The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-06-28
Government HAS
TOBACCO GARFT
French Nation Can Extract
Revenue From Ground
Wood and Pepper.

ernment were a private individual it
could be given long term of impris-
onment at hard labor for what it has
been doing to Gallo smokers. Being
a government it will probably escape
any penalty whatever, though 1t may
be that the frauds it has been perpe-
trating upon the smokers will stop.
Then again, maybe they will not.
That the government has been
cheating there is no doubt at all. The
smokers got 30 tired Of being swind-
led recently that they formed a league
and began formal proceedings in the
courts to secure relief. The case is
not ended yet but the evidence the
smokers have submitted is SO over
whelming that not particle of ques-
ton remains concerning the truth of
their charges.
Be 1t remembered that tobacco
selling is government monopoly in
France. The government goods have
always been poor and high. Every
now and then, when there was a
budget" deficit, the minister Of f.
nance would tilt prices. It made one
Of these increases few weeks ago.
It was unprecedently stiff-nfteen per
cent on the cheaper and twenty-five
per cent on the higher grades of to-
bacco.
This made the smokers groan. but
it was not the worst. The govern
ment had also decided, it seems, to
fatten its revenues still further by
adulterating the tobacco it sold. The
| Hyfnrry f0 $hSa II
small business for government to
be in.
Frauds are Discovered.
The frauds we're not noticed for
some little time, but one day it occur
red to certain Partisan that the
package of tobacco he had just
bought as an ounce was smaller than
an ounce-package ought to look.
Other smokers made similar discov-
cries with other packages in rapid
succession, and the result was the
formation of the smokers league.
The league engaged counsel and the
Of the quality of the contents as we'll
as of the size of the packages. 1t did
not take long to find out that quality
and quantity had deteriorated togeth-
er. The cheaper grades Of so-called
tobacco proved to consist Of a strange
mixture Of chopped wood and pepper.
the more expensive ones Of chopped
wood. pepper and real tobacco. The
higher the price, the larger the pro-
portion of pepper and chopped wood.
This latter Of course, was to have
been expected. Still, French emok-
ers hold that the government should
not sell them chopped wood and pep
per at all under the representation
that they are anything but what they
really are.
The government is fighting hard,
not> only because 1t wants to continue
selling short-weight and adulterated
goods, but because It does not like to
be convicted of fraud. So the litiga-
ton will probably last long time.
Tourists Pay Heavy Duties.
Having increased tobacco prices
and begun the adulteration Of the
goods, the French government is also
taking extra precautions to guard
against loss of revenue through the
importation of contraband into the
country.
1t is natural that lookout should
be maintained to prevent smuggling.
but the average traveller does not
consider himself a smuggler IL he
does no more than bring in a vest
pocketful of cigars to smoke in the
train between the frontier and Paris.
The custom authorities did not use to
consider him one. either. They al
lowed him ten cigars. twenty cigarets
or an ounce Of smoking tobacco.
Now they do not. The traveller is
expected to declare anything he has
with him, into the composition of
which tobacco centers. II he admits
the possession of no more than one
single cigar he is taxed 100 per cent
Of it's retail price. And If he fails
to admit it and the customs authori-
ties find he has one-or more-he Is
heavily fined. too.