, 1922-01-05
MANY INDUSTRIES
TIED TO TOBACCO
Prohibition of Weed Would Mean
Big Financial Loss to
Allied Trades.
WHO USES THE MATCH?
The Smoker Mainly-Also Responsible
for Spending Hundreds Of Millions
Annually for Licorice, Sugar,
Coal, Cigar Boxes, Tin
Foil, Etc.
BY GARRETT SMITH

Got a match?"
How many times n day is 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 it
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 If 1t weren't for the smokers in
these days of electric lights how many
matches would be used? A pretty
small proposition Of the number OF
these sticks of blazes' produced in
the country every year. Abolish to-
bacco n the match business would be
shot to pieces.
But the match business is only one
of a 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 as some of our reformers would
have it. The annual sales of tobacco
products, based on retail prices, is es-
tinlaeed at 81, 1881, 100000. OF the cost
Of plodpcing and selling this quantity
OF osars, cigarettes and other forms
OF tAe weed, some hundreds of million
dollsss are paid out for other things
than the raw tobacco, and labor of
making it up.
$25, 100000 a Year for Boxes
For example, the tobacco trade con-
sumes each year 45,000,000 pounds OF
licorice, 5%0,000,O00 pounds Of sugar.
both used in favoring tobacco. and
650,0O0 tons OF coal. 1t is estimated
that the value of wooden cigar boxes
USED is S25,000,00O a year. quite an
item to the lumber business and to
manufacturers of the boxes.
In making these boxes $4,000
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, la
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 S102, 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 S1G0,O 1000. or further in
terest 10 real estate men is the fact
that there are 100000 retail establish
ments selling tobacco, involving a 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
share Of the pickings. The tobacco
bus ness pays ont annually 100000
in premiums in the United States.
And there are the railroads who reap
revenue from 2,2lO.O0O 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 a good-slzed hole in the receipts
OF the United States government,
The internal evenue receipts from
tobacco for the fiscal year 1920 mount
ed to S295. 500. 35l.44. Customs duties
provided an additional S~21.00O,OO0 in
round figures. making the total revenue
return to the government $320,OoO,00 o
Influence on Popular Sentiment
II Is this interlOcking OF the tobacco
business with so many other Interests
and the vast amount OF financial loss
that would he Involved In the abolition
OF tobacco that Is oue Of the most Sc
rious aspects OF the proposal to pro-
hibit the sale Of tobacco. n proposal.
however. which has little support by
public sentiment II the newspaper edi-
tors Of the country are correct in their
estimate Of that sentiment.
In n poll Of the editors made recently
by the Tobacco Merchants Association
OF the United States. through the Press
Service Company OF New York City,
90 per cent Of the 7.si7 editors who
replied expressed the opinion that the
people of their communities were OPP
posed to any law against tobacco. As
these editors represent some s0.000,OO0
readers the results form II pretty gen
ernl test Of national opinion.
In their remarks accompanying their
replles many Of the editors expressed
II as their opinion that the eppos ton
OF their communities to the abolition
OF tobacco WAS based 10 some pNtput M
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
centers where there were large tobacco
plants.
But when the extent OF the business
involved In the allied lntere SITS of the
tobacco trade IL considered. ms above