— 35 — 



value 1486864 yen, against only 4577 piculs, value 503348 yen in the 

 preceding year. 



The shipments of camphor from Formosa have again declined con- 

 siderably in the first half of the current year, as is shown by the following 

 figures: — 



First half year 1910 .... 18324 Piculs 1 ) 

 „ „ „ 1909 .... 30847 „ 



The reason of this decline is that the camphor stocks of the year 1908 

 have in the meantime been cleared. 



It is well-known that camphor is also refined in Japan ; but it should 

 be pointed out that this branch of manufacture has not been undertaken 

 by the Monopoly Bureau but only by private persons, to whom the 

 Government cedes at definite prices a certain quantity of crude camphor 

 fixed in advance. At present there are 7 private refineries, of which 4 are 

 at Kobe, 2 at Osaka, and 1 at Taipeh. The total quantity of refined camphor 

 produced in the administrative year 1909 amounted to 9442 piculs in Formosa, 

 and 7270 piculs in Old Japan. 



During the same period the Japanese Government supplied the following 

 quantities of raw material: — 



1. To the refineries in Formosa 9000 Piculs 



2. To the refineries in Old Japan 7454 „ 



The price of refined camphor per 100 lbs. (English) during the year 

 1909 and in the first 7 months of 1910 was as follows: — 



1909 



January . , 

 February 

 March . 

 April . . . 

 May . . , 

 June . . , 

 July . . , 

 August . , 

 September 

 October. . 



65 Yen 



65 „ 



66 „ 



67 „ 



68 „ 



68 „ 



68V* „ 



687*,, 



69 „ 



70 „ 



1909 



November 

 December 

 1910 



January . 

 February 

 March . 

 April . . 

 May . . 

 June . . 

 July . . 



70 

 71 



Yen 



707*,, 

 70 „ 

 70 „ 

 69 1 /* „ 

 687*,, 

 687*,, 

 70 „ 



As the Monopoly covers only the preparation and sale of crude 

 camphor, the quotations of refined camphor are not subject to fixation by 

 the Government. This fact is said to have been utilised by the Japanese 

 firm of Suzuki Shoten in Kobe (in whose hands the exports of refined 

 camphor are chiefly concentrated) for the purpose of cutting the prices 

 to such an extent that according to newspaper statements the Association 

 of American Camphor Refiners has recently threatened to boycot the crude 

 camphor from Japan and Formosa unless the Monopoly put an end to this 

 practice. It is reported that the Japanese Ministry of Finance is at the 

 present moment engaged in making a thorough enquiry into the subject 2 ). 



The exports of camphor oil, i. e. of the red and white oil which 

 remains behind in the process of separating the camphor from the camphor 

 oil, were as follows: — 



*) To this should be added 12 

 ^ exported from Kobe. 



2 ) Compare the statements on page 32 of the present Report. 



piculs of camphor prepared from Formosan oil and 



3* 



