BAD NEWS FOR SMOKERS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2018, 27 March 1914, Page 8

BAD NEWS FOR SMOKERS

RISE IN TOBACCO PRICES.

Smokers generally, and those who buy aromatic tobaccos in tins in particular, will not be pleased to learn that the price of tobacco has been raised. The rise has come without any warning, and appears to have been notified in tho south before the Wellington rc« tailers received any intimation of the movementj and there was method, in this, as it prevented firms here exploiting the southerners even if they wished to. As already stated tho rise affects the aromatic tobaccos, in tins and below are given the old prices and the new. prices charged to'retailers for convenient lots:— • -■■'■: Old price Price / ..per lb. now. s. d. s. d. .. Capstan „.' 3 4 4 1 • Havelock ' ...... 3 3 4 0 Victory 3,3 4 0 Diadem 3 3 4 0 , Lucy Hinton ... 3 6 4 3 - Welcome Nugget 310 4 7

There is a general advance of yd. Pc» pound, but it does'not stop at that. Hitherto the tins contained 2oz. of tobacco, making eight tins to the lb., but under the new scale the tins will contain only and presumably -9 tins will go to the lb. It is stated in the south that dark plug tobacco is not affected, but this is not correct as Juuo is up 2d. per lb. Plug tobaccos of the following brands: —Victory, Diadem, Nosegay, Royal Colours, and Welcome Nugget are up 4Jd., and Lucy Hinton, 5Jd.. These small advances cannot very conveniently be passed on by the. retailers, and : it is therefore likely that the situation will be met by_ making the plugs smaller. Tobacconists can give no explanation of the causes which have led up to the advance. ■ Some years • ago when the night raiders of Kentucky:were destroying the tobacco crops and stored leaf, the price was raised to retailers and it'remained raised, and there have been two or three rises since.