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(h) Section li...
14.
I have care fully considered this section in the light of the representations which have been made in the cases of the S.9. Have stein and the S.8.Haruna Maru (vide corre spondence ending with your telegram of the 25th of July, 1925) and in the case of the S.S.Amazon Meru.
I have considerable doubts whether the retention, in its
pre samt form, of a provision where by a person who may have had no connection whatever with any offence is made
liable to a heavy fine, merely because a parcel of illicit drugs may have been found on the ship, is de fensible. I am accordingly in communication with the
Home Office and the Board of Trade in the matter, and I '
hope to be in a position to address you in regard to this
Section in a separate despatch at an early date.
(1) Section 21, makes it an offence for any person
in the Colony "other than a person licensed under this
Ordinance" to procure or deal in or to offer to deal in
any deleterious drug elsewhere than in the Colony, but
the Ordinance does not appear to contain any provision
for the issue of a licence for the carrying on of such
transactions. As such traffic may be perfectly
legitimate, I see no reason why provision should not be
made for the issue of much licences. I consider however
that the appropriate licencing authority for this
murpose would be the Colonial Secretary who would of cours
not issue a licenos unless he were satisfied that the
applicant for such a licence was a fit and proper person
(or firm) and that the drugs in which he proposed to deal
were not intended for the illicit market.
(j)