The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-01-21

3
the Connecticut Valley, is hailed as a
new money producer for tobacco grow
ers.
X* X
Wisconsin increased the number of
automobiles in 1920 by 51,0O0 cars.
This number does not include trucks.
The total number for which licenses
were secured during the year was 277,-
622, representing total value of $685.
831, 900, besides about So, ,0OO, 600 worth
of trucks. It took about $40, 600, 600 of
gas and oil to run these cars during the
year. If all these vehicles were on the
road at once, more than one-half of the
population of thestate would be getting
a ride. THE cost of the license, insur-
ance, upkeep, extra tools and tires.
makes the automobile mighty high
toned friend
About g, ,0Oev 900, 600 cigars were man-
ufactured in the u. S. in 1920. This is
bilfion and a half more than the total
for 1919. Only in small ciesrs was
there a falling off. The increase in
cigarettes was considerable. The bet
ter grade xtf cigars shows tke largest
production.
Any increase In the acreage of tobac-
coin wisconsin daring 1921 is not to he
looked for. If the northern secsion
should try to plant more acres snan
last year, which is not lilaely, the south
ern Wisconsin areas are pretty certain
to more than even THIS up by fewer
acres. Any real stasnp in the acreage
|! iisnoti to be feared. hswever. There
are several reasons against sucS an as
ssuEaption. Labor rs going to be cheap
.er@and more plentifuly and the esgeneral
seostof production is going so be less
than during the past years The de-
afne in the prices Of other farm pro-
| duets has Deesa m0ge serioass than in,
stssat. Of rtetsnclnsaEest geiag to be a
fairly gooG moesey sorop, even if prices
sesome dOwa somewhat In spite of the
fact that a large aportion of the 1920
| crop remains unssAd, the impression.
prevails that tnere is no e0verproduc-.
tion of the eyFse of leaf grown in Wis.
Ssconsin, aaad that it is safe to keep
agoing, although Gae going next sum-
inner will h& dome imore cautiously than
Hast year. Considerable tobacco was!
| planted last year on land that nature.
l did not intefd f0u successful robacco'
culture. Ii considerable portion of
Itthe unsoS6 1890 does not move before,
/ spring, this WILL help ,oat down the.
I acreage.
! %<s:*
1 While j. H. Duke wasaeot re-electeg
Las director of the Montgomery Ward &.
lCo. mail order house, the Omitted Retail
1Stores conti0aae so own the block Of
Istock secured bydt year ago.
4 4as*E
/ The tobacco industry brings large
famount of money to the state of Wis
.consin. Only the Aabor ifcgce required
sts handle the crop in the warehouses is
a big item. In E;dgerton are at the
| present time employed .abont600 hands,
assorters and day help. IfGhe average
| weekly wage earned by these is placed
at from $500 to &2al00 PEI week, and
ASSUMING that the average rs .$17.O0 per
week, the monthly pay roll will amount
to $40, 600. These earnings come at a
time~of the year when the apportani-
ties OF making good wages ia other oc-
equations are less favorable, and they
are, therefore, douhly to be .apprecl-
ated. There are at least three months
of steady work furnished by the ware
houses, and in most yeacs it oxerruns
this period.
Ihe message of the new governor in
forms us that there are now SO. .000 idle
IN the state. This is serious menace
to the business of the commonwealth.
The potential purchasing power of
these people is daily lowered. and if
they continue unemployed after their
savings are exhausted, they simmedi-
ately become burden to those who are
employed The proposition to use the
money in the highway fund to start
road work and give as many of the idle
as possible employment. is sound econ
- z.
aginable. Amy agency which at the
present time can offer employment is
performing real public service. Until
the country can readjust itself econom-
ically to the reaction of the war, and
normal demand and normal consump- |
ton again are established, the idea of |
big profits must be discounted, and |
men with vision, with an honest |
heart, and fair sense of responsibility |
must help keep things moving to save /
us from unemployment and its ills, and |