The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1921-06-05
MANY INDUSTRIES
TIED TO TOBACCO
Prohibition Of Weed Would Mean
Big Financial Loss to
Allied Trades.
who USES IHE MATcA7
The Smoker Mainiy--AIso Responsible.
for Spending Hundreds Of Millions :
Annually for Lieorics, Sugar,
Coal, Cigar Boxes, Tin
Foil, Etc.
BY GARRETT SMITH

How many times a day In that Ques-
ton 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 1t
Is estimated that there are 10000 900
tobacco users In the country, we would
guess that the answer to that question
would run Into the hundreds of mil
lions,
For II 1t weren't for the smokers In
these days Of electric lights how many
matches would be used2 A pretty
small proportion Of the number Of
these sticks OF blazes" produced in
the country every yenr. Abolish to
bncco and the match business would be
shot TO pieces.
But the match business is only one
of dozen or more allied industries
which derive large revenues directly or
Indirectly from the tobacco trade and
would suffer heavily IL national pro-
hibition of tobacco were to go into
effect ms some Of our refOrmers would
have IT, The annual sales of tobncco
products. based on retail prices, is es-
timnted at Sl,037, 100000. or tie cost
of producing and selling this quantity
of cigars, cigarettes and other forms
Of the weed. some hundreds OF million
dollars nre paid out for other things
than tile raw tobacco and labor of
making 1t up.
$25,0o0. 900 Year for Boxes
For example. the tobacco trade con-
suncs each yenr 45.OOO.OOO pounds Of
iicorice, 5O.OOO.OOO pounds of sugar.
both used In iiavoring tobacco. and
65O.OOO tons Of coal. 1t is estimated
that the value of wooden cigar boxes
used is $25.OOO,OOO year. quite an
Item to the lumber business and to
manufacturers Of the boxes.
In making these boxes 55O,OOO
pounds of mills 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, la
beis, coupons. etc. Involving the print
Ing trade extensively.
Then building contractors and manu-
facturers of machinery are largely In
tcrestcd. Investments in plants and
machinery employed in mnnufactur-
ing tobacco are estimated at $102,OOO,-
900. Replacement. up-keep and inter-
est on the Investment make no small
sum annually.
And let realty men note there are
approximately $4,000 tobacco farms
In the country. with a total estimated
valuation Of $1GO. OOO,O 600. 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 esti-
mate. besides the large amount Of Of
flee space occupied by administrative
branches of the general business.
The insurance men. too. have their
shnre Of the pickings The tobacco
bus ness pays out annually $1,WO,OOO
in premiums In the United States.
And there are the railroads who reap
revenue from 2,21O,OOO 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 n good-siZed hole In the receipts
of the United States government.
The Internal revenue receipts from
tobacco for the fiscal year 1920 amount
ed to $2O5. sos. 35544. Customs duties
provided an additional $25.OOO.OOO In
round figures, making the total revenue
return to the government $32O.OOO 600.
Influence on Popular Sentiment
1t Is this interviewing of the tobacco
bus ness with so many other interests
and the vast amount of financial loss
TINT would he involved In the abolition
OF tobacco that ts one of the most Sc
rions aspects of the proposal to pro-
hlblt the sale OF tobacco, proposal,
however. which has little support by
public sentiment II the newspaper edl-
tors OF the country are correct In their
estimate of that sentiment.
In poll of the editors made recently
by the Tobacco Merchants Association
of the United States, through the PrtAss
Service Company OF New York City.
D5 per cent of the 7.S47 editors who
replied expressed the opinion that the
people OF their communities were op-
posed to amy law against tobacco As
these editors represent some S0.0OO,OOO
readers the results form pretty gen.
erai test OF national opinion.
In their remarks accompanying their
replies many of the editors expressed
1t as their opinion TINT the oppos tlon
Of their communities to the abolition
of tobacco was based to some extent ut
least on the damage such a change
would do to the business interests OF
the community. This was particularly
true in the tobacco growing states and
cepters where there were large tobacco
plants
But when the extent Of the business
involved In the allied interests Of the
tobacco trade Is considered, ms above
..,&ttnnl . 10 cInor Tint TIM m