The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-04
CIGARETTES STILL SELL.
The Johnson Act Does Not Lessen tn
Amount of Smoke.

The Johnson Act Does Not Lessen the
Amount of Smoke.
"Where do the cigarettes come fromp a
gentleman asked yesterday. AS many
boys smoke now as did before the recent
law against selling to minors was passed.
The tobacco dealers say that the sale of
cigarettes is just as great as it was before
the bill passed the legislature. There is no
perceptible falling off in the sale of tnem.
The same size orders are sent in by the deal
ers, and they are preparing for just as big
a trade as they have always had.
The law is being strictly carried out
they say. The dealers know that they are
being watched closely by the officers aud by
everybody. One dealer said yesterday that
while the trade with the boys has been cut
off, the sales to older people have doubled.
A decided increase in the "order" trade is
perceptible also. He seemed to think.
although he did not say so, that men are
buying cigarettes for the minors. He said
that he could not refuse to sell to men, and
he would not do so. If minor came in for
a package of cigarettes and could not get
them, 1t would not be a difficult matter to
get some friend to buy them for him. The
dealer said that he has had any number of
orders since the law was passed. They are
from people that he knows and are generally
brought in by colored boys, and somstimes
by white boys. The order reads: 'Send
me by bearer d package of cigarettes, or, if
more than one package Is wanted, the num-
her is given and the money is sent by the
boy.
"Does it prohibitw
The question was asked gentleman who
has been a close observer since the bill
passed.
There is too broad road around he
replied. "It is an obstruction, of course,
and, no doubt good in its place. but its
scope is too limited The path around the
fence is too convenient and easy to travel. -
The same amount of cigarette smoke goes
up from Savannah now that went up a
month ago.
The error in the cigarette bill which has
so much embarrassed dealers, prohibiting.
as it does, the sale of tobacco in any shape
to minors, is thus more explicitly detailed
by Representative Reilly, who, on his return
to Atlanta early in the week, looked I'D the
facts in the case:
The bill was introduced in the Senate bv
Senator johnson of the Twenty-fourth dis
trict. As it passed the Senate it read
cigarettes, cigarette TOBACCO and cigarette
paper" The Senate enrolling clerk. in en-
rolling the bill for the House, left out the
word cigarette" before the word tobacco"
hence the bill as it came from the Senate
to the House read cigarettes, tobacco and
cigarette paper" and was in this manner
considered and passed by the House.
Neither the enrolling clerks Of the House
| nor the enrolling committee of the Hou q
are in any manner responsible for the error.
1t is understood that the tobacco dealers
from all parts Of the state are pouring in
protests against the sweeping provisions in
the bill, which is due TO the error, and the
repeal Of the law and re-enactment of the
bill, with the correction made in il. win be
insisted on at this session, and will probably
result in the passage Of the law according
to the design of Senator Johnson, the author
| of the bill