458
for the British Government at the appro-ching
Conference on opium szoking in the Far East to defend
the position hitherto taken up that the existing system
of control in HongKong is the only one suitable to the
local conditions and is working satisfactorily, that
the arrangements while providing for the needs of the
casual and temporary population which is always passing
into and out of HongKong, has been successful in
restricting the consumption per head to a very small
figure and enabled the authorities to keep the opiur
habit within bounds. It is difficult to urge the
necessity of providing for the needs of the floating
population as an argument against the introduction of say,
a licensing system when it has to be admitted that
under the present system that part of the population
is not under any real control.
4. It has been submitted to me that both the classes
of persons referred to in 2 would be equally well provided
for under a system of registration of confirmed opium.
sLokers resident in the Colony, with perhaps some adjust-
ment (which it should not be difficult to devise) to
meet the case of smokers who spend only part of their time
in the Colony, or even visit it for short periods. The only class of persons who would not be provided for
under such a system would be the casual population which drifts into and out of the Colony. In regard to them.
since they would not be on the register the purchase possession and use of opium would be absolutely prohibited. 5. If such a system were adopted the British Govern- ment would have done everything possible to discharge its obligation under the Opium Convention.
It must be
accepted
** (x) (367078) WC. 20112/36 Gp. 140 80,000 11-20 W&S fad.