CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 620

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The profit which the Farmer allored to the sub-Parmer vide rs usually one ticel rer tanlung, or tael (37.5 grams,

retailer, es a rule, section 3 of Ocium Ler, B.b. 2464). The

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tes allowed only a small 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 pipes by consumers. (Vide also paras 53-55).

6. The methods described above were in use for a very long period and the profits obtained by the Opium Farmers considerable revenue raid to the

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large despite the Govern rent. Vide Annexe VIII.

7. At the beginning of this century a strong movement was started for the suppresion 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 liprines.

of the Anti-Ccium League wore als represented 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,

. The Government of the Philippines accepted the find- ings and recommendations of this Commission to a large extent and & strict prohibitory law came into force on leroh 1st, 1906. They reedized, however, that a prehibitory law would be large- ly nugstory if snuggling from other countries could not be offectively prevented, and that for this purpose the co-opera-

There appears tion of the excorting countries was necessary. to be no doubt that

this conviction led to the United States

of America being the prime mover in calling an International Commision to meet at Shanghai in February, 1909.

9. While those cvents oro taking place, the Siamese

Tho Government had also realized the trend of modern opinion, and hed ducided to adopt a policy of gradual suppress ion. first stop was obviously to obtain a better control of the traffic in opium, and an excellent opportunity for doing so presented itself in the year 1907.

10. Owing to the handsome rrofits made by the Oxium Farmer, and the increasing prosperity ₫ the country, competi- tion was very active at the periodical salos of the Farm and over larger emounts were offered for the rights conferred by the monopoly. In 1906 this resulted in an enormous sum being