The New York Times, November 26, 1876, p. 7:
AFFAIRS IN FRANCE.NOTES FROM THE FRENCH CAPITAL.
THE TAX ON MATCHES--
HOW A SCANDAL WAS CREATED IN THE ISLAND OF MAYOTTA...
From Our Own Correspondent.
PARIS, Monday, November 13, 1876.
I mentioned the other day the scandal recently brought out by the famous match monopoly, and stated that efforts were now being made to reduce the annual tribute to be paid the Government from sixteen to six millions.
...the people here have learned to get along very well without matches, and may decide to forbear using them entirely...
The lucifers given us here at a price three times that paid in America are the worst I ever saw, and one cannot use them without danger. The sulphur flies off upon the hand, and very severe burns are the consequence. And with this annoyance we must put that of the domiciliary visits of the special lucifer Police, who can enter any house for the purpose of seeing if the matches used bear the stamp of the monopoly. If they do not, the matches are seized and the holders mulcted in a small fine...
And besides this scandal, we have two or three more, similar in some respects... The case of young Benoist d'Azy is one in point. This gentleman occupies the high position of Secretary of the Colonies. He is, at the same time, one of the shareholders in the Comores Company, located in the island of Mayotta, of which his father, Count Benoist d'Azy is the President.
Last year there was a sum of 60,000 francs surplus money from the subvention which the Government allows this colony, and the question arose as to the disposition of the money. Considering the marshy and unhealthy condition of the country, the Government decided to expend this money upon the roads and drainage. The conditions were that the Government was to pay one-third of the cost of any work of this kind undertaken by the native landholders.
Nothing could be said against this plan, for the improvements were greatly needed. The Commandant of Mayotta received an order from the Minister of Marine and the Colonies to inform the local proprietors that the money was waiting for them. He did so, giving six weeks' time for a reply. But it happened that none of the proprietors live upon the island, their plantations being in charge of agents, and it takes about three months to get letters in reply to those sent from Mayotta.
Hence, out of the nineteen persons addressed, only one made a favorable reply, and that was the Director of the Comores Company. All the rest said that they had no authority to advance two-thirds of the money, but would immediately communicate with the proprietors.
The agent of the Comores Company responded promptly, but said he would only pay one-half, and the money was turned over to him upon those conditions. It was all expended in improving the plantations of the Comores Company, and their stock went up at once.
The matter come before the Assembly the other day, and M. Benoist d'Azy was accused of having taken advantage of his position. The agent of the Comores Company had received full instructions how to act before any orders had been sent to the Commandant, and hence, the company got the advantage of the appropriation to the disadvantage of all the other proprietors of Mayotta. The Republicans are very angry about this affair, and are pressing M. Benoist d'Azy so hard that he will probably be forced to resign his office. This case shows that Americans are not the only people in the world who have to suffer from Administrative "jobs," that the officials of every country in the world are pretty much alike in this respect, the difference being mainly in the extent and boldness of the operations...
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Comoros News
Unstable Comoros has endured 19 coups or attempted coups since gaining independence from France in 1975.
In 1997, the islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared their independence from Comoros.
In 1999, military chief Col. AZALI seized power. He pledged to resolve the secessionist crisis through a confederal arrangement named the 2000 Fomboni Accord.
In December 2001, voters approved a new constitution and presidential elections took place in the spring of 2002. Each island in the archipelago elected its own president and a new union president was sworn in on 26 May 2002.
CIA World Factbook: Comoros
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2,170 sq km
slightly more than 12x the size of Wash., DC
Population of Comoros:
651,901
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Arabic, French both official
Shikomoro a blend of Swahili and Arabic
Comoros Capital:
Moroni
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