closure No. 6.
Y 100 PY.
Translation of a letter addressed to Importers by the Swatow Opium Guild in Shanghai.
We have been continually receiving advices from our constituents in various countries that the sale of Opium is to be conducted by the Officials, according to the Nanking regulations. It has been arranged that the preparation of opium is to commence at Nanking on the 22nd. of this Chinese moon, namely the 31st. instant, and on the first day of the 7th. Chinese moon viz., the 9th. proximo, offices for the sale of prepared opium to the public will be opened by the officials. Some wholesale dealers of good standing in the interior have already wound up their business fearing that the monopoly may render it impossible for them to get rid of their opium. Formerly they were under the impression that only opium smoking dens were to be closed and had no idea that a monopoly would be established. We are afraid that our constituents will not be able to recover the money against the opium sold by them on credit to retail dealers and consequently they may not be able to pay off the balance of their indebtedness to us. For this reason they are trying to cancel their previous orders.
Employees of the Opium Monopoly Bureau have already purchased from countries utensils for preparing opium and workmen have been engaged and sent to Nanking to carry out the work. The head office is established at Can Chow (...) Szechuen. Opium has been sent to Nanking, while over a hundred thousand taels weight of opium which would make a hundred chests has been sent over from Tanshan.
You will therefore observe that these are sufficient proofs that a monopoly is being established. We are therefore very much afraid that our business will soon have to stop, in which case we shall not be able to fulfil our outstanding contracts with you as we shall not be able to find any outlet for our uncleared bargains of opium.
(Sd.) Opium Guild.