The New York herald., 1921-05-23
Five Cent Cigar Comes Back,
But Is Regarded With Suspicion

The temperance on the market of the
old prewar five cent cigar is an early indi-
cation that peace is a fact. The United
states Tobacco Journal questions whether
o. not the five cent cigar can return with
the same quality and in the same quantity
Before the war the five cent cigar repre-
sented 80 to 80 per cent. of the total volume
of domestic cigar production. With the in
creased cost of production these brands
went to six, seven and eight cents and
stopped there. for a further increase meant
an additional tax of SO per thousand which
would have put them in the gristocratic
ten cent class. But, whatever the cost OF
production to-day, there is a faint echo of
the vox populi calling for cheaper cigars.
There are many curious angles to the
cigar industry that are not generally appre-
ciated. For the cheaper brands of cigars
made in this country wrappers are imported
all the way from Sumatra and Java And
yet the United States produces one-fourth
of the world tobacco supply with British
India second and Havana-home of the per
feet perfecto-far down in the list Cuba
produces seventy-five million pounds of
tobacco while the United States is turning
out a billion pounds.
For all the prominence and honorable
mention given TO the imported Havana cigar
IL represents less than one-half OF one per
cent Of the cigars used here. Havana to-
bacco imported into this country is manu-
factured mainly at Tampa, Fla, into the
'clear Havana" cigar This brand nearly
disappeared from the market for while
owing to a strike among the cigarmakers
which lasted many months.
The Government statisticians estimate
tnat nearly two million acres OF the United
States are devoted to the raising of tobacco.
all of which happens in twenty States cast
Of the Mississippi. For export to foreign
countries a special grade of tobacco is
grown that would have no market in this
country. The leading item Of export to
China, for instance. is cigarettes third on
he list is leaf tobacco.
Cigarette tobacco has gone through a
varied process of changes that cannot easily
he trailed even 10y the merchants Originally
the Turkish cigarette was smoked almost
exclusively here. Then there came a shift
In taste to the American type which Ia turn
was followed by another reign Of the Turk
ish. A shortage Of Turkish tobacco caused
10y the Turkish war that preceded the great
war, again brought the shift back TO the
American type Of blended cigarette
But whether America smokes Turkish
cigarettes or Havana cigars or maintains
a distinct aloofness to any but the strictly
domestic brands, she continues to do her
share Of producing and smoking I'm the In
ternational tangle.
And though tho younger generations may
come along and insist that the cigarette
Is the only digniied smoke, II hardly seems
likely that the cigar store will ever give
way TO the cigarette store" The cigar store
Indian went out with the horse car and
other relics of early American civilization.
But the cigar store goes on forever
Wasn't II Sir Walter Raleign-no. ~ OF
course 1t wasn't-who "tooke his pipe
little before he went to the scaffode" and
said: "A woman Is only woman but a
good cigar Us a smoke?