repare 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
Japa