CIGARS. HISTORICAL AND GENERAL FACTS
HISTORY. STATISTICAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE CIGAR BUSINESS IN THE
UNITED STATES.
CIGARS. HISTORICAL AND GENERAL FACTS
When the Spaniards landed for the first time on American soil they found
the natives smoking the rolled-up tobacco leaves, that is a cigar. For a
cigar is nothing more, four centuries having made little change in the
Cuban cigar. The word _cigar_ is most probably derived from the Spanish
word _cigarer_--to roll. Other derivations are given, but this seems
etymologically the correct one; and we will rest content with it. In
Spanish America to the present day the custom of smoking tobacco in the
rolled form, either as cigars or cigarettes, prevails, rather than the
custom of smoking in pipes which was the method of the northern aborigines
from whom the English colonists adopted it. Smoking was introduced into
Spain in the cigar form and into England in the pipe form. Cigars,
however, at the present time, both in North and South America, form the
principal item in the tobacco account of the people; we shall therefore
enter somewhat fully into matters concerning their manufacture, etc.
Although, as stated, it is in the cigar form that smoking was introduced
into Spain, it was not till about 1790 that cigars were used generally in
Europe. A factory for the manufacture of cigars was established at
Hamburg in 1796. The custom did not spread rapidly and did not reach any
considerable proportion in England till about 1830 when the high duties
were considerably reduced.
Cigar making has always been a staple industry in Cuba. It was there when
the Europeans landed and it is there still. Its record is unbroken. There
was always a greater or lesser exportation to Europe and elsewhere.
THE CIGAR BUSINESS OF THE U. S.
Of the various manufactured products of tobacco leaf, the cigar trade is
the most important in the U. S., its value being greater than that of all
other tobacco products combined.
The magnitude of this branch of the tobacco business may be gauged when we
state that at the present time there are made annually in the U. S. cigars
of all kinds to the amount of about 8-1/2 billions. The Census Bureau
Report for 1912 shows that for that year the number of full-sized cigars
made and on which tax was paid was in round numbers 7,500,000,000, and of
"little cigars," that is under the regular size, about 1,000,000,000.
These figures are certainly stupendous, particularly when we consider
that, in addition, at least several hundred 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 lbs. of cigar
leaf. Nearly 50 million lbs. of this is imported at a gross cost
(exclusive of duties) of about 35 million dollars, 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 lbs. and in 1913 this increased
to over 27 million lbs. valued at more than 16 million dollars. The
imports of East Indian (Sumatran) leaf varies from 6 to 8 million lbs. 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 improving 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 are directly employed in the manufacture, nearly half of
whom are women. The capital engaged in the business is reported as 150
millions and the value of the product 200 million dollars annually. The
actual consumer pays about 300 million dollars for the cigars smoked, the
difference between the cost of the product and the latter figure being the
expense and profit of the retail handlers. The enormous growth of the
cigar trade is seen when it is compared with 1860. In that year the annual
value of this product was only 9 million dollars. The two states of New
York and Pennsylvania are the centers of cigar manufacture. Between them
they make nearly half of the entire product, Pennsylvania leading with
about two thousand million cigars annually. Florida makes about 300
million. The price paid by the consumer works out to an average of about
4c for each cigar.