The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1907-02-21
JAPAN's TOBACCO MONOPOLY.
Run to Make Money for the State
and Does So.

ana 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 II
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. Tho 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 phianthropic
concern. 1t is run 10 make money for
| the state.
Cigarettes are smoked in immense
quantities, by men and women alike,
in Japan. The monopoly began with
thcm. Prices were raised about. 20
/ percent. but since this is part of a
/ 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.penca for a box OF 10, and the
/ cheapest are five farthngs for 20,
retail One special semiforeign
I 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
lircs six pence a pound, and cigars
range from five TO q shillings hun.
/ Grci,
TIE authorities are inslst-rt on tho
h.@h quality OF their wares, and make
@rs.t claims, especially in foreign mar
i,sts, about the parity and excellence
caeurod by government supervision
EyGnh,v. l cannot see any grounds for
t,csa claims. If my eyes did not de-
+ ceiy2 ne when went over the fac
/ t-r,cs methods of nayoltag and of the
, utilization of stalks and waste are en-
/ v.cycd that can only be justified on the
+ grounds Of very cheap, low priced
/ tale.
Not satisfied with expelllng foreign
I manufacturers from Japan, the gov
/ ceaMent started 10 attack them
/ abroad English and American firms
DO large trade in China. The Jap
crese government appointed selling
! agents for its goods ali over the East,
AID spared no political or racial in
iucuce TO ensure good results. En-
port trade has been promoted to In
d'a lad to the Straits settlements;
: Ger ~Inments have been sent to Aus
I t:ara and to Scandinavia, and the
monopoly il even now considering
Yilrs for coming down On the English
! market. In the last six months OF
1874 the tobacco experts from Japan
amounted to j6C,SG2 yea. For 1905
/ their value was 3.l45,1Sl yen. or an
i.creasa Of not far short Of three TO
oae. in China the trade increased
! iourfold.
There can be no question about tho
SUCCESS Of monopoly from financial
point Of view. 1t is more and more
I employing native grown tobacco to
1.-The exclusion of American and Turk
Isl. 1t IS aow manufacturing its own
MACHINERY in order TO avoid foreign
purchases. 1t has yielded TO the state
profits far IN excess of estimates. The
actual net profit in the first year was
e7.50C 900 yen. or not far short d
! C3,0c0, 600. Last year IL was stiiI
| ,rsater.-Lon1on Mail.