The Opium Monopoly

II The Indian Opium Monopoly

Let us quote from another dry official record, of unimpeachable veracity—the Statesman’s Year-Book, for 1916. On page 140, under the heading of The British Empire: India and Dependencies, we read: “Opium. In British territory the cultivation of the poppy for the production of opium is mainly restricted to the United Provinces, and the manufacture of the opium from this region is a State monopoly. A limited amount is also grown in the Punjab for local consumption and to produce poppy seeds. In the monopoly districts the cultivator receives advances from Government to enable him to prepare the land for the crop, and he is bound to sell the whole of the produce at a fixed price to Government agents, by whom it is despatched to the Government factory at Ghazipur to be prepared for the market. The chests of manufactured opium are sold by auction in Calcutta at monthly sales. A reserve is kept in hand to supply the deficiencies of bad seasons, and a considerable quantity is distributed by the Indian excise departments. Opium is also grown in many of the Native States of Rajputana and Central India. These Native States have agreed to conform to the British system. No opium may pass from them into British territory for consumption without payment of duty.

“The bulk of the exports of opium from India has been to China. By arrangements with that country, the first one being in 1907, the exports from India have been limited, and provision made for the cessation of the export to China when the native Chinese production of opium shall be suppressed. The trade with China is now practically suspended.”

The important things to notice in the above statement are these: The growing of poppies, the manufacture of opium, and the monthly auction sales continue. Also, the opium trade with China is practically at an end. The history of the opium traffic in China is a story complete in itself and will be dealt with in another chapter. At present, we must notice that the trade with China is practically suspended, but that the British Government is still auctioning off, once a month at Calcutta, great quantities of opium. Where does this opium go—who are the consumers? If not to China, then where?

The same reliable authority, the Statesman’s Year-Book for 1918, has this to say on the subject. On page 130 we read: “Opium: In British territory the cultivation of the poppy for the production of opium is practically confined to the United Provinces, and the manufacture of opium from this region is a State monopoly. The bulk of the exported opium is at present either sent to the United Kingdom, or supplied direct to the Governments of consuming countries in the Far East; a certain quantity is also sold by auction in Calcutta at monthly sales. Opium is also grown in many of the Native States of Rajputana and Central India, which have agreed to conform to the British system.” The following tables, taken from most reliable authority, give some idea of the exports to the “consuming countries of the Far East.” Note that Japan began buying opium in 1911-12. We shall have something to say about the Japanese smuggling later. Also note that it was in 1907 that Great Britain and China entered into agreement, the outcome to be the suppression of the opium trade in China. But see the increasing imports into the treaty ports; up till almost the very last moment British opium being poured into China. In the second table, observe the increasing importation into England, (United Kingdom), synchronous with the increased exports to Japan, which will be discussed later.

STATISTICAL ABSTRACT RELATING TO BRITISH INDIA 1903-4 TO 1912-13
EXPORTS OF OPIUM

	1903-4 £	1904-5 £	1905-6 £	1906-7 £	1907-8 £	1908-9 £	1909-10 £	1910-11 £	1911-12 £	1912-13 £
China Treaty Ports	1,610,296	1,504,604	1,130,372	1,031,065	1,215,147	2,703,871	1,234,432	2,203,670	3,614,887	3,242,902
Hongkong	3,576,431	4,036,436	3,775,826	3,771,409	3,145,403	2,230,755	3,377,222	3,963,264	3,019,858	2,400,084
Straits Settlements	1,365,743	1,262,834	1,163,529	1,150,506	1,169,018	1,032,220	1,234,763	1,692,053	1,099,801	704,870
Java	63,402	78,383	70,960	78,117	113,343	88,410	138,035	386,825	362,120	383,408
Siam	93,323	58,000	47,062	30,150	4,383	17,533	0	10,217	190,657	263,177
Macao	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	236,420
Japan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	76,817	129,545
French Indo-China	212,247	76,333	50,345	52,673	84,742	118,933	207,287	207,722	325,500	99,018
Other Countries	58,668	65,705	76,418	82,361	49,616	41,107	17,366	45,565	36,420	15,659
Total	6,980,110	7,082,295	6,314,512	6,205,281	5,781,652	6,232,829	6,209,105	8,509,316	8,726,060	7,481,088

Page 196 Table 170 Congressional Library HA 1713-A3-Ref.

From Statistical Abstract Relating to British India, 1905-6 to 1911-15.
Page 181. Table 164. Exports of Opium to Various Countries.

		1910-11	1911-12	1912-13	1913-14	1914-15
French Indo-China					£129,502	291,425
Java					472,199	282,252
Siam					164,030	204,328
China-Hongkong					1,084,093	110,712
Straits Settlements					226,500	80,572
United Kingdom		927	2,907	1,180	18,433	58,148
Treaty Ports, China					27,833	0
Macao					18,295	0
Japan					119,913	100,659
Other countries					19,223	47,543
Total	£2,280,031					1,175,639