The San Francisco call., 1910-01-23
By Lindsay Campbell

the same size and shape as q
n deck of playing cards. The dif-
ference between its cost IN
Shanghai and its selling value IN San
Francisco is about $50. It can be
bought in Shanghai as easily as a
bunch OF flowers can be purchased IN
san Francisco and may be sold here,
at the aforementioned profit, as easily
as it can be bought in Shanghai. A
deck Of cards. or even two or three
decks, may be so disposed about the
person that its bulk viii attract no
attention, even Il the person whose at
tention is undesirable may be specially
detailed by the government of the
United States TO detect and investigate
all irregular bumps and knobs in the
raiment Of those who pass before him
What is true Of cards is true Of opium,
and with the additional incentive of
that $50 profit. the operation of stow
ing contraband becomes an art.
Il ~ Because it seems so easy and is
so profitable that the smuggling of
opium into this country from the orient
has developed into a steady business
IN which there are SO many engaged
that the total amount brought in is
large, even if the efforts Of the in
dividual smugglers are limited to a
few tins at time.
opium was never worth so much in
this country as it is now. and the price
here is steadily soaring. The cost in
Shanghai remains about the same
more profit for the sInuggler. In
creased profit incites the smuggler TO
greater effort and calls for extra vig4-
lance on the part OF the customs off,
GERS.
The United States recently Joined
with other powers in an effort to wipe
out the practice OF smoking opium.
Americas contribution to this inter
national program of reform was the
passage OF law forbidding the i'm
portation into this country of opium
prepared for smoking. To make the
law effective congress provided severe
penalties for those found guilty OF
breaking It, and further TO aid in the
work OF suppression decreed that the
possession should constitute a felony.
There was a large quantity OF opium
here in bond and more on the way to
this country when the law was passed,
and as laws may not work backward
the importers were allowed to pay the
duty and take the drug. This stock
Of legally imported opium is rapidly
,s-t-
converted into dreams increases the
value Of the unsmoked residue as,
when it is gone. nobody may legally
have any more The only opium then
on the market will be smuggled opium,
and as handling that viii be as risky
ap undertaking for the man who sells
as for the man who buys hitting the
pipe in a few months IS going to be
an expensive luxury.
Theoretically. there will be no more
opium The opium smoker, however,
values his dreams more than either
money or liberty, and as long as that
is the case there Will be men prepared,
al a price. 70 let him dream again.
In the past there have been rings
well organized that handled contraband
opium on large scale. In those days,
however. there was no law against fits
Importation IN the regular way. and
large quantities could be placed on the
market without attracting too much
attention In those days. moreover.
opium factories were running full blast
IN British Columbia There was plenty
Of It. and the means of getting It here
were innumerable.
Now, however. the only opium man
ufaotured is turned out In the orient.
British Columbia having closed down