!
471
i
!
3.
bid for the privilege of selling orium, but # soon became vident that the Farmer would be unable to fulfil his con- Govern- tract. Accordingly at the beginning of 1907, the ment took overthe Farm, together with the opium Factory There the drug was proparod for consumption
•
11. At this stage the Government norely replaced the Fermer, and carried on the salos through sub-Farmers (Sa-Kong- si) as before, From a financial point of view the rua lts wuro excellcnt, since the profits of the sub-Farmors, or mid-
Vido al para dlemen, wore limited to 1 tical pcr tamlung. 20.
12.
By this time the quest ion of opium had become an international one, and a public doclaration of the opium col- icy of Siam was made by His late Majesty, in his annual speech from tho Throno, on September 21st: 1900. (Annexe 1). This mes followed soon after, by the first Opium Commission huld at Shanghai in February 1909, at which Siam was represented and a statement of the policy of the country was prosented to the Commission by the Slameso Belugation. (Annexo II),
13. Since in any farming "avstem, however nodified,
it the Former will alweys try to soll es much as he is obl, was spoodily aparent that the system then in force was in- The Gov- contatible with a policy of ultimate superustion.
entrusted, ornement realized that the sale of opium should be es fl as cossible, to officiels on fixed salarios, but ado- quate control over these officials was, unfortunately, al- most impossible, unless the otium ro packed for rotail in such a manner that it could not be t mpered with the salcs-
nor and modern fac- It was therefore decided to croct tory for the preparation and packing of opium tubos, follow-
Tenders ing the system adorted in the Netherlands Indica, voru called for and the machinery ordered in the year 1910.
ton.
14.
In December 1911 and January 1912, the first International 0-lum Çənfurence was held at the Hague,
Siam
acs represented and as one of the countrics signatory to the Convention concluded at the Conference, (Soe Annexo III for Statement of Delegation.)
15.
In 1912, the nor Onium factory was commenced and the machinery uructed, and in April 1913 (commencement of Buddhist yonr 2456) opium was rutailed in tubos in the city