The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-09-04

camphor districta Young camphor
 trees growing In the forest. which were
 formerly cut down for fuel by the cam
 phor workers, and shoots growing from
 camphor stumps will be protected and l their destruction strictly forbidden.
 The manufacture within certain linn
 its is not to be interfered with; but the
 entire production must be sold to the
 government at certain fixed price, the
 maximum rate at present for the gov
 ernment standard crude being thirty
 yen per picul (ifteen dollars per one
 hundred and thirty-three poInds). The
 government names the maximum amount to be produced; forty thousand
 piculs (5,320000 pounds) will probably 1 be the amount for the present year. | This Is with the object Of keeping the
 production within such limits as will
 prevent the markets being oversupplied
 thus supporting the high prices which the government desires to obtain
 To effect this reduction in amount, | the direct interference of the govern ment in closing stores will probably not be required, as the price paid the | manufacturers is so low that many dis tilling plants will be voluntarily aban- doned by their owners. The price ! thirty yen--is paid for camphor deiv- cred at the Taihoku (Taipeh office). Camphor offices have been established at other places in the island, but the prices paid at these stations are such as will, after meeting the cost of transpor- tation and loss in weight, lay the cam phor down in Taiper at thirty yen. A vigorous attempt is being made by the government to raise the quality of the Formosan production, which in the past has been notably dirty and oily, giving the erroneous idea abroad that it possessed some inherent defect render ing it inferior to Japanese camphor in crystallizing power Standard samples have been issued to camphor manufac- turers, with injunctions that their pro- duction must equal the sample in quail ity, to be considered first grade. The procedure by which the trade between the manufacturer and the government will be conducted is as follows:
 Upon the camphor being brought to any of the various offices, it will be in- spected by an examiner. who will de- clare its grade and weight and issue to
 
 on the camphor being placed in the government warehouse can be ex- changed for a check or the Taiwan bank covering the value of the pur- chase, which the holders can present to the bank for payment without further indorsement. This closes the transac- tion.
 If the purchase has been made at one of the up-country stations, the govern ment will transport the camphor at it's own expense to the head office at Tai hoku, where the so-called 'camphor factory has been erected. Here the camphor is removed from it's temporary packing cases and redistilled. The pro- duct, now free of foreign matter and oil is placed under heavy hydraulic pressure and formed into blocks weigh ing ten kin (about 1898 pounds). The blocks are wrapped in oiled paper and packed in zinc-lined cases holding ten, and are then ready for shipment. The government in reality acts as middle man. It buys the camphor from the manufacturer and sells it to a specially appointed agent, who supplies the con- sumer.
 The enforcement of the monopoly dates from August 5, 1899. but, as there were large stocks of camphor stored in Formosa owned by private firms, the disposal of which was not interfered with by the government there was suf- ticient camphor to supply the demand for the balance of last summer and fall. Consequently, although the government purchased camphor as offered, no sale will be made until this year C900). On March 24, 1900, tenders were called for from frms--Japanese and foreign which were desirous of obtaining the sole selling agency for Formosa cam phor. In asking for bids, the Formosa government named several conditions under which tenders would be accepted, the general tenor of the same being as follows:
 The holder of the agency was to con- duct the sale of the camphor at London, Hamburg, New York and Hong Kong, and be prepared to accept from the gov ernment thirty to fifty thousand piculs of camphor a year. The camphor was to be of two classes-"A," to be known as cleaned and pressed" and "B,' which is camphor In it's ordinary crude form. When the amount of camphor to be turned over to the selling agents ex- ceeded fifty thousand piculs a year, the selling price for the excess would be de- termined by the Formosa government in concert with the selling agents. The government would prepare and pack the camphor for shipment, and the agents should not change the wrapping or package, nor place other materials among the contents. So far as in their power, the selling agents should send such quantities of camphor to various leading markets Gondon, Hamburg, | New York, Hong Kong, etc.) as were necessary to supply the demand, The | term of the contract between the gov and the selling agents was to | be for three years For the use of the | government. and also as raw material | for the purpose of manufacture In the ] Japanese empire, the Formosa govern 1 ment might sell camphor at the same | price to persons other than the selling | agents. However, this extra official | sale would not affect the minimum lim- | it of the quantity to be sold to the agents. The government required of the selling agents substantial guaran- ty, this thing permitted to take the form of a deposit with the local govern | ment of Formosa reserved the right to interfere, should the selling agents im- l