ون
V
800
d
31
COPY.
Enclosure 2.
122
EXPLANATORY NOTE BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF IMPORTS
AND EXPORTS.
F
The great increase in the amount of Bengal Opium boiled
and sold by the Government Monopoly in 1918 is to be attributed mainly to the fact that the (private) Opium Monopoly in the
neighbouring Portuguese Colony of Macao reached the end of its
term of years in July of that year. This Monopoly had reduced
ita stock of raw opium to a very low ebb early in the year and
had recourse to extensive adulteration with the result that
much custom was diverted to Hongkong. The new Macao Farm which
commenced on the 1st. August, 1918, (as reported in Sir Henry
May's Despatch Confidential of 25th. February, 1918) could not
possibly make ends meet without advancing the price of Prepared
Opium and on the 29th. June the Hongkong Government increased
its prices approximately $2.00 per tael to prevent unfair com-
-petition. Hongkong sales now average a little over 10,000 taela
per week.
A considerable fall in the sales of Prepared Persian
Opium will be observed for 1918. This is continuing, average
weekly sales being now only 400 to 450 taels.
(Intl.)
D. W. T..
24.1.19.
1
I
-ab-