The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1921-09-26
MANY INDUSTRIES
TIED TO TOBACCO
Prohibition of Weed Would Mean
Big Financial Loss to
Allied Trades.
WHO USES THE MATCH?
The Smoker MaInIy-Also Responsible
for Spending Hundreds Of Millions
Annually for licorice, Sugar,
Coal, Cigar Boxes, Tin
Foil, Etc.
BY GARRETT SMITH

"GOI matcnE
How many times q day is that ques-
ton asked in these United States
How many more tin1es is the question
unnecessary because most pockets ars
kept we'll supplied with the useful
little article? Anyhow, inasmuch as II
is estimated that there are S0.000,00C
tobacco users in the country, we would
guess that the answer to that Question
wound run into the hundreds Of mil.
lions.
For II It weren't for the smokers In
these days Of electric lights how many
matches would be used? A pretty
small proportion Of the, number OF
these sticks Of blazes" produced ~
the, country every. year. Abolish to-
bacco 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 II national pro.
hibition of tobacco were to 60 into
effect as some of our reformers would
have 1t. The annual sales Of tobacco
products, based on retail prices, is es-
timated at $1,937, ,O0OO0 OF the cost
of producing and selling this quantity
of cigars, cigarettes and other forms
Of the weed, some hundreds Of million
dollars are paid out for other things
than the raw tobacco and labor Of
making 1t up.
$25, 5,000, 900 Year for Boxes
For example, the\tobacco trade con-
sumes each year 45,OOO.OOO pounds of
llcorice, 50.OOOOO0 pounds Of sugar,
both used in flavoring tobacco, and
CcG,O00 tons Of coal. 1t is estimated
that the value Of wooden cigar boxes
used is $25,O00,OOO a year, quite an
item to the lumber business and to
manufacturers Of the boxes.
In making these boxes $50 600
pounds Of nails 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, Ia
bells, coupons, etc, involving the print.
ing trade extensively.
Then building contractors and manu-
facturers of machinery are largely in
terested. Investments in plants and
machinery employed in manufactur.
ing tobacco are estimated at 100000.
600. Replacement, up-keep and inter
est on the investment make 20 small
sum annually.
And let realty men note there are
approximately 325,000 tobacco farms
in the country, with a total estimated
valuation of $3.50, ,0O0, 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.
fee space occupied by administrative
branches Of the general business.
The insurance men, too, have their
snare Of the pickings. The tobacco
bus ness pays out annually $1,000, 900
in premiums in the United States. .
And there are the railroads who reap
revenue from 2,21O0O0 tons of tobacco
products every year.
AS for the advertising business
here again it is impossible to. form
any estimate Of the enormous annual
outlay.
The prohibition of tobacco would also
knock a good-sized hole in the receipts
rf the United States government
The internal revenue receipts from
tobacco for the fiscal year 1920 amount.
ed to $295, ,s09 1854. Customs duties
provided an additional $25,000,0O0 in
round figures, making the total revenue
return to the government $500, ,000 600.
Influence on Popular Sentiment