629
13.
often made fssuming en inorense or deererse in opium con- sumction by mere consideration of the monet-ry results rttained. In no case, horever, should any conclusions on the point be drem, in the rbsence of information, as to the amount of opium sold or consumed.
43, Arexe VIII sho:s yer by your the total rovenue of the Strte from all sources, the revenue derived from op- lum, the quantity of orium sold, end the crice charged to
It ill be seun from this that the consumer, rer temlung. the quantity sold hra not verlod vory gre tly d nce thọ Gov- ernment took over the "F", running between openxinato- The revenue 1y 2,000,000 and 1,800,000 tamlungs annuelly. accruing to the Government hes. horevor, increased steadily oring, in nearly all cases, to the gradually enhanced anle price of the drug. The immediate effect of an incrersed
rico is as the Trblo shors, generally a slight drop in the quantity sold during that year, but the amount usually rises
In nearly in subsequent veers to the normal consumption. all ceses, the economic condition of the country, as af- fected by the state of the rice crop and the consequent trade position, is reflected in the sales of the year.
44. A study of the Table will show that commencing from B.E.2453 (1910-11) the sale price hes been gradually raised until, by B.L.2460 (1917-18, it res noerly double the figure of B.E. 2452 (1909-10); the profits were also croportionatc- ly increased, but the quantity sold runa inod practically un- changed. It is clorr, therefore, the,spite the gront . advento in the revenue from the ocium monopoly during the lest 10 or 11 years, there has boun no incruso in the con- sumption of the drug, but rather that the carning power of the people has increased and tht to their inproved circum- stancos may be attributed the much onhanced profits accru- ing to the Government.
45.
There are, horever, Angers attending a too groft
increrse in prico, one of which is to induce the poorer class of smokors to cet dross which is more harmful tha smoking, hilo grin it ney drive them to theft to obtain
In the rttor cnae, thoge money to satisfy thoir cravings, Putty criminals bocomo e burden on the rest of the community. The present aries of Tes.15 par temlung is about the max- imum which can be charged at present since the smallest size of tube (1/60 of a tamlung) retrils for 25 setengs which represent's 25% to 30% of an average labouring men's daily carnings. This cricc has been current s nec R.E.2460 (1917-18); the increase of profit shown in P.E, 2461 (1019- 19) was due to the elimination of the sub-F-rmer mentioned in para, 20.