CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923 — Page 300

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Gov. 18259/22

MEMORANDUM.

THE LEGITIMATE OPIUM REQUIREMENTS OF HONG KONG.

I.

Hong Kong gets its supply of raw Opium direct

from the Government of India, the conditions of the

supply at present being regulated by an Agreement which

was renewed as from 1.1.21. for a period of 5 years.

By the terms of this Agreement the Government of Hong Kong

is under no obligation to take a minimum quantity of

raw opium; the requirements for any year must be

intimated to the Government of India by the 15th of

September in the preceding year; a fixed amount is to be

notice

supplied month by month, six months/being given of any

increase or decrease.

Statistics of

quantities of rawopium

imported and boiled, and of chandu sold for the years

1916-1921 are given in the following table.

No. of chests

Amount boiled

imported.

by Government

monopoly chesta)

Amount of prepared opium sold (Taels)

1916

360

365

459682

1917

420

352

469668

19 19

450 360(7+96)

539

639684

1919

540

377

457968

1920

180

228

1921

120

211

? 2002

294376

26 2805

1922

150

311

370332

1.0.33137/22.

(Note: In addition to the opium imported from India,

the Hong Kong Government uses a certain amount of

confiscated opium and also occasionally purchase a small

quantities locally).

Arrangements were made for the same amount of

opium to be supplied in 1922 as in 1921 (i.e. 10 chests

per month), but in July 1922 the Government of India

reported

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