Deming graphic., 1921-08-16
MANY INDUSTRIES
TIED TO TOBACCO
Prohibition OF Weed Would Mean
Big Financial Loss to
Allied Trades.
WHO USES THE MATcH7
The Smoker Mslnly-Also Responsible
for Spending Hundreds OF Millions
Annually for Lleorlee, Sugar,
Coal, Cigar Boxsa Tin
Foil, Etc.
by oARRET SMITH

How many times a day IL that ques-
tion asked in these United Statesi
How many more times IL the question
unnecessary because most pockets are
kept well supplied with the useful
little articlel Anyhow, Inasmuch as IL
is estimated that there are S0.OO9.OOO
tobacco users In the country, we would
guess that the answer TO that question
would run into the hundreds OF mil.
Hons.
For N II weren't for the smokers In
these days OF electric lights how many
matches would he used? A pretty
small proportion of the number Of
these sticks Of hlazes" produced In
the country every year. Abolish to
hacco aud the match business would be
shot to pieces.
But the match business Is only one
~ dozen or more allied industries
which derive large revenues directly or
Indirectly from the tobacco trade and
would suffer heavily II national pro
hlhltion Of tobacco were 10 20 into
effect as some Of our reformers would
have II. The annual sales Of tobacco
products based on retail prices, Is es-
tlmated nj S1,937 100000 or the cost
NJ producing and selling this quantity
of cigars. cigarettes and other forms
NJ the weed. some hundreds OF million
dollars nre paid ont for other things
than tho rnw tohncco and labor OF
making II w.
s25 900 900 a Year for Boxes
For example. the tobacco trade con.
sumes each year i5O00,OO0 pounds "
llcorlce, 5O.0O0OOO pounds Of sugar,
both used IN navorlng tobacco, and
$4,000 tons Of coal II Is estimated
hat the value of wooden cigar boxes
used Is s25,0ON,o00 a year, quite nm
TEN To the lumber business and 10
manufacturers Of the boxes
In making these boxes $4,000
pounds Of nails are employed. Other
large items used In making and pre-
Iparing tobacco for sale are tin and
lend foil, paper for bags aud 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
tercstcd. Investments In plants and
machinery employed In mannfpctur-
ing tobacco are estimated at tl02,cOO,-
gO0. Replacement. up keep and inter-
est on the investment make no small
sun annually.
And let realty men note there are
spproxlmately 325,OOO tobacco farms
I'm the country, with total estimated
valuation of SlG0.OO0,0O0. or further In.
,erest 10 real estate men Is the fact
that there are 100000 retail establish
ments selling tobacco, involving a total
rental and up-keep impossible 10 estl'
mate. besides the large amount of Of
Rce space occupied by administrative
hranches of the general business.
The Insurance men, too. have their
share ~ the pickings. The tobacco
bus ness pays out annually SI,000,0OC
IN premiums IN the United States.
Ard there are the railroads who rear
revenue from 2,2loOoO tons Of tobacco
products every year
As for the advertising business
here again II IL impossible TO form
,nv estimate Of the enormous annual
outlay.
The prohibition of tobacco would nlsC
knock n good sized hole In the receipts
n the United States government
The Internal revenue receipts from
tobacco FOR the fiscal year 1920 amount
III 10 S2a5. .Sna. .95544. Customs duties
provided an additional S25000 OO0 II
round figures. making the total revenue
return 10 the government S32O000.0 900
influence on Popular Sentiment
II Is this interlocklng ~ the tohacc,
hus ness with 80 many other Interests
and the vast amount of financial losl
that would be involved In the abolition
n tohncco that Is one Of the most Sc
rious aspects Of the proposal TO pro
hihlt the sale Of tobacco. q proposal
however. which has little support b.
public sentiment n the newspaper edl
tors ~ the country are correct IN thel
estimate ~ that sentiment
In poll OF the editors made recent,
by the Tobacco Merchants Associnfioi
OF the United States. through the Pres
Service Company of New Yofk City
n5 per cent ~ the 7.s4T editors VIII
replied expressed the opinion that IN
people 0f their commun ties were on
posed 10 any law against tobacco A
these editors represent some sOO0OO NJ
readers the results form q pretty gen
ernl test ~ national opinion
In their remarks accompanying thei
replies many of the editors expresser
n as their opinion that the oppos tlol
~ their communities 10 the abolition
~ tobacco WAS based to some extent 90
least on the damage such n chang
would do 20 the business interests q
the community. This was PARTICULAR
true IN the tobacco growing states an
renters where there were large Tobacco
plants.
But when the extent ~ the bushes
involved In the allied Interests of IN
tobacco trade Is considered. as ahov
briefly outlined. n is clear that ther
is hardly n section NJ tho country tina
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