CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 551

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25. The year B.E. 2462 (1919-20) as an abnormal one. The very high prices obtained for rice put plenty of money into the rockets of all persons connected with the trade, including aid/lemon and coolics, The Chineman's usual meth- od of enjoying himself when in funds is to meet his friends and smoke opium, even though he may not be addicted to the drug, much in the same way as Europeens moet and partake of alcohol. The result of this state of affairs as a consid- rahas increase in opium smoking, both in licensed promises and illicitly. The illicit consumers were well-to-do young Chinese who disliked entering opium dns, and they paid groat- ly enhanced crices to the retailers for the drug to be sold outside the orium shops. The proof required/conviction under the old lars wrs difficult to obtd n, and the penalties light. for over, rrsons under foreign jurisdiction sonetimes posed cs the omers of the places where the 11licit sale and smok- ing of opium vere carried on, end this added to the difficul- ties of riding such clacus. Nevertheless, the illicit ox- rort of orium fell off for various rersons, such as:-

(1) The increased activity of the Customs which made export more difficuAZI..

(2) The ready sale of orium in the country at enhanced prices.

(3) The lessened demand from China where opium was e- pain being produced, notebly in Szechuen Rovince,

The result of these various influences. as shown be the amount of open sold during the year B.E. 2462 (1919-20) As en increase of EX over the previous trelve montha, vide Annexe V. The quantity as, however, still 7 less than dur- ing the last year of the sub-farming svatem, viz., B.E.2450 (1917-18).

26. In the present year B.E. 2463 (1920-21) the con - ditions have been the opposite of those of the prededing one, rs the rice crop of the crevious season as a failure and the export of rice has been totally prohibited during the greater part of the year. The consequent stagnation of trade was at once reflected in the sales of opium, and it is ex- cocted that the reduction in sales as compared with the pre- vious telve monthly period, will be in the neighbourhood of 15. This diminution has afforded an excellent opportunity for judging the amount of opium ordinarily consumed by per- sons not really adicted to the drug, and in certain Pro- vinces the quantities 1lored to retailers, for sale, have been restricted,

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