LADIES ENJOY “SMOKO”

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12197, 23 July 1925, Page 7

LADIES ENJOY “SMOKO”

BIG CIGARETTE TRADE “DOMINION A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE IN” SOME NEW ZEALAND RECORDS “I can’t make out why the Communists and Bolsheviks—what few there are in New Zealand—always Want to he stirring up trouble in this little country, where the people enjoy more privileges and pleasures per capita probably than any other country in the world.” It was the view of the man in the street, a business man who had, along with a “Times” representative, just made a purchase of cigarettes. While in the tobacconist’s two young ladies entered, purchased a packet of cigarettes of a popular brand and a box of matches, which they stowed away in their handbags. “Are those 'for consumption?” was the question i prompted by a little curiosity. “Oh yes,” was the reply. “They come in every day. For the first hour or so after we open most of the customers are young ladies engaged in various occupations. They have their private rooms where they go and enjoy a cigarette before they start work. “And they like the popular brands that the men smoke. The small cigarettes specially made for the ladies’ trade or the gold-tipped ones have gone right out. Either they were too expensive or the ladies get more satisfaction from smoking the popular brands. Yes, ’he ladies’ trade ia probably equal to 10 per oent. of the business, perhaps a bit more.” The man in the street turned with the pressman to leave. “New Zealand people, are the heaviest cigarette smokers in the, world, said the tobacconist as a parting shot. It was when in the street that the opening remark was passed, with the addition that New Zealand could do without the “dismal Jimmies. The business man evidently had a vent for statistics, and remarked that cigarette consumption was not the only record New Zealand possessed. It had the greatest number of motor-cars and mo-tor-cycles per capita, .one, to every seven: in America he said, it was one in 22; New Zealand people eat more confectionery—and high-class confectionery at that—than any other country, had more gramophones and records per capita, are amohg the greatest. tea drinkers iri the, world, are voracious readers, are without question the biggest meat eaters among the nations, eating meat three times a day, and have more pleasure in the way of sports, pictures, theatres, and other amusements., . „ , „ Then the pressman cried enougn, and promised to continue the debate another day •