— 32 — 



refiners and that the firm is said to contemplate monopolising the trade 

 in refined camphor for itself, or at any rate for Japanese houses. It would 

 be impossible for the American refiners to take any effective measures 

 against such a proceeding, either by fiscal or by diplomatic means. 



A report by Dr. Miiller, interpreter at the Imperial German Consulate 

 General at Yokohama 1 ), contains detailed information on Japanese camphor, 

 dealing with the production, export and other commercial matters relating 

 to the drug. These particulars amplify in many respects the information 

 already given in our Reports, for which reason we reproduce them tex- 

 tually below: 



The exports of the past 3 years have been as follows: — 



Quantity 

 Piculs 



1907 



Value 

 Yen 



Quantity 

 Piculs 



1908 



Value 

 Yen 



Quantity 

 Piculs 



1909 



Value 

 Yen 



Old Japan 

 Formosa . 



Total 



30576 

 22 648 



5026 858 

 2619143 



18 075 

 16710 



2 063410 

 1710 493 



40 507 

 50 030 



3469 398 

 4377 816 



53 224 



7 646 001 



34 785 



3 773 903 



90 537 



7 847 214 



Two points at once strike us in considering these figures. 

 1 



The great difference between the export values of the years 1907 

 and 1909 in proportion to the quantity exported, indicating a 

 serious depreciation of the product. 

 2. The considerable increase, amounting to over 100°/o, of the ex- 

 ports during the year under review as compared with the prece- 

 ding year. 



The following explanation of these two factors may be given: — 



For many years the Japanese Monopoly Bureau believed that it was 

 possible to control the world's market in camphor and to dictate prices 

 according to its pleasure. The Bureau therefore advanced its average sale 

 price from 120 yen per picul in the year 1903, to an average of from 150 

 to 160 yen (the highest limit) in the years 1906 and 1907, while at the 

 same time it promoted most assiduously the collection of camphor, partly 

 by increasing the purchase prices paid to the producers, partly by the 

 laying down of new plantations of camphor trees. After the revival of 

 the Chinese production and the appearance of artificial camphor, however, 

 the demand for Japanese camphor underwent a considerable decline, and 

 the Japanese Government, after suspending its sales for a long time, was 

 finally brought to the conviction that the measures it had so far taken 

 were a failure. It therefore decided upon repeated reductions in price, the 

 last of which was made in September 1908, with the object of thereby 

 getting rid of its steadily accumulating stocks. Since that time the prices 

 have been as follows: — 



a) In Japan. 80 yen per picul for improved B. camphor, and 78 yen 

 per picul for B. camphor. 



b) Abroad. 140 /- per cwt. for improved B. camphor, and 135 /- per 

 cwt. for B. camphor. Taken in London or Hamburg. 



x ) Deutsches Hand. Arch. 1911, February Number, p, 137. 



