THE SMOKER AND THE BUDGET.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 1744, 4 August 1917, Page 4

THE SMOKER AND THE BUDGET.

So soon as the Budget proposals in regard to increased duty on tobacco became generally known to members of that , trade, steps were taken to fix the increased prices which, it is, held, it-will be necessary to charge consumers. Wellington tobacconists have decided that the price of the ordinary-packet containing 10 cigarettes should be /d, as against 6d formerly; that packets containing 20 cigarettes should be raised in price from Is to Is 2d; and that shilling tins of tobacco should in future be sold for Is, Id. There will be corresponding ineraosos in the price of other similar goods. In regard to cigars, a leading Wellington merchant explains that this is not, in comparison, a cigarsmoking country, and that there has been no attempt to secure uniformity in the direction of any advance on present prices. That there will be an advance, however, is said to be certain, and it will probably be that the smoker, instead of getting five cigars for Is, will get four; that the 3d cigar will be advanced to 4d; and that the price of the ordinary 6d cigar will be 7cl or more, according to quality.

It is pointed out that the suppliers have recently increased the price of cigarettes by Is per thousand to the retailers, and that the increased duty will be 22s 6d per thousand. In the matter of tobacco the increase to the retailer has been Id per lb.