ABSTRACT
However, the scientific committee, which had been called by the Minister of Finances Ribot in April 1895, was more cautious about each of the alternative formulae .I In July they reported that there was a problem with the existing red phosphorous strike-anywhere match: a tendency to ignite with a little pop. The Ministry of Finances also claimed that the existing equipment was not suitable to produce that type of match. There was another safe formula which was rejected at the same time because it produced matches which were difficult to light. This announcement was greeted with mockery by the republican socialist editor of l'Intransigeant, who claimed that the new matches could hardly be worse than the Administration's usual product which "six times out of eight" did not light. 2
This criticism was an oblique reference to one of the underlying problems in the whole match controversy. Everyone knew that the State monopoly produced poor quality matches and that competition from contraband was still fierce. Therefore, more seriously than in 1889, Parliament and the Ministry of Finances now considered an attack on contraband in order to make a ban on white phosphorous financially possible.
