THE USE OF TOBACCO.

Southland Times, Issue 17477, 5 April 1915, Page 2

THE USE OF TOBACCO.

To the Editor. Sir, —Mr Wilson draws my attention to my use of progressive instead of aggressive, as no doubt he feels that after my exposure of the old Iron boot, there will be no hope of progress in his line. It will be the other way about. I come to tobacco which is a luxury and I agree that it is. I have already said it is. and being one of the few luxuries of many it should bo respected as such. A man has a right to an innocent pleasure, but it is more than that to some men. To the man who sits in the filth of the trendies in a cold night and peers into the darkness for the foe that would kill him, a pipe put Into his hand rivals with the King's. Tobacco is nol dear. The farmer gets from four to sixpence per pound for it and. duty free, it is sold at about a shilling. Charges and duty bring it up to from live to seven shillings and a pound serves a man a month. Cost men get their tobacco. and the missus and childreVl are short hy the amount of the fine. It is the iron fist that is to blame, or tobacco would ,lust cost the user a shilling. Mr W. says tobacco is denounced by all high authority, and Mr W. is all contention and no proof, so here goes. Hulwer, in his •‘Might and Morning," exclaims : "A pipe ! it is a comforter, a pleasant soother 1 Blue devils fly before its honest breath ! it ripens the brain, it opens the heart, lie thinks like a sage and acts like a Samaritan." Spencer refers to it as the ".sonveraine weed." Kingsley, in "Westward Ho speaks of it tus tlie lone man’s companion, a wakeful man's sleep, and a chill man s fire. Then we have Byron's lines to sublime tobacco. 1 could name numbers of great men who both used it in moderate quantity and otherwise and ail praise it as a great comforter. Kaddists w'ould soon stop those men having their little luxury by dog law, or guu muxzle politics, or any other form of brute force. In Russia, smoking was absolutely proii ibited, and I lie knout was the punishment for the first offence and death for the second. In Herne it came next to adultery amongst offences, but they were a oneeyed lot. What an angel the press lias been to many, and we would have it all over again were it not for that powerful agent.

Mr W. brings up the Hible-in-schools and drops it again as if lie had burned his lingers. It lias just as much chance of getting into Hie schools as the money changers have of trading in the tabernacle.

Hy the live. I a.sked W. a couple of questions; good ones too. but be bits slithered all over Hie place and loft them out. Unless he stands tip "to his oats" this letter finishes me.—l am, etc.. NONE FOR JOSEPH. April 3.