August, 1908.J 



OILS AND FATS, 



CAMPHOR OIL. 



Although the camphor oil markets 

 under the influence of the declining 

 camphor-quotations, has also during the 

 past six months shown a very feeble im- 

 print, the prices of crude oil have fallen 

 but little below the level of October, 1907. 

 From certain delay in the shipments it 

 would appear that the Japanese have 

 undertaken larger contracts for forward 

 delivery than they were finally able to 

 execute, and to this fact it must be attri- 

 buted that but very rarely firm offers 

 could be obtained. On the other hand, 

 very little desire was manifested to buy, 

 and it was a matter of satisfaction to us 

 to find that the camphor oil and satrol 

 business is becoming more and more con- 

 centarted in our hands. For the rest, the 

 contract between the Monopoly Board 

 and the London firm of Samuel, Samuel 

 & Co. expires at the end of March, and 

 the Japanese now propose to take the 

 sale in their own hands. It is stated 

 that for the present it is not intended to 

 make any alteration in the sale of 

 camphor oil. 



Of light and heavy camphor oil any 

 repuired quantity can be supplied prompt- 

 ly, and we shall be pleased to submit 

 special quotations to firms interested in 

 larger parcels. Thanks to our extensive 

 production, we are generally in a position, 

 in the case of light oil, to meet the 

 wishes also with regard to specific 

 gravity, of those who require larger 

 quantities for definite purposes, and in 

 such cases shall be happy to receive 

 enquires. 



According to an unnamed source in the 

 Chemiker Zeitung, the shipments from 

 Japan in 1906 amounted to 



Camphor 2,656,581 kin (1596-6 tons), 

 value 3,632,785 yen. 



Camphor oil 769,279 kin (462'3 tons), 

 value 122,502 yen. 



From the same paper we learn the 

 following with regard to the causes 

 which have led to the collapse in the 

 prices which occurred about the middle 

 of last year. It says that, according to 

 a communication which reached a New 

 York periodical from a Formosau em- 

 ploye, the fall in the prices originated in 

 an important change in the sale of cam- 

 phor to the United States. Up to that 

 time the consignees of the Monopoly 

 Bureau, Messrs. Samuel, Samuel & Co-, 

 had supplied the camphor exclusively to 

 the American refiners, from whom the 



celluloid-manufacturers were compelled 

 to buy. The Committee sent in 1906 by 

 the Monopoly Bureau to Europe and 

 America for the study of the camphor 

 market, reported that owing to this 

 indirect trade, the celluloid-industry, the 

 principal consumer of camphor, was 

 forced by the high prices demanded by 

 the refiners — prices which were twice as 

 high as the selling prices of Samuel, 

 Samuel & Co. — either to fall upon sub- 

 stitutes, or to employ artificial camphor. 

 Thereupon the Japanese Government 

 made a considerable reduction in the 

 quantities to be supplied to the refiners, 

 and sold direct to the celluloid-manu- 

 facturers. This fact, and also the in- 

 creased production in South China, led 

 to a fall in the prices which in New York 

 amounted to 30 % . 



The same report states, with reference 

 to the market-position of synthetic 

 camphor that, according to the makers, 

 it is not suitable for all purposes, but 

 only for articles of inferior quality. Its 

 price regulated itself according to that 

 of natural camphor, and was usually 10 

 to 15 cents per lb. losver. The consumers, 

 however, were not satisfied with this 

 and desired a greater difference, and 

 especially that the price of the synthe- 

 tic product should be placed on a footing 

 independent of that of Japanese camphor, 

 and no longer move up and down with 

 the latter. 



Not quite in harmony with the fore 

 going report is the official communica 

 tion which the Editor of the Cheiaist and 

 Druggist has received from the Japanese 

 Monopoly Bureau. In this, the continued 

 difficulties in supplying the world's 

 market with camphor are pointed out, 

 and it is stated that, when some of the 

 savage tribes in Formosa have been 

 subdued, the production here is expected 

 to increase. The above communication 

 further refers to the increased supplies 

 from South China, with the remark that 

 the merchants there, after the drop in 

 the prices since June, 1907, would hardly 

 find the business pay ; but it might be 

 taken for granted that the production 

 in South China would soon come to an 

 end, especially in view of tne irregular 

 manner in which it is carried on. Finally 

 the report denies the statement that the 

 contract with Samuel, Samuel & Co. 

 would cease to be in force at the end of 

 1907. We find in a subsequent notice in 

 the same Journal, as already mentioned 

 by us above, that the contract expired 

 on 31st March of the present year. 



