an enormous.
growth of suckers as the present one,
and the growers claim the scarcity of
help makes it impossible to prevent it.
AS a general thing the fields are suck
cred only once and then just previous
to cutting 1t is claimed, however,
that there is another excuse for letting
the suckers tower above the ripening
leaf, which is the prevalence of grass
hoppers that have hatched out so plen-
tifully during the warm days of Aug
ust. The hoppers will seek the tender
est leaves, feeding upon the suckers
rather than the tougher and ripening
tobacco. So why should the farmer
worry about the suckers when they are
an asset and protection to his crop?
An official dispatch from Switzerland
says it is announced from Berlin that
all of the cigar factories in Germany
will be closed at the end of the year
| because stocks of leaf tobacco are ex-
hausted. This measure will affect 5000
factories which are still employing
| 80, 900 to 10000 and which employed
220, 900 in 1916.
The House Committee on Ways and
Means is reported to have agreed in
the main on the war revenue bill,
which, Treasury Department experts
advise, should yield revenue 500, ,000,-
900 in excess of the So, 900, ,000,0 900 mark
aimed at by the Administration leaders.
1t is estimated by some calculators that
the new tobacco tax schedule will yield
$3.50, 600, 900 revenue during the year.
However, the schedule is thought like
ly to be changed, especially at the Sen
ate end of the capitol. M. F. Snyder,
chief of the Tobacco Division of the
Internal Revenue Bureau, has been
busy at the rooms of the Ways and
Means Committee recently, which in
dicates that certain features Of the to-
bacco schedule have been up for fur
ther consideration. The Treasury esti-
uidt0 O1 90, lUU, ,UUO,UUO do tuC PIOUdDiC
yield of revenue under the new bill in
cludes three billions from the excess
profits tax, nearly two and half bill
lions from income taxes, 81, 100, 00O, 900
from beverages, including liquors and
soft drinks, $110, 100000 from inheri-
tance tax, and nearly $500, 900, 600 from
automobiles, etc. The Senate Commit 1
tee on Finance is arranging for hear
ings whenst the bill comes out of the
Ways and Means Committee. The talk
is that ten days will be allowed for
representatives of all interests to ap-
pear During that time the presump-
tion is that the tobacco trade will have
a day in court, or at least part of a day.
***
The New York t'Times" says that a
very prominent physician of New York
City who had been an inveterate smok-
er has discovered-or at least he has
the evidence of his senses. which In