The morning call., 1893-01-07
Phelps Declares an Opium
Law Useless.
WANTS THE TAX REIMPosED
He Says There Is a Large Increase in
the Use of the " Dope Because
of the Stamp Law.

Kinley bill, is imperative aud dangerous.
The law went into effect on October l. 1890.
Since that time the Government has not
sold one cent of stamps, although S5O0,O0O
worth lie idle in the safe of the revenue
agent at the Appraisers building.
Collector Phelps says the law is useless,
and he has cone all he u d to have the tax
reimposed. Revenue Agent Thomas says 1t
was a mistake 10 take the tax OF.
Both say the result is 10 increase the
opium evil.
Notwithstanding the exodus of Chinese
and no one can deny that fact" said
Collector of the Port Phelps yesterday,
''the importation of opium is on the in
crease.
There Is no doubt about it," continued
the head of the Custon-house as he leaned
back in his chair and scanned paper ID
his hand which contained a number OF
figures. &c.
ished computing Dumbe4 of figures about
this opium business. You can see the blotter
has just been used on this paper. Now mere
is the first knowledge that could ba obtained
for the year 1892 OF tie quantIty OF smoking
opium imported. The figures have just been
added for the different months. and we
have a total of rs, 267 pounds for the year.
"What was the amount imported in 1891 ?''
was asked.
'Our records show that 63 ,1S9 pounds
were brought 10 this port in that year, +"
said the Collector, (which makes an increase
of over 10000 pounds for 1892 and the
Chinese have not only left this city IN num-
bers, but a great many have returned to
China. Why. during this last year, and l
have Just computed the number, ZZ45
Chinese arrived and 65ll departed. The use
Of opium is certainly en- the increase.
"Yo on ask for the figures for some years
back? Well, here they are, and you can
compare them 1885, 81, QUO pounds 1856. IS, Geo
pounds; 1887, $1,000 pounds; 1855. $1,000
pounds; 1889, 44,6l4 pounds; 1890, 61,778
pounds; 1884, G3. le2 pounds; 1892, 1926
pounds.
Nov to understand these latter figures
and to see that the importation is on tie
increase one must have some knowledge OF
the changes in the tariff laws. Bat before
We enter into this you must take n0je or the
seizures during the year, which amounted
10 1910 pounds, valued at Sos, l52 90. HE
daty on the prepared opium imp orted
brought the Government S619,204 Just
think Of it. almost a million dollars OF duty
on the drugl Il did more han millions
worth Of evil, though" said the Collector
as he fingered the paper in his hand. D.
der the present law there Is no duty on
crude opium that is landed at tile port Of
entry. None of this comes from China and
II is principally landed in New Orleans
This crude opium comes from Persia and
Turkey. There is no tax on the Importation
Of the drug in a crude form, but there is an
internal revenue tax Of SO pound on the
manufacture of the crude opium into smok-
ing opium. This is according to the tariff
law which went into effect on October l,
1890"
How much has been collected in internal
revenue taxes on this manufactured
GDium?" inquired the reporter.
"Not dollar, not one cent. although it
has been manufactured by the thousands OF
pounds" said the Collector. "Ihe reason is
because it is manufactured surreptiuously
and you can't catch them at 1t.
Before the law went into effect taking
off the duty about 100, 900 pounds Of crude
Orium were imported al this port. Now,
there being no duty on it. we have no
means Of knowing how many pounds are
brought mere, but from all indications it is
considerably more, so the Chinese are man
uiactuTing crude opium into smoking opium
all over the State This crude opium comes
here nov f~om Wv York and New Orleans
SIS the ports OF entry.
This manufactured opium is not as good
as the Hong Kong prepared opium, but 1t
has large sale. Il does not cost more than
s. 10 buy an outfit 10 boil IL, and the i'm pie
ments Of a factory can easily be seereted.
when you consider" said the Collector,
'tbat most Of this crude manufactured OPT
that which pays duty al This port, you can
see how great the amount is that is placed
on the market The fact Of tho Chinese
disappearing does not cut any figure In the
matter. The increase goes on just the
SAME, 80 the consumption must be On the
increase among the whites"
do you think that the increased con-
sumption is principally in California;"
Yes, l believe so. Some time ago con-
siderable amount CT opium was seiZsd and
offered for sale al Ogden. There was no
demand for it there. The opium was brought
10 this city and readily sold. OF course. up
In Seattle, Portland and Tacoma opium is
generally sold at the same place where it is
seized. But considerable finds its way to
Sa Francisco, which seems to be the mar
ket and headquarters OF the opium market.
''W no smokes ell these thousands of
pounds OF opium | don't know" said the
Collector, but the vice seems to be on the
increase. The taking Of the duty of crude
opium should have naturally decreased the
importation Of prepared opium. but on the
contrary the importaiions have increased.
Again, The decrease, which is a very large
one among the Chinese, should have tended
TO decrease the importation OF the drug, but
Ii has not done go, according to our record.
who then is responsible for the in
crease and who is using all this oplum?"
asked the Collector.
The reporter next paid visit to Internal
the opium cases affected by the law which
went into effect on October /, 1890.
Il have In that safe over there" said
Agent Thomas, 'S500,000 or half million
dollars, worth Of stamps so be used at the
rate of $40 a pound on opium manufactured
from the crude material Thousands Of
-pounds OF crude opium have come to this
city aid are continually coming. 1t is being
manufactured by the crafty Chinese into
prepared smoking opium by boiling it and
mixing it with the crude opium.
but / have not sold single stamp Dur
ing my term Of Office out Of The half million
in that large safe there" said Agent Thomas
dreariy.
''Since the law went into effect there nave
not been any authorized legal opium fac
tories run In this city. Surrep:itiousiy must
admit there have been many Of them. The
bond for running an opium factory where
crude opium is turned into smoking opium
is $4,000, which is increased in proportion to
the output Of the mandatory.
Before the law went into effect there
were sixteen opium factories running in this
city making smoking opium out of the crude
imported stuff. Now there is not one run
penny. Before they had no tax TO pay.
Wit is $40 pound internal revenue tax.
ou ask why they have been able to
the lawP The reason is this: The
ason is the smallness of the reward
oTming against opium factories. The
IS Inspectors get 1913 per cent of each
the revenue informant get 10 per
,pu must remember though that a
ve-fuTnace factory only costs $50.
.Grineipaily OF copper kettles ana
me opium manufactured is al
in another place, and when a
,Zed the informant generally
o SO for his pains. Again. on
le cheapnesS Of the outfit, they
-. move their factories rapidly from place
to place. They are principally manufacture
ing crude opium now up in the tule lands
along the San Joaquin ard Sacramento
ers. took naphtha launch not long ago
s. Il T. -