CO129-354 - Public Offices & Others - 1908

THE OPIUM QUESTION IN THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS, FEDERATED MALAY STATES AND HONG KONG.

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STRAITS SETTLEMENTS

Year Revenue from opium Total Revenue 1897 1,800,000 4,520,207 1898 2,318,000 5,071,292 1899 2,318,000 6,200,015 1900 2,318,000 5,300,877 1901 3,732,000 7,041,005 1902 3,732,000 7,764,753 1903 3,732,000 7,958,490 1904 6,337,000 10,740,518 1905 5,820,000 11,057,494 1906 5,102,000 9,183,313

The preparation and sale of opium in the Straits Settlements is a monopoly, leased out to farmers for periods of three years. It was admitted by the Deputation which waited on Mr. Churchill in 1907 that "The Revenue from the Opium Farm is at present a fiscal necessity of the Government": and that "whenever the import of opium is abolished, the Government must reconsider its financial position."

The farms are let at present for the years 1907-8-9, the average total rent for the three years being $3,966,000. The Governor in his report stated that the amounts received would be less than those for 1906: and attributed the decrease to some extent to the great increase in the smuggling.

In the FEDERATED MALAY STATES the figures are as follows:-

Year Revenue

15294/02 HA

(29261/07)

(34305/06)