more were imported and that only about 

 2,000,000 were exported. Uncle Sam evidently 

 likes to smoke cigars. 



To make these cigars requires a consumption 

 of 136 million Ibs. of cigar leaf. Nearly 50 

 million Ibs. of this is imported at a gross cost 

 (exclusive of duties) of about 35 million dol- 

 lars, the rest of the leaf is home grown. The 

 principal imports are from Cuba. In 1912 we 

 imported cigar leaf from Cuba in amount nearly 

 23 million Ibs. and in 1913 this increased to 

 over 27 million Ibs. valued at more than 16 

 million dollars. The imports of East Indian 

 (Sumatran) leaf varies from 6 to 8 million Ibs. 

 and costs from 7 to 8 million dollars. 



Although the amount of imported leaf used 

 in cigar making shows a steady increase, being 

 , now more than 50% greater than a decade ago, 

 yet the proportion of foreign leaf to home- 

 grown leaf in the whole manufacture shows a 

 steady decrease. This speaks well for the im- 

 proving quality of American grown leaf. 



There are in the United States about 26,000 

 cigar factories, both large and small. The large 

 number of establishments is due to the fact that 

 cigar making is still to a large extent a hand- 

 making industry. About 135,000 persons arc- 

 directly employed in the manufacture, nearly 

 half of whom are women. The capital engaged 



97 



