The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-04
Beginning Today Cigarettes Will
Cost Seven Cents a Box In
stead of the Old Price of Five
Cents a Package
SMOKERS BOUND
TO MAKE A KICK
But Dealers Are Determined to
Stand Firm in the Matter and
Some Even Are in Favor of
Not Having Them Sold at Any
Price
Price

Special to The Spy.
Spencer, Dec. Accommodating today
dealers in the town of Spencer who ham
die cigarets will sell them for seven cents
a box or package whichever the case
may be. The dealers have come to the
conclusion that there is no money selling
cigarets unless they get more than five
cents a box for them. The leader in the
trust is William Watson who has the
reputation of controlling the best cigaret
trade in town. Mr.. Watson is seconded in
his efforts to raise the price on cigarets
by William Searles proprietor of the Star
Lunch rooms.
When the fact spread about town to-
day that the price of cigarets was to be
boosted two cents by the local dealers 1t
fell like a bomb shell in the camp of the
smokers of the weed. Up to short time
ago the retailers had been making one
cent and a quarter on every bunch of
cigarets they sold. Last week the whole
salers raised the price and now the re-
tailers make but one cent on box or
package as the case may be.
Mr.. Watson the originator of the trust
has interviewed many of the local deal
ers and the response to his query would
they raise the price has been I'VE will
if the rest do" That seems to be the
general sentiment of the dealers in Gig
arets in this town. 1t is expected the
raise of two cents, but the men who han
die the cigarets in Spencer say that If
the wholesalers say anything against
their methods they will throw out the
cigaret altogether.
This later move many Of them are will
ling to make. The people of Spencer will
be surprised to learn there are so many
men in the town who are willing to sacrt-
flee their cgaret trade which means quite
a sum each week to benefit the commun-
hon NnHf FOR
today he said the town of Spencer was
undergoing general reform. When e. A.
Thomas lectured on Temperance at the
Congregational Church, he said: What
is the town coming to with but three IN
ches of water in Shaw Pond, and three
unmarried ministers in it." If he had
waited till today he might have added
and the price of cigarets raised two cents
and many of the dealers willing to ban
ish them from town.
It has been estimated that there are
more than 800 cigaret smokers in the
town of Spencer alone. 1t has also been
said there are more than 800 boxes or
packages sold in the town every day.
However the town is on the high road
to reform and many Of the reformers
are of the opinion that the cigaret must
go with the open saloon.
The fact that the talk OF the Danish
ment of the cigaret has followed close
on the heels of the no-license rally may
lead many people to believe that the
movers in the nO-license question were
the parties who have started the crusade
against the cigaret. However this is not
so.
At the no-license rally held I'm the Con-
gregational Church Sunday evening. Rev.
f. A. Thomas scored the men for leav-
in. all the temperance work to the
women He also said 'The men ste8d
around with their hands in their pockets
and write long articles in the news
papers. - However. in this case it is the
men and they alone are the prime NOV
ers.
The next thing under consideration is
the dealers that are not going to join
the trust. and there are but one or two
in the town Today many Of the smaller
retailers had not been consulted about the
Annst in the price. but by tomorrow the
"Cigaret Trust ii is believed will be a
permanent fixture Of the business Of the
storekeepers Of Spencer who deal in to-
bacco.
The Spencer water commissioners are
angry and they are angry clear through.
For the past two months they have had
troubles of their own and the troubles
of the people Of Spencer who have been
without water to look after. Tuesday the
water commissioners were mad with the
whole world and it was worth as much
as a mans life to ask them anything
about the condition of Spencer's water
system. They have declared war on al
newspapers and TO hear the members OF
the board talk Tuesday. newspapers were
the most abominable things in the world.
And then when asked II there was any