CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 484

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$ further 46. In the year B.B. 2462 (1919-20) there increase of revenue due to the rising of the lie.nso feus on retail shops, as it s rlized that the 1ergs, profit

tho dross loft in the pipus hich the rutilers made on es out of proportion to the carital invested by them in the business.

47. The total ocium revenue traent obt-inud by tieris per annum, end over 20 million. the Government

large percentage of the genugete revenue As this forns ; of the country, it is important to consider how the regis-

111 affect it. tration of shok e rs

43. From the gradually increasing control now excreisod over retailers am the gonorel knor) off, of the opium tredo thereby rondered possible, it is know that a large cert of the crusont srles is ande to persons not really addict- od to the drug, end it is believed that these will neither enter opium shops to smoke, nor apply for registration es hone smokors, As soon as registration is put into foruc, the sale of ocium to this class ill probably stop, caus- ing an immediate drop to the extent of 25% to 30% of the

This ill moan a reduction of 25% of the total sh ks. rovonue from opium, rotresenting a sum of at least 5 mil- lion ticals.

49.

The Go crnment does not regard with any &PTO- hension the gradual reduction of revenue duo to the darth, &c, of registered smokers, looking is it docs, to increase from other sources of revenue to replace that lost under ocium.

But a sudden drop of 5 million ticals in one yoor

The country is quite another matter and it would be a continued one which could only he act by extra taxation.

has, however, suffered a severe sct-back financielly from the disastrous crop failure of 1919, which hes severely strained the resources of the Stato, and from which it will

This fret procludes the oos-

et present, take several years to recover, sibility of the incre-se in ordinary taxation since a very large majority of the population is of tho

In R.E. 2461 Agricultural class "hỏ 1 ready contributo e consiMorable percentage of the revenue from taxation, (1916-19), the retual revenue from Lend (almost entirely -gricultur:1), Greitation tax, end Export duties. all fall- ing ergely on the ericultural class, realized ʼn totrl of :bout 20 million ticals.

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It would thus such that ny frush taxation to be reised should bear on the "hol, coculation and, if possiblo, more hurvily on the non-agriculturists who are at crosent

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