CO129-396 - Public Offices - 1912 — Page 73

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herewith, it appears that the cuntention of the Mucao

authorities is that they require 840 chests per year

fur lucul consumption and export, and that, should

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they reduce this amount, they will lose revenue whilst

Hong Kong will be the gainer.

In to-day's "Seculo" there uppeurs an interview

with Lieutenant Alvaro Machado, lutely Governor of

Macao ad interim. His Excellency expressed the

opinion that the province had no future before it,

but that is would shortly be a great burden upon the

mother country. It has no resources of its own, but

draws its income almost exclusively from gambling

and opium, which are bound to disappear before Loft

By international agreement the consumption of opiuk

must be progressively reduced and will le almo. t ex

tinguished in five years, whilst the competition

Hong Kong must be also considered, us it is to i

interests of the British Government tu

in Macau for the benefit of Hong Kong.

freduce

To this end.

the British Government, after first of all prohibiting

the transit of opium through Hong Kong, has now for-

bidden the transit through Singapore, and will not fail

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