1
4
}
43
10mace = I came
first to $55.00 and finally to $60.00 per three-
tael tin,
(b) A new brand composed at first of Indian
only, opium /but subsequently blended by degrees with a
small proportion of Persian opium, boiled to a lower
consistency than the Kamshan brand, to be placed on
sale in the following sizes one tael at $15.00, four mace at $6.00, two mace at $3.00;
(c) blend of Indian and Persian opium, the
percentage of Persian being gradually increased as
time goes on, to be sold in the following sizes, viz. viz, 10 cansueus & space,
three candareens at 30 cents and six candareens at = 1 Paul
60 cents.
0
4.
The object of these recommendations is to
sell with the greatest advantage to our revenue such
opium as is at the disposal of the Hong Kong
Government.
But in order to avoid misconception,
it is well that I should categorically repeat the
statement which I made in Legislative Council on the 1st September, 1927, that "this Government is very
willing to prohibit the consumption of opium in the
Colony and to forego its revenue from this source as
soon as production and consumption of opium in
China are suppressed." But, when we know that for
each dollar of opium revenue we receive the less
a dollar or more has gone to swell the funds of
smugglers, to facilitate increased opium consumption
and to postpone the date of final suppression, then
we regard the subject in a different light: and we
definitely consider that it is preferable that the
Hong Kong Government rather than smugglers should
make money out of such opium as comes to this Colony.
み
There