28
accept the lowest estimate of the legitimate requirements of the non-China markets, namely, 14,000 chests annually, although evidence was produced to the effect that 16,000 chests would not be too high a figure, and to refuse to permit exports in excess of that amount, In 1912 the number of chests was cut down to 13,200.
In 1915 the Government of India embarked upon a policy of entering into agreements with the Governments of importing countries for the direct supply of the bulk of the opium 'requirements of those countries. These Goveruments are thus made publicly responsible for limiting their imports to the legitimate requirements of the territories under their control, and for the prevention of re-export. The system has the further advantage of eliminating the possibility of smuggling in respect of the greater part of Indian exports. Agreements of this kind are now in force with Hong Kong, the Straits Settlements (whose requirements include the Federated Malay States). * British North Borneo, Ceylon, the Dutch East Indies and Stani. Efforts are at present being made to extend the system to the remaining importers of Indian opium, Japan, French Indo- China and Portugal (for Macao), and, if these attempts are successful, the disposal of opium by public auction at Calcutta will in all probability cease. The agreements contain a clause that the importing Government is not bound to take a minimum quantity of opium. Exports to the Portuguese Colony of Macao are at present regulated by a Treaty of 1913 with Portugal, prescribing maximum limits for the amount of Indian opium which may be imported by the opium farmer at Macao, but this Treaty was denounced on behalf of His Majesty's Government by the British Minister at Lisbon on the 4th February 1922. The denunciation takes effect one year from that date, when the amount of Indian opium which may be annually exported to Macao will be subjected to a lower limit than the present one of 500 cheats.
More than three-quarters of the total exports are now sent direct to responsible Governments, and the amount of opium sold by auction at Calcutta, which was 48,000 chests in 1901, fell to 19,840 in 1912, and in 1921 amounted to 705 chests only. Even in respect of this small quantity importing Governments have full power of control, and the Government of India would willingly co-operate in any measures suggested by those Governments in order to make that control more effective.
The table on page 27 gives details of exports to a number of countries since the year 1870, and shows both the enormous diminution of the trade and its present exiguous proportions. The column for China includes also Hong Kong and Macao, and the figures for the years 1914-20 represent exports to those Colonies. As stated above, no Indian opium has been exported to China proper since 1913. The increasing figures for the United Kingdom from 1913 onwards represent medicinal needs
1909-10
1910-11
1911-12 ;
[912-13
821'A
6,684
880'C
*EXER SETTI
མྦཱཎྜ བ;
Year.
uפנו
nients. (eding Bottle- Kong wo
*China Kiraits
East
Man-
ritius.
Natal. Aden. Ceylon.
union.
Africa,
1870-71
Chests.
77,105
Chests.
Chests, Chesta. Chests Chests Cheats Chosts.
8,0544
01
1875-76
77,188
900'
1880-81
82,392
9,622
1885-86
70,116
10,728
1800-91
70,855
13,915
19255元
10-0061
9K-GRAT
45,617
12,520
1.6,779
-
1905-06
48,007
12,368
1906 07
50,590
12,953
1
1907-08
47.749
13, 195
60-906-1
62,758
11,468
11.174
11,140
1918-14
1914-15
1915-16
1916-17
1917-18
1918-19
1919 -20
_ ._
9838 ***** ***52 25882 8
Other
Coun
tries.
Tutal.
Year.
tralia.
ang)
p. 28.)
Chests.
Chests,
88,350 F85,518
1870-71
1875-76
[8-0981
08126
062
87,956
85,753
60,880
1885-86
16-0681
1895-96
10-0061 8OL6E
ΓΙ
538
24H
438
241
52,936 1905-06
66,274
63,760
1906-07
90-2061
27
}
TE
H
66.937
1906-09
01-6061
161 99
49,921
10%
11,006
+1-6161
t-art
31,374
1910-11
1911-12
68T 88
333 ន
11,806
1914-15
92+'It
1915-16
12,829 | 1916–17
13.802
1917 18
14,828
600'01
1918-19
1019-20
}
This column i
Kong and Macao alone.
relate to exports to Hot Exports to mong kong and Macao. Export to China was stopped altogether in 1913, and the figlires from that time onwards
90
S.
罩
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