Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-06-20
MANY INDUSTRIES
TIED 70 TOBACCO.
Prohibition of Weed Would Mean
Big Financial Loss 10
Allied Trades.
WHO USES THE MATCH?
The Smoker Mainly-AIso Responsible
for Spending Hundreds of Millions
Annually for Liccrice, Sugar,
~. Coal, Cigar Boxes, Tin
Foil, Etc. ne-
BY GARRETT SMITH


"Got a matchf"
How many times day Is that ques-
tiOn asked in these United States?
How many more times is the question
unnecessary because most pockets are
kept well supplied with the useful
little article? Anyhow, inasmuch as it
is estimated that there are 100000
tobacco users in the country, we would
guess that the answer to that question
would run into the hundreds Of mil
lions.
For if it weren't for the smokers in
thes" days of electric lights how many
matches would be used? pretty
small proportion Of the number OF
these sticks Of blaZes' 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,
hihitiCn of tOtaccn were to 90 into
effect as some of cur reformers woulG
have it. The annual sales Of tobacco
products, based On retail prices, is es-
tinated at 81 .937.G5o090 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
h, fS,h Il Inl r,F
making it up.
$25,oo0,00o Year for Boxes
For example, the tobacco trade con
sUmes each year 4I.001000 pounds e.
licorice, 50000.00O pounds of sur,
loth used in flayoring tobacco, ave.
G1A"0 tons Of coal Ii, is est mate!
that tie value Of wooden cigar boxes
used is $25,000,o00 year, quite an
item to the lumber business and to
manufacturers of the boxes.
In making these boxes $4,000
pounds If 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
beiS, coupons. etc, involving the print
ing trade extensively.
Then building contractors and manu-
facturers of machinery are largely in
terested. Investments in plants and
machinery employed in manufacture
ing tobacco are estimated at $102.000,-
000. Replacement, up-keep and inter-
est on the investment make no small
sum annually.
And let realty men note there are
approximately 325,000 tobacco farms
in the country. with a total estimated
valuation Of $l600G0.000. OF further in
terest 10 real estate men is the fact
that there are 7C0000 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 100000
in premiums in the United States.
And there are the railroads who reap
revenue from 2.210000 tons of tobacco
products every year
AS for the advertising business.
here again it is impossible to form
any estimate of the enormous annual
outlay
The prohibition of tobacco would also
knock q good-siZed hole in the receipts
of the United States government.
The internal revenue receipts from
tobacco FIR the fiscal year 1920 amount
ed 70 S-35,S09.355.4 Customs duties
provided an additional S25O0O,OOO in
round figures. making the total revenue
return to the government $320,000,0O0.
influence on Popular Sentiment
1t is this interviewing of the tobacco
bus ness with so many other interests
ana the vast amount of financial loss
that would he involved in the abolition
q tobacco that is one of the most Sc
r,ouS aspects of the proposal to pro
hilSit the sale of tobacco. proposal.
however, which has little support by
public sentiment if the newspaper edi-
'
estimate of that sentiment.
In poll of the editors made recently
by the Tobacco Merchants Association
of the United States. through the Press
Service Company Of New York City
93 per cent Of the 1917 editors VINO
replied expressed the opinion that the
people of their commun ties were on.
posed to NY law aganst tobacco. As
these editors represent some $4,000 OOI
readers The results form pretty gen
eral test Of national opinion.
In their remarks accompanying thair
replies many of the editors expressed
ii rs their opinion that the oppos tion
of their communities to the abolition
Of tobacco was based To- some eXten,
least on the damage such a change
would do to the business interests of
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, it is clear that there
is hardly section of the country that
would not he affected directly or in.
directly by aboliSlling tobacco.
| PORCH SWINGS COMPLETE
SAYS Feinberg Furniture Store. !;
|