CO129-358 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1909 [10-11] — Page 378

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(4). $91,200 per mensem, from Seah Eng Loek, a

former Opium Farmer.

3.

The highest tender was thus

1.9

3

:

$22,250 per menses lower than the present rental of the

Opium Farm, and therefore involved a loss of $267,000 per

though for next year, as the Farm will be held in

January and February by the present Farmer, the loss would

only have been $222,500.

On enquiry, however, it appeared

that none of the three persons, in whose name the highest

tender stood, had any experience of the Opium business. Mr.

Ka Yin-shan was a native of Macao, and only worth about

$50,000: Mr. Leung Kin-shang was formerly a domestie

servant and is now Assistant Compradore to Messrs. Ataka

and Company a firm of poor standing: while Mr. Ng Min-sau

is at present Seavenging Contractor, and has givən so

much trouble to the Sanitary Department in that capasity

that it did not seem advisable to entrust him with the

much more difficult work of the Opiɛm Farm,

On the other hand the next highest

tender, which differed from the highest by only $150 per

mensem stood in the name of Mr. Ho Shai-kit, who is the

son of Mr. Ho Kom-tong lately a member of the Sanitary

Board,