Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-05-31


timated at Sl,937 .0CNOOO. OF tive cost
of. producing and selling this quantity
of cigars, cigarettes and other forms
Of the weed. some hundreds of million
dollars arc paid ont for other things
fhan, tho raw tobacco and labor of
making ii up.
s25 ,oo0, 900 Year for Boxes
For example, the :nbacco trade con-
sunieS each year .i5.0m.0Oo pounds nf
Iicoricc, 50.OOO.OM pounds of sugar,
both used in tiavoring tobacco. and
100000 tnns of coal. II is estimated
that the value nf wooden cigar boxes
used is s2j,nUD,nOO a year. quite an
item 10 the lumber business and to
manufacturers Of the boxes
In making these boxes 100000
pounds of nails are employed. Other
large items used in making and pre-
paring tobacco for sale are fin aid
lead foil, paper for bags and cigarette
wrappers. cloth for iohacro bags, la
hels, coupons. etc. involving the print
ing trade extensively.
Then hnltlng contractors and manu-
f:,r,urerS OF machinery ara largely IN
tcrcstcd. Investments in plants and
machinery employed IN mannfhrtur-
ing tobacco are estimated at nc.0on,-
600. Replacement, up-keep and inter,
est on the investment make no small
sum annually
And let realty men note there are
approximately 323.0N tobacco farms
IN tho country. with total estimated
valuation of S160.m0000. OF further in.
,errSt 10 real estate men is the fact
that there are 100000 retail establish
mcnts selling tobacco, involving total
rental and up-keep impossible TO estt~
mate, besides the large amount OF "t-
fre space occupied hy administrative
branches of the general business.
Tho insurance men. too, have their.
share &c the pickings. The tobacco
bus ness pays out annually Sl,'hU,uUV
in premiums In tho United States.
And there arc the railroads who reap
revenue from 2,21n,nO tons Of tobacco
products every year.
AS for the advertising business,
here again. it is impossible 70 form
any estimate oi the enormous annual
outlay.
The prohibition Of tobacco would also
knock n sood-sizel hole in the receipts
of the United States government.
The internal revenue receipts from
tobacco for the fiscal year 1920 amount
cd 10 S295, son. 3n,.44. Customs duties
provided an additional $25000,000 in
round figures, making the total revenue
return 10 the government $500. 000, 0D0.
Influence on Popular Sentiment
II is This interviewing OF the tobacco
bus ness with so many other interests
and the vast amount Of financial loss
that would he involved in the abolition
Of tobacco that is one of the most Sc
rious aspects of the proposal to pro-
hibit the sale Of tobacco, a proposal.
however. which has little support By
public sentiment il the newspaper edi-
'
estimate of that sentiment.
In poll Of tho editors made recently
hv the 'rnbncrn Merchants Association
Of the United States. through the Press
Service Company of New York City,
o. per cent of the T.s47 editors who
replied expressed the opinion that the
people Of their cnmmun ties were .op-
posed 10 any law against tobacco !ts
these editors represent some $4,000, 900
readers the results form a pretty gen
eral test OF national opinion
In their remarks accompanying thair
replies many of the editors expressed
il as. their opinion that the orpos'ti
OF their communities TO the abolition
nf tobacco was based ~ some extent at
least on the damage such il change
would do 70 the business interests of
The community This was particularly
true in the tobacco growing states and
centers where there were large tobacen
plants.
But when rho extent of the business
involved in the allied interests Of the
tobacco trade is considered. as above
Briefly outlined it is clear that there
is hardly section Of The country that
would nctzbe affected directly or In:
directly b. aboliSl.ing tetaece.