CO129-368 - Acting Governor May - 1910 [8-9] — Page 576

P Y.

a.

Extract from the Hongkong Daily Press of

13th. September, 1910.

572

..

The Increased Taxation of Opium.

The Attitude of the Canton

Viceroy.

We understand that with a view to reaching

a settlement of the questions raised by the action of the Canton

and Government in placing a prohibitive tax on prepared opium,

in this way practically putting a sudden end to the import trade in raw opium, and so threatening the importing firms with very heavy loss, the British Charge' d'Affaires at Peking has suggested a compromise on the basis of an increased Customs tax with definite guarantees that there will be no further taxation of the drug in its raw or prepared state.

Following is a translation of a telegram

on the question which has been sent to the Waiwupu by the

Canton Viceroy:-

"With reference to the license fee on pre-

-pared opium, on every tael of prepared opium 30 cents are to be collected for the first term of three months. In every chest of

raw opium there are 40 balls, each weighing 48 taels. Assuming that only half of this woight can be secured when turning it into prepared opium 1.e. 24 taels of prepared opium are to be got from every ball of raw opium over $280 can thereby be obtained on every chest of raw opium. Over 18,500 chests of raw opium were imported last year. On this basis a sum of more than $4,400,000 would be obtained; the intention being to gradually increase the tax in each successive term. The same amount of money can therefore be reckoned on, though the number of opium- -smokers be gradually diminished. This revenue cannot however, be permanently relied upon, but the amount will be by no means

small for the first three years.

"Moreover