The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-02-15
NOTE sooK SKETCHES

since December has prevailed for few
days during the week, which has given
growers an opportunity to take down
another portion of their hanging tobac-
CO. The leaf did not reach the right de-
gree of pliableness at first to suit some
farmers SO that sheds have not been
emptied but enough was taken down
to permit stripping to proceed again.
Farmers engaged in handling the to-
bacco inform us that the late portion
of the crop that was permitted to hang
during the winter months is now quite
free from fat stems and heavy butts
| and will make the stripping more SIM
pie for the large percentage of heavy
stems has been the cause of lot of
extra work in the first stripping as
we'll as more or less trouble in the re-
ceiving. Warehouse handling so far
has demonstrated that considerable
good tobacco was almost ruined by
early stripping, much of which could
have been saved had the growers lis
tened to the advice of packers to let
their crop hang until the winter months
had frozen out the moisture Growers
onght by this time to have learned by
experience that high case tobacco is
the hardest proposition the packers
have to contend with.
~
Whether the cigar leaf acreage this
year should be. curtailed Or not is a
new question beginning to agitate and
get the equanimity of the leaf market,
says the N Y. journal 1t is held that
a reduction of the acreage is bound to
overtop even the sky -scraper height of
the present seed leaf price not only by
the intended shortage alone but also by
the well known deficiency of the leaf
stock in hand of manufacturers and
dealers. This awkward question has
recently been agitated and discussed
among the members of the New Eng
land Tobacco Growers Association and
opinions among these were divided and
no agreement come to. Those who ad-
vocate reduced acreage do so on the
plea of patriotism, that is to say, that
the government needs the tobacco
acreage to raise more food stuffs. 9th
ers, however, impute other motives to
this patriotic plea. They are being
suspected of indirectly favoring and
wishing for still higher prices for the
product to fatten their pockets. This
question is indeed a most serious one
for the leaf trade as we'll as the cigar
industry and it is therefore not sur
prising that the leaf market is up in
the ali. again. AS for present trading,
business keeps up as far as supply
can be met.
In discussing the project of the gov
ernment fixing the price of tobacco, the
| u. S. Tobacco Journal says: Our gov
ernment has set price on farm pro-
ducts, on any number of mineral pro-
ducts, all of which come under the
| category of essentials for carrying on
| the war" Inasmuch, therefore, as the
government has assumed the control
| and is controlling the price of raw ma
terials as we'll as manufactures, the
question has arisen in tobacco circles
whether the government should or
| should not assume the control of fixing
| the price of leaf tobacco Tobacco may
not be strictly counted among such war
essentials as ammunition, food, etc.,
| but it has nevertheless reached the
frank of necessities for our army. To-
bacco rations for our army have, there
| fore, become nearly as essential as
food rations. But the price of raw
| leaf for tobacco products is soaring to
| undreamed heights. If it remains un-
controlled, it is likely to play disas trous
havoc with the continuance of furnish
| ing an adequate supply both for the
| civilian and soldier, for how could a
| manufacturer of cigars continue turn
ing out seed product if the price of
| the raw material should swamp him
| out of existence? What the price will
| be for this years crops who will be
bold enough to guess? It may be sew
| enty-five cents and over. Could then
| our manufacturers, under such prices
! for their seed tobaccos, go on produc-
| ing any kind of seed cigar to retail
| even at seven or eight cents? And If
not where is the government to get its
rich revenue from our cigar industry?
Our administration has issued pledges
| galore that it will be very careful to
avoid all steps that might tend to re-
strict our industrial development and
that it will keep our industries in such
| fiourishing condition as to be able TO
bear the necessary heavy burdens Of
taxation. But if the price of raw leaf
rises to such height as TO unavoidably
curtail the cigar production, how is the
government going TO get its expected
revenue from the tobacco industries?
Government price regulation Of leaf
tobacco has, therefore, been suggested
| as proper means of maintaining the
cigar industry on profitable basis to
bear the rising share in our govern
ment's expenses. AS the ccntrol of
our government over price regulations