Tobacco Prices: British Government Imposes Substantial Increase

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 April 1947, Page 7

Tobacco Prices: British Government Imposes Substantial Increase

(Recd. 11 a.m.) . LONDON, April 15. Presenting the Budget in the House of Commons, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Dr. Dalton, said the customs duty on imported tobacco would be increased by 50 per cent, thus raising the price of a packet of 20 cigarettes, which are now 2s 4d, to 3s 4d. Pipe tobacco would cost about Is 2d more per ounce.

“We are drawing improvidently on dollars to satisfy the insatiable demand for tobacco smoking, which is more than we can afford,” said Dr Dalton. “I set my target at a onequarter reduction of the total national consumption of tobacco. Nothing else would be much good. I regard this economy as a minimum of patriotic duty.” Dr Dalton said he broke the news of the tobacco price increases “brutally,” but he regarded the saving of dollars as more important than an increase in revenue. Anyone with a grudge against him for this deliberately heavy increase might knock off smoking altogether. He estimated that on the basis of a 25 per cent, reduction of tobacco consumption ’he would' get' £77,000,000 more revenue in a full year and

£75,004,000 more this year and save 30.000,000 dollars this year. Cries of “shame” from two Labour members greeted Dr Dalton’s announcement of the increased tobacco charges. Dr Dalton, dealing with social services, said: “During the year we made history. We mounted the great social programme which the electors voted for. We are entitled to say that the new Britain, as represented in this House, has taken the cause of social security proudly in her stride.” Social services at £441,000,000 totalled £117,000,000 more than in the previous year. Dr Dalton said that some supplementary votes were less pleasing to him, including £39,000,000 for Germany (in addition to the original estimate of £80,000,000), £90.000,000 extra for Greece and £50,000,000 for food.