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from the Buang Farmer. The representations made to the people concerned, as found by the enquiry, since it disclosed that there were only three leaders. These were their conclusions, and they came to the conclusion that for some reason nothing would induce the Government to take the trouble of granting licences and collecting revenue from a large number of licensees, and that if it was attempted, it would be a failure. Once they continued to gain time by trying to effect a reconciliation with the Chap Shung Company, which they must have known was impossible.
547
There can be no doubt but that it would have been advantageous to the Colony if we could have got the Chap Shung Company back and joined all the traders together again, because we learned from the Straits Government on the 26th November 1882 that the Chap Shung Company had reported 1,148,700 taels of prepared Opium from 1st January up to that date, which is about 1200 taels? per diem.
It was obvious, however, that the two big Companies, which had made themselves masters of the position, were not willing to...