PRICE OF TOBACCO

Evening Star, Issue 20863, 5 August 1931, Page 12

PRICE OF TOBACCO

TO THE EDITOR

Sir, —In Monday night’s ‘ Star ’ I noticed a letter signed “J. C. Snadou ” stating that tobacco was to go up in price twopence per ounce. The reporter in Friday night’s ‘ Star ’ was a little out in his reckoning. I think he meant to state that tobacco would go up twopence per tin of two ounces. 1 think if J. C. Snadon had kept his eyes and ears open during the past throe or four years he would find that the legitimate tobacconist has not had any chance of profiteering, and if it is any news to him the wholesale prices out to-day arc 18d on some lines and 19d on other lines. Seeing that prices have boon cut to pieces by illegitimate retailers of tobacco, as well as some hairdressers’ and tobacconists’ shops, perhaps your correspondent may bo able tn_ tell the public what price ho thinks the legitimate trader in this lino should charge for a tin of tobacco, and also show a profit to enable him to run his business and pay his way. If your correspondent thinks he could run a straight-out tobacconist and hairdressing business at the prices charged by the parasites in this lino for the past three years ho would need to be a very clever business man. I may state that there are first-class hairdressers working on the relief works on account of the profiteering that your correspondent blames tobacconists for. It looks as if there is not much profit in tobacco when the hairdressing assistants have to bo put out of employment by their employers. If Messrs W. I). and 11. O. Wills would definitely set prices for all retailors of tobacco showing a fair profit in the same way as they require the wholesale houses to sell their lines there would ho no need for your correspondent’s letter. It would bo very interesting to know the amount of profit Messrs W. I), and H. O. Wills will make on the 18d and 19d per lb increase on tobacco. Those people after one day’s notice increase the prices to retailers, but retailers are not expected to so quickly increase the prices to the public. If a small retailer has not the ready money to put into stock the first day the Budget is issued ho finds himself considerably out of pocket on account of the big buyers having loads of stock delivered to their business premises, which tficy sell at the old prices to try and wear the small retailors down.—l am, etc., Stkugoleii. August 4.