SMOKING COSTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1038, 31 July 1930, Page 13

SMOKING COSTS

PIPE TOBACCO REMAINS UNCHANGED NEW CIGARETTE PRICES It is not expected that the Lax on tobacco will hare any seriou- | effect on costs to smokers. This ; was borne out at a meeting of tbroom mittee of the Retail Tobaccon ists’ Association last evening, wber | the effect of the new tariff on tobacco ■ of all kinds was discussed. Several increases were approved, but to coi>« with the competition of “cut-rate'* retailers, it was decided that many lines will sell at the old rates, the tobacconists carrying the extra cost The wholesale prices of cigarette* of standard brands have been increased by from 7s fid to 11s a l.Oifv joron an average of lid a packet. To meet this increase, tobacconists have ! raised the retail price Id on some I lines, but quite a number of the ; popular brands will not be raised in | price. It was held that the most expensive cigarettes would pass off j the market, as they were heavierweighted and pay a higher duty. Mo*’ of the very cheap brands, however, j will carry an increase of Id. The wholesale cost of pipe tobacco ; has been increased from 2d to Sd a lb., but in no case has a rise in thr* retail price been approved, while several lines will even sell more cheaply. Loose tobacco will also remain unaltered in price, or will be slightly reduced, and the object of this is to leave the price as near as possible to the level of the “cut-rate” charges. Retailers who have been selling a; the lowr “cut” prices announce in creases in both cigarettes and pipe tobacco. Popular brands of ciga- . rettes which have been sold for 7id ; are now priced at S|d, and those foi i merly 7d at Sd a packet. However. ' one or two brands will remain at the old figure. An increase of Id on gfcwo-ounce tins iof both New Zealand and imported pipe tobacco is being made, whfl*i loose and other cut tobacco will b< i also increased, the rise in price being I similar, a half-penny on each ounce. In the case of ope or two popular . brands of tobacco, there will be no increase, as the wholesale price re- ’ mains unchanged. Cigar prices were not discussed at I the meeting. On account of the slowness of sales at the present time sufficient stocks are being held to allow sales at the old rates for some * time.