MANUFACTURE. 71 



cigar IS unquestionably a social infliction of great 

 enormity. Not only does it fail in the object of 

 its creation, but it creates the very evil which it 

 was intended and adapted to remove. 



"^J he blame is therefore less with the maker than 

 the consumer, who should be able to judge for 

 himself in this very important matter. The 

 great majority of smokers care little about quality 

 in their tobacco — the mere act of smoking being 

 their only object. Again, sometimes a, low- 

 priced but sound cigar will be preferred to the 

 veritable " havannah as imported ;" and, if not 

 excusable, still we certainly cannot wonder that, 

 in such circumstances, the price asked by the 

 caterer should be the same as for the duty-pay- 

 ing and high-priced havannah. As I said before, 

 the price of cigars is merely nominal : the usual 

 custom is to get the highest possible price, and 

 the projit accordingly varies from three shillings 

 up to twenty shillings on the pound of cigars. 



The public should be cautioned against a sort 

 of confraternity who tramp the streets in the 

 garb of sailors or otherwise, offering to supply 

 " smuggled " cigars " very cheap." A cheroot 



