CIGARETTES

Grey River Argus, 17 April 1920, Page 7

CIGARETTES

A FAMINE THEEATENED.

CHBISTCHURCH, April 13,

"I haven't a single packet of cigarettes or an ounce of cigarette tobacco in my shop of the 'bread and butter' line description/ said a local to. bacconist to-day. "I havn't a single wax vesta, and am reduced to a few packets of Japanese safety matches. I can see nothing khe for it but to' close up tho shop, iink&s relief comes soon."

Inquiries n-ule go to show that the retail trade is really wondering what is to happen. A repi'cscntativc of a large Av;holesale house was consulted. "The position to-day," he said, "is that wo haven't a single cigarette in the warehouse. We have never previously been in this position. For 10 months, for instance, not a single packet of yellow Three Castles cigarettes has been received by us. These arc right off the market, also green Three Castles."

Loose cigarette tobaccos are in the same position. In about a fortnight's time tho Waimato and Tainui arc bringing small consignments of certain brands, but these will be snapped up and in a week or so the market will be bare again.

Advice has been received that the position will case in about two months' time, but there is nothing further to substantiate this. The trouble is the

British manufacturers can sell in England and the Continent all they can manufacture, and arc not at all concerned about the colonial markets. In addition, their output has decreased, it is estimated, by 80 per cent, of the pre-war days, owing to labour troubles and the "unconscious relaxation of effort '> on the part of employees. In America there have been short crops of leaf, and the raw material is rapidly rising in price. Strikes, too, arc retarding the output, and threaten further to interfere with the supply. Un_ der the circumstances merchants . are compelled to ration retailers with many classes of tobacco. We had three cases of tobacco recently, and we had to divide this between 300 and 400 customers. Pipe tobaccos have not been in quite the same position as ! cigarettes. Certain brands have been very scarce, and at times off the market, but stocks have becu coming to hand at intervals from Australia. Many of the mixtures prepared by retailers are obtained from lines imported in plugs from America. The supply of these has not been seriously interfered with. A world shortage of tobacco -has hit the cigar market). Wholesale stocks of HHava n a arc almost depleted, whilst prices are rising enormously at the factories. To_ day a good Havanna costs about Is retail. The days of a6d Havanna appear to be over. Most lines have inf.rof.sed in price since pre-war days by 100 per cent., and arc likely to become dearer.