印度香烟论支卖

印度香烟论支卖徐复岭印度香烟的价钱跟我国差不很多，但包装有些不同。印度香烟的包装有20支一盒的，也有10支一盒的。10支装比20支装体积小了一半，价钱也少了一半。这就方便了顾客的购买和携带，尤其方便了那些处于流动状态中的烟民。不仅如此，许多香烟摊点还把整盒的香烟拆开，以支为单位卖给顾客。起初我对这一现象颇有微词，觉得印度人小气，消费水平低。但时间久了，我发现我的看法有失公允。香烟论支出售，对买卖双方都有利。有不少烟民出外时并不随身携带香烟。但若想抽烟怎么办？有的烟民一时囊中羞涩，没有足够的钱买成盒的香烟，但又忍不住要过烟瘾怎么办？论支出售便为他们提供了便利。本人就有这方面的亲身体验，尝到了其中的“甜头”。在印度，因多为高温炎热天气，为节省体力少出汗，外出时带的东西越少越好，既然街上有散包的烟卖，香烟就不用随身带了。在旅途中、在逛大街时，甚至在两节课的间隙，如果烟瘾上来，只要上街买上一支香烟就行了。这是对买方的便利。而对卖方来说，恰恰应了我们中国经商的那句名言：“薄利多销。”而实际上，“利”还不一定真的就“薄”，一支香烟的零售价往往高出其论盒出售时的平均价。举例来说，10支装的“金火花”牌香烟定价21卢比一盒，每支平均才合2．1卢比；但烟摊论支卖时一般要卖到2．5卢比一支，高出平均价0．4卢比。为方便顾客点燃香烟，香烟摊点都免费提供火柴。有的摊点则在门口墙上或木柱上悬挂一个通电的点烟用的小装置，利用电路接通后烧红的金属丝点燃香烟。原理跟电炉子相同，而且有一个绝缘的按钮，使用起来安全可靠。这种小装置我给它取个名字叫电点烟器。更为奇特的是我住地的附近有一个公共汽车站，站旁有一个售烟亭，亭前紧靠候车棚的柱子上挂着一盘草绳。卖烟的印度老人营业时就把这草绳点燃，但只冒烟不起明火。开始我还以为是用它熏赶蚊子呢，当我看到有人对着它点燃香烟时，才恍然大悟，知道了它的真正用途。IndianChiefLeadsFighttoKeepSellingCigarettesMASTIC,N.Y.—DownbythelappingwatersofGreatSouthBay,theIndianchiefstaredupatthetreesswayinginthewind.Thenhesquinted:Wasthatasurveillancecameraontopofthatutilitypole?Probablynot,butHarryWallace,chiefoftheUnkechaugNation,sayshehasgoodreasontobewatchinghisback—andhistribe’s—closely.HeandseveralotherownersofshopsthatsellcigarettesonthetinyPoospatuckreservationontheSouthShoreofLongIsland,wheretheUnkechaugsarebased,havebeensuedbytheCityofNewYork.ThecityclaimsthatthisIndianenclave—theclosestreservationtoNewYorkCity—hasbecomea“taxevasionhaven”andadrainonthecity’scoffers.TheBloombergadministrationsaysthecityandthestatelosemorethan$1billionayearintaxrevenuebecauseofwhatitcallsbootlegcigarettesdistributedonIndianreservationsinNewYork.Ofthatamount,theadministrationcontends,$195millionrepresentsthecity’sshare,andofficialsblametheUnkechaugNationreservationformostofthat.NewYorkCityofficialssaymillionsofcartonsofuntaxedcigarettesaresoldeveryyearbyPoospatuckretailerstobootleggerswhosmugglethemintothecitytoresellforabout$5apack,notthe$8or$9chargedbyNewYorkretailerswhopaythestateandcitytaxesof$4.25apack.Aspartoftheirlegalchallenge,citylawyershaveaskedafederaljudgetoblockthesmokeshopsfromsellinguntaxedcigarettestonon-Indianswithoutcollectingstateandcitytaxesfromthem.AnsweringtheseclaimsistheUnkechaugchief,Mr.Wallace,55,whowasborninQueens,wenttoDartmouthandwasalawyerinprivatepracticeinManhattanbeforemovingtothereservationandopeningthePoospatucksmokeshop.Buthehasbeenoutspokenindefendinghistribe,arguingthatcigarettesalesaretheonlyviableeconomicengineonthe55acresofsovereignterritory.Hecallsthecity’ssuitanattackonlegitimateIndianlivelihood,andtheresultofelectedofficialsfeelingtheeconomicpinchandblamingbudgetwoesonthesmallestreservationinthestate.“They’repickingonusbecausetheythinkwe’rethislittletribewithnomeanstodefendourselves,”hesaid.“Bloombergneedsascapegoat,soheblamesusforthecity’sdeficit,insteadofcriticizingthefinancialmarkets.”Lawyersforthesmokeshopownershaverequestedadismissalofthesuit,arguingthatthecourtdoesnothavejurisdictioninsovereignterritory,Mr.Wallacesaid.Heisnotadefendantinthesuit,thoughhewasnamedinasimilarsuitthatwasfiledin2006bytheowneroftheGristedessupermarketchain.ThoughMr.WallacegrewupintheBaysideandLittleNecksectionsofQueens,hisfamilynurturedhisIndianidentity,takinghimoftentovisithisunclesonthereservation.HechoseDartmouth,hesaid,becauseithadasitsfoundingmissiontheeducationofIndians,andhehelpedestablishagrouponcampuscalledNativeAmericansatDartmouth.Later,atNewYorkLawSchoolinManhattan,hehelpedfoundtheIndianLawCommitteeandwroteathesisonIndianlandclaims.Inthe1980s,heworkedasalawyerconcentratingoncasesinvolvinglandlord-tenantdisputes,realestate,personalinjuryandAmericanIndiandiscriminationissues.Mr.WallacesaidhegrewmoreinterestedinIndianissuesaftermarryingMargoThunderbird,adaughterofChiefThunderbirdoftheSouthampton-basedShinnecockNation.Thecouplehavetwodaughters.In1991,hemovedtoaplotoflandbelongingtohismotheronthePoospatuckreservation,nestledonthebanksoftheMasticRiver.“ItchangedmylifebecauseIknewIwasgoingtogetintoissuesaffectingthereservation,”hesaid.Mr.Wallaceopenedthereservation’sfirstfull-servicesmokeshop,to“showthecommunitythatwecoulddevelopaneconomyseparateanddistinctfromthestateandthatitcouldbedonetherightway.”Otherreservationresidentsfollowedhisleadandalsoopenedshops,transformingcigarettesalesintoaboomingbusinessasstateandlocaltaxeshavedrivenupthecosttosmokers.Ofthe450Poospatucktribemembers,275liveonthereservation,anetworkofnarrowstreetswithsmallhouses,tidymodularhomesandramshackletrailers.Onarecentweekday,thereservationlookedlikeabustlingcigaretteshoppingoutlet.Signsforsmokeshopswerepostedeverywhere,anddiscountedcartonsweresoldfromdrive-throughwindows.Anemployeeheldahugesignanddirectedalineoftraffictoparkingspots.Accordingtostatelaw,nontribememberswhobuycigarettesonreservationsaresupposedtoreportandpaythetaxesonthosepurchases.Legislatorshavebeentryingforyearstoforcetribalsmokeshopstocollecttaxesonsalestonon-Indians,butthetribeshaverefused,citingtheirstatusassovereignnations.TheStateDepartmentofTaxationandFinancesaysthePoospatuckcigarettetradegrewto11.3millioncartonsin2007,from406,000cartons