The Opium Monopoly Bureau was formed oh November 3, 1932 and the opium law was promulgated on November 30, 1932. The idea of the law was to check opium traffic and opium use gradually by means of rationing system which has been carried out more or less successfully in Formosa and the Kwantung Leased Territory. The motive was not into cultivate poppies and manufacture opium. The place most utilized for opium growing is Jehol Province. Opium cultivation except where expressly ordered is absolutely for-hidden. The opium manufactured is purchased by the Government at a set range of prices, according to grade. Last year the price was one Y.50 per liang.
The opium is distributed—to authorized dealers in ten leading Cities. of the country. These are wholesalers and they, in their turn pass it over to about 1,200 authorized retail dealers. The police examine addicts and where they consider it necessary issue certificates to allow of opium use on account of health. At the end of 1934 certificated opium users numbered over 99,000. It is to these only that retail opium dealers can sell at a fixed price.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.