The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-05-01
BY WILLIAM r. sANHoRN


Cigars are now being made from the
costliest tobacco the cigar maker has
ever owned; the high priced 1916 and
1917 crops. And this will continue to
be the case during the balance OF the
year and up to the time the 1919 crop
is ready for working. We must re-
member that labor is Just as high IN
cost as ever and that there has been
no appreciate cutS1n the price of
boxes, cans. labels, etc. What has
been said as to cigar leaf and supplies
also holds good with reference to the
leaf used In cigarette, smoking and
plug tobaccos. and of supplies and the
labor entering into their manufacture
Cheaper tobacco, in any form, is not
to be looked for in the near future;
nor can we anticipate any reduction
in revenue requirements so long as
the country has need to sell bonds
and thrift stamps.
No Leaf Buyers Pools
The deeper We have gone into the
various phases OF the present abnor-
NAL condition affecting the cigar leaf
trade the more certain are we that
there is no combination of spectators
or packers to depress the price of fill
ers, or indeed Of any grade of cigar
leaf stock. To begin with, all widely
known leaf houses handle practically
every leaf of value to their trade. This
refers particularly to leaf jobbers, who
are located in every important trade
center. Taking the local packers as
class they are each in competition,
They are watchful of the best grow
ers and of the finest crops, in every
district. They want goods they can
guarantee and which will please and
retain customers and for such Will
always pay a premium as compared
with the general run of the product.
To this extent they are always in
competition as buyers, and when it
comes to marketing their purchases
they are as anxious to make profit,
and to increase their business as arc
men in any other line Of trade.
This explains why their interests
can not be pooled, and why individual
judgment and requirements, the con,
ditions of their own trade, and the
character and size of their own stocks
must always be the governing factors
in their sales and purchases.
The Situation in Ohio.
To the best of our information. the
Ohio leaf grower still sticks to his
views and tobacco. Even tentative
buyers are still scarce and the few in
evidence are local packers or manu-
facturers' agents. cruising around to
sense any change in the situation, II
change there happens to be.
While it is a certainty that few
eastern buyers came west two weeks
ago, we know of no instance where
they have bid a price direct to the
farmer for his crop. There may have
been such dickering, here and there,
possibly, but not SO far as we have
been apprised by any grower.
All these men have friends and con-
> nections in the Ohio leaf trade dis
tricts and would scarcely need to visit
tobacco farmers to get into intimate
touch with the present status, and as
to the position still maintained by the
growers.
Sales and Acreage.
According to the best and latest ad-
vices, both as to sales and proposed
acreage reduction, it is claimed that
two or three small crops have been
disposed Of in Preble county within
the last week or two, but at what
price we have been unable to discover
The county farm agent for Preole IS
our authority for stating that few
unimportant sales were made in April,
but that there was no movement to
affect the general situation. On the
other hand, Mr.. o. ]. Mckee OF Lewis
burg, Ohio. the general publicity agent
for the Miami Valley growers, makes
no mention of any tobacco sales, what
soever.
Both Swift and Mckee are agreed,
however. that there is to be drastic
cut in tobacco acreage this year. Each
of them reports that a number OF
planters will not put in an acre of
tobacco this year; also that others