CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 633

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631

15.

If this vir be recepted, an increase of lightly taxed. Customs Autics on imrorted goods tould appear to nout the ould fill on all curch-scra of Case, since its incidence issorted goods and, largoly, on the non-gricultural class of the copulation. The vorige value of gururl intorts in normal years may be taken at about 20 million ticals, on which there is 37 duty - valorum", bringing in

If the duty are raised to 10%, the in- 2,400,000 ticals. creasul revenue from this source would make up for the do- ficit from opium, but under the Tructius with Foreign Porers, Sian cannot make any changes in the Customs teriff without thoir con sent, The want of rover to re-adjust hor rovenues as required, is one of the reasons which may deter this country from outting into force the measures having for their object the registration of snokdrs.

Estimated Number of Opium Snok-rs.

51. In the absconce of rugistration of smokers, it is

arrive at an exact calculation of of course impossible to the number of smokers, but a maximum figure cen crsily be worked out on the following besis:~

The amount of orium sold per annum is now not more than 2,000,000 tamlungs. The average consumption of s smoker is about one trmlung per month, or not Juss than ten tamlungs per year. At this rate, the number of smokers would be 200,000, which is 21/2) of the porulation of a millions. Out of this number the Chinese form quite an appreciable

It is proportion, estimated t from 20 to 25 per cent. certainly the fact that when one enters an opium shop in

the smokers will bo a ell-populated tom, about half aeon to bo Chinese, and in Bangkok city, specially, a large number of shops re bebronised almost exclusively by Chinose.

52.

Table I, Annoxo VII,

throws an interesting light

on this metter. It shows, by provinces, the total male coculation, the number and rercentage of male Chinese to- gothor with the total amount of orium sold and the con-

Very for sumption pour cacita for B.L. 2462 (1919-20).

It will rs & rule be women smoke ocium in this country. found that the consumtion per capita is highost whero the Chinese coculation is largest.

The total melc Chinese (end Shan) population is 206,607, and of this number probably 20 to 25, consuns opium, which would put the number of those foreign consumers at 40,000 to 50,000 - figuro equivalent to 20 to 25 er cent of the total number of consumers.

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The measures to

be taken

by this Government for the suppression of smoking will, therefore, be for the bercfit not only of the indigenous population but of the foreign clonents as roll.