— 14 — 
is said to thrive well in the Cameroons, and the cultivation on a large 
scale might therefore be found remunerative. It remains, however, an 
open question, whether it is more expedient only to ship the bay 
leaves from the Cameroons, or to take up the distillation of the leaves 
on the spot. 
Camphoir Oil. In the ''Deutsche Japan-Post" of July i8^^ we 
find the following particulars concerning the Camphor Monopoly Act 
which for a long time has excited the people's minds: — 
When the Japanese Government in 1899 introduced the camphor-mono- 
poly in Formosa, it drew up an estimate of the income to be derived from it, 
basing its calculations on the average quantity of camphor produced in Formosa 
during the last few years. But it soon became clear that this calculation was 
deceptive, for the monopoly had brought about such an increase in the prices 
of camphor, that the camphor-production in Old Japan, which for many years 
had been on the dechne, received a strong impulse. The export of camphor 
from Old Japan grew to wholly unexpected dimensions; it rose from 24000 piculs, 
value 1,2 million yen, in 1898, to 42000 piculs, value 3,9 millions yen, in 
1 90 1, — an increase in three years of 75 per cent, in quantity and 225 per cent, 
in value. 
As, however, the demand for camphor on the world's market is, as a 
matter of fact, but limited, the increase in the production in Old Japan was 
naturally bound to influence the sale of Formosa camphor considerably, and 
for this reason the profit of the Formosa Government from the monopoly fell 
very much below the expectations. 
In order to remove this evil, the Governor-General of Formosa had already 
urged for many years that the camphor-monopoly should also be extended to 
Old Japan. He finally succeeded in enlisting the sympathies of the Cabinet 
for this plan, and in the Session just closed the Japanese Parhament has now 
adopted a bill to this effect, which it had rejected only last year. 
The Act which has thus come into existence has been published in the 
Japanese Official Gazette of the 17th June. Its title is "Crude Camphor 
and Camphor Oil Monopoly Act" and it comes into force on October i st 
of this year. The various camphor-regulations, etc., issued up to now for For- 
mosa, are cancelled by this Act, and the camphor-question has now been settled 
on a uniform basis for the whole of Japan. 
According to the new law the production of, and trade in, camphor in 
Japan will be carried on as follows: — 
Producers of crude camphor and camphor oil will require a licence for 
carrying on their trade, which can at any time be revoked in case they should 
commit acts contrary to the law. They must keep exact accounts of the manu- 
facture, and submit to a most stringent control on the part of the monopoly- 
officials. They must deliver their camphor -products to the Japanese Govern- 
ment, and will receive against this a compensation which is left to the dis- 
cretion of the Government. The amount of compensation is, however, published 
in advance. The producers are not allowed to refine crude camphor; this is 
the exclusive right of the State. 
The Government now sells the camphor which it has acquired, mostly at 
a fixed price, in exceptional cases also by auction. The selling- price is of 
course so calculated, that it covers all expenses of storage, transport, loss of 
weight (which in the case of camphor, as is well known, is a matter of great 
importance), refining, etc., and that moreover a very considerable profit is left 
for the Government. 
