The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1921-07-07
MANY INDUSTRIES
TIED TO TOBACCO
Prohibition of Weed Would Mean
Big Financial Loss to
Allied Trades.
WHO USES THE MATCH7
The Smoker MainIy--AIso Responsible
for Spending Hundreds OF Millions
Annually for Llcorice, Sugar,
coah Cigar Boxes, Tin
Foil, Etc.
BY GARRETT SMITH

N
How many times day is that ques-
tfon 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,
In estimated that there are 30,000,000
tobacco users In the country, we would
guess that the answer to that questiRnS
would run into the hundreds OF mAN
lions.
For If 1t weren't Tor the smokeEss5 n
these days Of electric lights nqesSxl1 IA
matches would De useu ~ ~
small proportion OF the ApNan1&k
these sticks Of blazes@ prosyse 3hh
the country every year Afqg HI .ssg
Dacco and the matefl yssH'''sss SVo'''o -
shof TO pieces. IS
But the. matcn business " on'y so'a0s
Oh dozen or more ai''eo nv e s''eS
wnich derive large revenues ue' olr g =
lnoirectiy from tne tVpacco .'raues w
would sui1er heavily n natiohai pro'
hibitlon OF tobacco We're 70 go ln.c
erect as some Oh our rei01she's wou'o
nave IL Inc annual safes OF toDacco
products, based on retali prices, is es-
tlmated at Sl'95t 'uoooVV. " tue cost
OF producing ana sehing TINS humanity
OF cigars cigarettes anu olher iVlihs
OF lhe Weed some nuhureus u in''iion
collars are PAID out ior other tnlnss
thah the raw topaceo anu i"poi u
making II up.
S25 100000 Year for Boxes
For example, the tobacco trade con-
sumes each year 10000 pounds of
licorice, 5000000O pounds of sugar
both used In flavoring tobacco, and
$4,000 tons of coal. 1t Is estimated
that the value of wooden cigar boxes
used is s25,00O000 a year. quite an
item to the lumber business and to
manufacturers of the boxes.
In making these boxes y $4,000 |
pounds of nails are employed Other
large items used in,~making ard pres
pairing tobacco for sire lfxe tin and !
lead foil, paper for bags and cigarette |
wrappers. cloth for tobacco bags, las
bells, coupons. ETC., involving the print
ing trade extensively.
Then building contractors1and manu-
facturers of machinery are largely in
ferested. Investments in plants and /
machinery employed IN manufacture (
ing tobacco are estimated at 100000. /
600. Replacement, up-keep and inter-
est on the investment make no small I
sum annually.
And let realty men note there are |
approximately $4,000 tobacco farms, /
in the country, with total estimated /
valuation of $160,O00,000 OF further In
terest to real estate men Is the facts
that there are 100000 retail establish
ments selling tobacco, involving total +
rental and up-keep impossible to esti-
mate, besides the large amount of Of
fee space occupied by administrative
branches of the general business.
The Insurance men, too, have their
share of the plckings. The tobacco
business pays out annually S7000000
in premiums In the United States.
And there are the railroads who reap
revenue from 2,21O000 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 good-sized hole in the receiprs
of the United States governmsnt.
The internal revenue receipts from
tobacco for the fiscal year 1920 amount
ed to $780,, 500, 1904. Customs duties
provided an additional $25 600, 900 Ia
round figures making the total revenue