94
Annan, Turkey, Malwa, Persia. An impulse would be given to the cultivation of the poppy in every country not under British rule where it will grow. By degrees a sufficient supply of such opium would probably take the place of the article no longer produced in India, and the condition of the consumer would remain unaltered, except that he would not be able to gratify himself with the superior drug of Indian manufacture.
Question 11 does not invite any consideration of the question of excluding foreign opium from our ports, in the case of a self-denying measure prescribing cessation of cultivation in India. may say, however, that to penalise the importation of such opium would, in my opinion, be a suicidal measure, and I agree with those who think that it would be followed by serious trouble requiring armed force to repress it, and by an exodus of the most valuable part of our Chinese population to neighbouring countries, under Dutch or Native rule, where foreign opium at least could be obtained.
Few express an opinion that alcohol would be adopted by the Chinese as a substitute for opium. Several witnesses, however, think that the consumption of alcohol would increase. I agree with those who think that it would be terrible to contemplate the substitution of spirit drinking for opium smoking as the national vice of our population, if vice there must be, and, human nature being what it is, there is little hope of inducing total abstinence from opium and spirits. It is to be noticed, however, that one Chinese witness (Mr. Koh Seang Tat) views with equanimity the supposition that "by the stoppage of the use of the opium drug the consumption of spirits would be increased." Only two witnesses indulge in any hope of total abstinence from opium as the result of the stoppage of the Indian supply. Mr. Lamont thinks that the opium smoker
"
66
might abstain altogether," and the Dato Mantri of Johor thinks that "some might be able to free themselves altogether from the habit."
REVENUE OF THE STRAITS Settlement: FROM OPIUM.-POSSIBLE SOURCES OF REVENUE TO REPLACE IT.PUBLIC OPINION OF SUCH A STEP.
12. What proportion of your Colony's revenue accrues from opium? If the opium revenue were extinguished, could your Colony raise the needful revenue otherwise? What would the people say to the loss of the opium revenue and the obligation to make up the deficit?
The sums paid annually to the Colony for the opium and spirit monopoly for the present triennial period (1892, 93, 94) are as follows:-
Singapore
Penang and Dindings Malacca
Total
1,110,000
588,000
122,400
$1,820,400
95
from the position of entrepôts doing a vast transit trade with foreign countries into petty trading towns serving only the islands on which they are situated and the adjacent Malay States. The free ports which would immediately spring up on the neighbouring Dutch possessions would soon take away our merchants and our trade. Mr. O'Brien (34th witness) puts the case well when he says: "The revenue could not be raised «from other sources without the practical extinction of the Colony, whose vital existence
depends upon the freedom of its ports."
"
One witness (Mr. Koh Seag Tat) expects more than it is possible to obtain from doubling the duty on spirits. To raise the duty on spirits from 75 cents a gallon to $1.50 a gallon would not, by any means, result in doubling the revenue payable by the spirit farmer, for the latter pays for three things-the sole right to manufacture; the right to retail or to license retail shops; and the right to levy a duty of 75 cents on all spirits imported for consumption. It is, of course, only in respect of imported spirits that the raising of the duty would add to the revenue. And if, under the state of things described above, there were a very marked diminution in the Chinese, and consequently in the European, population, the spirit revenue might be expected to fall seriously.
66
One witness (Mr. Vermont) mentions, with disfavour, a land tax. In the present state of the Colony land might perhaps be made to pay more than it does. But, in a Colony disorganised by the measures consequent on repressive legislation, and threatened by the loss of the most valuable part of its population, he would be a sanguine admi- nistrator who would expect much additional land revenue from the 1,300 square miles included in the term Straits Settlements."
It would be as difficult for the Colony As Mr. Kynnersley (33rd witness) says: "to raise the needful revenue otherwise (than from opium) se it would be for the No way out of this "Chancellor of the Exchequer to give up excise revenue.'
Mr. Lamont (17th difficulty is pointed out by those most opposed to opium. witness) can make no suggestions, and Mr. Shellabear (14th witness) can only say "the deficit could undoubtedly be made up."
measure.
46
"
As for the judgment of native public opinion upon the sacrifice of opium revenue and the levy of fresh taxes to replace it, no witness has been sanguine enough to suppose that it would be favourable to the Government which carried out such a One witness (Mr. Koh Seang Tat), while admitting that Europeans and Asiatics alike "would certainly object," thinks that eventually the philanthropic motive acquiesced in. No other witness is so would be appreciated, and "the new taxes hopeful, and the attitude of mind of the native public towards the policy sketched in the question is variously conjectured by the following witnesses, and is indicated according to such conjectures in the words or phrases placed opposite the following
names :-
"
46
Object to increased burden' "Gravest discontent
"
Displeased"
27
Kynnersley.
Gan Ngo Bee. Lister.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TLC.O. 882
5 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
The total estimated revenue of the Colony for 1893 was $3,635,780. The opium and spirit monopoly contributes therefore one-half of the total revenue of the Colony.
The opium revenue could only be extinguished by prohibiting the import of foreign opium, after stopping the cultivation of opium in India. While foreign opium could be freely introduced into the Dutch possessions, into Siam, into the Malay States tributary to Siam, and perhaps into Johor, it would be idle to suppose that it would not be smuggled into the Colony, even if it were possible to maintain a very large preventive establishment. Supposing such a measure carried out, and the only "
opium revenue
13
to be that derived from fines levied on smugglers (which would not probably cover the cost of the preventive staff), the loss of revenue would not be merely the loss of the money now paid by the opium farmer. With the inevitable diminution of population consequent on the diminished popularity of the Colony as a place of residence for Chinese, there would be a shrinkage of the general revenue in almost every department.
From the point of view of one whose duty it would be to try to carry on the efficient government of the Colony under such conditions, I have searched the answers to Question 12 with the utmost care, in order to find any practical suggestion for the raising of a revenue to take the place of that supposed hypothetically to have been voluntarily abandoned. I can find none which I could recommend for adoption, and I can make no suggestion.
It is generally recognised that the only way to raise a revenue would be to impose import and export duties, but this would reduce the ports of Penang and Singapore
"Unjust "
Silly and incomprehensible
Chew Sin Yong..
Meyer.
·
Treacher.
"Frivolously creating disturbance and Huttenbach
inconvenience."
Inexplicable caprice
"Mad"
Unwise"
"Nation of fools"
-
i
Unjust and improper taxes
"
Kennedy..
Clifford.
Seah Liang Seah.
Vermont.
Dato Mantri.
REASONS WHY EUROPEANS DO NOT CONTRACT THE OPIUM HABIT AND ASIATICS DO.
18. Do people of European race contract the opium habit in any numbers? If not, why not? And what makes Asiatics more liable to contract the habit ?
Europeans do not contract the opium habit in any numbers. Only two of the witnesses (Mesers. Swettenham and Miller) have mentioned cases of European opium smokers among their own acquaintances. I myself can remember three, one of whom abandoned the habit after a year's trial. He described it as quite incompatible with European manners. The recumbent position requires the adoption of Oriental dress of
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