The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1921-05-27
Prohibition OF Weed Would Mean
Big Financial Loss to
Allied Trades.
WHO USES THE MATcH7
The Smoker MaInly--AIso Responsible
for Spending Hundreds Of Millions
Annually for Lieorlee, Sugar,
Coal, Cigar Boxes, Tin
Foil, Etc.
By eARRET sMlTH

iauW hiuta HiDfe times ~ TIE HufHtl'H
unnecessary because most pockets are
kept well supplied with the useful
little articleT Anyhow. lnasmuch as II
Is estimated that there are 10000 900
tobacco users In the country, we would
guess that the answer to that question
would run into tie hundreds VI mil.
Hons.
For N Il weren't for the smokers In
these days OF electric lights how many
matches would be usedY A pretty
small proportion Of the number o.
these sticks Of blazes" produced In
the country every year. Abolish TO.
bacco and the match business would be
shot to pieces.
But tie match business IL 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-
hlbitlOn u tobacco were To- 10 into
effect Rs some Of our reformers would
have Il, Tile annual sales Of tobacco
products. based on retail prices. IL cs-
tlmated ut 1887 10000 or tie cost
81 producing aud selling this quantity
Of cigars. cigarettes and other forms
~ The weed. some hundreds % t1Ij'Hlu
dollars are paid out foq other things
than Tie raw tobacco aud labor Or
making II On
SOS 100000 Year for Boxes
For example. the tobacco trade con.
sumes EACH year 45gn0C0 pounds ~
licyrlcc. a0yGO0.ooa pounds ~ sugar
both used in navoriug tobacco. and
G-Du0O tons ~ roai u r. estimated
tllat thc value ~ wooden cigar boxes
uscd T. s2iloGacna q year. quite un
tsm 20 tbe lumber buaasss .und a.
manufacturers 81 the boxes
IN making these boxes 5IOmO
pounds 81 nails aFe employed Other
large Items used ia making nud pre-
pairing tobacco fvr sale are tln mud
lead foil. paper for bags aud cigarette
wrappers. cloth for tabaecp bags, b..
hcls. coupons ETC. involving tie print.
Ing trade extensively
Then building contractors nnd manu-,
fJCiurcrs ~ machinery afr largely iu.
lorcstcd Investments in plants and
machinery employed ~ mauufaciur
lng tubHrcn are estimated hl flUa 10.
Wo llrp'ucpmenis nt ssas nnsi INTER-
~ on thr Investment make 80 aaall
sum annually
Aud let realty mrn note there are
approximately 32a.wJ tobacco farms
in the country. wlih total estimated
valuation ~ SioDop0opO ~ further b..
trrest 70 real estate men f. tbe fact
ihat there are 5U0.Ut1 RETAIL establish.
ucnts selling tobacco. involving total
rental aud ~ keep Impossible 10 esti'
mate. besides tie large amount % ~.
nrc space occupied by administrative
. branches - the general business
yhr Insurance meu. too. have their
share ~ The pleklugs Tie tobacco
hos ness pays OFT annually S7.01OJO
$40 premiums ~ lhp United states
Add there brc the railroads who reap
revenue from 100000 tons Of tobacco
products every year
49, FOR the advertising business.
J here agaln Il II imposlsAle 10 form
ANY estimate o. the eaqdd,a,fu aunual
outlay
The prohibition of tobacco yAsuld also
knock a good sized holc IN the receipts
~ The United States government
The Internal revenue receipts from
.. tobacco for the dsepl year 1870 amount.
J cd 70 S2p5. 500 3554i Customs duties
provided nn additional s25.OQ0OO1 Ia
round figures making the total revenue
!, return To the government t8200O0.OoO.
influence on Popular Sentiment
u y this IuterIoekiug Of the tobacco
! bus ness with 80 many ether Interests
and the vast amount ~ financial loss
that would be Involved ia the abolition
J " tobacco that Is one OF The most Sc.
, rIous aspects 81 the proposal to pro.
hlbit the sale Of tobacco, proposal.
however. which has little support by
] public sentiment II the newspaper edl.
J tors ~ The country ARE correct in their
estimate ~ that sentiment
4 In poll of the editors made recently
J by the Tobacco Merchants Association
of the United States. through the Press
Service Company OF New York City,
81 IlNl WIN VI Ahf fsfHH EAAtNFM WHO
replied expressed the opinion that The
people OF their communities were op.
posed 10 any law against tobacco. As
these editors represent some S0.0O0,000
J readers the results form pretty gen.
eral test Of national opinion.
In their remarks accompanying their
replies many of the editors expressed
! II as their opinion THAT the oppos ton
OF their communities TO the abolition
OF tobacco was based TO some extent az
Z lenst on the damage such change
! would DO TO the business interests Of
the community. This was particularly
: true IL the tobacco growing states and
ccnters where there were large tobacco
Z plants.
/, But when the extent of the business
involved In the allied interests Of The
tobacco trade is considered. as above
briefly outlined, II is clear that there
) Is hardly section OF the country that
;. would not be affected directly or In