Imperial Valley press., 1921-06-25
PROHIBITION
OF WEED WOULD ] .
ia AZ u III = j.
!. MEAN BIG !. |. Loss !
If Use of Tobacco We're StoDped
Cost to Mani y Industries
- WoHld Be WilliOnS!.''' ~ ''Ph
By GAR RET Win

scot d illdtch?" i..;H;l,i .,tab
How many times a day, Is tliat, qtiesI
tom asked in these United; States?
How many more times is the DIGESTION
unnecessary. because most pockets are
kept well supplied with; the useful
little article? Anyhow, inasmuclisasl II
is estimated that there are. 30,oo0,Qee
tobacco users in the country, we would
guess that the answer to that question
would run into the hundreds Of mill
lions.
For II It weren't for the smokers In
these days Of electric lights how many
matches would be used? A pretty
small proportion Of the number of
these sticks Of bazes" produced in
the country every year. Abolish to
bacco and the match business would be
shot to pieces.
But the match business is only one
OF dozen or more allied industries
which derive large revenues directly Or
indirectly from the tobacco trade and
would suffer heavily if national pro-
hibition Of tobacco were to go into
effect as some Of our reformers would
have it. The annual sales Of tobacco
products, based on retail prices, is es
timated at 1881, 100000. OF the cost
Of producing and selling this quantity
of cigars. cigarettes and other forms
of the weed, some hundreds of million
dollars are paid out for other things
than the raw tobacco and labor Of
making it up
$4,000, 900 Year for Boxes
For example, the tobacco trade con-
sumes each year 45,OOO,OOO pounds Of
licorice, 100000 hounds of sugar,
| both used in flavoring tobacco, and
| 100000 tons OF coal. 1t is estimated
that the value of wooden cigar boxes
| used is $25,0OO,0O0 a year, quite an
| item to the lumber business and to
| manufacturers of the boxes.
In making these boxes $4,000
| pounds of nails are employed. Other
large items used in making and pre-
| pairing tobacco for sale are tin and
| lead foil, paper for bags and cigarette
wrappers, cloth for tobacco bags, Ia
bells, coupons. etc. involving th9 print-
| ing trade extensively.
Then building contractors and ms NJ
| facturers Of machinery are larselT In.
| terested. Investments II plans an
machinery employed r. manufacture
| ing tobacco are estimated at $lC2 ,000,-
| 600. Replacement, up-k2ep anu irter-
est on The inyestneat make &C small
| sum annually.
. Ard Is. realty ner note IN q sEs
! approximately 32j,0oQ t3bae-c ta-rS
Ia ,na country. with a t0iai estimated
| valuation Of $3.50 .0W,0W Ot furt - in
terest to real estate men IS ihs i7c.
| that there are 100000 retail esta.li-H.
! ments selling tobacco ilvOnin~ sta.
rental and up-kecp Impossible 10 EST
mate, besides the large am0Uus q -
flee space occupied NY ADMINISTERS Tvs
! branches Of the general business
The insurance men. too, have ;LeIt
| business pays out annually 81 ,oB1 zoo
in premiums in the United States.
| And there are the railroads who reap
revenue from 100000 tons Of tobacco
products every year.
! AS for the Advertising business,
here again it is impossible 10 form
any estimate Of the enormous annual
| outlay.
| The prohibition of tobacco would also
knock Il goodslzed hole in the receipts
| of the United States government.
| The Internal revenue receipts from
tobacco for the fiscal year 1920 amount
ed to 500, 500, 355.44, Customs duties
provided an additional $50 900. 900 in
round figures, making the total revenue
return to the government $500, O0O, 900.
influence on Popular Sentiment
1t is this interlocking of the tobacco
business with so many other interest.
and the vast amount OF financial loss
that would he involved In the abolition
OF tobacco that is one Of the most SO.
rous aspects of the proposal to pro
hlblt the sale of tobacco, a proposal
however, which has little support by
public sentiment il the newspaper eli.
tors or the country are correct in their
estimate of that sentiment.
Tn poll OF the editors made recently
by the Tobacco Merchants Association
of the United States, through the Press
Service Company of New York CITY.
% PEI cent Of the 7,S47 editors who
replied expressed the opinion that the
people or thelr communities we're on |
posed to any law against tobacco AZ
these editors represent some 10000 600 |
readers the results form pretty gen. !
eral test OF national opinion.
IN their remarks accompanying their |
replies many OF the editors expressed |
1t ms their opinion that the opposition |
OF their communities TO the abolition
{[oiS'opacco,Was based to some extent at |
rleasty on the damage such chonao |