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In my despatch No.22, of the 11th instant, I had honour to forward statistics of the number of licensed opium smokers and esters in Formosa and of the Imports of opium into Formosa during the years 1917 to 1920, together with the quan- ties and values and average daily allowance per consumer of 105 um consumed during the years 1917 to 1919.
A glance at these figures shows that, whereas import of opium have risen from 179,000 kin in 1917 to 264,000 kin in 1980, an increase of nearly 50 per cent, the consumption of the drug during the period 1917 to 1919 has dropped by about one-fifth; assuming consumption for 1920 to have been reduced at the same rate as the average of the preceding three years, the figures for that year would work out to just under
The number of licensed three-quarters of those for 1917. emokers and eaters in 1920 moreover shows a diminution of
The official about one-quarter as compared with 1917.
explanation of this discrepancy is that stooka were allowed to get low during the later years of the war when prices wOZE
high and that they are now being replenished.
It is probable that in the past a good deal of opium muggling has taken place from Formosa into South Cafmą,
but I understand that now, in view of the drop in the price
of opium in the Chinese market owing to the recent increase
'I
ency,
The Right Honourable
Bir C. Eliot, K.0.K,G,, C¡B.,
eto..
etc.,
sto.,
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