ANTIQUITY OF TOBACCO-SMOKING 139 



Manchester of Japan) no fewer than forty factories provide 

 remunerative employment for thousands of work people — 

 chiefly women and girls. In 1895 Japan exported close 

 upon three million pounds weight of tobacco, the estimated 

 value of which was ^23,466. Under the influence of an 

 overmastering passion to mould their institutions on the 

 model of those of Europe, the Government have thought well 

 to lay hands upon the tobacco industry ; henceforward it is 

 to be a Government monopoly. Referring to the Japanese 

 Budget of 1897-8, Sir Ernest Satow, in the Diplomatic and 

 Consular Report on Trade and Finance for the fiscal year 

 1897-8, discusses the question. The Bill was passed in 

 the session of 1896, and the monopoly is to come into 

 force at the beginning of 1 898. The principle of the 

 scheme is, that tobacco grown in Japan shall be delivered in 

 the leaf to the Government at a fixed rate. The Government 

 will then sell it to the manufacturers at rates which will en- 

 sure substantial relief to the depleted exchequer, to the ex- 

 tent, possibly, after all expenses of collection, etc. are met, 

 of about half a million sterling. The annual yield of the 

 tobacco fields of Japan is estimated at 90,000,000 lbs., its 

 market value of ^90,000, and the gross revenue therefrom 

 at ;^i,ooo,ooo. Here Sir Ernest Satow's incisive criticism 

 comes into play. He shows that to realize this sum a tax of 

 over 100 per cent, must be levied, and that this would bring 

 up the price to the consumer to double what it is now. He 

 points out that tobacco leaf can be imported into Japan at 

 IOC. per lb., add to this the import duty, namely 35 per cent., 

 and the result will be that the Government will try to sell 

 its tobacco at 2i|c. and this, too, in face of the fact that im- 

 ported tobacco can be sold for 13.5c. per lb. There is a 

 further important consideration telling against the Govern- 

 ment scheme, namely : that as the tobacco intended for ex- 



