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The Governor proposes to establish a monopoly of the preparation and sale of opium for local consumption and authorised export.
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In the despatch of 20th July 1912, on Gov/ 21888/1912 he was asked to consider this question and the alternative of buying chandu direct from Singapore. He has sent Mr. Hutchison, the Superintendent of Imports and Exports, to "ingapore to study the question on the spot with Mr. Baddeley, the Straits expert. The result is that they have come to the conclusion that, Owing
(a) to the different methods employed for packing chandu“ (b) to the enormous area that the Straits factory has to supply already,
it is not practicable to buy c..andu from Singapore.
I should think that this is sound and that the only courses are either to continue the farm system or to start a Government monopoly. In principle I am sure that the monopoly system is the best from all points of view more especially the two points of revenue and control of the traffic: but the practical difficulties are considerable. Hong Kong has already tried once un- successfully to introduce the monopoly system, and in the absence of Mr.Hutchison's reports which the Governor does not think it worth while to send us, it is not easy to see how far they have been considered. The chief difference between the circumstances of the traits and of Hong Kong is that while naturally smuggling into in spore was and is practised largely, there is comparatively little, if any, smuggling from the
How about Smug. Straits. In Hong Kong the danger lies in smuggling
gling pace thanks!
of the price.
#
"high
she be no netward
Smuggling. El.
into China from the Colony. It is stated that some
00 people daily travel between Canton and Hong Kong; the chances of smugling should therefore be any and
should
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