The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-06-17
Prohibition Of Weed Would Mean
Big Financial Loss to
Allied Trades.
WHO USES THE MATCH?
The Smoker MainIy-Also Responsible
for Spending Hundreds Of Millions
Annually for licorice, Sugar,
Coal, Cigar Boxes, Tin.
Foil, Etc.
BY GARRETT SMITH
Got q match p

llOA uohCu Ah luSoO SIiSSu 0kdlCSS
How many more times Is the question
unnecessary because most pockets are
kept we'll supplied with the useful
little article? Anyhow, inasmucb us 1t
is estimated that there are 3O,OOO,OOO
tobacco users in the country, We would
guess that the answer to that question
would run into the hundreds Of mil
lions.
For IL 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 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 n
Of a dozen or more allied industries
which derive large directly or
indirectly from the tobacco trade and
would suffer heavily il 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 81, 937, 900, 900. 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.
$25, 0oO, 900 a Year for Boxes
For example, the tobacco trade con-
sumes each year 100000 pounds of
both used in flavoring tobacco. and
$4,000 tons of coal. 1t is estimated
that the value OF wooden cigar boxes
used is $o5,OOO.OOO a year. quite an
item to the lumber business and to
manufac turers 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
bells, coupons. etc., involving the print
ing trade extensively.
Then building contractors and manu-
ldNlUICIS VI IIutl5lICty dIC eStJ
terested. investments in plants and
machinery employed In manufacture
ing tobacco are estimated at $102, 0OO,-
coo. Replacement, up-keep and inter-
est on the investment make no small
sum annually.
And let realty men note there are
approximately 20 600 tobacco farms
= A. ..;.h m tDt.,l -oce;s,Hnfh.1
valuation of Sl6O,c0O. 900. OF further in
terest to real estate men is the fact
that there are 100000 retail establish
ments selling tobacco, involving a total
rental ard 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 S7.O00,O00
in premiums in the United States.
Ard there are the railroads who reap
eyenue from 2.21O.NOO tons Of tobacco
products every year.
AS for the advertising business.
here again 1t is impossible to form
any estimate of the enormous annual
outlay.
The prohibition of tobacco would also
knock a ~good-sized hole in the receipts
Of the United States government.
The internal revenue receipts from
tobacco for the fiscal year 1920 amount
ed to S295, SO9,3355.44. Customs duties
provided an additional 500. 100000 in
round figures. making the total ven
return to the government $4,000, 900.
influence on Popular Sentiment
1t is this interlocking Of the tobacco
bus ness with SO many other interests
and the vast amount Of financial loss
that would he involved III 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 II the newspaper edi-
tors of the country are correct in their
estimate Of that sentiment.
In q poll OF the editors made recently
by the Tobacco Merchants Association
Of the United States. through the Press
Service Company Of New York City,
80 per cent OF the 7.847 editors who
replied expressed the opinion that the
people OF their commun ties were op-
posed to any law against tobacco. AS
these editors represent some $4,000 600
readers the results form a prettylgen-
eral test OF national opinion.
In their remarks accompanying their
1opa30s many OF the editors exnressed
IT as their opinion that the opposition
Of their communities to the abolition
Of t0baccd was based to some extent at
least on the damage such a. change
would - - t~AeAn1s&ness interests OF
tho community. This was particularly
true IN the tnbaceo growing states ana
centers where there were large tobacco
plants. -.
hui when the axGyKhl tn business
involved In the alIled interests Of the
tobacco trade ID considered. 10 above
/ briefly outlined. n II clAar thet thnro