.800.0 Tednavo” .brč,autdo¶
.I staolonk
IF Y.
494.
Sir,
280
Peking, 29th.October,1908.
•Inoxì quo of Jietened od onod end WAN I
ot beenathhe owel I dalih. dodaqent s to vgoo listwetví tonal- erið no mutatta eztarot kot etat? to wiaderos? alydanis al
.ant:(0) ni rurigo to mottkäkdong and to noldaeup Imanen -anq sild darīj oviesreq Iliw yone!Isox! ~gOY
aleuovat s dilw dem ton mari vlogonom ♬ dalideteo of Lundq-
.Homanit to braof sɗt to abnar oft da mol‡quost
eente Bvar I
«ΩΒΡΙΟΣ .I * (.52)
I have the honour to transmit to you here-
-with, in translation, a copy of a memorial recently presented
to the Throne by the Board of Finance and approved by Imperial
Decree of the 4th. instant dealing with the subject of opium.
It appears from this document that on the
11th. of October, 1907, the Grand Council received an Imperial
Decree corranding the Board of Finance, to make a searching
investigation into the importation, production and sale of
opium with the view of suppressing consumption by the establish- -ment of an official monopoly for the sale of the drug and to
submit to the Throne within a period of one year a scheme for
carrying it into effect. This memorial is the result; but the
Board of Finance, instead of advocating, has submitted a report
adverse to, the suggested monopoly, adducing as its reasons
that the establishment of such a monopoly would give umbrage to foreign countries and be attributed to mercenary motives; that
it would entail the necessity of purchasing all imported opfum,
a proportion of which, judging from the present rate of de-
"crease in consumption, would be superfluous; and that its
enforcement would involve a surveillance which the present
incompletely organised police force would find difficulty
in carrying out and which would prove expensive, vexatious, and
oppressive.
•.0.2.0
4.5.x,bisgal .”
.08
The recommendations of the Board are that
opium shops and smokers shall take out licences, infringement
of which shall be punishable by heavy fines; that, to ensure
speedier suppression, poppy cultivation shall be prohibited with-
time -in certain limits to be arranged; that proclamations shall be issued threatening officials persisting in the opium habit with
loss of rank and people with public black lists and at the same
time