190
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Government-or by strong trade-associations, and as the quant aty
of coca leaves for export is haid down in the case of ench
?
producing country, all competition would be eliminated as far as the Tew material is concerned, The Chairman pointed out that the interests of Java plantaro necessitate the maintenance of price.. level preventing the successful competition of Peruvian and Bolivian occa leaves. Moreover, since the invention of synthetic 1. cocaino, the forcing up of the prices of coca leaf would certainly load to the appearance of this artificial product on the markot as a saleable article,
3.
It was urged that it was easier to control manufacture
of the drugs than to control export of the raw material.
4.
It was thought by one of the members that experience in his country had shown that rationing factories was perfectly possible.
K. van Wettum replied that what could be done in one State was not however possible for all the States of the world.
5.
Antther
member remarked that under this proposal smuggling, which M. van Wettum was trying to avoid, would still be possible, As to the contention that a serious restriction of production would undoubtedly encourage smuggling, two members maintained that
merely the 111icit trade at present oxisting would, at the worst,
change its character.
6.
Finally, it was considered a disadvantage that the plan would create a monopoly which would perhaps be unacceptable to certain countries. The Chairman pointed out that a monopoly was necessary if restriction in the line of the Assembly's resolution was to be carried out, and it was not fair that a country should be asked to limit the quantity of its oxports whilst another country could profit by its sacrifices.
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