The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-12-02
Tobacco War I ak
Excuse Doing Real
Damage In War
(ByL. HARPER LEECH.)


Washington, D. c., Dec. Cigar
stores are plastered with signs an
nouncing increased prices for tobacco
cigars and cigarets-"all account OF
the war"-or rather "the war tax.
There is some grumbling ana good
deal of skepticism about the war tax.
Smokers rather suspect the Tobacco
Trusts excess profits taxes also, with
perhaps some more private proIlts on
the side.
The retailer is also coming In for
his share of suspicion.
Now if it is true that the Iobacco
Trust or the retailer are covering an
increased profit with the camouflage
of ''war tax" they are indulglng In a
peculiarly odious form of proflteer-
! ing. Not only are they taking adj
vantage of the war to Rouge the peo-
pie, but are making the war unpopu-
lar by creating the impression that
the war taxes are unreasonable.
Here is an extract from a letter re.
ceived by Uncle Sam from the wife OF
marine in France:
'"My husband is with the Marine
Corps somewhere in France, and since
his arrival in France I have endeav-
ored TO keep a small supply of cigars
going to him every few weeks. Just a
month ago the business houses of this
town posted placards announcing the
price of cigars, cigaretts are going TO
be advanced account war tax. At that
time some grades of cigaretts We're
raised 1 cent per package, others z
cents per package. The brand l had
purchased had been raised from 10
cents per package to IL cents. Two
II or a
price. Now just yesterday, l Went
to the same store and was advised
| they are now 10 cents per package
/ that the last shipment, of which they
were some, demanded selling price
of 13 cents account war tax.
"To US, whose husbands or sons are
at the front, and to whom we have
! endeavored to give a little homeiy
pleasure by sending them their fav-
orite b-and of smoke, this weekly
raise of prices account the ever HANDY
excuse war tax works hardship to
some extent
! The price changes she referred to
are typical of the changes in all lines
of tobacco products.
Before the recent increases one
popular brand of cargetts, selling at
10 cents for a package of 20, was
sold to the retailer for 7.8 cents a
pack, netting him profit of %
cents per package.
Now the same package of cigaretts
sells for ID cents, although the war
| taxes increased only one cent per
package. The increased war tax is
only so cents per thousand on ciga-
retts of this grade, which figures out
one cent on package Of 20.
Bpt today the retailer is making
only 3 of cert more per package
than when the package sold for 10
cents. The balance Of the increase is
either gobbled by the Tobacco Trust
or is due to increased prices Of raw
material or cost of production.
The Tobacco Trust now composed
of number of ostensibly Compel
ing" OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES the price
of this cigarette to $50 centssa pack
age.
The retailer advanced the price tc
IL cents and increased his profit te
81 cents a package.
A little later the trust raised tn,
price to 1O.5 cents a package, and tn.
retailer raised his price to 13 cents
However, his profit decreased to 81
cents per package.
Wherever the money goes, it is no.
fair to tell the consumer that tn,
"war tax" is responsible for raising
the price IS a package of cigarett.
three cents, when the tax is only on,
cent