On Feb 29, 11:40*pm, Smitty Two wrote:
In article ,
*"Edwin Pawlowski" wrote:

"Rick Blaine" wrote in message

Consider the vending machines that would only accept silver coins when
candy
bars cost a nickle. When the time came that a price increase was
necessary, all
they could do would be to double the product price to go to the next coin
increment. As that would have been unacceptable, they did price increases
by
reducing the candy weight.

They sold cigarettes in vending machines for 23¢. *Put a quarter in and the
pack of smokes had two pennies on the side for your change. *Free pack of
matches was dispensed also.

That is cool. I never heard that before. I guess cigarettes were more
than a quarter by the time I started smoking... but I do remember
thinking they were getting a bit pricey when they went to fifty cents.

Hey, maybe the tobacco companies should cut down to sixteen
cigarettes per pack, to keep the price down.

I don't think would be allowed to, unless things have changed:

https://njcourts.judiciary.state.nj....pl2004_c96.pdf

"The new law, which amends and supplements the "Cigarette Tax Act,"
P.L.1948,c.65 (N.J.S.A. 54:40A-1 et seq.), provides that a person
shall not sell, offer for sale, give away or deliver single cigarettes
or cigarettes in packs of less than 20 cigarettes from a vending
machine or in a retail establishment."

My guess is that fewer smokes means less taxes. Yes, one might say
that if you sold smaller packs, people would buy more packs, but I'm
guessing that studies have shown that total sales would go down, which
would mean less tax collected. Like I said...just a guess.