The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-07-21
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


The French government has state
monopoly of making and selling all to-
bacco products; private and competi-
tive tobacco producers are excluded
from this line of business. Two years
ago American tobacco interests ap-
preached the French government and
offered the French state certain price
for the privilege of manufacturing and
handling tobaccos in French territory.
The offer was turned down at the time,
but French financial conditions at the
present time and the liberality of the
American private monopoly offer have
set the Frenchmen thinking. The
French Reggie may find it good financial
policy to yield, at least for ten year
period, to American private enterprise.
The U. S. Tobacco Journal discussing
the matter says:
''As matter of fact the reasons
that would suggest private enterprise
IN preference to State monopoly are so
many and various that TO enumerate
case. Private enterprise, in the guise
of American capitalists, can see it's way
toward paying for the privilege more
than the French government now Sc
cures IN the way of earnings, and then
have some profits left over for them
selves. Their profits would come, in
all probability, from the more efficient
management of the factories and from
an Improvement in the quality of the
tobacco products offered, thus stimu-
llatiDg the use of tobacco. But if a
monopoly in the hands of private inter-
ests opportunity of investigating the
operations of monopolies and compare
United States, would still further sur
that competition is the life of trade is
borne out by the observations of those
who have had the opportunity of inves-
tigating the operations of monopolies
and comparing results with the opera
tons of competitive system. The to-
bacco products of the French Reggie are
an abOmination to visiting Americans,
English, Germans and Hollanders, and,
| if the truth were told, to the great ma
jority of the Frenchmen themselves.
The one certain effect of the nation
wide efforts to organize the tobacco
growers into cooperative sales bodies
| is the stimulus it has furnished in most
sections to the production of a large
acreage. If the present outlook is any
criterion of the amount of tobacco to
be harvested this fall, there is going to
be no dearth of the weed in the market
next fall. The Wisconsin acreage is
going to be much larger than predicted
in May this year
***
There is many slip between the
cup and the lip and of the tobacco
crop the saying is so true that it is al
most uncanny. Few crops grown can
boast of more hazards than the grow
ing, harvesting, curing and packing of
tobacco presents. However, the pres
ent signs of an abundant harvest in
1922 are most propitious. The U. S.
Tobacco Journal sums up the situation
July as follows:
The reports from the tobacco grow
| ing districts Of the country are almost
universally favorable. With the caution
that many bumper crop in July has
| turned out frost in September, the
United States Tobacco Journal takes
pleasure in recording the fact that
prospects are distinctly good. There is
a good stock of strong hardy plants,
and the crop was set out amid satisfac-
tory conditions. The alarm of mold
and other fungus pests that made the
planting of the 1921 crop nightmare
! was lacking. Since then the hot humid
weather and plentiful moisture that
have so annoyed the city dwellers have
shot the crop along to rapid growth.
| In some sections there has been even
more rain than is ordinarily considered
desirable. but as yet the damage done
| is inconsiderable. Two more weeks of
weather such as we have had-good
growing weather will bring the crop
to very satisfactory harvest. Of
course, the harvest and cure of the
crops carry with them certain hazards
of their own, which cannot be met until
they come. But it is very satisfactory
| to know that thus far the crop that is
| HOW III lIlC SIOuilu CdIIl0S Will III pUS-
| sibilities and promise of an abundant
production of desirable tobacco.
| *xx
The National Cigar Leaf Tobacco as
sociation, through its Washington rep
resentative, w. L. Crounse, has been
successful in obtaining from the Inter
| State Commerce Commission a reduc-
tion of 10 per cent on freight rates for
tobacco in less than carload lots, is an
nounced through the press. The an
noucement here is taken from the Leaf.
The matter is of interest toall shippers
Of tobacco.
The decrease in the production of ci-
gars during the five first months of the
| year was only per cent. Cigarette
production decreased per cent. On
the other hand manufactured tobacco