CO129-404 - Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1913 [10-12] — Page 21

.sivi mi.. i.

LA DESK

t

BERLAUG 20 M

Bien Bjorn, İ... :

101

•

2

Indien de kan

JUAN MANA

egol. I want f

jud qaumoo [sv. s.

JK CYA

20

10% (0.10ŢueR 10?

SD 1200 (3)

noldi meci (u)

„rinî J.: RUIY

4.

In April, 1909, the American market was entirely closed owing to anti-opium legislation. The markets of Canada and Australia had been closed previously. As a result the Macao farm shut down and forfeited their security $100,000 to Goverment. (Vid. Imperial Chinese Customs Return 1909 Part II Vol. IV p. 643). The Macao Government asked for tenders for a new farm but the highest tender being $141,700 they rejected it and started a Government Opium Monopoly. The result is shown in the number of chests of raw opium actually boiled in Macao during that period:-

1

i..

(-)

kajol 10

« Denn nú (4)

Devong no man ¿ICLY) edmnic

7:

I

:

niveo bi LOİD.TE. il

toare" „wigo the NI

.1 I

+7 (4)

*7 (0)

1.J ke 1

་

noite 2 (0)

i ol rate wie oost, aj niekt

winu noi,innq cid nobiprod

li usi art » 2021 mi

01 to Boiney /

vi je mi da te vol 67% L. Sh

tu bo

0 LÀ Contol Dico Mga jer im erð ung

W

ενώ

ni wao ile nilot the anilk

abinština » juiver lend

1908....

1909.....

.2,176

181

1910........... 150.

5. During 1909/1910 the Macao Government found that they were not making as much out of the Farm as they had been offered in April, 1909.

They had only local consumption to rely on which could not exceed 130

chests per annum with a danger of smuggling from neighbouring ports.

They decided to ask for tenders for a new farm from August 1st., 1910.

The conditions laid down were at the moment in fact immaterial; there

appeared no possibility of the Farmer being able to use anything like

the quantity to which he was limited. The tenderers had nothing to rely

on. The price of raw opium had gone up considerably. In April, 1909,

the price of Patna Opium was 8945.00. In July, 1910, the price was

82,125.00 per chest. The only certain market was the local one, which

could not exceed 130 chests per annum. There was also the Mexican market,

but at that time Macao had no connection with it. The price tendered for

the farm must be taken as fairly reasonable.

6. During the period of this farm 1910-1913 the situation changed very completely. In the first place the Mexican Market developed considerably possibly some of the imports being destined for the American market. A considerable trade also sprang up from organised smuggling into American and Manila ports. Both these items widened the market for the liacao farm. A far greater effect was produced by the distinction between certified and un-certified opium after the agreement of 1911. The price of certified opium went up and that of uncertified opium dropped to half the value of the certified. The Macao Farmer could therefore