AnnualReport-1927 — Page 147

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Prepared opium is almost always packed in a tin bearing a trade mark. Seizures made during the year under review alone reveal examples of about 150 different brands all implicating South China.: a figure which may be compared with the number of brands of cigarettes on the local market commonly smoked by the Chinese to-day 80 or the total number of brands standing on the registers to-day-280.

Raw opium is covered very commonly by a label indicating its origin. The labels found on seizures made during the year abundantly confirm the reports of the notorious prosperity of the Yunnan poppy fields and of the movement of raw opium by the ton down river from Wuchow.

As to the actual position within our own borders, no catalo- gue can shew this. In forming an opinion it must be borne in mind that the waterways of this colony are the waterways of Kwang Tung, the frontiers of this colony march with Kwang Tung and the population of this colony is drawn from and constantly interchanging with the population of Kwang Tung; and it is therefore necessary to decide whether upon entering our borders the addict loses his craving and, if not, whether Chinese ingenuity and resource is capable of supplying the demand.

This department can only point to the one tael-tin substi- tuted for the heel of a shoe, the ten tael packet secreted in the hollow haft of a saw, the parcel of 100 taels made up to represent a baby on its mother's back, the parcel of 500 stripped from the false back of a sampan, the parcel of a thousand dragged from the bed of the harbour and more than 10,000 persons haled be- fore the Court for opium offences.

Opium for U.S.A. and the Philippines.

The traffic, of which some account was given in last year's report, continues. Reports of heavy fines inflicted on trans- Pacific ships introducing prepared opium to the Pacific coast of the U.S.A. have been received on several occasions. This department was able to put at the disposal of the U.S.A. authorities certain letters in substantiation of a smuggling charge. Occasional seizures of parcels of prepared opium in transit to U.S.A. were effected locally, notably a seizure of 100 five-tael tins, bearing the Lam Kei. Hop mark, on the point of being put aboard a Dollar Line ship. A fine of $60,000 was inflicted in this case.

Little has been heard of smuggling to the Philippines during the year.

Letters from a Chinese resident of Manila ordering supplies of 'Eagle' brand were found in the possession of a local Chinese resident and placed at the disposal of the U.S. authorities. Unfortunately the replies to this correspondence