E 33
A daily memo of exports to Macao and to Chinese Ports was supplied during the year, to the Commissioner of Imperial Maritime Customs and a daily memo of exports to Macao was supplied to the Superintendent of Raw Opium Department of Macao.
114 surprise visits were paid to Godowns during the year.
The question of opium has been much to the fore during the past year or two, and has naturally excited considerable interest in this Colony, a large proportion of the revenue being drawn from this trade.
The report of the International Opium Commission has not yet been published, and it is impossible to forecast what its recommendations are.
It is noticeable that notwithstanding the decrease of 10% in the export of Opium from India, in accordance with the agreement with China, the exports from the Colony show a decrease of 845 chests only in 1908, viz., 21% (36,471 chests in 1908 as compared with 37,316 in 1907). There is an increase under Persian Opium but it is so small—178 chests—that it would only bring the percentage up to 23% were it added to the total of Indian Opium.
The imports of raw opium into the Colony increased by nearly 1,000 chests during the year. The amount of Morphia and Compounds of Opium imported and exported during the year was as follows:
COMPOUNDS OF OPIUM 1907 1908 Increase/Decrease Imported 15,384 lb. 10,673 lb. 4,711 lb. Decrease Exported 9,454 lb. 8,246 lb. 1,208 lb. Decrease Difference 5,647 lb. 2,709 lb. 2,938 lb. Decrease MORPHIA 1907 1908 Increase/Decrease Imported 415 Cases-9,694.10 lbs. 289 Cases-7,053.7 lbs. 126 Cases-2,641.3 lbs. Decrease Exported 398 Cases-9,469.0 lbs. 384 Cases-9,129.2 lbs. 14 Cases-339.14 lbs. Decrease