The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-04-20

first Jump Of the upward trend. But
it is quite another thing to reduce
prices on commodities such as tobacco
products when the increase at the
utmost was only about 81 per cent,
which increases did not even start
until about three years after the gen.
eral price movement began, and when
the high prices of raw material and
the increased cost of production are
vet unchanged, and, under the im-
nutable law Of supply md demand,
seem likely to continue unchanged for
some time to come.
In conclusion let us say that the
foregoing is not intended to be sr-
gumentative or evangelical. 1t is
a simple presentation of facts and
matters of record, available to all,
but evidently not within the know
lege of the public. Summarized these
facts are:
1 That no increases in the retail
prices of any tobacco products were
made until three years after prices
began advancing on other commoda-
ties.
2 That prices of tobacco products
have not increased over 81 per cent,
maximum and on some types OF to-
bacco products not over Is per cent
as compared with an average of 800
per cent, on nearly all other commodi-
ties or with increases as high as 5SS
per cent on leaf tobacco; and that in
no case to cover the increases in pro-
ducing costs.
That prices on cigars, cigarettes
and tobaccos do not decline along
with most other products for the same
basic reason that they did not increase
along with most other products, name
ly, because the raw material-leaf
tobacco is never suitable and is not
available for manufacturing purpos-
es until from one to three years after
it passes from the growers hands;
and also, in the case of cigars, because
the cigar types of leaf tobacco have
not yet declined in price
4. And, lastly, that good part of
the purchase price of every package
of cigarettes, tobacco and cigars is
the internal revenue tax-imposed by
the war revenue law which is still In
force; that the taxes on cigars, plus
the duties on imported cigars or on
the imported tobacco used in domestic
cigars, run from about half cent to
over cents on each cigar; that the
taxes on cigarettes amount to 8 cents
on each package of 10, and 6 cents
on each package of 20, while the tax
on tobacco is 1 1-8 cents on each one
ounce or IA cents on each two
ounce package. IA
The law of compensation is inexor-
able, and those men or those indus
tries who and which danced to the
! music of wartime pre- IS may well
expect to pay the fiddler. Having
Toasted nightly Of the fat, they can
well afford to chew their guild of the
lean. But the Tobacco trade, as 1t
happens and as the records prove,
was not among the industries that so
INDUCED. Having had no feast it is
not now conditioned for famine.
Clearly, where there has been no
initiation there can be no deflation.
The tobacco industry kept its hands
clean and its cards on the table when
industrial America was permeated
with the spirit of Grab Surely the
consumer will not penalize the indus
try that gave him a square deal when
| his hands were tied-not if he recalls
past circumstances and is made &C.
quainted with present conditions.
When and if these facts become
known to the man who uses tobacco,
as they are known to the man who
makes it, the great mystery of why
tobacco has not yet hit the tobbog
gan will be mystery no more.