The evening times., 1900-06-30
TEE CAhPHOR MONOPOLY
FOFmOSa Now Controls the Product
Of the Entire World.
A Government AGaIr That Brings in
Substantial ReVenuc-Is OrkerS ia
ages by Armed Gua=ds-stendy In
crease ia Volume OF Production.

James ". Davidson. Consul Of the United
States at Tamsui il a report 20 the state
Department. says that Fo-Eoza now con
trols the camphor product Of the world.
Mr. Davidson writes,
The Japanese annual prollction has
dwindled 10 3CG.Cc5 pounds. the Chinese
yield has never exceeded -32.CoO pounds.
while the Formoean supply. Increasing
yearly. reached 7.oc0, ,Jg5 POUNDS in 1885.
and the yIeld for the last four years has
ranged over 6.0o0. eco pounds.
To take full advantage II this favorable
situation. The CCyg.rmeL- has placed Jae
manufacture under its control and made
the sale c: camphor q monopoly. The
Government appears 20 have two 55-gss
in view first, Increased revenue; and. see
oad. mere complete control over the
camphOr forests That bo:h these praise
worthy objects might have been attained
by the establishment OF some more liberal
system than monopoly is quite pro5z be;
but the Government has given the campaor
problem consider. bic Thought and study
during the last four years. and. claiming
the FOTmOsa forests Is The property OF the
Crown. the system o. exclusive control Of
the sale OF camphor appears 10 the author
tiles the most satisfactory solution The
production Of caEnpho- being confined al
most exclusively TO Japan. no opposition
ST least for many yeGrs-is TO be feared.
As to the control OF the camphor forests.
the need CT some more efficient system OF
protection for The border residents against
the attacks cf the sayaCes and the necsSsi-
~ -T-r.g n
vent tie total destruction Of the camplor
trees have long been apparent.
To control The saTages, line Of srmed
guards. 1.5tG in number. viii be d;s-Tib
uted along the border for distance OF
140 miles and viii eEdesyoz> 20 afford pro
lection bOth to campaor workers Ia the
forest and 70 the occupants Of the bord5-
villages. AS regards aloresta1iOn. the
Government Will lay cut beds Of ,ou1s
csmphOr trees in TCs0aam tTaikO1an).
Lamshun (NaEcho), and other camphor
districts. Young camphor trees growing
in the forest, which were formerly cut
down for fuel b. the canphoT workers. and
shoots growing from c8mphOr StUmps will
be protected and their destruction strictly
forbidden.
The manufacture within certain limits
is lot 10 be iEterfered wi-h; but the en-
tire production must be sold TO the Gov
eminent at certain fixed price. the maxi
mum ra,e az present for the Government
standard crude being Sl5 per 133 pounds.
The GOyCrGmerc names the maximum
amount to be produced; 5.52o Geo rounds
will probably b the amount for the pres
ert year. This is With the object of keep
ing the production within Sucl limits as
viii prevent the markets. bsiRg CversuD-
pied. thus supporting the high prices
which the Government desires 10 obtain.
To effect this reduction in amount the
direct interference of the Government in
closing stores viii probably not be re-
quired, as the price paid the IGanUfectUr-
er5 is so fOw thai many d'Stiiling plants
vill be voluntarily abandoned by their
owners The pTics-30 Sen-is paid for
oanpcor delivered At the Ia hckO (Taipeh)
Office. CamPh5r Cifices have been estab-
lished at other places in the island. but
the pricer~psi3 st these statiCrs are such
as viii, S1Jsr meeting the cost of trans
pcrtstion ard loss in weight. lay the cam
phOr down in Tai peh al 81 yen.
a vigorous attempt is bSing made b
the Government TO raise the qua it,
Of the FOrmosaR production, which in the
past has been notably dirty and Cily, givsrg
the erroneous idea abroad that it IO5-
sssssd some Inherent defect re1deGing it
inferior 10 Jspaness caEpkor n cTysta,-
IiZing power. Standard samples have be=
issued to camphOr manufacturers, with -
functions that their prediction must ecual
the sample in quality, 20 Be considered first
grade
The procedure by which the trade be-
! tween the manufacturer and the Gov RI
ment viii be conducted is IS follows.
Upon the c2mphor being bgoughr 10 aay
1 of the various eEiees. il VIII be inspected
by an examiner who VIII declare its zTs de
and weight and issue to the orig nal kol eT
a certificate, which, on the camphor being
placed in the Government warehouse, csn
/ be exchanged Tor a check on the Taiw n
( Bank covering the value OF the purchase
( which thl holder can present 10 he b21k
I for payment without fnIthe endorsement.
! This closes the transaction.
IF the purchase has been made at cIe
! OF the up-country stations. the GovSrn-