The Camphor Monopoly. How Japan Control The Trade Of The World

Japan, owing to her acquisition of Formosa, controls the camphor product of the world, and, according to the Tokyo correspondent of the London Times, the Japanese diet recently passed a bill extending the Formosan camphor monopoly to the whole empire. The Chinese yield has never exceeded 220,000 pounds, while the yield in Formosa has in recent years averaged . over 6,000,000 pounds. In the rest of Japan the annual production is about 300,000 pounds.

To take full advantage of the situation the Japanese government four years ago placed the manufacture of Formosan camphor under its control and made the sale of such camphor a monopoly. Its objects were, it is said, twofold- increased revenue and a more complete control of the camphor forests. Japan claimed the Formosan forests as the exclusive property of the crown.

Japan has taken elaborate measures to guard the Formosan camphor forests and the border residents against the attacks of savages and to lay out beds of young trees in all the camphor districts. The government has also forbidden the destruction of young trees, which were formerly cut down for fuel by the camphor workers.

Within certain limits the Japanese government does not interfere with the manufacture of camphor, but the entire production must be sold to the government at a fixed price, and the government names the maximum amount to be produced in order to prevent the markets being oversupplied. Japan has taken measures to raise the quality of the Formosan product, which has been dirty and oily, giving the erroneous idea abroad that it is inferior to Japanese camphor in crystallizing power.

In March, 1900, tenders were called for from firms, Japanese and foreign, desirous of obtaining the sole selling agency for Formosan camphor. A British firm's offer was the most favorable, and it obtained the contract.