The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1920-01-09
s'.3s e ~
@c,fe sook SKETCHES

quotes several leading tobacco mems
views upon the 1920 outlook. A few
extracts are given below
Chas. Eisenlohr: II believe the out
look for the coming year is decidedly
favorable, and that both the cigar man
ufacturers and the cigarmaker will en-
Joy prosperity if there is the fullest CO.
operation. As to prices, think the
tendency is toward higher rather than
lower levels, but am confident that
the demand for standard brands of
quality will be greater than ever"
Mr.. Blur says: ''In my Judgment,
prices of tobacco are SO soundly estab-
lished and on so firm basis that / can
not see any possibility for lower prices
for any type of tobacco in the next
nine months, which is as far ahead as
one can possibly see now.
The export trade is, however, not of
fering much encouragement.
Says Mr.. ]. HI. Duys: "The outlook
for export business, of tObaccos grown
in the United States, looks very gloomy
indeed. The European markets are
overloaded with Dutch East Indies and
South American tobaccos, and prices of
filler and binder t0baccos are declining
in the Dutch markets, as the buying
powers of Germany and other central
European countries have been reduced
to small percentage of what it was
in the pre-war period. 1t may,
therefore, be predicted that very little
tobacco of the 1919 crops, grown in the
United States, will be exported to Eu-
rope during the coming year. AS far
as business in the United States is con-
cerned, am very optimistic, as the
cigar manufacturers are all doing a
good business, and seem to be able to
get satisfactory prices for their mer-
chandise.
E..Manufacturers of cigars are optimistic.
Charles Fox says: While we can
not look for any reduction in the cost
of tobacco or labor in the near future,
the demand for the better grades of
cigars and the readiness of the smoker
to pay the price for same warrants the
prediction that the tobacco industry
never faced brighter future.
Sam 7. Gilbert, president OF the Con-
solidated Cigar Corporation, says: $50
far as 1920 is concerned. the outlook is
very encouraging, since the demand
for goods continues unabated and, Judg-
ing from the enormous sale they are
now enjoying, and the contracts we
have made for 1920, every indication
points to very much increased out
put.
Says Benz. L Haas, Hartford leaf
merchant: The past SIX months has
betsl e great .oppor tnnitX Tor the small.
cigar manufacturer do not see any
thing ahead except prosperity for 1920
for the manufacturers of cigars. /
have come in contact within the past
few weeks with manufacturers from
all over the United States and Canada,
and have never met a group of men
who are more optimistic as to the fu-
ture than the cigar manufacturers OF
this country" =
In very able survey of the situa
ton, the Tobacco Leaf has, among
other pertinent and interesting observa-
tions, the following to say about the
1920 outlook: ''No one would have the
temerity to predict exactly what is go
ing to happen in the next twelve
months, but it is certain that the pros
pect is unusually interesting and that
the trade, as whole, is looking for
ward with a sort of pleasurable anx-
iety to what it believes will prove an
important and resultful epoch in the
trade history; and concerning the do
mestic cigar leaf it says: 1.-The begin
nlng of 1920 finds the trade in no better
position as regards the binder supply
than at the beginning of 1919, in fact
the situation may be said to be even
more acute in this respect than it
was year ago, further complicated by
the fact that the present demands upon
this type Of leaf are vastly greater. At
this writing it is safe TO say that the
market is bare of any available stocks
of old binders, and that by the time the
new is ready for the market, nanufac-
/ turers will again be clamoring for;
binder stocks with even greater insis-
tence than ever before 1t was the
sensing of this situation which prompt
| ed both packers. and manufacturers in
| inaugurating the sudden and, what a
a considerable number of Water Street
packers regard as rather premature
| buying campaign in Wisconsin and Con-
necticut, which resulted in the speedy
| lifting of the bulk of the new binder
| crops at an extremely high range of
| prices. =
| The following is the way the United
| States Tobacco Journal sizes up Chica-
| 90 as e'Great Central Market" for
1 lGdl tODdCCU. IEOpdUIy Ig& lu UtNcE kG
! spect, to as great degree, has Chlca-
go's distribution as 'fThe Great Cen
trail Market" been more soIidly exenl-
plified in the commercial development
| of the past few years than in the leaf
| tobacco trade in this vicinity. The an
nual business transacted in cigar leaf
tobacco here has always, it may be
said, stood second in Importance only
| to the operations OF the New York
market. In recent years, however.
| Chicago has climbed from an indiffer-
ent second to the position of sizable
contender. for championship honors, un-
til today she fully merits distinction as
1.-The Great Central Market for Leaf
Tobacco. In number, personnel,
finances and crop assortments there
has been steady growth among her
merchants From a beginning of half
dozen surrounding states, they have
progressed until their customers can
truthfully be said to cover the country.
i T. oII,ksnv1 - &hn ls~n1% 1o,.rysoa r,@ oil