The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-13
JAPAN INSPECTING
 CONNECTICUT TOBACCO Has an Expert Studying Conditions in Simsbury,
 This State.
GOVERNMENT CONTROL
Interest Now Suggests a New Market for
 Local Yield.

Hartford, Aug. 12.-Employed by the Japanese government as an assistant inspector for its tobacco monopoly, a young man, Isemo Matsemura is now at the plantation of the Connecticut | Tobacco Company at Simsbury, study | ing methods of raising and curing the weed in this State, and incidentally prepared to make purchases if he finds 1t desirable
 MT. Matsemura has been in this country about year. and came to simsbury about week ago where he proposes to remain until September 1. He is much interested in the methods employed In raising the different kinds of tobacco, and takes notes from which | to make reports to the head office of the Imperial Tobacco monopoly at To- kio, Japan.
 For many years the imperial govern ment has had a monopoly on the pro- duction of tobacco in Japan and all sales have been under government supervision. A farmer who wishes to raise tobacco gets a permit from the government agent to plant certain amount of land. An inspection is made of the growing plants and when the crop is ready to harvest the agent comes around and pays the farmer the governments price for the various grades, The farmers are not allowed to Icell any of their tobacco to private persons.
 Up to twelve months ago the govern ment controlled the leaf, which it dis posed of to the various manufacturers, dividing at least some of the profits from the business, but 1t was then de- cided, probably because of the heavy war debt, to extend the monopoly to the manufacture of cigars and cigar ettes and in fact, to the marketing of tobacco in all forms. The government, in pursuance of this plan purchased at the cost of several million dollars, the great plant in Japan of the American Tobacco Company and also took over 1 many other smaller properties.
 The island of Formosa is well adapt ed to the raising of tobacco and much has been raised there in recent years The manufactured article, however, has ben almost wholly in the form of cigarettes but cigars are becoming popular among the Japanese and the government is going into the manufac- ture if cigars on an extensive scale II is in the interest of this innovation that the inspectors in this country are working and Mir Matsemura, besides studying the growing plants, is inspect ing various factories. He was in Hart | Go .r,iH ot, here this week
 MT. Matsemura's chief, Inspector Ueda, who does most of the buying in this country for the Japanese govern ment, will come to this State in a few weeks and will join his assistant ir Simsbury Mir Ueda, whose home is ir TolIio, is now in Richmond, Va. ar. ranging for the purchase of tobacco Later this year. with Mr. Matsemura he will visit tobacco lands in Florida Ohio and other parts of the country,
 Heretofore the Japanese have con- fined their purchases in this country almost entirely to North Carolina to- bacco, but as the government is to be. gin the manufacture of cigars it is expected that this State will now come in on some of the transactions.
 The man who has been placed by the Japanese government at the head oi : it's tobacco monopoly is Dr. lkada who was educated in this country and who was in Simsbury for some time two years ago preparing for the posi-. ton he now holds. MT. Matsemura speaks excellent English He is about 35 years old At the plantation where he comes closely in contact with the men in all departments he shows tht typical acute Japanese mind, 'catche' on" to an idea at once and appears tC be determined to understand every phase of the subject before him. Ht says that the tobacco monopoly is g profitable thing for the Japanese gov. ernment but is rather hard on the grower, as the government pays any price 1t wishes for the tobacco. ,g