El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-08
WHY It COSTS
MUCH To SMOKE
Cost of Production, of
Tobacco, of Labor Have
Advanced Prices.

Cigar prices. which, during the
first three years Of war conditions,
practically withstood the increasing
pressure Of manufacturing costs, are
now taking the same upward trend
in prices as shoes. clothes, collars.
candles and practically every other
commodity Of daily use" said L G.
Hasten, manager Of Primm's cigar
store in the Roberts-Banner building
with leading SC brands now sell
ing at &C; for 25c brands Of estab-
ushed merit now at 10c straight; and
well known Toe straight brands now
for CSC, men who smoke are natu-
rally asking 'whyT That can best
be answered best by a man who is
in a better position to do so than
any other in the country-Fred Hirsh-
horn. president Of the Cigar Manu-
facturers' association Of America He
was recently interviewed by THE
Burning Question" q tobacco journal
Cause OF High Prices.
THE whole business structure is
tightly welded together" said Mr..
Hirschhorn, when interviewed for an
explanation of these advances You
cannot separate one industry from the
rest and say it shall be governed by
different economic conditions. II
there comes q wave of advance in
wages paid to labor. that wave will
reach every industry. such a wave
means that the Industrial world has
less labor than It needs and there
fore the cost Of labor is higher.
when the railroads are permitted
to advance their freight rates to
meet their increased costs OF opera
ton, that means that all manufac-
turers, shipping goods by rail, have an
increased freight cost to meet
When the government levies taxes
on business IN order to pay lot the
cost Of the war. that means that ev-
cry field of business must bear its
share.
big Advances in Cost.
These general conditions, which
no field Of business can escape, have
confronted the cigar industry as they
have every other, and so, throughout
the business Of every manufacture.
will be found increased costs, rang
ing from 25 to $50 per cent The
cigar manufacturer, like the shoe
manufacturer. and the food producer
can only meet these costs by getting
a higher price for the article he pro-
duces.
'sPre-war prices have absolutely
disappe ared-everything costs more;
labor and taxes; light and heat; box
es, labels, paper for packing, bands.
even coming down to the string
which ties the packages. the nails
which seal up the cases of merchan-
disc and the hammer that drives the
nails-an cost higher prices.
Tobacco Is Very High.
The greatest cost problem OF all
which the cigar manufacturer has
had to meet is that of tobacco leaf.
The class Of tobaccos which entered
into a sc cigar three years ago cost
rs to 100 per cent more today. For
instance, Pennsylvania tobacco that
formerly sold at lie to zoe a pound,
now brings 3Sc TO 40c. Wisconsin to-
baccos which used to sell at lSe to
zoe a pound have climbed to 45c to
4oc. Sumatra tobacco ana Connect
cut tobacco used for wrappers are
Just an even 100 per cent above their
normal prices
There is one happy feature about
this economic situation which should
interest the average smoker. II, on
the one hand the prices of the com
modities which he uses have gone VI,
on the other hand, he has higher
wages to expend upon them than he
had before.
wages and low prices prevail at the
same time. You viii always find that
when general wages are high, gen
eral prices are high, and when gen.
eral wages are low. general prices are
low. Thus labor itself is found TO be
an inseparable part OF the nations
business structure"