CO129-506-1 Illicit opium traffic- leakage of confidential information 17-10-1927 - 10-1-1928 — Page 27

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Divan keepers with two or more convictions were deported in

large numbers, but their places were imediately filled, a divan keeper

C ld probably run a divan for some months before becoming sufficiently

known, he would then be caught, pay the small fine or serve his sentence.

open up again in the same neighbourhood as before, and run for several

monthe before being caught again. If his business was sufficiently

lucrative to enable him to pay out "hush" money, he would be assured ofa

considerable run, before some person who had not bee sufficiently si-

lenced directed the attention of this department to his operations.

OPIUM IN CHINA.

The system in force varied ap-

With the establishment of a stronger Government in the provinc

of Kwongtun, the control of the trade in opium was placed on a more

regular footing. In former years the taxation of opium, though univerg

was in the hands of the local military officer, who held sway for the

time being in the locality, and who had to find some means of paying his

troops, and accumulating a nest-egg for himself against the day never

far distant when he himself would be supplanted. During the year the

control of opium taxation appears from the documents examined to have

been in process of being regularised.

parently from place to place, but Canton appears to have had some power

over the local monopoly. ▲ bureau called the "Bureau for the suppressior

of opium" functioned in most places" and let out various monopolies to

the highest bidder. The bureau did not themselves deal in opium. The

following types of monopolies were noticed during the year, (a) import,

(b) export, (c) preparing, (a) selling raw opium, (e) selling prepared

opium, (f) collecting transit fees on opium passing between various area.

The monopay in any line might be given for a special distact of a small

size, or the Bureau might grant the monopoly for the whole district

under its charge to 2 contractor who would sublet the smaller districts

to others. Opium revenue labels issued by the monopoly of the district of 20 On, the district conterminous with the New Territory, stated that the Government would abolish opium within 4 years, but the label did not state when this period would begin The undertaking has not been noticed on any other of the numerous opium revenue labels examined during the

year.

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