Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-01-22
TOBACCO LAW IN FRANCE.
The State Owns the business There aud
Runs II Itself.

' SltOrS 10 France have noticed how
careful the customs officers are To see
that no one is smuggling in matches
or tobacco. The importation Of matches
is prohibited and there is a very heavy
duty on tobacco Any one who has
made the acquaintance of the French
match will not readily forget it, Its
peculiarly is that il is very reluctant
10 ignite. and is no sooner alight than
II proceeds To extinguish itself.
Matches have hitherto been made sole
ly by one company, which paid the
government large sum every year
Tor the privilege of supplying French.
men with bad matches. AS a proposal
10 continue this system threatened TO
overthrow the Tirard ministry, the
government decided TO take the manu-
iacture OF bad matches into its own
hands The tobacco is made To suit
the matches. Ii is also bad and dear.
The tobacco business has long been a
state monopoly, and is one of the prin-
cipal sources Of revenue. The latest
report Oh the subject shows that last
years crop was ~, l15,O00 kilogram-
mes, which was valued al l6, i23, 900
francs, or s., 2Si. 600. This was a poor
year, giving only 995 francs worth
per hectare. while in 1887 the value
per hectare was l.Sll francs. This
was the home production, but the gov.
ernment imports a great deal OF Amer
lean tobacco. in leaf, and manufactures
il in France The government sells
il after il is made. and the smallest to-
bacco store in France is part of this
huge state monopoly.
The state gives the privilege of
growing the weed to planters, and
looks after item with motherly care.
1t fixes in what departments tobacco
may be grown. 1t marks of the num-
Der Of acres to be planted. Ii selects
the variety of plant and settles what
number may be grown on each acre.
Not only SO, but the army of officials,
who are always porling about on be-
half Of the state, cunt the plants in
each acre and the number Of leaves
on each plant Should planter have
less than the invcntoried number of
leaves when the harvest comes the
officials will be down Oh him. A much
graver otfense, however, is 10 have
TOO many leaves. This is regarded as
all attempt Ia defrlud the state. and
unless satisfactorily explained is fol-
lowed by fines and Imprisonment.
When he reaps his crop the planter
has not the privilege of asking "a price
for it, The price is fixed by the state.
Tobacco Is now grown in twenty-eight
departments. There are G2. PSI plant.
ers, and l6, 5Os hectares Of plantations.
There are twcnty-Seven stores for the
reception of indigenous tobacco, and
stores at Bordeaux, Dieppe, Dun
kerque. Havre and Marseilles for inn
ported tobacco. The state las twenty
one manufactures. The largest is that
at Lille, which turns out 6,000, 900
kilogrammes of tobacco year. There
are POSI- employees in the factories,
of whom $500 are men and 1881
women. This does not include otli-
cials and agents. The government
does not treat its employees very well,
and strikes III tobacco factories are fire.
quent
All the tobacco stores in France be-
long To the state. There are over 40
900 Of them. The state does not sell to-
bacco at retail except in three stores.
All tine others are 1T to widows of Off
GERS, government officials, and some.
times 10 TIE widows of senators, dcpu.
ties and projects. They take the place
of pensions. II the government
grants pension TO the wife of some
man who has died ia the service of
his country, that generally means that
she gets tobacco store, or bureau. as
it is called. AS the social position Of
the pensioners will not allow them 10
run the bureaus directly, they lct
them. The dealer is allowed 10 per
cent. profit by the government and is
prohibited from selling any tobacco
except that supplied aud priced by the
state. Neither must they make cigar
cites out of the government tobacco.
Every cigarette must bear the official
stamp. The state has three bureaus in
Paris where the best quality Of cigars
can be obtained. These are either i'm
ported or made out Of imported to-
bacco.
1t was Napoleon who established this
monopoly in tobacco. The weed had
been introduced into France by
Frenchman named Jean Nicot, and its
manufacture was free in 1921. A
monopoly was established in 1914, but
was abolished before the revolution.
Tobacco proved profitable business
when the culture was free Napoleon
was attracted at ball in the Tuileries
by lady gorgeously arrayed with
diamonds aud jewels. WHO is that
princess" he inquired. When told
that she was only a tobacco manu-.
facturer's wife, he at once resolved
To take charge Of this means of acquir-
ing wealth. New York Sun.