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C.O: 16754482
From Wai Wu Pu to His Majesty's Minister MAY 08
PEKING, March 24th, 1908.
Sir:-
I have the honour to refer Your Excellency to your note of January 30th on the subject of the prohibition of the trade in prepared opium between China and Hongkong. (His Majesty's Minister's Note of January 30th quoted at length).
As the prohibition of the import of Chinese opium into Hongkong could only be made effective if the local officials were made responsible for its enforcement, the Board requested the Viceroy at Canton to take active steps to put the prohibition in force. His Excellency, in his reply, states that he is in receipt of the following report from the Commissioner of Customs at Kowloon whom he had directed to investigate the matter:-
"The trade in prepared opium at Hongkong is a monopoly, in the hands of certain merchants, and the import of prepared opium from other places is already prohibited: an extremely strict system of Customs inspection