CO129-341 - Acting Governor May Governor Lugard - 1907 [7-10] — Page 372

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

Page 367

consumption, but of late years while the area under poppy cultivation in China has steadily increased, the importation of Indian and Persian Opium has declined. This change is at all events in part due to the fact that the production of opium is one of the most remunerative crops in the whole Empire, while owing to the gradual improvement in the quality of the native drug, this is gradually replacing the more expensive imported article.

Without going into the question as to whether it is wise, even if possible, to entirely suppress the use of the drug, it will be perhaps as well to remark that all native races have some sort of stimulant or drug the use of which so long as it is not abused cannot be seriously objected to, except by a few extreme enthusiasts.

The total suppression of the use of opium in China if carried into effect may bring a still worse evil upon the country and this has already been foreshadowed by the increased use of so called "anti-opium" pills and morphine, the use of the latter by hypodermic injection being on the increase, particularly in the neighbourhood of the treaty ports, to an alarming extent.

While admitting that the British Govern- ment should do all in its power to assist the Imperial Govern- ment in any serious attempt which may be made to curtail and ultimately perhaps suppress the use of opium, it appears to this Committee desirable to point out at this stage the risk which we run of having a valuable section of British trade destroyed solely for the benefit of native competition.

As is well known the local officials are all opposed to the importation of foreign opium; not only is the import duty, but also the full lekin, collected at the port of entry, and being remitted to Peking by the Imperial Maritime Customs all chance of undue profit therefrom is lost to the Provincial Authorities who see what is to them an untaxed article passing their barriers and competing with their own opium

Page 367

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Page 367 consumption, but of late years while the area under poppy cultivation in China has steadily increased, the importation of Indian and Persian Opium has declined. This change is at all events in part due to the fact that the production of opium is one of the most remunerative crops in the whole Empire, while owing to the gradual improvement in the quality of the native drug, this is gradually replacing the more expensive imported article. Without going into the question as to whether it is wise, even if possible, to entirely suppress the use of the drug, it will be perhaps as well to remark that all native races have some sort of stimulant or drug the use of which so long as it is not abused cannot be seriously objected to, except by a few extreme enthusiasts. The total suppression of the use of opium in China if carried into effect may bring a still worse evil upon the country and this has already been foreshadowed by the increased use of so called "anti-opium" pills and morphine, the use of the latter by hypodermic injection being on the increase, particularly in the neighbourhood of the treaty ports, to an alarming extent. While admitting that the British Govern- ment should do all in its power to assist the Imperial Govern- ment in any serious attempt which may be made to curtail and ultimately perhaps suppress the use of opium, it appears to this Committee desirable to point out at this stage the risk which we run of having a valuable section of British trade destroyed solely for the benefit of native competition. As is well known the local officials are all opposed to the importation of foreign opium; not only is the import duty, but also the full lekin, collected at the port of entry, and being remitted to Peking by the Imperial Maritime Customs all chance of undue profit therefrom is lost to the Provincial Authorities who see what is to them an untaxed article passing their barriers and competing with their own opium Page 367
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7.808 367 .(8 .off) beɛofone at roiw to xqoo,beviso.% bistva of etqretta waswƐ de dgsont CA noitsaslɔorg sat bne "kuriqÖ“E‡nA” to SiJIJ an‡ 195m Ileɛti -ơng moed evad Noidw a9e109Ɑ sat of eonereler ɗtiw ssonerrzos thebiru wiev al igub to efe end gni "iɗtoʻq bejazlı- ett riti zloqonol Jaohrevoð » 20 Jnomiafitutas srit dans „rocoat atam end et eungver got qnsquoɔos VISY NOIJsudia edt anisiqxe noitavy: Domy LATE bus eoneoli a tuo exst of begildo won 91s ateiseb IIA .YIYASI •HautVÉ BL of visvia Ioxe whqo tient [Iea Jauni Beomoll to zadrug er: Jait anijste re?IA -:arseqqs riqazy req Insoltingja gntollot eat betinil ef lilw Thould eqnesio os matu od (mutqo ni arelseb gnijɛixe) oaof”* ."oɛ ob of viradil ja ons ebar anti exorth in aqoife ruiqo obituⱭ DIT eval oliv enorio os duo beat od os al muigo to sina wo,beaolo gathivonq gi no aeonia erit mi egs,mot fatiqno inaiɔk a are not adm amana es 798 of 895/19oll atsedo uso Bestnaisis juriqo-itas na qa tueksyon sit to suisy out midst to mobraiuqoq eit tot swift Just silt mwoda at obsazo od of ars atns: latids as rwiqo bereqorg berbnut owt næld sael on .nɗwɗna silt : 05 bra tisæti głɔ sde mi OXL,DaJTAJE ent stiv gonsrettormi to notčasup sit boater need ntans goivadí alstoftto sasnilo rşini ya ebant muriqo 3yal Tot vtinutroqqo gnistit s airt ar bianco sat Armoɔ and *oq arld ot noitalez mi aðniog atstreɔ yɔn lleox aif enoted 189nga violliw zzentand witgo ode to motarenqqua Ierbang bauoq- .oton to geltrow ment of aris edamitan gitoorios of vase Jon at JI mwort: Ilew si es tud satríð ni berwanoo mulgo to Jaurora Istot ext to aloriw and Juorigionis abnetxe bra Laemoving at tiɗæd edt intenot əriz Jadt beteuitao sd yam di vliiguoя .9nique Istot end to dinet & tuoda engagiqor antíð ofni betrogeik miqo noltruran00 consumption, but of late years while the area under poppy cultivation in China has steadily increased, the importation of Indian and Persian Opium has declined. This change is at all events in part due to the fact that the production of opium is one of the most remunerative crops in the whole Empire, while owing to the gradual improvement in the quality of the native drug, this is gradually replacing the more expensive imported article. Without going into the question as to whether it is wise, even if possible, to entirely suppress the use of the drug, it will be perhaps as well to remark that all native races have some sort of stimulant or drug the use of which so long as it is not abused cannot be seriously objected to, except by a few extreme enthusiasts. The total suppression of the use of opium in China if carried into effect may bring a still worse evil upon the country and this has already been foreshadowed by the increased use of so called "anti-opium" pills and morphine, the use of the latter by hypodermic injection being on the increase, particularly in the neighbourhood of the treaty ports, to an alarming extent. While admitting that the British Govern- -ment should do all in its power to assist the Imperial Govern- -ment in any serious attempt which ray be made to curtail and ultimately perhaps suppress the use of opium, it appears to this Committee desirable to point out at this stage the risk which we run of having a valuable section of British trade destroyed solely for the benefit of native competition. As is well known the local officials are all opposed to the importation of foreign opium; not only is the import duty, but also the full lekin, collected at the port of antry, and being remitted to Peking by the Imperial Maritime Customs all chance of undue profit therefrom is lost to the Provincial Authorities who see what is to them an untaxed article passing their barriers and competing with their oWIL opium
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7.808

367

.(8 .off) beɛofone at roiw to xqoo,beviso.%

bistva of etqretta waswƐ de dgsont CA

noitsaslɔorg sat bne "kuriqÖ“E‡nA” to SiJIJ an‡ 195m Ileɛti

-ơng moed evad Noidw a9e109Ɑ sat of eonereler ɗtiw ssonerrzos

thebiru wiev al igub to efe end gni "iɗtoʻq bejazlı-

ett riti zloqonol Jaohrevoð » 20 Jnomiafitutas srit dans

„rocoat atam end et eungver got qnsquoɔos

VISY NOIJsudia edt anisiqxe noitavy: Domy LATE

bus eoneoli a tuo exst of begildo won 91s ateiseb IIA .YIYASI

•HautVÉ BL of visvia Ioxe whqo tient [Iea Jauni

Beomoll to zadrug er: Jait anijste re?IA

-:arseqqs riqazy req Insoltingja gntollot eat betinil ef lilw Thould eqnesio os matu od (mutqo ni arelseb gnijɛixe) oaof”*

."oɛ ob of viradil ja ons ebar

anti exorth in aqoife ruiqo obituⱭ DIT

eval oliv enorio os duo beat od os al muigo to sina wo,beaolo

gathivonq gi no aeonia erit mi egs,mot fatiqno inaiɔk a

are not adm amana es 798 of 895/19oll atsedo uso Bestnaisis

juriqo-itas na qa tueksyon sit to suisy out

midst to mobraiuqoq eit tot swift Just silt yɗ mwoda at obsazo

od of ars atns: latids as rwiqo bereqorg berbnut owt næld sael on

.nɗwɗna silt : 05 bra tisæti głɔ sde mi OXL,DaJTAJE

ent stiv gonsrettormi to notčasup sit

boater need ntans goivadí alstoftto sasnilo rşini ya ebant muriqo 3yal Tot vtinutroqqo gnistit s airt ar bianco sat Armoɔ and *oq arld ot noitalez mi aðniog atstreɔ yɔn lleox aif enoted

189nga violliw zzentand witgo ode to motarenqqua Ierbang bauoq-

.oton to geltrow ment of

aris edamitan gitoorios of vase Jon at JI

mwort: Ilew si es tud satríð ni berwanoo mulgo to Jaurora Istot

ext to aloriw and Juorigionis abnetxe bra Laemoving at tiɗæd edt

intenot əriz Jadt beteuitao sd yam di vliiguoя

.9nique

Istot end to dinet & tuoda engagiqor antíð ofni betrogeik miqo

noltruran00

consumption, but of late years while the area under poppy

cultivation in China has steadily increased, the importation of

Indian and Persian Opium has declined. This change is at all

events in part due to the fact that the production of opium

is one of the most remunerative crops in the whole Empire,

while owing to the gradual improvement in the quality of the

native drug, this is gradually replacing the more expensive

imported article.

Without going into the question as to

whether it is wise, even if possible, to entirely suppress the

use of the drug, it will be perhaps as well to remark that all

native races have some sort of stimulant or drug the use of

which so long as it is not abused cannot be seriously objected

to, except by a few extreme enthusiasts.

The total suppression of the use of opium

in China if carried into effect may bring a still worse evil

upon the country and this has already been foreshadowed by the

increased use of so called "anti-opium" pills and morphine,

the

use of the latter by hypodermic injection being on the increase,

particularly in the neighbourhood of the treaty ports, to an

alarming extent.

While admitting that the British Govern-

-ment should do all in its power to assist the Imperial Govern-

-ment in any serious attempt which ray be made to curtail and

ultimately perhaps suppress the use of opium, it appears to this

Committee desirable to point out at this stage the risk which

we run of having a valuable section of British trade destroyed

solely for the benefit of native competition.

As is well known the local officials are all

opposed to the importation of foreign opium; not only is the

import duty, but also the full lekin, collected at the port of

antry, and being remitted to Peking by the Imperial Maritime

Customs all chance of undue profit therefrom is lost to the

Provincial Authorities who see what is to them an untaxed

article passing their barriers and competing with their oWIL

opium

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