CO129-465 - Public Offices & Others - 1920 — Page 138

von years available show that, while the consumption of opium

India has remained practically constant, the "exoise" reveme rived therefrom which is not in fact the whole revenue

increased from 155 lakhs to 211 lakhs.

137

A similar argument applies in the case of the export traffic.

C

• Govt. of India have for the past seven years

clition of the China traffic

eir sales of opium to Eastern countries. This limit is 13,200 este a year; and it compares with an annual export of something

er 16,000 chests a year prior to the cessation of the China

ade.

ever since the

imposed a voluntary limit on

It will be obvious that the more revenue this export trade

ings in, the higher the cost of Indian opium will be to the

sumer; and the less inducement there will be for him to increase

sumption.

A concrete illustration will make the position clear

en the war broke out, opium for export brought in about Rs. 1500......j chest (say) £100; the price at the latest sale was approximately

6000. That is, for the same quantity exported, the revenue is

quadrupled, if expressed in rupees; and is approximately seven

es the former amount, if expressed in sterling. This brief

umé of the position will show how entirely incorrect Miss La

te's argument.

4. The main features of the export trade in opium

(1) India voluntarily gave up a revenue, amounting

or millions sterling a year, to assist China in her polià

mping out the use of opium.

(II) whatever the causes may be, it is now clear th

•

um is being extensively grown in China; and it seems pr

at the drug is now being used there almost as freely as i

ère India made this heavy sacrifice on China85 behalg.

(III) These sales are, so far as that is possible,

rect to the Govt. of the consuming countries. The responsib

their limiting their demands to II legitimate requirements, and for

Prenting re-export is thus placed, clearly and definitely, on

** Govts., who alone are in a position to guage the demand, to

it their imports accoddingly, and to prevent exports. The Govt.

:0.

ed

dve

FEE

12