CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 546

544

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**

1.

. . Add at steriut te youtarod and to m mongold and stud tavond van ruiq9 1.1? Jou

Covidielyg dugara irita : díjá dæmum-vor „teuonue na daw m jana wad 10 anizidinesq

billy of barst su giALAMEN

VJaluq „mi e vil buc

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Inormovat und 94 mus dev li ei mutni qriy et

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JA SLO

MJ UNAJIBaso e Jl

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4 að að malgs vir að úr homes. yot

ZABALIJU

$ ...13

* pond at 516-

2.

The Profit ghich the Farmer allowed to the sub-Farmer 're usually one ticel rer tamlung, or tael (37.5 grams, vide section 3 of Ocium Lew, B.L. 2464). The retailer, es a rule,

es allowed only a snail crofit on the price of the opium sold by him the major part of his profits being obtained from the sale of the "dross" or ashes left in the opium cipes by consumers. (Vide also paras 53-55).

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6. The methods described above were in use for a very long period and the profits obtained by the Opium Ferners vere large des be the considerable revenue raid to the Government. Vide Annexe VIII.

7. At the beginning of this century a strong movement was started for the suppression of opium smoking, notably by certain interests in the United States of America, which coun-

The views try was faced with the troblem in the Rippines. of the Anti-(pium League were als recresented in the British House of Commons. As a result of this movement the Govern- ment of the Philippine Islands, in 1903, appointed a Commission under Bishop Brent to investigate the conditions of the opium traffic in different countries in the East. (They did not visit Siam). In 1904 this Commission cresented its report, which recommended, inter alia, that prohibition should be made ef- fective in the Insular territories within three years,

8. The Government of the Philippines accepted the find- ings and recomendations of this Commission to a large extent and strict prohibitory law came into force on Ierch 1st, 1908. They readized, however, that a prohibitory law would be large- ly nug-tory if snuggling from other countries could not be effectively prevented, and that for this purpose the co-opera-

There appears tion of the exporting countries was necessary.

to bo no doubt that this conviction led to the United States of America being the prime movor in calling an International Commission to meet at Shanghai in February, 1900.

9. While those cvonts wore taking place, the Siamese Government had also realized the trond of modern opinion, and

The hed ducided to adopt a policy of gradual suppression. first stop was obviously to obtain a better control of the traffic in opiwn, and an excellent opportunity for doing so presented itself in the year 1907.

10. Owing to the bendsome trofits made by the O-ium Farmor, and the increasing crosperity d the country, competi- tion was very active at the coriodical salos of the Fam arri cvor larger amounts were offered for the rights conferred by the monopoly. In 1906 this resulted in an onormous sum boing

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