THE CUBA REVIEW 



37 



THE TOBACCO INDUSTRY 



MUST HAVE MARKET FOR DARK CIGARS 



Charles Landau, North American agent for 

 the Upmann factory, Havana, explains the 

 suspension of operations by Cuban factories 

 as follows: 



"Since all European orders have been can- 

 celed, the only business left to tlie manufac- 

 turers of Cuba is that of the United State and 

 Canada. The Mexican and South American 

 business had already dwindled to practical^ 

 nothing as a result of revolutions and de- 

 pleted finances in those countries. 



The total exports of Cuban cigars last vear 

 were 183,000,000, of which Canada and' the 

 United States took only 66,000,000. With 

 their total export cut down, therfore, to one- 

 third of its normal volume, the Cuban fac- 

 tories cannot conitutue to operate without 

 sustaining great losses. In addition to this 

 sudden stoppage of outlet is the all-important 

 feature of wTapper selection. 



"Em'ope is a dark-cigar market. In Spain, 

 Italy, Portugal and those countries black 

 cigars exclusively are used, and in Germany, 

 France and England dark colors are also in 

 general demand, whereas in the United States 

 nothing but Colorados and Claros can be 

 marketed. With Europe as an outlet for his 

 dark tobaccos, the manufacturer has been 

 able to produce on a close profit basis goods 

 suitable for the American trade. 



"With no outlet for his dark tobaccos, the 

 entire economic scheme of his business exist- 

 ence falls like a house of cards. The fixed 

 charges of some of the larger factories are 

 considerably over $1,000 a week, taking into 

 account monthly and yearly salaries that have 

 to be paid ; but, even so, it will be less expen- 

 sive under present conditions for such fac- 

 tories to suspend. 



"It is my opinion that the manufacturers 

 will continue to collect orders, but they will 

 resume operating only when enough business 

 has accumulated to make operation practi- 

 cable. Personally I cannot see how the fac- 

 tories can do anything but wait until the 

 shortage of imported goods in this country 

 breaks down American discrimination against 

 dark-colored cigars. It would not surprise 

 me if eventually this wiU come. 



"Certainly, as every cigar man knows, the 

 manufacturers in Cuba cannot continue to 

 manufacture without an outlet for these dark 

 tobaccos." 



the coming holidays in the United States and 

 Canada, but outside of this there are only 

 sporadic orders for Austraha, New Zealand, 

 South American and South Africa, which al- 

 together do not amount to more tlian a few 

 drops of water in a bucket. The shipments of 

 cigars to England are stated to be still in the 

 nature of consigmnents. The German Lega- 

 tion has notified our commerce, that the 

 German Raih-oads are again ready to forward 

 merchandise, which is not contraband of war, 

 as formerly, by way of neutral ports, but this 

 does not help om- cigar manufacturers, as 

 there are no orders, nor are there rates of ex- 

 change. ^^llile undoubtedly cigars are 

 smoked in war times they will not be im- 

 ported Havana cigars. The local leaf mai-ked 

 has been considerably more animated during 

 the past week, as the buyers of the Si^anish 

 Regie, the Cuban Land and Leaf Tobacco Co., 

 and one exporting house for the American 

 market have operated liberally, so that in 

 connection with a few other buyers the totals 

 have for once reached a respectable figure 

 again. Prices of com'se ruled low. — Tobacco, 

 New York. 



The Havana newspaper, Cw6a, in its edition 

 of September 30, prints the interview by one 

 of its reporters with L. S. Houston, the man- 

 aging director of the Hemy Clay & Bock & 

 Co., Ltd., in regard to a report that the cigar- 

 makers employed by this company feared to 

 be discharged for lack of work. Mr. Houston 

 denied this report most strenuously, and said 

 on the contrary, that instead of discharging 

 any of the present working forces of cigar- 

 makers, he hoped that business might im- 

 prove up sufficiently, so that he would add 

 to the present number. He stated further- 

 more, that he intended to ship one million 

 cigars to London, Eng., by the 10th of October, 

 which had been stored in the refrigerator of 

 the Custom House since the outbreak of the 



TOBACCO SITUATION IN HAVANA 



Although we are now aheady in the month 

 of October, which season in former years has 

 found all four factories working under full 

 headway, the Tobacco correspondent noted 

 no perceptible improvement this week. The 

 big factories are busy executing orders for 



CIGARETTE BEETLE REMEDY 



Tobacco, of New York, has for fifteen years 

 or more been recommending bisulphide of 

 carbon to retailers and jobbers of cigars as 

 a remedy for the cigarette beetle, and has 

 kno-n-n of scores of instances in which it 

 has been used with success, while it does not 

 know of even one instance in which it has 

 failed to kill the pest. Properly applied 

 it will kill them every time with the slightest 

 effect upon the most delicate aroma of the 

 finest tobacco. Furthermore, bisulphide of 

 carbon is easily obtainable and comparatively 

 moderate in cost. 



The Cuban Agricultural Bm-eau now 

 specifically recommends this remedy for 

 cigars as well as in leaf tobacco. 



