New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1921-08-05

- 80 HfA 80 NAAA'
of cigars, cigarettes and other forms
Of the weed, some hundreds Of million
dollars are paid ont for other things
than the raw tobacco and labor OF
making ii up.
$25, 900 900 a Year fer Boxes
For example, the tobacco trade con-
sumes each year 45,000.000 pounds Of
licorice, 5%0,0Oo.oo0 pounds Of sugar.,
both used in flavoring tobacco, and
650,0o0 ton Of coal. 1t is estimated
that the value Of wooden cigar boxes
used is s25,0o0,00O n 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, la
bels. coupons, etc, involving the print
ing trade extensively.
Then building contractors and manu-
facturers of machinery are largely In
ierested. Investments in plants and
machinery employed in manufacture
ing tobacco are estimated at sl02, OOO,-
900. Replacement, up-keep and inter-
est on the investment make no small
sun annually.
And let realty men note there are
approx 'matcly $4,000 tobacco farms
in the country. with n total estimated
valuation Of SlG0.0o0,0 600. OF further in
terest ia real estate men Is the fact
that there are 100000 retail establish
ments selling tobacco. involving a total
rental and up-keep impossible to esti-
mate, besides the large amount OF Of
flee space occupied by administrative
branches Of the general business.
The insurance men. too. have their
Share Of the %pickinGs. The tobacco
bus ness pays out annually S1,GoO,OOO
in premiums in the United States.
Ard there are the railroads who reap
revenue from 2.210.OoO tons Of tobacco
products every year.
As for the advertising business,
here again it is impossible TO form
ANY f>lililtlf hl Inv filtI Ih'lN Hlllluhi
outlay.
The prohibition If tobacco would also
knock "A good-Sized hole in tie rece'pts
of the United States government.
The internal revenue receipts from
tobacco for tln. fiscal year 1870 amount
ed 10 sos ~sU93-14t Customs duties
provided an additional s%25.OU00O0 in
round figures. making the total revenue
return to the government S}2000O 900.
Influence on Popular Sentiment
II il this utorlockIng Of the tobacco
huS ness with 81 many other Interests
aud the vast amount ~ financial loss
that would be- involved I'm the abolition
~ tobacco that is one of the most se-
r.ons aspects of the prop,s sal 10 pro-
hiblt the sale Of tobacco. "a proposal,
however. which has little support by
public sentiment II the newspaper edit
tors Of the country are correct In their
estimate ~ that sentiment.
In n poll of the editors made recently
by the Tobacco Merchants Association
of the United States. through the Press
TflNtFf " 'lilNhIN " WV lNIk lily
- per cent ~ the 7.S47 editors who
replied expressed the opinion that the
people Of their commun ties we're op-
posed to any law against tobacco. As
these editors represent some sO!Oe0.OOO
readers the results form a pretty gen
eral test - national opinion.
In their remarks accompanying their
replies many 81 the editors expressed
II as their opinion that the oppos tion
of their communities TO the abolition
If tobacco was based 10 some extent ut
least on the damage ouch a change
would do to the business interests 81
the community. This was particularly
true IN the tobacco growing states and
centers where there were large tobacco
plants.
But when the extent of the business
involved In the allied Interests Of the
tobacco trade Is considered. as above
briefly outlined. il is clear that there
Is hardly n seciion % the country that
would not 10 affected directly or in
directly by abolishing tobacco.