CO129-351 - Public Offices - 1908 — Page 183

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gradually decreasing sale, financial failure was a foregone conclusion. The enterprise is practically on its last legs. The venture has the Chamber of Commerce, the fornier opium shops, and the public to contend with, and rumour talks of its impending bankruptcy.

With regard to the suggestion of purchasing a fixed annual quantity of Indian opium, I find that the figures for the import of Indian opium for the years 1902-1907 are as follows :----

1902 ..

1903

1904

1905

1906

1907

English lbs. 2,400

2,053

1.340

3,306

13,200

1,749

The figures for the quarterly importations during the three years 1905-1907, in Chinese pounds, are as under :-

March Quarter.

June Quarter,

September Quarter.

December Quarter.

Total

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people giving up smoking. Hitherto there were only two or three Swatow men who sold Indian opium as a living; now, because they have lost their livelihood, they desire to make use of foreign authority to further their private ends. It is therefore our duty to circumstantially report to you the details of the Government Opium Bureau, managed by the merchants, as well as the reasons for the decrease in the sale of Indian opium.”

This Bureau was thus started by the merchants taking out shares, and it was not established by the Government for the purpose of itself selling the opium and collecting a boiled opium tax. Moreover, the smokers locally have always liked the Manchurian opium, and the market for the imported Indian drug was originally small; it is not due to the establishment of the Bureau that the sales have decreased.

As to the prohibition of opium, repeated Edicts have been promulgated exhorting the people to themselves give up smoking. The fact that the sales of Indian opium are comparatively small is thus conditioned by the very nature of the question. This, I presume, you are fully aware of. I find the object of the establishment of the Bureau was to bring together for better control the scattered places of sale. It does really not interfere with the sale of the Indian drug.

Ou receipt of the above report I have the honour to submit the arguments to your favourable consideration.

1905

1906

1807

:::

NB

580

1,220

680

2,480

プラ

4,559

592

2,594 220

2,746

9.809

500

1,312

I have, &c.

(Seal of Taotai).

The larger importations are due to bad crops.

The average for the last three years would be 4,564 catties, which figure, annually decreased by one-tenth, would have to be bought by the Bureau under the Taotai's suggestion. This figure would very likely be contested owing to the exceptional amount in 1900.

I see by the Shanghae press that the British Government has arrived at some agreement with the Chinese Government on the subject, and I have therefore the honour to request your instructions accordingly, especially with regard to the Taotai's proposal

I have, &c. (Signed)

(Translation.) Sir,

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Taotai Shen Tung to Acting Consul Tebbitt.

R. T. TEBBITT,

Taotai's Yamén, Newchwang, December 4, 1907. AFTER your call the other day to protest against the establishment of the Govern- ment Opium Bureau as being detrimental to the sale of foreign opium, I instructed the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce to report on the matter. I am now in receipt of the report, which is to the following effect :-

"With reference to the Newchwang Government Opium Bureau for the sale of boiled opium, managed by the merchants, the experimental Regulations have already been submitted for approval. Their general purport is really to get the merchants to take up shares in the matter. Shares were also taken up by some of the former eighteen opium shops. Moreover, the opium kept in the eighteen shops was all taken over at an enhanced valuation, and not only without profit to us but at a loss, whereat the eighteen shops were all delighted and raised no objections. In all the opium boiled by the Burcan more of the Manchurian opium is used than Indian opium, as most people in this place prefer it. Hence the sale of Indian opium is comparatively restricted. Since the prohibition of opium the sale of the local drug has decreased, and that of the Indian drug, of course, also. Last year over 3,000 ozs. of raw opium were daily boiled. In the spring and summer of this year the eighteen shops sold, more or less, 2,000 ozs. Since the establishment of the Opium Bureau the daily quantity of raw opium boiled is only 140 ozs. to 150 ozs. The great difference between now and formerly is not only due to the large amount of illicit opium, but is also really due to the increase in the number of

(Translation.)

Sir,

Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

Taotai Shen Tung to Acting Consul Tebbitt.

Tuotai's Yamên, Newchwang, December 12, 1907. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch of the 4th December stating that you have received instructions from His Britannic Majesty's Minister in Peking to the effect that the English firm of Sassoon and Co. have complained that the establishment of a Government opium monopoly at Newchwang interferes with the sale of foreign opium. The Minister continues that last summer the Consul at Nanking requested him repeatedly to object to the Wai-wu Pu against the establishment of a Government opium monopoly at Nanking, to be opened on the 8th September, in flagrant disregard of the negotiations now proceeding between the two Governments on the subject of the prohibition of opium. The Wai-wu Pa thereupon telegraphed to the Nanking Viceroy to order the stoppage of the monopoly. The Minister therefore instructs you to request the Newchwang Taotai to similarly stop the opium monopoly there, until the negotiations have established a satisfactory plan of procedure.

With reference to those instructions, you observe that the question of the prohibi- tion of opium is still under discussion, and that consequently their outcome should be awaited; but that, in spite of this fact, the former Taotai gave instructions for the formation of a Government opium monopoly in contravention of the Vth Article of the Nanking Treaty (partly quoted) and also of the XIVth Article of the French Treaty (quoted), as well as to the injury of the trade in foreign opium. You therefore request that the local Burcan be closed as it was in Nanking by Proclamation, until definite instructions have been received on the subject.

In answer to your despatch I have the honour to state that, with reference to the prohibition of opium in China, several Imperial Edicts have this year been promulgated ordering strict compliance in the matter. Further, the Council of Administration has circulated Regulations to every province arranging for the entire cessation of opium within ten years. The import of all foreign opium, and the production of the native drug, is to be carefully ascertained and yearly reduced in accordance with the time limit. These Regulations are very explicit and definite, and are to be carried out in

earnest.

As Newchwaag is a great emporium for land and water traffic where Chinese and foreigners live promiscuously, the yearly turnover of the Indian opium and of the native drug of the three Eastern Provinces is considerable. If the opium merchants were to be allowed to sell at random, absolutely no check could be had on the drug, and it would be impossible to ascertain the real figures of the yearly import and sale of opium. How could thus reliable proof be obtained for the purpose of decreasing the quantities?

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