CO129-506-1 Illicit opium traffic- leakage of confidential information 17-10-1927 - 10-1-1928 — Page 28

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TUNG HING MART FOR YUNNAN OPIUM.

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Before the raw opium had been submitted to provincial taxation other than transit charges, the ruling market quotation at Tung Hing, the town situated on the French frontier of Tonking, opposite Moncay, which has become the great distributing centre for Yunnan opium, was from $1.05 to $1.10 per tael, the price varied only within small limits. Various letters examined mentioned the huge amounts of opium available at Tung Hing at any given time, about one million taols seems to have been not unusual. Taxation at this centre seems to have been rather capricious, and a complaint was noticed that certain merchants paid considerably less than others less favored. Permission had to be sought to

export large quantities, and at one time a suggestion was made to put a special tax on export, for the support of a certain local school. From Tung Hing opium was exported to Swatow and Canton direct by steamer from the nearest accessible point to the coast, & considerable trade was done with Macan and Hongkong, probably via Kwong Chow Wan since ships from Pakhoi did not come to Hongkong owing to the boycott. Hongkong firms received constant letters from this mart giving market quotations. The price of this opium landed safely here varied from $1.80 to $2.20 per tael, a common retail price for cash was $2.70 per tael, and considerably higher if credit was given.

YUNNAN OPIUM VIA TONKING.

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A proposal was put forward by Chinese merchants in Annam that the Government of Indo-China should again permit Yunnan opium to have transit facilities over the railway from Yunnan to Haiphong, and that it should there be allowed warehousing facilities under Government supervision. Negotiations were carried on apparently through certain French merchants, extra transit fee of $5,000 per ton was offered. The persons

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