3
:
90
Government undertook to reduce this latter quantity by one-
-tenth each year till it expired in 10 years from January
1st., 1908. This Arrangement has been in force, 5,100
x je
presumably
gicum merchants
h case t
Wh
chests being deducted from the 51,000 each year so that
the amount declared for 1911 is 30,600 (viz.:- 51,000
5,100 x 4). There remained however the 16,000 for export
to other countries which is not touched by the decennial
agreement, end which will still be exported when the import
to China has ceased. Hitherto the Opium Merchants have
taken no exception to this matter.
3.
In 1909 the price of Indian Opium
in China rose to unprecedented values (due to the laying in
of stocks in anticipation of possible prohibition and other
causes which do not concern the question at issue), and
these enhanced prices attracted to China a certain propor-
-tion of the 16,000 chests exported by India for the
demands of countries other than China.
The actual figures of imports into
China as shown by the Customs' Returns are as follows:-
1907:
1908:
1909:
400
do.
- do.
47,141. Indian Government estimate.... .52,000
41,851.
42,136.
45,900
40,800.
These figures show (as was contended by the Chinese) that
the
ప