CO129-375 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1911 [1-2] — Page 97

3

:

90

Government undertook to reduce this latter quantity by one-

-tenth each year till it expired in 10 years from January

1st., 1908. This Arrangement has been in force, 5,100

x je

presumably

gicum merchants

h case t

Wh

chests being deducted from the 51,000 each year so that

the amount declared for 1911 is 30,600 (viz.:- 51,000

5,100 x 4). There remained however the 16,000 for export

to other countries which is not touched by the decennial

agreement, end which will still be exported when the import

to China has ceased. Hitherto the Opium Merchants have

taken no exception to this matter.

3.

In 1909 the price of Indian Opium

in China rose to unprecedented values (due to the laying in

of stocks in anticipation of possible prohibition and other

causes which do not concern the question at issue), and

these enhanced prices attracted to China a certain propor-

-tion of the 16,000 chests exported by India for the

demands of countries other than China.

The actual figures of imports into

China as shown by the Customs' Returns are as follows:-

1907:

1908:

1909:

400

do.

- do.

47,141. Indian Government estimate.... .52,000

41,851.

42,136.

45,900

40,800.

These figures show (as was contended by the Chinese) that

the

ప