CO129-441 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [1-3] — Page 10

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to Class II (the sub-department being at the same time created into a separate Department) on a recommendation made in my You 2223/Confidential Despatch of the 5th. June, 1913, on the subject of

bringing the Opium Monopoly under the direct control of the Government, and it was in consideration of the growth of the Department and of the revenue collected by it, of the additional work and responsibility cast upon the Head of it by the recent taxation of tobacco, and by the institution of trade statistics, or as reported in my Despatch No. 299 of the 27th, July last goo 4103less than 13 clerks exclusive of Mr. Ribeiro are now employed,

and after the war it will still be necessary to employ an equal number, for this branch of the work and of the prospective tar- -ation of salt, which I hope to be able to introduce during the current year, that I ventured to ask your sanction for raising the appointment to Class I. The additional work created by the war did not weigh with me in making this recommendation. I recognised that such work was of a temporary character.

The post was afterwards raised from Class III

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The Department now collects an enormous revenue, estimated for 1917 at 56,440,000 for opium, liquor and tobacco, under circumstances which impose very great responsibili- -ty on the Head of the Department, for the temptation to mugglers to bribe and to subordinates to accept the large bribes which the former om afford to offer, is very great; and in the case of a conscientious and zealous officer the constant danger of irregula- -rities and fraud entail much mental strain. As an instance of the bribes which smugglers of opium can afford I may mention that not long ago an offer of $3,000 a month wes made to Mr. Hutchison to induce him to connive at the monthly smuggling of a stipulater number of chests of opium through this port for importation into

China.

In my opinion the Superintendentship of Imports and Exports is now one of the most responsible posts in this service and at the same time the most unenviable. For monget

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