267
7. Though there is a great demand for licences to sell Government Opium the Geneva number of retail shops licensed for the whole Colony is now seventy, these being dis- Art. 4. tributed as under:
The island of Hong Kong
Kowloon Urban area
New Territory and country districts
30
22.
18
8. The purchase and sale of "dross", otherwise than by the Government Geneva S. monopoly, is prohibited by Regulation made by the Governor in Council on the 28th Art. 5. September, 1925.
9. The export of raw opium from and its transit through or trans-shipment in Geneva the Colony is governed by the provisions of section 4 of the Opium Ordinance, 1923, Art. 6. as amended by Ordinance No. 7 of 1924, and sub-section 4 of that section calls for the production of an import certificate, issued by the Government of the importing country, as required by Article 6 (3) of the Geneva Convention.
In the case of opium destined for Macao a further precaution is provided in the prohibition of issue of the export permit without the express authority of the Governor.
Section 20 of the Opium Ordinance, 1923, totally prohibits the export of prepared opium, save as to a small quantity in the personal possession of a passen- ger which is allowed for his consumption during the voyage.
10. The use of opium is denounced in the schools of the Colony and pupils Geneva are warned against it.
In view of the illiteracy of the labouring classes the Government considers that there would be little to be gained by the dissemination of admonitory literature.
Art. 7.
11. The Government has always been willing to give its utmost assistance to Geneva other Governments in the suppression of illicit traffic and, when consulted, has gladly Art. 8. given all available information.
12. By section 38 (1) of the Opium Ordinance, 1923, every person who in Geneva the Colony aids, abets, counsels or procures the commission in any place outside the Art. 9. Colony of any offence punishable under the provisions of any corresponding law (vide definition in section 2 (2)) in force in that place or does any act preparatory to, or in furtherance of, any act (wherever to be committed) which if committed in the Colony would constitute an offence against the Ordinance is made guilty of an offence against the Ordinance and is punishable accordingly.
13. The penalties imposed by the Opium Ordinance for the more serious in- Penakies. fringements of the law are exceedingly drastic.
Fines can for certain offences be imposed up to $5,000.00 coupled with im- prisonment for one year, and, where specific penalties are not imposed for breaches of particular sections, a fine of $2,000.00 or ten times the value of the opium seized, whichever fine may be greater, can be imposed in addition to imprisonment.
Under these provisions fines up to $50,000.00 have been imposed and a fine of $10,000.00 is not unusual.
The Government, moreover, in suitable cases, exercises its powers in that be- half and banishes offenders. 666 persons were banished in 1927 for offences rela- tive to opium.
14. A good grade of opium is sold by the Government at the very high price Frice. of $14.50 per tael and severe penalties are visited on all those who are found to be trafficking in or using other opium.