The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-11-29
New York.
NEW YORK, Nov.

The cigar leaf market continues about
as reported last week. There is no ac-
tivity in old tobaccos, and no attempt
is being made to buy the new In fact,
every one is playing waiting game.
AS has been explained before, those
who have stocks of leaf tobacco on
hand are waiting to see what the situa-
tion is going to be- There is every
reason to hope that the cigar manufac-
turing industry are dhe eve of bet
ter conditions, due to better labor con-
ditions, and the relaxation of the re-
strictions in the matter of packing,
etc., under which they had expected
that they would have to conduct their
business. 1t is undeniable that the re-.
strictions proposed would have serious
ly upset the cigar manufacturing in
dustry, and sigh of relief went up
when the United States Tobacco Jour-
nal, in special bulletin service, flashed
the glad tidings from one end of the
country to the other that the restric-
tions had been lifted. Furthermore, it
must not be forgotten that the cigar
manufacturers are, in the main, plenti
fully supplied with leaf tobacco. Re-
gardless of whether the leaf market
resumes activity or not, their is little
likelihood of their having to pay higher
prices for the 1918 crop than they paid
for what they have on hand, and for
the next six months at least they will
be using tobacco that they now own.
A concerted effort is being made to see
to it that the leaf tobacco industry
shall not be hampered by an undue re-,
striction in the facilities for export
Journal.
New YORK, Nov. q, 1913.
Contrary to quite generally held ex-
pectations, the return of peace has not
in any great degree altered the atti-
tude Of the majority Of Water Street
packers toward the domestic market
situation Outside of few scattering
transactions the market remains devoid
of any signs of any significant activity.
While there are number of persistent
optlmists among the packers, who are
confident that the eventful opening of
the extensive export business which is
certain to follow the resumption of
shipping and the relief of the labor sit
uation in the cigar manufacturing in
dustry will create heavy demand for
domestic tobacco which will hold prices
at their present levels, these men are
undoubtedly in the minority However,
as all Water Street packers agree, one
guess is as good as another in these un-
certain times and, in this particular in
stance, it is possible the minority may
be right
The conservative attitude which the
majority Of packers maintain, however,
toward domestic leaf is based upon the
belief that the curtailment of produc-
tion of cigars during the war has Gre
ated surplus which will keep the man
ufacturers supplied with raw material
for many months to come. Ever, should
the labor situation be relieved by the
speedy return of cigarmakers TO their
factories, these packers hold that the
leaf surplus thus created will be suf
ficient for the needs of the immediate
future. Lack of shipping facilities and
huge stocks of cheap foreign tobacco
now in storage awaiting shipment to
European markets will, they believe,
preclude any great demand for dones-
tic tobacco for export. Not until there
is radical change in the naughty at
titude Of the growers and a sharp re-
vision downward of the prices at which
farmers are holding the record crop of
1918, they say, will there be any pOssi-
biIity of break in the apathy which
now rules the domestic market. Leaf.