13
On the first 8 chests he paid $2,800 per chest, but
subsequent payments were at the rate of $2,530.13 per
chest, the last payment being on 27/10/24. After this
date a completely different arrangement was come to, a
fixed sum was payable every half month, payable in
advance, the first payment of $59,925 being made on
3/12/24 and this sum was paid regularly thereafter.
So far rs is known the change in the amount
paid by the Farmer was never publicly admitted; even in
April 1925 in presenting the Budget for 1925/1926, the
statement was made that the Farmer was to pay $3,000
per chest on all Indian Opium imported from outside sources, and $7,000 on that from India direct,
notwithstanding the fact that he was already paying a
fixed sum per month.
36
It is not stated how the estimate of $1,277,100
for 1925/1926 was arrived at, but this sum is only a
little short of the amount actually paid on the basis
of half monthly fixed payments of $59,925 as stated
above. The difference might be made up by certain payments in addition which were made in the nature of customary fees, receivable by the officials concerned
end not to be accounted for to the Tovernment, because when payments are recorded per chest, there is a note that the sum includes certain fees, variously described in very ambiguous terms, but which seem to signify that certain services on the part of the officials in control of the opium bureau were being remunerated in
a small way.
These extra fees were about $50.60
per chest.
No fees seem to have been paid in respect of the Persian opium, and there is only one mention made of
a fee
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