Feb. 1907. J 63 Oils and Fats. 



There was great shortage in the production last year, and as the more 

 easily accessible trees have nearly all been cut down, and the head-hunters still 

 continue to make attacks on unprotected workers who advance too far into the 

 camphor-forests, the Monopoly Bureau thought it advisable to stimulate producers 

 and give them better protection against the savages. 



The Monopoly Bureau and their selling agents, Messrs, Samuel, Samuel & Co., 

 have not disclosed whether any difference has been made in the price at which 

 the camphor is handed over to them. The camphor oil is all sent to the refineries 

 in Japan, where about 49% of camphor if extracted from it. A sketch-map accom- 

 panied this despatch, showing . the Formosa districts mentioned herein. 



Hitherto, with the exception of what comes from distant places, like Taito 

 and Kagi, the Government have bought camphor and camphor oil at the same price 

 although from different places, with the result that producers have gained or lost 

 according to the circumstances and locality of production and in some districts the 

 camphor worker has obtained practically no profits at all. 



The Government, therefore, have now taken this matter into consideration 

 and have decided to alter the purchase-price in accordance with the conditions 

 prevailing in each one of the various producing districts throughout the Island ; 

 this has resulted in an increase all round on previous prices, and the following table 

 shows the increase in the present compared with the former prices for camphor 

 and camphor oil. 



DELIVERED AT TAIHOKU PER PICUL (133 1/3 LBS). 



Camphor 

 same for 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades. 



Camphor oil. 



Gilan increase of 



yen 



(2/0*) 3,40 



Shinko (1 part) 



I J • 



0,90 



,, other part 



•j ••• 



2,70 



Toyen (1 part) 



5> ... 



0,50 



,, other part 



15 



3,10 



Shin-chiku 



j | ... 



6,60 



Byoritsu 



39 ••• 



2,30 



Taichu (1 part) 



j » ... 



3,10 



,, other part 



1» ••• 



1,60 



Nauto 



1 1 ... 



1,60 



Toroku (1 part) 



93 •■• 



1,20 



,, other part 



11 • . * 



1,50 



Kagi 



ji • .. 



4,50 



Taito 



' i • • • 



... 1,20 



Increase of yen 



No alteration 

 Increase of yen 



1,60 

 0,20 

 1,10 



1,20 

 3,10 

 0,90 

 1,20 

 0,60 

 0,60 

 0,30 

 0,50 

 2,00 

 0,40 



The largest increase amongst the above is that for Shinchiku, which shows 

 camphor (yen) 6,60 and camphor oil (yen) 3,10, the difference in the increase for 

 districts varies in accordance with the richness of the material, the cost of transport, 

 the accessibility of the camphor forests, the cost of labour and the cost of living, etc. 

 so as to allow of fair profits being obtained even in districts where very small 

 quantities are produced. This result had previously not been obtained and it is 

 therefore expected that even abandoned camphor districts will now once more be 

 worked upon and that the total camphor production will be increased and the trees 

 be handled more carefully. Furthermore, as a natural consequence of the 

 increase in the purchasing price, the Monopoly Bureau will alter the selling price 

 at which it hands over the camphor to Messers, Samuel, Samuel & Co., the selling- 

 agents, and from the 10th instant the price will be increased, so that the price at 

 which Messrs, Samuel, & Co. sell abroad will also necessarily become higher, but it 

 is expected that an increase in Samuel, Samuel & Go's, selling price will have very 

 much effect on the market, The reason for this is that hitherto the selling agents. 



