The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1906-12-21
JApAN's TOBACCO MONOPOLY.

JATNlN y iO6ACGO MONOTOGHs
Run to Make Money for the State
and Does So.
In 1904 the entire tobacco trade of
Japan was taken over by the govern
ment The old owners were given
compensation, amounting to 20 per-
cent of their sales, with an extra
amount equal to one-sixth more il
their buildings and plant were not
purchased. A number of Europeans
and Americans who had been engaged
in the trade up to then were dismissed
and the direction put solely into Jap.
anese hands. So far as possible,
Japanese-grown tobacco is used, and
the home growers are compelled to
sell to the monopoly. Foreign man
ufactured tobacco is kept out Of Japan
by duty of $50 percent.
The wages of the workers have been
kept at about the same as before. The
former hosts Of rival sellin gagents
could now be dispensed with, as when
there is only one seller the buyers
naturally come to him in place of be-
ing run after. The officials claim
that they have improved the lot of
the workers in some ways The mon
Opoly secures regularity of output.
Knowing how much will be wanted
for the coming year. the managers
can regulate their plant accordingly,
avoiding both rush and slack times.
Very young child labor has been some
what lessened, and care been taken
about home work. But the monopoly
does not profess to be a philanthropic
concern. 1t is run to make money for
the state.
Cigarettes are smoked in immense
quantities, by men and women alike,
in Japan. The monopoly began with
them. Prices were raised about 20
percent, but since this is part of
common rise it costs in Japan, little
can be said about it. Even with this
increase, the most expensive ordinary
variety of cigarettes costs less than
two-pence for a box of 10, and the
cheapest are FIVE farthings for 20,
retail One special semi-foreign
brand, a mixture of Turkish and Jap
anese tobacco, costs a little under
four pence a packet Of 10. Cut tobac-
co costs from one shilling to two shil-
lings six pence a pound, and cigars
range from five to "a shillings a hun
dred.
The authorities are insistent on the
high quality of their wares, and make
great claims, especially in foreign mar
kets, about the purity and excellence
ensured by government supervision.
Frankly, | cannot see any grounds for
these claims. If my eyes did not de-
ceiVe me when | went over the fac
tories, methods of favorEng and Of the
utilization Of stalks and waste are en-
ployed that can only be justified on the
grounds Of very cheap, low priced
trade.
Not satisfied with expelling foreign
manufacturers from Japan, the gov
eminent started to attack them
abroad. English and American firms
do a large trade in China The Jap.
anese government appointed selling
agents for It's goods all over the East,
and spared no political or racial in.
fucncc to ensure good results. Elk
port trade has been promoted to In
dia and to the Straits settlements;
consignments have been sent to Aus
tralia and to Scandinavia, and the
monopoly is even now considering
plans for coming down on the English
market. In the last six months Of
1904 the tobacco exports from Japan
amounted to 566,9G2 yen. For 1905
their value was S,145,131 yen, or an
increase Of not far short of three to
one. In China the trade increased
fourfold
There can be no question about the
success of monopoly from a financial
point Of view 1t is more and more
employing native grown tobacco to
the exclusion Of American and Turk
ish. It is now manufacturing its own
machinery in order to avoid foreign
purchases. It has yielded to the state
profits far in excess Of estimates. The
actual net profit in the first year was
2I500,O00 yen, or not far short Of
c3000,000. Last year it was still
eraater-London Mail.