Evening star., 1909-05-02

materially and safely.
In the hot blooded Republic, where revolu-
ton and fighting is simply another name for
diversion, a standing army out OF all proportion
to the size of the country was almost as neces-
sarv as an abundant supply OF ice, but IN the
Government ice trust unsteady Presidents
found more potent weapon against the revo-
lutionary spirit than cannon and hard shot.
When a would be President becomes obstre-
porous and collects his band of patriots for an
assault on the President in power, bang goes
the icehouse door. and the patriots wilt Moth
ing brings them to reason quicker than cutting
off the ice supply
Japan's Tobacco Monopoly
THE Emperor OF Japan however, could not
put to any such unique use the little trust
he keeps a plaything and incidently as a
means of increasing his personal revenue, tor
he deals in tobacco, and not ice. Every leaf of
tobacco grown in Japan belongs to the En-
peror Anyone can grow the plant: but he
must sell to the Government and no other, and
at price fixed by the buyer. The Emperor in
turn sells the product to manufacturers, and
in this the selling price IS fixed by the seller
The difference between the Emperor's pur-
chasing price and his selling price, both of
which he regulates absolutely, is the profit he
takes and this amounts to something like tve
million dollars year.
To fix the price at which the grower must
sell, and then set the price at which the manu-
facturer must purchase and take the difference,
without consulting either of the end parties,
would seem to be as much as any ordinary trust
magnate would care to do: but the Emperor
goes beyond this He limits the area that can
be devoted to tobacco cultivation and if he
makes a mistake in his calculations of this
and allows SO much of the leaf to be grown
that the demand will be too abundantly sup
piled, he corrects his mistake by simply or
dering the growing stock on few plantations
destroyed
1t is impossible to devise more simple plan
e II
ton to all this. he puts prohibitive tariff on
tobacco and thus effectively shuts out foreign
competition As result the Japanese pay
about twice much for their tobacco as the
residents OF any other country
In France and Italy
OTHER countries have seized upon the popu-
larity of tobacco as source OF revenue and
converted the industry into Government mo-
nopoly; notably, France and Italy. France
not only controls the cultivation, importation,
and sale of tobacco, but also controls the manu-
faCture The industry is strictly maintained
Government monopoly, from which the State
receives more than nnety-three million dollars
a year. The cultivation OF the weed is carried
on under very strict regulations and supervision
by the Government bureau maintained for
that purpose
Every citizen is allowed to grow in his gar
den, for decorative purposes, two tobacco
plants. If he grows more than that, he must
declare his intention, obtain a license, and
register the number OF plants he wishes to cul-
tivate- The only one to whom he may sell his
stock is the Government, which fixes the price
to be paid As the home production of tobacco
does not equal the demand, being less than half
the amount used in French factories, tobacco
leaves and stems are imported free of duty by
the Government but their importation by
private firms or individuals is prohibited. Each
person IS allowed to import twenty-five pounds
OF cigars year. and no more, but on these he
is required to paw a duty of about four dollars
and half pound. 1t is needless to say that
the quantity imported under these conditions
by individuals is inconsiderable.
In the tobacco business of Italy, which is also
the Kings own business, most of the product
used in the Government factories IS imported, !,
to large extent from the United States. In
spite OF the fact that the Government imports
about fifteen thousand tons of tobacco more
than 1t grows. the business nets the King
thirty-ive million dollars year The cultiva-
ton of tobacco in Italy is subjected to many
rules and regulations that it is not generally
carried on. Permission to cultivate tobacco
must be obtained from the Government and
the cultivation IS under the control of the excise
Office. The tobacco thus grown must be either