TOBACCO CULTURE. 



167 



The Regie owns all the factories, macliinciy, utensils employed in the 

 industry, and also all the stocks of tobacco, whether manufactured or 

 in the leaf, or in process of manufacture. 



The director of the Regie at a fixed date in each year estimates the 

 quantity of home-grown leaf which will be required hn- the HUpj)ly of 

 the factories in the year following, and he fixes the ])rice to be paid 

 for it in three classes — first quality, second quality, and third quality. 

 The director decides which of the provinces of the empire shall be 

 permitted to grow tobacco, and what proportion of the total quantity 

 required shall be grown in each of the selected provinces. This 

 decision is published by proclamation and advertisement. Farmers 

 who are desirous of growing tobacco for the Regie make a])])lication to 

 the officer appointed in each disti-ict, and the quantity allotted to the 

 district is divided equally amongst the applicants, who must be lioim 

 fide cultivators of the soil, and be provided with the proper appliances 

 for cultivating and curing the quantity of tobacco allotted to them. 

 The largest area allowed to any one applicant is a little (jver 3 acres, 

 Jjicenses to grow tobacco are issued to the successful af)plicants, who 

 enter into bond and give security that all the tobacco grown shall, when 

 harvested and cured, be delivered into the depots of the Regie, which 

 are established in each of the tobacco-growing districts, and to utterly 

 destroy by fire, in the presence of an appointed officer, all damaged and 

 unripe tobacco, and to uproot and destroy all growing plants which 

 remain after the harvesting. 



When the crop is harvested, cured, and properly classed into 1st, 

 2nd, and ord, it is to be delivered at the depot, where it is received and 

 examined by the officer ap])ointed to that duty, who gives the cultivator 

 a docket, stating the weight and classification of the tobacco received by 

 him. The cultivator takes the docket to the office or treasury of the 

 depot, and there and then receives prompt cash payment for his leaf. 



Cultivators who desire to grow tobacco for export, apply in the same 

 way, but receive a different form of license, and enter into a different 

 bond. 



Under such a system there is no possibility of a glut in the market ; 

 no more leaf is permitted to be grown than is required. The price is 

 fixed before the license is issued, so that the grower knows what he is 

 likely to receive. The only chance is that in a good season he gets a 

 heavier crop containing a larger proportion of first quality, and in a 

 bad season a smaller croj) containing a larger proportion of second and 

 third quality. The careful cultivator has i\\Q advantage that he has 

 always a larger proportion of first quality in his crop than the careless 

 grower has, and he always gets the full value of what he delivers. The 

 State factories having no competition to face, have no interest ni 

 paying second price for first quality. 



in its relation to the consumer the State factory having no private 

 interests to serve will have no inducement to accept or manufacture 

 inferior or damaged leaf, and will, therefore, always turn out sound, 

 good tobacco. At the same time, as tobacco manufacturmg is a very 

 profital>le business. States which have adopted the Regie system liave 

 found it to yield a large and increasing revenue. 1 1 r 1 



I think tiiat some modification of this system would be very helpful 

 in establishing this important industry on a satisfactory footing. 



