CO129-369 - Acting Governor May Governor Sir Lugard - 1910 [10-11] — Page 174

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COPY.

Report of the Opium Prohibition Bureau.

172

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In compliance with Your Excellency's instructions, we at once issued orders to Chaung Yen, the deputy in charge of the Licence Tax Investigation Office, to investigate the true facts and furnish a report, in accordance with Your Excellency's direet - ions.

The deputy has now reported as follows:

سيعد

Certain prepared opium shops in the prefectural city of Chao-ch'ing bought eight chests of Patna opium in Hongkong und imported it into China. On its arrival at Ho-k'ou Yung Hsing Ch'ang, a firm of forwarding agents, on behalf of the importers declared it to the Customs for payment of duty, but failed to re- port to the local opium office its entry into their godowns, where- upon the Ho-k'ou deputy proceeded thither to enquire. The firm stated that this opium was being conveyed to Chao-ch'ing city for sale. According to the regulations they offered a guarantee that, on its arrival at Chao-ch'ing and after it had been sold and boiled down, the amount of the levy due would be paid in full. At that time, however, the Tso Chi firm of Chao-ch'ing sent to the In- vestigation Office and entered into a bond to this effect. On August 16 the deputy in charge of the Chao-ch'ing branch office dis- covered that these eight chesta of opium had been sold and boiled

therefore

down, and ordered Tso Chi, in accordance with the regulations, to press for the payment of the amount due in respect of the prepared opium levy. To his surprise, Too Chi denied that they had entered into a bond at the Samshul branch office with reference to these eight chests, endeavouring by this assertion fraudulently to evade their responsibilities. As the regulations lay down that the guaranteeing firm need not necessarily be in the opium trade but may be engaged in any other form of businoes, and as the Tso Chi firm was the original guarantor at the San-shan branch office; and

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