CO129-453 - Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1919 [1-3] — Page 131

ون

V

800

d

31

COPY.

Enclosure 2.

122

EXPLANATORY NOTE BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF IMPORTS

AND EXPORTS.

F

The great increase in the amount of Bengal Opium boiled

and sold by the Government Monopoly in 1918 is to be attributed mainly to the fact that the (private) Opium Monopoly in the

neighbouring Portuguese Colony of Macao reached the end of its

term of years in July of that year. This Monopoly had reduced

ita stock of raw opium to a very low ebb early in the year and

had recourse to extensive adulteration with the result that

much custom was diverted to Hongkong. The new Macao Farm which

commenced on the 1st. August, 1918, (as reported in Sir Henry

May's Despatch Confidential of 25th. February, 1918) could not

possibly make ends meet without advancing the price of Prepared

Opium and on the 29th. June the Hongkong Government increased

its prices approximately $2.00 per tael to prevent unfair com-

-petition. Hongkong sales now average a little over 10,000 taela

per week.

A considerable fall in the sales of Prepared Persian

Opium will be observed for 1918. This is continuing, average

weekly sales being now only 400 to 450 taels.

(Intl.)

D. W. T..

24.1.19.

1

I

-ab-