The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-12

on trade and manufactures abroad Is tbst
| he Mr. George n. Scidmorc, consular clerk
Al Paris, upon the topic indicated above.
n aepears that 10 1901, by imperia'
| decree. the Emperor took out OF the oanos
al priyate enterprise the cultivation anu
manufacture OF tobacco IN France, ana gaVe
the privilege exclusively TO the hegie oeS
| Droits Unis--corrcspo nding to our depart
ment OF internal revenue. The arrange
mept is sill maintained.
In 1891 the French Minister OF Finance
who was given control OF this department,
re0roanized n and selected scientific men
for assistants. Provision was made Tor tue
enlargement and preservation OF the corps
| by the admission OF polytechnic graduates
after two years' study aud woik In the to-
1b,cco.factories. This monopoly now con-
l,rol. sixteen fac,ories, twenty.seyen Store
bonses for native and four for imported to-
bacco. II employs over 10000 persons ten
hours day, nearly all Of whom are PAID
by the piece. The locality and extent oil lana
| 10 he devoted 10 the cultivation OF tobacco Is
designated each year by The minister. APP
pIications made by farmers who wish TO raise
tobacco are examined by commission,
which admits or rejects them. II admitted,
they are subjected to close Official supef'i'
sion. The seed is furnished by the Govern
ment. and directions for cultivation are
given by the same authority. There are
agents 10 examine the fields, to determine
the quantity OF leaf for which the farmer
shall be held accountable. A tariff OF prices
| is arranged before planting, and the farmer
| is paid on delivering his crop at the Govern
ment storehouse. one third OF the demand
! is furnished in this manner, nearly all the
reminder being purchased from the United
States.
When received the tobacco is imperfectly
dried After fermenling in temperature
of about thirty TO forty degrees, centigrade,
for six or nine months. II Is packed Dy n.y.
draulic pressure into bales and hogsbeads.
The leaves, which are sent TO the factories
fifteen or eighteen months after harvest, are
slemmed aud dampened with water con-
tanning 10 per cent. OF marine salt. TO pro-
duce flexlbiily and TO prevent powderiDg.
Snuff, chewing and smoking-'obacco, cigars
and cigarettes arc manufactured.
Snuff, os which The Government makes
| IL. 0O0. 900 pounds per year, Is sold to con-
sumers at SI.09 pound; small amount
Of foreign make at $l.40 per pound. In
| 1861 the sale OF cbewing-tobacco amounted
to 1856 .267 pounds; IN 1873, loss, 100
pounds. The chewer is confined 10 the
natural leaf made into twists. The French
smoker huys oniy " 6ne cut which loses
much Of its aroma and strength in the dry
| Ing process. The prices vary from Sl.03 10
80 10 a Mound. There is still another quail
! " furnished TO the army and navy at from
| thirteen 60 seventy cents pound. The
moae Of making cigars in France is the same
as that employed here. Those sold for less
al
native tobacco; those for 10 centimcS are
exclusively of Mexican and Brazilian leaf.
The wrappers Of some beiug the best natural
| leaves: but for the finest cigars Maryland,
| VIrcnia. and Kentucky leaves are used.
Cigarettes were first made in lS43, 5000
mounds being sold IN that year. Nine hun
dred thousand pounds now constitute the
annual sales. There are some 1fty-two va
rioiies. ranging in price from Sl.3l to Sl3.13
per pound.
The Government sells its manufactured
tobacco at a fixed scale OF prices To author
| lied agents appointed by the Government.
generally i'm consideration OF services per-
formed for the State. The shops are called
debts de tdbaC. The profit made by The
agents is about 10 per cent. The manufac'
tured leaf Is claimed to have at least the adj
vantage Of being free from adulueration.
II has been charged in this and other
countries that the cigar-stubs gathered by
the Door in large cities OF France have been
utilized by the Reggie. This is denied. This
refuse tobacco, gathered in THIS way, is
bought by nurserymen and florists, who use
it for killing insects and enrching the soil.
In 1873 the capital employed by the Reqie
was S2l .S29 104, and the profits for the year
S47, 623 34S. The receipts for 1920 were
Sl2, 1874 362. and the expenses S3,03I,lOl.
The expenses for 1878 were Sl2,l79,9Il.
while the receipts were S66,759.0S0 From
July /, 1911, to December 81, 1878, the net re-
ceiDts were 81, 1903 641 1885, and the expenses
$500, S62, 705, leaving total gain during
two thirds OF century OF 1,3S0,97S,630
The last two wears have raised this sum to
81. 800. 900, 600.
France imported in 1878 S,122 l9l worth
of tobacco, Of which sc, 272,668 represent
leaf, more than half being from the United
STATES. Tobacco valued at 50 636,S15 wa,
exported during 1873 More than half was
cigars and leaf, sent TO England and Ger
many: the remainder was snuff and smOk'
| ing-tobacco.
Permission is given by the Government
| TO individuals to import manufactured to-
| bacco for private use, but the quantity Is
limited to % pounds year In each instance
| The tariffs which were imposed last June
are, however, high, being 1918 pound or
cigars and cigarettes. On SNIFF and chew
ing-tobacco it is 81 81, and S2.l9 on Turk
| ish smokng-tobacco. At the meeting OF &
committee of inquiry recently held In Paris
an expert testified that France could never
raise tobacco equal to that OF the United
States as to quality, development, or navor
1t is noted that proposed Franco-Ame
rican commercial treaty is receiving consid
erabIe attention in France at the presen
time. In The event of negotiations 10 this
end, it should be remembered that tobacco
occupies the fifth place in rank among TIT
imports by France from this country.
Considering what inveterate smokers th
French people are. especially Of cigarettes
what magnificent outlet that countr.
would make for our fine yellow tobacco, |
tobacco could be bought and sold there a