727
(Confidential:)
SIB,
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Enclosure in No. 255.
Chief Secretary's Office,
Sarawak, 31st October, 1929. I AM directed by His Highness the Rajah of Sarawak to acknowledge the receipt of your communication dated 25th October, 1929.
2. If this Government is able to obtain supplies of opium packed in tinfoil tubes from the Government of the Straits Settlements, the arrangement would, as pointed out in paragraph 2 of your letter, facilitate control and co-operative buying and would thus assist Sarawak to prevent smuggling and other abuses.
3. Such results are, it is submitted, amply sufficient in themselves to justify the approval of the proposed arrangement as they obviously tend to further the intentions of the Convention, but it may be desirable to give some further explanation to the Secretary of State of the actual conditions in the East.
4. Firstly, it is clear that if the Government of Sarawak obtains prepared opium from the Government of the Straits Settlements instead of buying raw opium direct from the producer, one source of possible leakage is cut out and control need be exercised over one transaction only instead of over two as before. This, in itself, is a considerable benefit.
5. An even greater advantage will, however, arise from the fact that if this pre- arrangement is concluded it will no longer be necessary for the manufacture of pared opium from raw opium to be carried out in Sarawak. The process of manu- facture and packing is attended by many difficulties and it obviously provides another loophole for theft and illicit dealing, the risk of which would be practically eliminated if the opium were received packed in tinfoil tubes as these tubes are not only easily checked and controlled, but they are also available for the consumers without further treatment.
6. An instance occurred recently in which a storekeeper in the opium factory was caught in the act of abstracting prepared opium while issuing daily supplies to the packers. The method employed was ingenious and the difficulties of checking the quantities returned by the packers in the present system of packing by him will be realized. Subsequent investigation showed that considerable leakage has taken place in this way and it will be realized that this kind of defalcation is extremely difficult to avoid. This case clearly shows one of the advantages which would be obtained from the proposed arrangement.
7. I shall be obliged, therefore, if you will place before the Secretary of State the considerations set out above which the Government of Sarawak considers provide the convincing reasons which Lord Passfield regards as essential. The Government of Sarawak appreciates that the Government of the Straits Settlements is willing to assist in every possible way, but if the Secretary of State is still unwilling to consult the Opium Advisory Committee of the League of Nations, the Government of Sarawak do not propose to pursue the matter further.
The Secretary
I have, &c.,
G. T. M. MACBRYAN,
to His Excellency the British Agent for North Borneo and Sarawak,
High Commissioner's Office,
Singapore.
Private Secretary
to His Highness the Rajah, Sarawak.
291
liberty of writing personally on the subject of opium control here, since it is much easier to outline the difficulties one is up against in this manner than through official
channels.
In spite of every precaution, since Government took over the control, it was found that "leakage " occurred, and the Rajah last year appointed Mr. H. M. Calvert, Commissioner of Trade and Customs, Controller of Government Monopolies. He went over to Singapore several times and discussed the question at length with Mr. Wilson, the upshot being the engagement of a new packing contractor and staff of packers, from Singapore, under a stringent agreement wherein the right of search is insisted upon.
"
This "packing," putting 24 hun " dollops" of chandu into papers, is a skilled
watchers trade, and in spite of the operation being carried out at tables with round them, leakage occurs on a considerable scale unless the right of search is insisted upon.
The whole of the packers have now given notice to the contractor, unless this clause is struck out of the agreement, their excuse being that it is derogatory to their pride, though the real reason is obvious. Packers have to be got in from Singapore, BO if there were a strike, there would be no chandu supply available for some time, with the attendant unrest and certainty of serious trouble in the form of rioting. Besides, the ring is so united that if this lot were dismissed the trouble would only recur.
44
"
We have asked the Acting Special Commissioner for Sarawak in London to get into touch with you to inquire if there is any chance of the suggestion that the Singa- pore authorities should prepare and put up our chandu for us in tubes going through in the near future.
It is obvious that this would result in increased efficiency of control in the spirit of the Convention, and as it would also entail increased expense to this Government (about 25 cents a tahil packing expenses plus freight), it cannot be urged that we have any ulterior motive."
Mr. Wilson told Mr. Calvert that the Singapore authorities were prepared to make the necessary arrangements at short notice. I understand that the matter was mentioned unofficially to the visiting Commission, when they were in Singapore, and that they offered no objections.
I may say that the Rajah has been very much exercised in his mind about this question, as it is impossible to anyone who has not been in touch with it to realize how the Chinese manage things in a manner that would put Maskelyn and Devant to shame.
In spite of constant raids and rigorous fines and sentences (in some cases amount- ing to $4,000 and five years respectively) the leakage still goes on.
Mr. Calvert was appointed as being a specially capable and zealous officer and given definite instructions that he was to make every effort to get chandu under control in the spirit of the Agreement.
He has devoted a great deal of time and energy to the furtherance of this scheme in collaboration with Singapore. (It sounds a simple matter that Singapore should cook opium and send it to us in tubes, but the detail involved is enormous.)
In consequence, he is very disheartened, his attitude being that, a scheme has been evolved that is in the spirit of the Agreement, which he thought only needed to be put forward to gain immediate sanction, and that if those at Geneva with whom the decision lies do not recognize and assist efforts that are made to carry out the reforms which they themselves have urged, the situation is hopeless, and a waste of time for an officer of his seniority.
I know some of the many difficulties you have to contend with, but one can't help seeing that there is much to justify this attitude, which is why I take the liberty of writing to you personally.
Yours, &c.,
B. BROOKE.
C. 73017/1/30 [No. 2].
No. 256.
H.H. THE TUAN MUDA to SIR M. DELEVINGNE (HOME Office).
(Copy received in Colonial Office, 10th February, 1930.)
MY DEAR SIR Malcolm,
Kuching, Sarawak, 10th January, 1930.
I HAVE only just arrived here, after an absence of over two years, and as I had the pleasure of accompanying you to Geneva five years ago, I am taking the
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TELCO.882/11
IALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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