- 26
-
404
I
է
¦
PREPARED OPIUM. Raw opin is imported into Sia
to be turned into prepared onium by the Government factory in
The Siare se Government has stead- Bangkok for smoking purposes. Fastly kept before it the necessity of making the "onopoly of oplum as complete and as effective as possible because, in its opinion, this is a necessary requisite to any effectivé pelicy of regulation or suppression. By treaty, Sian has substantial ly
In the past it has fare d the sole right to import opium. but the right of emifacture and sale, but it has been the policy
its ontrol by of the Government in recent times, to enforce taking into its own hands the complete process of import, anufacture and sale. Many of the farms had already been taken over at the time of the Shanghai Commission, and it was then
The Government hoped to take over the remainder within the year. has since been able to abolish the farming system in the wovinces of Prachin, Udon and Puket, and the supply of opium in the above
entioned provinces has been brought under the direct control of the Government. But this process has not beun completed because the Governxnt is awaiting the completion of the plant
is denc for packing 19mufactured opium in collapsible tubes, a e in the Netherlands Indies.
When this is done, as legitimate opium can only be the found in those tubes, and as those tubes cannot be refilled, Government will have a far more perfect test for the detection of contraband opin than has existed under the former practico But oven in of testing opium by the tests of expert sokers. those provinces where the farming system is still in usc, the old
The old fashioned farre po ipo ore of the farers are gono* longer exist. They have Bun replaced by sub-farmors (Sa Kong 51), whose areas of work so limited to one Muang district only, whose powers are limited and who are under the control of the Governe nt.
The factory for producing opiu“: packed in tubos, according to the now syeto ~, 18 now under construction and is expected to be working so time in R. §. 136 (finncial year 1911-12). Then this plant is completed, the sub-lcssocs of the
In thie
anner, the Govern- oplu for will be done away with. mont hopes to secure complete control of the port, mufacturo and eslo of opium throughout the Kingden.
the
number of epiwi shops has been
In the meantiTM, rostly reduced. In the city of Bangkok it is limited to 200.
exact figures are as follows:-
The
L
1Note:
Opium retail shops previously existing Abolished in h.2. 128 (1909-10)
729
679
Re-raining
51
Now Governmat Depots erected
141
Now in existence
1921
In B. E. 2462 (1919-20) this number was reduced to 103