CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 644

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PREPARED OPIUM. Raw opian is imported into Sia

to be turned into prepared onium by the Goverment factory in Bangkok for smoking purposes. The Siare ge Government has stead- fastly kept before it the necessity of making the onopoly of opium as complete and as effective as possible because, in its opinion, this is a necessary requisite to any effective policy of regulation or suppression. By treaty, Sian has substantial ly the sole right to import opium. In the past it has fared out the right of emifacture and sale, but it has been the policy of the Government in recent times, to enforce its c: ntrol by taking into its own hands the complcte process of import, "a mufacture and sale. Many of the farms had already been taken over at the time of the Shanghai Commission, and it was then

The Government hoped to take over the remainder within the year.

has since been able to abolish the farming system in the rovinces of Prachin, Udon and Pukot, and the supply of opium in the above -entioned provinces has been brought under the direct control of the Government. But this procèse has not been completed because the Govornxat is awaiting the complction of the plant

is deno for packing 19nufactured opium in collapsible tubes, a s in the Netherlands Indies.

When this is done, as legitimate opium can only be the found in those tubes, and as those tubes cannot be refilled, Government will have a far more perfect test for the detection of contraband oplysthan has existed under the former practice But oven in of testing ooiu" by the tests of exocrt sokers. those provinces where the farming system is still in use, the old

The old fashioned firefs no por ore of the farers are gonc.

Buen rooliced by sub-farors (Sa Kong longer oxiet⚫ They have S1), whose areas of work we limited to one "uang district only, whose powers are 11mited and who are under the control of the Governo nt.

The factory for producing opiur: packed in tubes, according to the now syetc, is now

(financial year. expcotod te be working, so tie in ung construction and is 1911-12). Then this blent is completed, the sub-les900s of the opium farm will be done away with. In this anner, the Govern- ment hopes to secure complete control of the port, mufacture and sale of opiu¬ throughout the Kingdon.

In the meantime, the number of eplu: shops has been greatly reduced. In the city of Bangkok it is limited to 200. The exact figures are as follows:-

Opium retail shops previously existing Abolished in h.2, 128 (1909-10)

729

678

....

Remaining

Now Government Depots erected

Now in existence

51

141

1921

Note: In B. E. 2462 (1919-20) this number was reduced to 183

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