c 



ing an estimated 19,000 workers harvested the rich crop. 



Most of the stalk-cut, air-cured crop was used in the 

 manufacture of cigars or went to the stemming trade for 

 scrap chewing tobacco. About 350,000 pounds during 

 October 1959- April 1960 was exported, chiefly to West 

 Germany. 



Over 11 million cigars, mainly in the low and medium 

 price classes, were produced in over two dozen regis- 

 tered Wisconsin factories or small shops, about haK of 

 them in Milwaukee. Seven factories in the state manu- 

 factured more than 150,000 pounds of smoking tobacco 

 and over 8,000 pounds of scrap chewing tobacco in the 

 last full year of record, 1958. 



onsumer outlets and treasuries* Income 



Despite the local availability of inexpensive cigars, the 

 people of the Badger State, together with most of their 

 fellow Americans, show a marked preference for ciga- 

 rettes. In 1959, for instance, they bought over 428 million 

 packages, paying a state tax of five cents in addition to a 

 federal excise of eight cents on each package. The orig- 

 inal state tax, instituted in 1939, was two cents a package. 

 The excise was increased three times, becoming five 

 cents in 1958. In the decade since 1950 to June 30, 1959, 

 the gross yield from the Wisconsin cigarette tax totaled 

 $135,344,000. Disposition of this revenue included re- 

 habilitation costs for World War II veterans, construc- 

 tion and improvement of state institutions, and public 

 works projects to relieve postwar unemployment. 



Tobacco has always been of enormous fiscal value. 

 Since the federal excise on manufactured tobacco prod- 

 ucts was estabhshed in 1862 (with cigarettes first in- 



