Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-23
DEALERS PLEASED WITH LAW
TObaooonists Shed No Tears at the Passing
ofthe Cigarette.
SAY BUSINESS is NOT PROFITABLE ONE
General Cleaning Ont of Goods In
Anticipation of ProhibitOry
statute which Becomes
Effective July 1,

Omaha tobacconists say the anti-cigarette
law which goes into effect July l. will
cause many persons now addicted to the
habit TO give 1t up.
The tobacconsts say they are not sorry
to see the law go into effect for 1t will re-
lieve them of "mean" business in which
there is no great profit. They estimate
that the net profits on cigarettes in Omaha
to the forty or so retail shops is not to ex-
ceed 5000 year. Where they get from
% to 80 per cent profit out Of cigars cigar
cites never exceed 20 per cent 1t is ex-
pected the amount of smoking tobacco sold
will be just great If not larger, and
various substitutes for cigarettes are COM
ing on the market that will replace the sale
of the paper tubes.
Most Of the retailers for a week or two
have had their windows full of cigarettes
of all grades and cigarette paper, which
they offer to sell at exactly half price
Fiends Lay In supply.
Aware OF the fact that after July no
cigarettes or cigarette paper can be sold
in the state many a "1end" has laid in a
| goodly supply. on the other hand, how
| ever, not a few confirmed cigarette smok-
! ers have announced their intention OF CIV
| ing up the habit July l. Some have al
ready started in The stocks of nearly
! every retailer in town is down to almost
nothing in view Of the cut prices, and those
| that have stuff on hand have ways of sell.
| ing 1t to other cities at factory prices oI
back to the jobbers
THE cigarette business is a mean one r
Omaha" said one of the leading dealers
| at one Of the best cigar store locations ir
the city. THE high-priced cigarettes, ir
| which there is money. do not command
sale here. There are not less than 200 diff
| ferent brands of ordinary cigarettes on tn,
| local market. Not more than fifteen o
| them are well known or worth anything
for sale as a general proposition. Cigar
ette factories flourish In great profusiol
and many of them spend more on 6he boz
and wrappings than they do on the cigar
cites. Retailers have long sufferoi from
the operations of the tobacco worm II
cigarettes, but up to a short time ago thes
could not be returned to the factory Nov
the jobbers hand wormy cigarettes back
but very often the cigarette factory goe
out of business before the transaction
| completed and the retailer is the loser
Another bad feature of the trade is tn
fastidiousness of cigarette smokers. The
go east and find a special club brand, ge
stuck on 1t, come back home and insis
upon their tobacconist getting 1t for then
He has to order a quantity The smoker
as n rule, smokes a few boxes, declares tn
goods are not up to the standard he firs
used and the tobacconist foots the bill, fc
club brands are no good for the genera
market.
.. Can Go to Council Bluffs.
"As a matter of fact Omaha cigarett
, smokers are not alarmed over the enforce
} ment of the law, because they go
! Council Bluffs and get what they nee
r In Iowa license to sell cigarettes ma
o be had for $500 year. Three cigar store
in Council Bluffs have licenses of this kim
am told. / think this arrangement wi
be made eventually in Nebraska. 1t
probable the present law is unconstitl
tional, but the local dealers do not cal
enough about the cigarette business
carry 1t into court.
= with the going of cigarettes will con
:. a lot of substitutes with very light ar
thick tobacco wrappers filled with regul
tlon cigarette tobacco. They are not ciga
=, | cites, or l should not think so, under
n rigid Interpretation OF the law. Mar
n cigarette smokers will use these, and
n i, we will sell them, they will help make
n what little we lose.
N 1.-THE majority of cigarettes smoked a
rolled by hand and almost exclusively ty
we'll known kinds of smoking tobacco a
m used. Both are trust-made goods and Z
margin for the retailer is so small that
:" can make more by the sale of few tw
for-a-quarter cigars than a clerk can Sc
\, ing the tobacco steadily all day as fs
m as he can pass 1t over the counter.
m AT present only about one in every t
NJ NJ smokers uses cigarettes, II the proporti
I