17. During the year 32,662 taels of Chinese Raw Opium were seized and of this a fair proportion was found on passengers arriving by train from Canton. The figures for the mainland are interesting as 4,243 taels were seized in 1932 as compared with 675 in 1931 and 799 in 1930.
18. Reports show that the crops in Yunnan and Fukien have been very heavy and as a result the price of Raw Chinese Opium in Wuchow is said to be $1.20 to $1.30 per tael, Chinese sub-coin.
19. General. During the year steps have been taken, to put into effect the various recommendations made at the Bangkok Opium Conference of November, 1931. Arrangements have been made for the direct exchange of quarterly reports with other interested Governments, as well as the routine ones which were already being supplied.
20. A noteworthy innovation in the controlled sale of Opium in the Colony has taken place as a result of the Conference's recommendations. As an experiment, six opium shops have been opened under direct Government control and at Government expense, and a corresponding reduction has been made in the number of salaried retailers. Should the scheme work satisfactorily, steps may be taken to extend it.
21. The greatest change resulting from the conference is one which will actually take place in February 1933, when the Hong Kong stock of opium will have been transferred to Singapore, and supplies of Singapore-packed opium will be substituted for that at present on sale. The many arrangements necessitated by this change have been perfected during the later part of the year under review.
22. There is no change to report with regard to the opium situation in Canton.
23. A Census of the number of purchasers of Government Opium, on the lines of that taken in December, 1931, was taken in 1932 and the figures showed an average of 1,334 as against 3,512 in 1931. The reduction reflects in some measure the large fall in the revenue derived from the sale of opium to which reference has already been made, but it should be reiterated that such average is only one of purchasers, and does not in any way give a clue to the number of smokers.
24. At the end of 1932, 181 registered smokers of Kamshan Opium were in possession of Opium passbooks as against 148 who were registered at the end of January 1931. Reference to that year's Report however shows that the number had stood at 231 in 1930 and the present increase is due to the return to the Colony of some smokers who failed to renew their books in 1931 owing to absence.
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17. During the year 32,662 taels of Chinese Raw Opium were seized and of this a fair proportion was found on passengers arriving by train from Canton. The figures for the mainland are interesting as 4,243 taels were seized in 1932 as compared with 675 in 1931 and 799 in 1930.
18. Reports show that the crops in Yunnan and Fukien have been very heavy and as a result the price of Raw Chinese Opium in Wuchow is said to be $1.20 to $1.30 per tael, Chinese sub-coin.
19. General. During the year steps have been taken, to put into effect the various recommendations made at the Bangkok Opium Conference of November, 1931. Arrangements have been made for the direct exchange of quarterly reports with other interested Governments, as well as the routine ones which were already being supplied.
20. A noteworthy innovation in the controlled sale of Opium in the Colony has taken place as a result of the Conference's recommendations. As an experiment, six opium shops have been opened under direct Government control and at Government expense, and a corresponding reduction has been made in the number of salaried retailers. Should the scheme work satisfac- torily, steps may be taken to extend it.
21. The greatest change resulting from the conference is one which will actually take place in February 1933, when the Hong Kong stock of opium will have been transferred to Singapore, and supplies of Singapore-packed opium will be sub- stituted for that at present on sale. The many arrangements necessitated by this change have been perfected during the later part of the year under review.
22. There is no change to report with regard to the opium situation in Canton.
23. A Census of the number of purchasers of Government Opium, on the lines of that taken in December, 1931, was taken in 1932 and the figures showed an average of 1,334 as against 3.512 in 1931. The reduction reflects in some measure the large fall in the revenue derived from the sale of opium to which reference has already been made, but it should be reiterated that such average is only one of purchasers, and does not in any way give a clue to the number of smokers.
24. At the end of 1932, 181 registered smokers of Kamshan Opium were in possession of Opium passbooks as against 148 who were registered at the end of January 1931. Reference to that year's Report however shows that the number had stood at 231 in 1930 and the present increase is due to the return to the Colony of some smokers who failed to renew their books in 1931 owing to absence.
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