}
i loure in ir A.harginge's o 157 of Lecer er 7th 1912.
Note from Senhor Vasconcellos to Sir A.Lardinge.
53581
16 DEC 1912
630
C.O.
Lisbon,
nslation.
40284
December 4th 1912.
RECO
REG 21 DEC 12
Senhor inistro,
It is only now possiile to repay to our
xcellency
8
note of July bra last relative to the advantage of fixing
a lover limit for the commerce of ocium in ac20.
This very complex question, which so seriously affects
the finances of our Jolony, could not le set le: without
careful analysis of all the circumstance. and of the con-
sequences which any decision we might come to yould have.
Thus, during the term of the former contract for the
monosoly of the acao opium trade (1903-9) the ontoly ave-
rage was 53 cases for local consumption and 153 for ex-
port,making for the year 630 cases for local consu ption
and 1830 for export. After that time, in consequence of the
restrictive measures adopte in conformity with the on-
clusions of the Shanghai Conference, a great depression set
in, both in local consumption which fell to an average of
38 cases a month, and in export which fell to an average of
ol cases a month, which still made 450 cases a year for lo-
cal consuption and 732 for export."evertheless the limit
fixed for the current contract (1910-13) was bob cases of
opium for local consu ption and 1500 cases for export, with
an annual reduction of successive
10 and 15, res-
pectively, a limit which, as Your xcellency may see has not
been hitherto reached.
λ
his excellency
Cir A.Hardinge
2.0.
This
ས་
3