The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-10-14
Prohibition of Weed Would Mean
Big Financial Loss to
Allied Trades.
WHO USES THE MATCH?
The smoker MainIy-Atso Responsible
for Spending Hundreds Of MiIIions
Annually for Lieorice, Sugar,
Coal, Cigar Boxes, TIN
Foil, Etc.
BY GARRETT SMITH


| ton asked in these United States7
| How many more times Is the question
unnecessary because most pockets are
kept well supplied with the useful
little article? Anyhow, inasmuch as 1t
Is estimated that there are 100000
tobacco users in the country, we would
guess that the answer to that question
would run into tile hundreds Of MIL
Hons.
For II It weren't for the smokers In
! these days Of electric lights how many
matches would be used7 A pretty
small proportion Of the number OF
these "sticks Of blszes' produced In
the country every year. Abolish to-
bacco and the match business would be
shot to pieces.
But the match business il only one
Of a dozen Or more allied industries
which derive large revenues directly or
indirectly from the tobacco trade and
would suffer heavily II national pro
hibition Of tobacco were to 60 into
effect as some Of our reformers would
have It. The annual sales Of tobacco
products, based on retail prices, Is e.
tImated at $1,937, 100000. 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 1t up.
$25, 10000 Year for Boxes
For example, the tobacco trade con-
sumes each year 45,0O0.O00 pounds Of
llcorIce, 5O,OOOO0O pounds Of sugar,
both used in fiavoring tobacco, and
$4,000 tons Of coal. 1t is estimated
that the value Of wooden cigar boxes
used is 325,000,0O0 year, quite an
item to the lumber business and to
manufacturers Of the boxes.
In making these boxes 10000
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, Ia
bells, 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 emplo.:ed in manufactur-
ing tobacco are estimated at $102y0 y0O0,.
600. Replacement, up-keep and inter
est on the investment make no small
sum annually.
And let realty men note there are
approximately 32I000 tobacco farms
IN the country. with total estimated
valuation of $16O,hG0.000. OF further in
terest to real estate men is the fact
that there are 100000 retail establish
ments selling tobacco, involving total
rental and up-keep impossible to estl-
mate, besides the large amount OF OF.
nce space occupied by administrative
branches Of the general business.
The insurance men. too, have their
share Of tie pickings. The tobacco
business pays out annually SI,OOO,0OO
In premiums I'm the United States. )
And there are the railroads who reap
revenue from o210.000 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 soOd-sized hole in the receipts
of the United States government
The internal revenue receipts from
, tobacco for the fiscal year 1920 amount.
ed to $295, 300, 1854. Customs duties
| provided an additional So5,000,000 in
round figures, making the total revenue
return to the government $4,000, ,000
Influence on Popular Sentiment
It is this interlockinS of the tobacco
bus ness with so many other interests
and the vast amount Of financial loss
that would be 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, proposal
however, which has little support b,
public sentiment If the newspaper edi.
| tors Of the country are correct In thei,
, 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,
95 per cent Of the 1871 editors who
replied expressed the opin on that tha
people of their commun ties were op-
posed to ally law against tobacco Az
these editors represent some 80,000.00G
, readers the results form pretty gen.
eral test OF national opinion.
! In their remarks accompanying thei,
; replies many OF the editors expressed
1t as their opinion that the oppos tior
Of their communities to the abolition
of tobacco was based to some extent !;
least on the damage such a change
! would do to the business interests Of
! rhe community. This was particular,
,rne in the tobacco growing states anil