17. TOBACCO INDUSTRY IN LATIN AMERICA. The domestic pro duction of tobacco in the Argentine Republic is used exclusively in the domestic cigar and cigarette factories. Due to its medium and inferior cfuality it is used for the cheaper grades of consumption, either by itself or mixed in proportions of 50 per cent or 55 per cent with the imported leaf. In 1895 the num ber of acres under tobacco cultivation was 39, 030, and in 1912, 23,860, a decrease attributed to the high internal revenue taxes and the low import duties for the imported product. In view of this phase of the Argentine tobacco situation, the Section of Tobacco of the Argen tine Department of Agriculture in July 1916 issued a report on the subject, in which it was stated that, despite the inferior quality of the prbduct, it was of domestic importance, and recommendations were made to increase both the acreage and quality, the latter by the intro duction of the approved scientific methods of cultivation and handling, as otherwise the do mestic leaf will continue selling in the market for a third of the price of the imported leaf. The production for the decade, 1903-13, in pounds, was 149,995,150.8, the individual years being as follows: 1903, 8,382,675.4; 1904, 17, 749,214.4; 1905, 18,417,847.8; 1906, 8,312,191.8; 1907, 10,051,960.6; 1908, 13,750,024.2; 1909, 21, 829,029.2; 1910, 15,146,760.2; 1911, 12,825,696.4; 1912, 12,241,435.8; and 1913, 11,238,315, showing a wide variation in the amount raised, the greater part of which is cultivated in the prov inces of Corrientes, Salta and Tucuman, all situated in the northern part of the republic.
The principal tobacco consumption of the country is of cigarettes, most of which are of domestic manufacture, and retail, per box of 14, for from to 17 cents, the demand for foreign cigarettes being supplied chiefly by the foreign element. Of cigars, the °Toscana° an Italian imported cigar, Is the most popular, re tailing for four and one-fourth cents, and an Argentine imitation known as the Avanti,B retailing at two and one-twelfth cents. The well-to-do Argentinian smokes Habanas exclu sively; in addition there are various Brazilian, Dutch and German brands that have a consid erable sale. Very little tobacco is chewed.
The imports during the five-year period, 1908 12, were as follows: Habana leaf, 1,587,344 pounds; Paraguayan, 2,554,665 pounds; others, 10,604,643 pounds, of which about 70 per cent came from Brazil and 18 per cent from the United States. Of manufactured tobacco dur ing the same period, 74,097 pounds from Uru guay, United Kingdom. Cuba, Italy. France, Spam, Egypt, etc.; Habana cigars in boxes, 87,989 pounds; other cigars in boxes, 2,044,902 pounds - three-fourths from Italy and the re mainder largely from Switzerland and The Netherlands; other cigars, not in boxes, 55,193 pounds-Switzerland and Italy; cut tobacco (“picadure), Paraguay, 7,738 pounds, and other, chiefly United Kingdom, 4,969 pounds; and snuff, 6,534 pounds, Italy and France.
Brazil, of the Latin-American countries, is the greatest producer of tobacco, an industry that has been carried on since the days of the colonial governments. In 1796 the exportation of tobacco to Portugal amounted to more than 18,000,000 pounds, an amount that has steadily increased since that time until the formation of the republic, since which time, due to labor conditions, the production has changed but little, being conservatively esti mated at 77,640,000 pounds annually. In 1912 the exports amounted to 54449,820 pounds; in 1913, 64,771,152 pounds. Ninety-five per cent of the exports are made from Bahia, the chief port of the tobacco district, and the greatest amount is sent to Europe. Taken in its en tirety tobacco is the sixth in size of all Bra zilian exports, the republic, besides supplying her own domestic needs, supplying the greater part of the requirements of her neighboring countries. Besides the state of Bahia, the entire east coast is interested in tobacco cultivation, particularly the state of Maranhao, and lately it has become an industry of future promise in the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catha rine, Minas Geraes and Pernambuco. The average exports from Bahia to the other non producing parts of Brazil is about 6,600,000 pounds annually, in addition to about $500,000 worth of cigars, cigarettes and other elaborated tobaccos. In 1915 these last amounted to 37, 000,000 cigars and 17,000,000 cigarettes.