Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1922-02-01
WISCONSIN TOBACCO MARKET

Edgerton, Wis, January ~, lgzz.
There was no news of special inter-
est in the local market during the
latter part of last week and the first
part Of this week. No new men dur
ing that time appeared in the field to
compete for the possession OF the type
taken during the recent brief and ra-
Their light move. The buying of stem
ming grades, both Of the 1920 and
last years crop at the prices dominat-
ing the sales, continues as matter OF
course. The grower who realizes that
he possesses stemming tobacco noti-
fies the buyers when he is ready to
sell at their figures, and that is all
there is to it. Now and then a crop
of the 1920 better sort is taken at
more than cents, but the cent fig-
ure seems to be the limit. Assorted
crops held on the premises Of the
growers bring, of course, better fig
ures, and few sales OF this sort have
been made recently.
The present week, opening as 1t did
with bitter cold weather, dropping sew
eral degrees below zero point, was ma
turally quiet, except for delivery by
growers of tobacco bought during the
past week and earlier by the Lorillard
agents, and no one appears anxious
enough to brave zero weather to To-
cate crops which may be inspected
later when riding may be done in
comfort.
None Of the local firms in Edgerton
with the exception of Frank Kellogg
for the Lorillards and Sweeney &
Son for the Fendrich interests have
bestirred themselves to make any pur-
oh .Sf 1901 H., 30 tho
ent writing to replenish their stock
of cigar leaf.
The somewhat better tone in the
eastern leaf market, announced else
where in this issue, has not material
lied any new activity in the local
market, except in a better movement
of old leaf out of storage. The sales
up to the present time have been pref
ty well scattered over the entire
southern section, the largest number
of sales in the southern townships of
Dane county.
News from Water St., New York,
that 1000 cases of old Wisconsin were
taken last week by manufacturers is
of interest here.
Otto Eisenlohr & Bros. were the
first in the Lancaster field. Price Is
cents. Buying opened by cigar man
ufacturers January 10.
1t is with the utmost satisfaction
that the tobacco men throughout the
country have sensed the new impulse
of a reviving market. Whilethe ac-
tivity as yet is not buoyant and full
of assurance, something that hardly
could be expected after such a long
period of stagnation, it bears the ear
marks of soundness and the color of
returning life. The large journals de-
voted to the interests of the tobacco
industry are unanimous in voicing the
opinion that better times are ahead,
and not far ahead, either.
The reasons of this incipiant revival
are not so far to seek. In the first
place, the time has finally come when
people have made up their minds to
accept new basis of prices. The
growers are ready to part with their
product at greatly reduced figures as
compared with the prices of two years
ago. The packer, who has been
sweating blood under the load of the
costly purchases of 1919 and 1920,
is willing to take his medicine with
the rest, hoping to come out suf-
ficiently strong to again tackle the
job on the basis of the new price. The
consumer is responding to the offer
of cheaper smoke. Both cigars and
cigarettes are finding their way down
to lower price level, and smoking to-
bacco is sure to follow. This opens
the chance for the consumer to again
step in and supply his want at figures
where his reduced buying power is
able to again indulge.
Another reason for the revival is
seen in the reduced stock of leaf now
held by the manufacturers, and their
need of Observation-Disclosures Re
porter.