TOBACCO SMOKERS

Evening Star, Issue 17313, 29 March 1920, Page 6

TOBACCO SMOKERS

LIKELY TO HAVE TO STAND ANOTHER RISE. NO APPARENT POSSIBILITY OP RELIEF. From information that has come into our possession—and is shared by some others—it seems probable, if not inevitable, that a further appreciable rise in the I price of smoking tobacco will be presently i announced. I The recent advance was due largely to j the rate of exchange being against" the j British. That is now improving. In ite j place we have the prospect of an advance that may be attributed to the shortage of tobacco leaf throughout the world and to the enhanced cost of manufacture owing ,to the enormous rise in wages and the lvalue of everything that is needed in the : production of the goods as we use them. | That the increase will be freely and j heartily grumbled about goes without say- | ing. As to whether the growling will lead ■to anything worthy of being called a workable remonstrance—that is quite a different matter. The way of smokers is to complain and pay. We are told that, ' notwithstanding, the recent advance, the! beat tabascos are in eager demand throughout New "Zealand; that, in fact, smokers I y.-iU have what they want, if they can get] it, irrespective of the price. How far the operations of the Tobacco | Tru3t_ enter into the cost is a matter that i it is impossible for us ai this distance to gauge. We have it on authority that ( enormous profits arc being or have been ' earned by that trust, and from all that | can be learned its scope seems to be widen- ■ ing. _ Unortunately, New Zealanders are not in a position to help themselves. The Government cannot better matters. ' If they attempt to do so it would mean th? cutting off of supplies. New Zealand is ' too small a place to be able to hit hrck | effectively. Any practical demonstration j against the increase might end in the j trust cutting us out altogether. No relief is at all possible until there is con- j certed action on the part of the Govern- I | ment.s of the various countries that are I affected. I __ So, if we smoke we must pay perhaps j 25 or 50 per cent, more, and relieve our j feelings r.s bast we may bv saving things I about, the trust. Perhaps, in' the manv ! thiiv.-s that are sure to be toid, some will i be unjust; but if the trust desires to stop j jho anathenns it ca.i easily do so ii there i ir. evidence to hand that it cannot pav its ! | washerwoman or that it has to dodge the i j milkman. " j