A SMOKER REPROVES OTHER SMOKERS!

Grey River Argus, 8 November 1949, Page 5

A SMOKER REPROVES OTHER SMOKERS!

LONDON, Nov 7. Mr Herbert Morrison. Lord President of the Council, told a public meeting at Preston, Lancashire, that Britons must ask themselves whether the present rate of spending on tobacco and other “private fun and games” was consistent with the more important and worthwhile things the nation wanted. Mr Morrison, who smokes himself, .■aid: “In the second quarter of this year we were smoking an average of nearly 18,000,0001 b of tobacco monthly, compared with less than 14,000,0001 b in 1935. One dollar in each 12 that we spend goes in tobacco and films. In fact, if we compare our exports to the United States with our dollar imports of tobacco, it would take us quite half a year’s exports at the rate we were going last summer to pay for tne year’s dollar tobacco.” Mi Morrison quoted figures Co show that nearly a quarter of persona.! spending “went on alcoholic drinks, tobacco, cinemas, racing, and other private fun and games—without counting td'ie very large stake in gambling through football pools and in other ways. “So you see, we really are spending a very large sum indeed on different types of fun and games and things that are not essentials,” he said. 1 “Not that I .van! to stop all the joys of life. I am all for them, but we have to face ths economic facts of life.”