PRICE AND SUPPLY OF TOBACCO.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3336, 14 November 1919, Page 5

PRICE AND SUPPLY OF TOBACCO.

The average tobacco-smoker has resignedly accepted the various increases which have been made in‘ the price of fobacco since, theroutbreak of war (says the Otago Daily Times). He has not inquired very deeply whether or not such increases were justified. Had he read in the balancesheets of some‘of the big British and American toibacco concerns——the businesses have now been largely drawn togethel'——of the colossal profits made during the- war he might not so readily have absorbed the reasons given why the‘ advances were warranted. Moreover, the fact becomes obstrusive that a very large proportion of the profits of these- tobacco concerns were obtained from the soldiers in the fighting line-—from soldiers actually fighting to safeguard these tobacco concerns, amongst other businesses. These points seem to introduce the fact that the merchants in the Dominion are beginning to feel some uneasiness at a new trend of the tobacco trade. T‘__hy sense, rather than know, that a movement is afoot. to cut them out of the tobacco trade altogether To argue that such an excision would. ulizirnately be in the interests of the tobaccosmoker would be foolish. Merchants are now closely \\‘:a‘.el;iug tan. position. Whether they wil‘ eu:»:l.wi:;-~ In protect themselvc's remains to be seen.