Cigarette Sales Up, Beer Sales Down

Chronicle (Levin), 17 March 1949, Page 5

Cigarette Sales Up, Beer Sales Down

Received Wedncertay, S.20 pnn. LONDON, -March 10. It has suddenlv become possible to buy cigarattos in Britain without queueing for them or "knowing a man round the corrier. " IMany 'Oio cigare.tte notiees" have lieen removed and it is report ed that supplies are easier. The rcason is not far to seek. Retailers aro gotting rid of their stocks and no furllier supplies are coming from nianufacturers in anticipation of Sir Stafford Cripps reducing the tax in liis Budget on April 0. One theory is that the Chancellor may reduce the tax because it has been found that no matter what price is demanded for cigarettes they come first on the shopping list of many families whether monev is • "tight" or not. People buy cigarettes, it is stated, instead of household goods. Sir Stafford Cripps, it is suggested, when framing his coming Budget will have to decide whether by keeping the tobaeco duties where they are or even inereasing them he will not intensifyj the nnsaleable surpluses of household goods which are now beginning to pilo up in the shops. An extra (luty was plaeed on cigarettes in the last Budget so that popuiar brands cost 42(1 for twentv, one of the reasons being to clieck consumption and savo dollars. But the deterrent eii'ect of the duty has worn off and in the last two months of 194S tobaeco saies rose by 14 per cent. In the same period beer saies fell by 14 per cent. Beer drinking in faet, has been declining during the past two years and it is now reported to have caused a collapse in the malting barlev trade. Thousands of tons of malting barley are piled up in farmers' granaries with no sign of a buyer. *