CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 624

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22. The number of shops retailing orium, hich at the beginning of B.E. 2460 (1917-18) stood at over 3,100 for the hole kingdom, was reduced to 2,433 by the end of thet Teer, and the folloding successive reductions have since been effected:-

Year

Letter half of B.E. 2461 (1918-19)

"S

R.E. 2462 (1919-20)

R.L. 2463 (1920-21)

of shops

1,639

1,233

1, 028.

since the

From the above figures it will be seen thet complete abolition of the farming systen in B.E. 2461 (1918- 19). the number of ortum shops has been reduced by tro-thirds.

23. Another obiect aimed at by these changes as the crevention of the snuggling of opium out of the country.

sub-Formers apparently already explained in cere 19, the found it reld them to excort orium, shce the w ofit they nade on such operations Es crobably presuer then that allow ed by the Government on lepitinete sales in the country, and they had facilities and connections which rendered it easy With the sub-Fermers for them to so dispose of the oriun, abolished, it & hoped that retailers ho naturally dealt in smaller quantities and who had to obtain their supplies -ould not be able to engage in direct from the Nai Aathura out "Erd snuggling to any considerable extent, especially sa the mofit hich they obtained from the cross left in the

Joreover, a sup- cloes by their customers "as a good one.

lementary lay as enacted limiting to one tealung the Bmount

hich any person might have in his cog- of Government orium

The object of this enactment session ithout a license, #hich as brought out tending the issue of a concrehend ve

s to facilitate seizure -bove one taulung nev ocium Jez,

horever found, since it is not stay to prove intention to

as fixed for the convenience export. The limit of one tamlung

of travellers who might bo bone fide ocium snokers.

1

24. The results of these neesures are not.serhaps

The incressed Pifficulties in the ́s arcet as enticipften, Tay of export 1:00 neocle milling to cay the ovium retailers still higher criacs te ovde the rules under "hich they were permitted to sull for consumptian on the premises only.

by the Customs, as shown in scite, therefore, of acizures

In

Teblo II, Annexe IV. the export continued to some extent. It is clor, hovovor, that the nor surus adopted did have some effect ance the final result, as shown by the total quantity

daercase of over of ocium sold in B. L. 2461 (1918-19) 9s compared ith the crevious tclvo nonths. Vids Annexo V.

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