Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-07
CIGARETTE OUTPUT
IS RECORD IN 1926
Between S4O0, 600, 900 and
5000, 600, 900 Went Up in
Smoke During the Year.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, March 1.-THE people
of the United States cheerfully burned
up between $4e0 100000 and 100000
900, figured on a retail valuation. in
the last year in the form of cigarettes.
Production in this country amounted
to SO ,460 900 900 cigarettes, but about
10 per cent of the total was sent to
foreign countries. Production showed
a gain of 1000, 900 900 cigarettes, while
exports gained around II per cent. as
compared with the previous year.
This country is at the same time the
largest consumer and largest exporter
of cigarettes. Imports are almost
negligible.
Next to the United States, Asia ac-
counted for the consumption Of more
Of the little smokes than any other
geographical division, Central Amer
lea, where once an American cigarette
was a rarity. now ranks second. with
Europe third and South America
fourth.
Chinese Consumption Up.
The great political disturbances in
China seem to have spurred consump-
ton of American cigarettes rather
than checked sales. That country
used 6,837 ZOO, 900 in the last year.
This was an increase over the peace
time years of about % per cent. In
fact, the big increase in cigarette
consumption all over the world dates
from the world war.
Americans seem to have carried the
cigarette habit with them wherever
they have gone. The largest gains
have been shown in Panama, Mica
ragua, Costa Rica, Argentina and Co
lombia, where many Americans are
living. Even Cuba, one of the chief
tobacco producers, is growing into. a
valuable cigarette customer OF the
United States. The European demand,
since the countries there have erected
the highest of tariff walls against
tobacco products, is largely confined
to Americans living or travelling
abroad.
America undoubtedly consumes
more pipe tobacco than it did decade
ago, but large percentage of the
smoking tobacco is consumed in the
their own" and by factories making
cigarettes from ready-cut tobacco.
Production of chewing tobacco has
dropped 80 per cent since the war,
while exports have fallen off A per
cent. Australia is the chief foreign
purchaser of 'eating tobacco"
Practically all the cigars made in
this country are consumed here. Only
1901, S89 900 were turned out in the
last year, which was at least Is per
cent less than in pre-war years. The
scent cigar has staged a remarkable
comeback, but the volume Of tobacco
stocks of such grades used in these
cigars is extremely heavy and grow
IN, he
strongly to hold 1927 paintings to a
minimum.
Cuban Tobacco Unsold.
Even SO per cent of the last Cuban
crop used in the manufacture of Ha-
vana cigars and in the production of
1.-THE better quality cigars made In the
United States is still unsold. The
outlook for the 1927 Cuban crop is
for one of good quality, but short in
quantity.
This will affect the American textile
industry to certain extent, since
much of the fine Cuban tobacco, and
indeed much of that in the United
States, is grown under cheesecloth.
Equal stress is being laid on the
necessity of reduced paintings in the
hurley tobacco districts and even in
the bright-leaf fields of Virginia, North
Carolina and Georgia. Prices for the
grower have been lowest and profits
received by the makers of cigarettes
have not had their counterpart in the
pockets of the producers of the raw
material.
One cigarette in each package pro-
duced in Turkey is being removed and
sold to provide for expansion of
aviation in that country. The govern.
ment has the tobacco monopoly there.