OPIUM-POLICY IN THE DUTCH EAST INDIES
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The use of opium has been introduced in the Dutch East Indies from elsewhere. In the last century it was limited in some districts to a few Chinese smokers, and was unknown as it were, to the natives; but in others it spread more and more. It is used, nearly exclusively, by smoking of chandu, whether or Other methods not mixed with fine cut leaves of various plants,
The
of use, as for instance, the eating of opium are very rare, clandestine use of morphine however increased in the present century.
During the Dutch East India Company regime
with which one could get opium was commonly viewed as a substance great profits, though there were some laudable exceptions. fore the Company monopolized it, where such was posible,
There-
After the downfall of the Company the different Governments of the Dutch East Indies have been keeping in mind, that it should be their duty to oppose the use of opium, where that is possible. A rigid policy in this direction however was rerely followed,
middle
The circumstances in the beginning and the of the last century did not lend themselves well to it. In different parts of the Dutch East Indies some autonomous Stetos still existed, which hadnot ceded the opium-monopoly to the Government, The attitude of those States in regard to the opium differed very much. In some the use of opium was unknown to the inhabitants. In others the prince forbade the use of opium to the majority of his subjects. But in other States, the use was vory extensive, and there the opium was viewed as good source of revenus.
a
In the Governmental districts and the Nativu States, whore the opium was coded to the Government, the Government
During the farmed it out. The farmers wore nearly all Chinamon.
19th century suvural parts of the Archipelago word altogether closed to oium. Some of those wore opened once more, aft、r the pro- hibition of opium had uxiatud some time, and whon it was ouvidunt, that the prohobition could not bu mintáinuć properly. In the frus Aruas the Governm..nt tried to limit the use of opium as far ng possibly by mans of rugulations, von in the lungus,
Ruportedly the system was changud.
On day
the Government tried to duer.nau tho us by permitting the farmers to buy a limited quantity of opium only, next day it tried to attain its and by othurmoans.