E 14
Besides managing deals in Persian opium on the large scale, this firm was also engaged in smuggling raw and prepared Chinese opium into the Colony from Kwong Chow Wan and Yunnan; one of the partners having important connections amongst the opium dealers of the chief opium market of South China, the town of Tung Hing, which is situated near the frontier of Tongking.
Indian Opium.
Apart from the seizure mentioned above, no Indian opium was found. No information was received which pointed to the existence of any smuggling of Indian opium direct from India. The precautions taken in India to control raw opium seem to have been quite effective. The supplies of Indian opium which are still reaching China appear to originate wholly in the French protectorate of Kwong Chow Wan.
Opium Divans.
In this, the fifth year of a concentrated attack on divans, the number discovered is practically the same as that for the last two years. The divan keeper laughs at the sentences inflicted by the Court, which are generally a tenth of the maximum fine; in quite a large percentage of cases, he does not trouble to attend at Court, forfeiting the bail which is generally a little higher than the fine likely to be imposed. The man who goes to prison if the fine is not paid is usually a paid keeper or a coolie who is past work or too lazy to work. There is a regular tariff in the trade; if the man has dependents in the Colony, which is rare, they are looked after, and the man gets a regular fee when he comes out based on the length of time he has served in prison. The factor which decides whether the fine shall be paid or not is purely a financial one; the actual owner of a divan will make more money outside prison, so he pays his fine, but the master of several divans finds it pays him better for his employee to serve his sentence, as he can easily fill his place and give him some small compensation on his release.
The campaign against divans has proved absolutely abortive; there are probably as many divans being operated now as there were 5 years ago, and the profits have probably increased as the price of illicit opium has decreased.
Divan keepers with two or more convictions were deported in large numbers, but their places were immediately filled. A divan-keeper could probably run a divan for some months before becoming sufficiently known; he would then be caught, pay the small fine or serve his sentence, open up again in the same neighbourhood as before, and run for several months before being caught again. If his business was sufficiently lucrative to enable him to pay out "hush" money, he would be assured of a...
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E 14
Besides managing deals in Persian opium on the large scale this firm was also engaged in smuggling Raw and prepared Chinese opium into the Colony from Kwong. Chow Wan and Yunnan, one of the partners having important connections amongst the opium dealers of the chief opium market of South China, the town of Tung Hing, which is situated near the fron- tier of Tongking.
Indian Opium.
Apart from the seizure mentioned above no Indian opium was found. No information was received which pointed to the existence of any smuggling of Indian opium direct from India. The precautions taken in India to control raw opium seem to have been quite effective. The supplies of Indian opium which are still reaching China, appear to originate wholly in the French protectorate of Kwong Chow Wan.
Opium Divans.
In this the fifth year of a concentrated attack on divans the number discovered is practically the same as that for the last two years. The divan keeper laughs at the sentences inflicted by the Court which are generally a tenth of the maximum fine, in quite a large percentage of cases he does not trouble to attend at Court, forfeiting the bail which is generally a little higher than the fine likely to be imposed. The man who goes to prison if the fine is not paid, is usually a paid keeper or a coolie who is past work, or too lazy to work. There is a regular tariff in the trade, if the man has dependents in the Colony, which is rare, they are looked after, and the man gets a regular fee when he comes out based on the length of time he has served in prison. The factor which decides whether the fine shall be paid or not is purely a financial one, the actual owner of a divan will make more money outside prison, so he pays his fine, but the master of several divans finds it pays him better for his employee to serve his sentence, as he can easily fill his place, and give him some small compensation on his release.
The campaign against divans has proved absolutely abortive, there are probably as many divans being operated now as there were 5 years ago, and the profits have probably increased as the price of illicit opium has decreased.
i
Divan keepers with two or more convictions were deported in large numbers, but their places were immediately filled, a divan-keeper could probably rum a divan for some months before becoming sufficiently known, he would then be caught, pay the small fine or serve his sentence, open up again in the same neighbourhood as before, and run for several months before be- ing caught again. If his business was sufficiently lucrative to enable him to pay out "hush'' money, he would be assured of a
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