TOBACCO SCAVENGERS

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 14 August 1929, Page 5

TOBACCO SCAVENGERS

A FLOURISHING TRADE. I UNION BEING FORMED. BEST HAUNTS IN PARIS. (United Press Association —By Kleciric Telegrapn Cop v right.) (Australian Press Association.) Received 10.15 p.m to-dnv. PARIS, Aug*. 13. Picking up cigarette and cigar ends is isucli a flourisiung trade that a trade union of scavengers is being formed, with a view to organising the industry and the adoption of such reform as a maximum of eight hours per day. Owing to the intense tourist traffic, the industry is now in a state of chaois. Cafes frequented by visitors are crowded with tobacco scavengers, who pounce on discarded cigarettes and cigars. Eights between pickers up are of quite common occurrence. Vendors of sec-ond-hand tobacco are alleged to make between £3 and £4 per month. After filling their pockets, they go home and sort the ends according to quality, selling each pile when it amounts to a pound in weight. Apart from the big cafes where American tourists congregate, the Bourse, where excited speculators frenziedly light cigarette after cigarette and throw them away, is the scavengers’ best huuting ground.