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is in earnest in har desire to restrict the smoking of
Opium by her people she will find that the most effective
way of accomplishing her object will be by establishing
Opium Monopolies in the various Provinces thereby enhancing
the price of the drug, and by educating the rising
generation in the evil effects of over-indulgence in Opium
smoking.
3.
As far as Hongkong is concerned
the evil effects of Opium smoking are not apparent among
the Chinese population. As Captain Superintendent of Police
for 9 years and Superintendent of Victoria Gaol for 5
years, I have had exceptional opportunities of forming a
judgment in the matter. In the former capacity I came into
daily contact with scores of Chinese of all grades in the
community, and as Head of the Gaol I had charge of a daily
population of Chinese averaging over 450.
I have never met a Chinese in
Hongkong who was incapacitated from the performance of his
daily avocation by the habit of smoking Opium, and I have
never known a case in which a prisoner was unable by
reason of being deprived of the Opium pipe to undertake his
appointed task of labour immediately on admission to the
Gaol.