TOBACCO MONOPOLY.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17938, 5 December 1923, Page 9

TOBACCO MONOPOLY.

to tzts editor of "the rassa." Sir, —The publication recently in the cable news of the fortunes made by the proprietors of the Imperial Tobacco Company serves to remind us of the very great injustice that obtains in every British white community in regard to the price of tobacco, and especially of cigars. It is nothing less than grotesque that every civilised white mail outside our Empire can afford to smoke cigars, while the lordly Britisher in the mass has to content himself with a pipe or the unsatisfactory cigarette. The tremendous duty imposed is the prime cause; and this duty amounts to an injustice to th.i many for the benefit of a few traders. The original cause of high duties, now nearly centuries ago, may have arisen from the idea that smoking was unnecessary and injurious, and, in any ease, a luxury. That this is now a matter of opinion is unquestioned. In any case, it docs not seem to have impaired the mental or physical powers of the white races in competition everywhere with us in trade and manufactures. The Germans and Dutch, at all events as heavy cigar smokers, don't seem to have to depend on anything we can do for them. The dockers and working men of these countries—and the' same class in South America and throughout the East—can all enjoy their, cigars, while the alleged representatives of the lost tribes of Israel can only look on or over our tariff walls, and watch the blue cloud with envy. Yes, the Burmese child of eight can enjoy his cheroot, and the fruit vendor of Toncrift'e can buy a bunch of cigars as easily as we can a bunch of bananas, and cheaper; but the lordly Britisher, look you, lias to content himself with a pipe, and pay lid per ounce for tobacco that burns his tongue off. Twenty to thirty years ago I could buy tobacco out of bond for from 2s Gd to 3s Cd per lb on the high seas. Ido not know what the price is now, but presumably it bears the same relationship to duty-paid tobacco as formerly, and the injustice of it should be herewith put an end to without delay. There is neither rhyme nor resaon in it—simply conservatism run mad. If the Dutch can have cheap cigars, the British can, and that's all there is to it, so far as I can see. Hoping some fellow-sufferor will take this up.—Yours, etc., . 8s A HUNDRED.