New-York tribune., 1903-04-24
MONOPOLTES IN FRANCE.
Government Conduct of Match Busi-
ness Not Successful.
Paris. April II.


the facts disclosed have elected from NJ. Henri
de Parville NJ. Paul Leroy Beaulieu and other
eminent political economists vigorous protesta-
tons against continuing State Industrial monop-
olies. such as tobacco, matches, salt alcohol
telephones and telegraphs. The monopoly ques-
tion has become an acute one In France, owing
to the strength Of Social Collectivisnl, which in
Parliament and before the country hammers
away daily at the scheme Of submitting petro-
leum. railroads, sugar and half dozen other
necessary enterprises to exclusive State control.
Public opinion is agitated, and people are be-
ginning 10 ask whether these State monopolies
are after all worth the candle. Does the State
monopoly give US cheaper and better articles
than can be obtained by private enterprise and
healthful trade competition" is the question
that hears every side With regard TO
matches the overwhelming majority of answers
is in the negative, and a political party Is IN
process of formation with object of doing
away with all State industrial monopolies ex-
cept those Of tobacco, postage stamps and tele-
graphs.
According to official figures the number OF
matches manufactured in the year 19UI was
IS Goo 100000 and the profit on their sale
was % 713. .247 francs or S4,742, $50 The great
proportion Of matches were old fashioned
wooden matches of which nearly twenty-four
thousand millions were made, while only little
over one thousand million wax matches were
turned out in the government factories M
Henri de Parville, a scientist who has formed
an interesting collection. contemporary ana
retrospective, of matches, which he is about TO
present to the Municipal Laboratory and Mu-
scum Of the City Of Paris, has drawn up
paper. which will shortly be read before the
Academy Of Science, which thoroughly ven
tilates the match question NJ. de Parvilles
conclusions are that the French matches pro-
duced by the State monopoly are the worst ana
the dearest in use in any civilized country
NJ. de ParviIle courteously showed his collec-
ton of matches to Tribune correspondent In
one glass case were placed all the specimens OF
the French matches Of the reggie" Near them
were placed in symmetrical rows all the varie-
ties of matches made in the United States, Great
Britain. Belgium Holland. Russia. Sweden
Italy Germany. Austria Hungary and Switzer-
land NJ de Parville said: Il have made ex-
haustive experiments with large quantities Of all
these matches and I have found that the
matches that have the greatest defects are the
French matches. Some Of them are as thln as
sIken thread others are as thick as STOUT
toothuiclz There are cracks and assures in the
phosphorescent tips and the matches are very
brittle unequal and uncertain Five per cent
Of the French matches are so careIessly maze
that they contain no phosphorus or igniting
was found that out OF hundred matches as
many as forty were so badly made that they
could not be ignited Some Of them were tipped
with red phosphorus others with yellow phos-
phorus and others with various compositions
The wood Of the French matches is so brittle
that 20 per cent of the wooden matches break
before igniting. All this is very unfortunate
because the manufacture Of French matches is
intrusted by the State to the best engineers
Enlz TaR
School.
N. de ParvilIe has questioned the engineers.
who complain that they cannot persuade the
government TO supply money enough TO buy
good raw material for the work, such as wood,
wax sulphur, chlorate Of potash and sesqul-
sulphure OF phosphorus. It is found that the
government is in great haste to collect the re
ceipts of the State match making industry, but
provides no working capital TO carry on the
business with the same intelligence, care ana
watebfuIness of the public pulse that would be
the case with private enterprises. Then. again
the workren complain of the diseases caused by
the daily manipulation of phosphorus Yellow
phosphorus. for instance, ennits noxious vapors
al an ordinary indoor temperature Of ID degrees
centigrade C72 Fahrenhet, although its boiling
point is 27O degrees. The phosphorus vapors
cause necrosis Of the teeth and jawbones Ex-
narfnents show that these harmful phosphorus
radiations can be neutraIzed by sprays Of one
grannrne OF essence Of turpentine for one thou
sand cubic metres of air. Private match max
ing companies in Sweden and in Hungary add
slight solution Of turpentine to the phos-
phorus, and hang coarse fax or cotton sheets
;rr7pregnated with essence of turpentine in
the rooms where the men are employed in
manipulating the phosphorus This measure
has been proved to be thoroughly efcaclous,
but it has been so far impossible % secure the
adoption Of this simple remedy in the govern
raent n1anufa ctories Of France
The repeated complaints Of the French work
men in regard to the danger Of the manipulation
Of yellow phosphorus have made such an effect
upon the Deputies, although they would not
listen 10 scientific reasoning, that they adopted
q wholesale drastic measure totally suppressing
yellow phosphorus in the composition Of French
matches. This is now enforced in all the gov
ernrnent factories. A substitute for yellow
phosphorus has fortunately been found In
new. fnfarma bIe paste invented by NM. Sevene
and Cahen which 1t is claimed. is equal If not
superfor in igrfting value TO the pernicious yell
low phosphorus, and II is hoped that by means
/ Of this new material the French matches, in
spite of being handicapped by State monopoly,
| NAV before long equal the matches made
| abroad The new ignitlng composition for
/ French matches is as follows: Sesqutsulphure OF
phosphorus. s; chlorate Of potash, a; white OF
zinc G. red ocYlre, 8; pulverized glass 6; gela-
tine, IS; water "a
NJ. de ParviIIe and other match experts say
that the invention of NM Sevene and Cahen is
so far purel. theoretical, and that some time
/ rnust elansa before the slow and cumbrous ma
chinAry Of the State monopoly Will enable the
/ new scheme to be developed into practical utli-
itv for the public who are now bitterly com
piainfng about the matches the government