The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-07-11
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

A year ago this date the state was
pretty thoroughly torn up in hot-foot
campaign to buy the new tobacco that
was no farther advanced in the field
than the present crop. No reason was
given for paying the prices that were
steadily jumping each day other than a
war was on and no one could say what
might happen. Finally a conference
was held La Crosse and the buyers
took soberer view of the situation,
voted to discontinue all buying until
some date in September. There was
no necessity for such an agreement for
in few weeks the armistice was sign
ed and sanity was resumed. The new
crop today looks just as inviting as it
did a year ago and probably every large
operator has his men stationed ready
to start a buying movement should the
conditions seem to be favorable. For
the present the outlook would not war
rant the starting of buying move
ment in the 1919 crop. We hope every
one will wait until the harvest and see
how the conditions size up for another
year.
According to reliable reports from
the cigar leaf growing states, the 1919
acreage is to be larger than last years
was This is rather surprising, in view
of the fact that the 1918 crop did not
find its way into the packers hands as
readily as the farmers had expected.
1t is not surprising that Wisconsin and
Connecticut, where the farmers real
lied prices approxim ating those of 1917
should have large acreage, but that the
tobacco farmers of Pennsylvania, where
the crop was bought up at ten cents
less than in 1917, and of Ohio, where
the crop has not yet been sold, should
plant heavily, is regarded as remark
able. But upon analysis, it appears
that the 1918 tobacco crop was profit
able to the farmers, even though they
cid not get as much as they had ex-
pected, and there is no other crop that
the farmers could raise in these Sec
tions that would make them nearly 50
much money as they secured from to-
bacco.
A glance at the statistics for the leaf
tobacco export business during the ten
months of the fiscal year shows that
our leaf tobacco was never in greater
Uemand than at the present time. The
amount of OUR leaf tobacco exported
during the ten months of the fical year
was 470. 662, 260 pounds, against 213,
359, 460 pounds in the same period last
year, which represents an increase OF
257, ,302, 800 pounds. Stems and trim
mings were exported during this period
to the amount of 1888, ,916 pounds,
against 81, sos pounds, representing an
increase for the current fiscal year
period to the amount of 1882, All
pounds, which makes total of 49,
961, 176 pounds exported, against 213,
730, 965 pounds in the same period last
year, which is an increase for the cur
rent year period to the amount of 260,
1876, ,211 pounds.
A special meeting of the stockholders
of the General Cigar. Co. was called for
July 7th in the offices of the company,
119 W. Fortieth St., New York. The
meeting was called for the purpose of
voting upon proposal to authorize
SIS, 600, 900 class B per cent cumulative
sinking fund convertible preferred
stock. Of this, $4,620,000 will be of
fered to shareholders at par on the
basis of one share of new stock for ev-
cry five held. The full details of the
plans with respect to the sinking fund
provision and other matters have yet
to be worked out. The new stock will
be convertible in common stock at par
at the option of the holder. There is
now outstanding $4,000 600 per cent
cumulative preferred and of $40, 900, 900
sued $18, 104, 900 Of common stock. The
thorize additional common stock to the
amount of approximately $5, 900, 900, to
take care of the new preferred shares.
The purpose of the new issue is to take
care of the company's requirements for
the working capital.
-
The following is taken from the New
York Tobacco Leaf of recent date: A
representative of one large leaf con-
Germ has just returned from trip
through the Middle West, during which
he interviewed many manufacturers of
cigars, who freely voiced their hopes
and fears for the industry during the
next twelve months. He briefly sum-
mariZes the situation existing in the
cigar manufacturing industry of the
Middle West about as follows: "Busi-
ness with the larger factories manu-
featuring standard brand cigars is ex-
cellent and showing steadily increas-
ing volume of sales. The smaller man.
ufacturers, on the other hand, whose
business has been confined largely to
the saloon trade, are facing very
anxious and uncertain period. The
business of the leaf jobbers conse-
quently has also suffered considerable
cur rtailment, as the near approach of
prohibition has seriously threatened the
prosperity OF large numbers of these
small manufacturers. Under normal
conditions these so-called small fac
tories were responsible for the con-
sumption of quantities Of leaf tobacco,