QUESTION FOR BRITONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27232, 8 November 1949, Page 7

QUESTION FOR BRITONS

Pleasure Spending And Economic Problems NZP A—Reuter—Copyright LONDON, Nov. 6. Britons must ask themselves whether the present rale of spending on tobacco and other “private fun and games” was consistent with the more important and worth-while things the nation wanted, Mr Herbert’ Morrison, Lord President of the Council, told a public meeting at Preston, Lancashire, “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,” said Mr Morrison (himself a smoker). / “One dollar .in 12 that we spend goes in tobacco and films. In fact, if we compared our exports to the United States with our dollar imports of tobacco it would take us quite half a year’s exprots. at the rate we were going last summer to pay for the year’s year’s exports at the rate we were dollar tobacco.

Mr Morrison quoted figures to show that nearly a-quarter of personal spending “ went on alcoholic drinks, tobacco, cinemas, racing, and other private fun and games—without counting the 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 added. “ Not that I want to stop all the joys of life. I am all for them, but w'e have to face tiie economic facts of life.”