See

menuo attack. D

OPZE

110611

Note sirenlated by British representative as to the legitimate

opium requirements of Bong hạng.

311

Statistics of quantities of raw apima Suported and boiled, and of chandu

sold for the years 1916–1922 are given in the following table ---

No. of cheats Imported.

Amount boiled by Goverment monopoly.

Amount of prepared

opim solà.

(chesta)

1916

365

459682

1917

552

459668

1918

450

559

649684

1919

S17

457968

1920

1921

180 120

294376

72072

262805

570532

(Note: In addition to the opium imported from India, the Hong Kong Goverment uses a certain amount of confisented opium and also occasionally purchases mall quantities locally.)

Arrangements were made for thesame amount of ophum to be supplied in 1922 as in 1921 (1.0. 10 abosta per month), but in June the Government of Hong Kong naked for an additional supply of 50 cheats in that year and 20 chests a month in 1925. The Governor explained that the necessity for the izeresse vas due to the fact that, for some time paạt, the Government had been boiling considerably more than the 10 chests per month, supplied by India, and had thus been gednoing Stocks Lammlated in 1919. The endden reduction from 45 cheats to 10 chests a month at the beginning of 1920 had been too great, and the greatly reduced sales which then justified it were due (though partly to decreased consumption) in the main to the anggling of illicit opium into Hong Kong on a son le which was not sufficiently realised. This illicit traffic was now less prevalent eving partly to the unsettled conditions in the neighbouring provinces of China, the temporary interruption of communications omsed by strikes, but also to the greater success of the Goverment's preventive zamures, including an inres.50

As a consequence of of staff and a vigorous system of banishment for mugglers. the rednotion of the facilities for obtaining samggled oplum, the sales of Government oplam had of late inœressed.

Attention was called to the proposed increase at the meeting of the assembly of the League of Intions in September, and an undertaking me given by the British delegation that if the idvisory Committee should so peacmend it next Spring, the supply of opium placed on sale in Hong Kong would be so limited that the average consumption from that date until the end of 1923 would not extend the average consumption of the last few years on the almost estimate which could

be made.

Towards/

f

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