The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-01-07
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


Mems committee of congress with a
proposition TO alter the tariff law SO as
to increase The duty on Sumatra tobac-
co 81 90 per pound. making the tariff
S2.S 4nsLead of 81 S5 1t is also re-
ported that the New England Tobacco
Growers association intends to ap-
proacn growers in the southern states,
and also Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wis
are inclined to believe that Wisconsin
growers would not be especially inter-
ested in supporting movement to in
crease the tariff on q type of tobacco
which is not In compltltlOn with the
Wisconsin product. The probable re-
suit of such a tax is that the price of
cigars would tend to stay up indefinite
ly, and that it would reduce consump-
tion of cigars. The Wisconsin growers
who produce binders are interested in
seeing the consumption of all cigars
upon which Wisconsin binders are used
increase, rather than decrease, and they
would not lend their support to a meas
ure which might've do not say that it
would have tendency to cut down
consumption, due to the cost of cigars
on which Wisconsin binders are used.
Furthermore, the question of this kind
of legislation for the benefit of group
is not of nature to appeal to the Wis
consin voter, and their representatives
in congress know this.
**K
John II. Duys of III. Duys & Co.. i'm
porters of Sumatra and Java tobacco
interview in u. S. Tob. JournaD, says:
The fundamental condition of this
country is excellent; the pessimist has
no right to live in this fair country of
ours. While at the present the outlook
for the tobacco and cigar business does
not seem any too bright, l feel that
matters will shape themselves within a
few months, and that the future for
our business is splendid.
Abraham Blur of the E. Rosenwald
& Bros. is quoted as saying: II think
that this period of depression will be
over when people realize that they are
taking stock of their wealth in hundred
cent dollars, instead of the ffty-cent
dollars which they used for the same
purpose last year and the year before.
In our line, there is not now, and has
has not been for some time since, at
any time, possibility of a surplus of
tobacco; nor have we had the proper
tionate advance in the value of tobacco
that has taken place in many other
lines of business which now show the
great depression so widely advertised. =
Chas. E. Eisenlohr says: Everyone
aAt1e, industry is fully acquainted with
the record prices that were paid for
easrappers end binders this year, and
those two items in themselves warrant
the maintenance of present prices for
some time to come. Personally, | take
an optimistic view Of conditions IN the
cigar industry for the year 1921
*** g
The Ways and Means committee is
having hearings on the revenue and tax
stu alton, including that on tobacco. If
Chairman Fordney's suggestion, and
that Of former secretary of the treas
ury, McAdoo, is adopted, there may be
no reason to increase taxes at this time.
FL. c. Hallman puts it this way in the
Leaf: Chairman Fordney OF the Ways
and Means committee and former Sec
retary of the Treasury McAdoo agree
on the proposition that there should be
new bond issue, probably long term,
to refund government obligations COM
ing due in the next year or two. Nc
Adoo suggests $4,000, 600, 600, while
Fordney hints at 800, 900, 900, which
would cover the Victory bonds, war
savings stamps and short term treasury
certificates. Adoption of this plan to
any extent would tend to reduce taxa
alton, it is claimed, which can not be
done under Secretary Houston g plan
of paying these obligations in the uext
couple years out of the proceeds of tax
alton. -
**#
The following extract from an in
terview with Henry Hochstein, of
Hochstein Brothers, leaf merchants OF
Milwaukee, printed in the u S. Tob.
journal, is of interest to western men:
my views may be just little differ
ent from those held by some of the
other leaf tobacco merchants in the
Middle West, but my brother and N.Y.
self cover great deal of the Middle
West and Western territory, and |
have just returned from long trip
through the Middle West. Although
the cigar manufacturers in general
have complained bitterly as to business
and collections, cannot for the world
see but that, after the first of January,
we will have very much better busi-
ness. Everything is going. TO adjust
itself. AS you know, during the war
period great many of the smaller
manufacturers in these Western towns
supplied the local jobbers of candies,
crackers and cigars, and also the small
wholesale grocery house with cigars
because these people could not get the
required amount from their Eastern ci-
gar manufacturers This made the
local manufacturer more than busy.
| AS the Eastern firms are again getting
back into the market, this end of it has
been cut off, and the manufacturer has
accumulated little stock, and he is
worried, though in olden times he often
had $4,000 to 100000 cigars on hand
from one end of the year to the other.
On the other hand, great many of
these smaller manufacturers were in a
position to go to their local banks and
borrow anywhere from $500 to So. 900,
which has also been cut out by the
banker during this late scare, especially
in the Dakotas. However, all of this