NEW PRICES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 106, 7 May 1942, Page 8

NEW PRICES

LEVY ON SMOKERS

SOME OPERATE NOW

As anticipated, the new selling prices for cigarettes provide for an increase of 2d a packet and for tobacco the rise will be 5d an ounce. Advice to this effect has been received by Mr. R. M. Carter, secretary of the Auckland Retail Tobacconists' Association, from the Price Tribunal in Wellington.

The new rates operate immediately for all stocks received from wholesalers at the increased price since the announcement was made that prices were to be advanced. Any goods purchased from merchants up to Monday next and charged for at the increased prices may also be sold at the new rates immediately. The new schedule will operate as from Monday- next for all stocks, whether new or old.

Mr. Carter said it was not likely that any retailer would make an excess margin on old stocks as, where they were already sold, they where they were not already sold, they would at the present prices be cleared before Monday. The prices allowed for sales tax.

Advice was received to-day that all deliveries by wholesale houses up to last night were made at the old prices unless the merchants had actually paid the new duty, but few of the latter cases are believed to exist. In other words, as from to-day all deliveries from the merchants are at the new rates. The usual monthly deliveries went out on May 1, but more stocks are being released today, having since been received from the manufacturers. In the meantime the shelves of most city tobacconists present a sorry picture following the unprecedented run on cigarettes and tobacco by the public since Friday. Most popular brands are missing, and every retailer is awaiting the arrival of fresh stocks.