3801
BOY
496
regard we would point out that it would be obviously difficult for a native shop to judge whether or not a licence was a genuine licence. If a licenco presented by a purchaser 18 found to be fales, the proprietor of the opium chop is liable to have his shop ceized and chut up, and he would sustain the lose of his entire capitul through perhept no fault of his own. This woulá open the door to fraud ineemuch aɛ falɛe chargeɛ could be trumped up against opium chops in order to get them seized and closed in order to obtain the forfeiture of their capital to the Chinese authoritieɛ. This again will ultimately roɛult in the Author- ities farming the licenced thope out to those capable of paying heavy sume for them over and above the ordinary licence fees.
Ir those conditions are to prevail, native merchants will
be chary of entering into the bɛineet, and the trade will coŋe Bequently get into the hands of a fow tradere. wa predict that
in a short space of time the Provincial Authoritice either by cloeing the existing shops or by farming them cut to a few, will get the whole trade into their own hande, thus creating a momp- oly, which is expreecly contrary to the Treaty of Banking.
With regard to clause 6, on each and every occaɛion that an imividual withos to purchase opium this burdensome procedure has to be carried out, and on each occasion the purchaser has to pay a licence fee. This will of neeegrity hamper trade and prevent freedom in the buying and welling of raw opium.
We contend that all the regulations, so we have in some detail pointed out, form the nucleus of a monopoly which will monopolise the raw opium trade in the Province of the Two Kwonge into the hands of a fee individuals, and possibly into the hands of the provincial gover rment,
It would also be greatly prejudicial to the interests of the Indian Government if such a scheme is permitted to be enforced epecially in the present uneettled and unsatisfactory state of
-4-
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.