Speech #580098719

Owing to the protection given cigarleaf tobacco under existing law its production has been greatly stimulated in this country and section of Georgia and Florida. until millions of pounds of the finest Sumatra and Cuban leaf and lillers are produced annually. giving profitable employment to thousands of wageearners and adding to the wealth and prosperity of our common country. The passage of the Curtis bill would destroy this industry in our section root and branch. for the reason that our tobacco growers could not and would not attempt to compete with the cooly labor of the Philippine Islands. where 6 cents per day is accounted a remunerative wage. and where 37h cents per day is the maximum price given the most expert cigarmakers. Surely the Congress of the United States can not think seriously of reducing the wages of d million free Americans engaged in this home industry to the level of the pauper labor of the Far East. or of destroying it entirely. which would inevitably follow the passage of the Curtis bill. The Philippine Islands are and have been all along an expensive burden to the people of the United States. and we believe that they should be allowed to bear at least a small part of this burden by paying a share into the public Treasdiry in import duties. otherwise under the Curtis bill they will contribute nothing and destroy a great American industry. which God forbid. In the growing of our fine Sumatra leaf tobacco our farmers have to incur great expense. among some of the items. shading costs $250 per acre.