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year, notwithstanding which new orchards are being planted everywhere. 

 How is it possible, in these circumstances, to believe that the prices of 

 essential oils can be raised? What will happen if the consumers abroad, 

 rendered desperate by these new Sicilian taxes, leave no means untried 

 to emancipate themselves from the oppression? 



"The economic truth that consumption falls off in proportion as prices 

 advance has been demonstrated in a way that admits of no dispute. In 

 the case of bergamot oil, for instance, it has been shown in the course 

 of the past two years that whereas, as a result partly of diminished pro- 

 duction, and partly of speculative manoeuvres, the value has been forced 

 upwards to nearly 25 p. c. above the previous average range of prices, 

 the consumption of the oil has concurrently decreased by about one-third. 

 It is also a fact that notwithstanding the scanty crops, unsold stocks have 

 remained in the island. 



"As a result of the imposition of an export duty upon orange oil in 

 the United States, the consumption of this oil in that country has been 

 reduced to such an extent that, if it continued to be as small as it is 

 now, it would scarcely be possible to find a market for one-half of the 

 oil which is now being produced. It must be taken into consideration 

 that if the trade in our essential oils were brought under a monopoly, 

 as is proposed in the scheme now under discussion, foreign countries 

 would certainly make it their business to dispense with these products 

 as far as possible; to diminish as far as that could be done the percentage 

 of our oils used in the manufacture of fine perfumes and extracts, and 

 to find suitable substitutes for the essential oils of Sicily. 



"Chemists, who have achieved so much in the preparation of synthetic 

 essential oils, and who have already succeeded in preparing artificial oil 

 of bergamot, would take still more pains to produce new synthetic 

 preparations as a substitute for the Sicilian oils; and they might succeed 

 in discovering artificial oils of lemon and orange as they have already 

 been able to produce artificial oil of bergamot. But another danger lies 

 nearer still: the fact that the essential oils produced by us are also being 

 produced in other countries. 



"In Spain there has recently been a serious increase in the quantity of 

 lemons and oranges which are unsuitable for shipment, and it is desired to 

 utilise this fruit for essential oil manufacture, as is proved by the enquiries 

 which are constantly being received here in Sicily from Spain as to our 

 methods of manufacture and packing. The West Indies are yearly producing 

 larger quantities of limette and orange oils; and at the present moment 

 about 10000 kilos of the last-named oil are lying unsold at the London Docks. 



"To the United States, where the Californian output of lemons and 

 oranges is extending every year, an artificially created dearness of the 

 Sicilian essential oil prices would afford a welcome inducement for manu- 

 facturing such oils at home, notwithstanding the high wages ruling there. 



