CO129-382 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 106

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much energy is being displayed in eradicating native opium,

and that that which is left is being proportionally taxed,

value for value, as highly as, if not more highly than,

treat foreign opium, the charge of differential opin ment falls

to the ground. I saw therefore no reason to object to the

now levy on that score. Repeated assurances that the rights

of transit pass opium would be respected I could not well

refuse to accupt, until experience had proved them to be

non-valid. Assuming that the Additional Article to the

Chefoo Convention accords to Thind the right to impose

farther non-differential taxation on foreign opium on

arrival at its destination, the time limit within which

it had to be boiled down after the packages were brukun

up, appeared at first to me to be immaterial.

The tax

was to be collected from the boilers, and I was informed

that, in order tofguard against hoarding, the drug ought

to be boiled down as speedily as possible. The contention