200 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.
Of the above, those that might possibly fall within the scope
of this report are presumably the manufacture and sale of weights
and measures, ginseng, salt, and lumber. A brief account of each
of these undertakings, based on Government reports, is accordingly
given below:
Weights and measures—The weights and measures to be used in
Chosen were regulated by a law promulgated in 1909, which provided
 that all denominations and units of weights and measures must
be similar to those in use in Japan proper and that the manufacture
and sale of weights and measures was to belong exclusively to the
Government General, but weights and measures examined and approved
 by the Japanese Government might be imported and sold in
Chosen with the approval of the Government General. The weights
and measures manufactured by the Government were to be sold
through licensed agents. This law is strictly enforced, and while
a limited number of scales and measures are imported from abroad,
with the consent of the Government, for use in private hospitals,
their importation or use for purposes of trade is not permitted.
Ginseng monopoly—The ginseng monopoly was established in
1899 by the ay household of the former Korean Government,
was made a State enterprise in 1907, and was regulated by the ginseng
 monopoly law promulgated in 1908. Under the provisions of
this law the manufacture of medical ginseng belongs exclusively to
the Government, all products of ginseng used for medical materials
are to be purchased by the Government, and the cultivation of ginseng
 is allowed only to persons who have received permits, and then
only in such areas as are approved by the Government. The cultivation
 of the product is encouraged by prizes and by advancing capital
on the security of the crops.
The sale of the product was formerly made by public tender anaually,
 but as this was found to result in an undesirable fluctuation
of prices, the term was changed from one to five years. The average
prices paid by the contractors (the Mitsui Co.) for the five years ending
 in 1914 were $30.94 per Za for the best quality—and from
$13.60 to $21.88 per pound for the lower grades. The amount of
ginseng exported in 1914 was $245,325, of which $244,917 went to
China, where it is in great demand and commands superior prices.
Salt manufacture~The amount of salt consumed in Chosen exceeds
 400,000,000 pounds per annum, of which formerly above
330,000,000 pounds was of domestic production, crude in quality and
relatively high in cost. The Government decided, in 1909, to undertake
 on its own account the manufacture of salt by the natural evaporation
 method as well as by the Japanese system of boiling. Evaporation
 basins covering an area of 6,125 acres and capable of producing
 400,000,000 pounds per annum were accordingly projected and
were partially completed (2,526 acres) in 1912. The capacity of the
basins already completed, when fully ripened, is 132.000.000 pounds
per annum.
Timber undertaking.—The timber undertaking along the upper
reaches of the Yalu and Tumen Rivers was originally (from 1907)
conducted as a joint enterprise of the Korean and Japanese Governments
 with a nominal capital of $5,976,000. After annexation this
timber undertaking was placed under the control of the Government