4.
60
The experiment seems likely to prove somewhat costly but I feel that it is incumbent on this Government to show that it is prepared, so far as possible, to meet the wishes of the League of Nations.in this matter.
C. 92871/32 [No. 37].
SIR,
I have, &c.,
W. T. SOUTHORN,
Officer Administering the Government.
No. 38.
HONG KONG,
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT.
(Confidential (2).)
Downing Street, 13th July, 1932.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Confidential despatch of the 19th of May,* regarding the proposed opening in Hong Kong of six establish- ments under direct Government management for the retail sale of monopoly opium, and to convey to you my sanction for the expenditure of the sum of $30,000 for this purpose in respect of the year 1932, subject to the approval of the Legislative, Council being obtained for this expenditure.
I have, &c..
P. CUNLIFFE-LISTER.
61
chandu brought to North Borneo comes from China via Hong Kong. He adds that any extension of exchange of information as affecting neighbouring countries would be useful.
6. The Governor states that financial reasons at present preclude any consider- able expenditure on the purposes indicated in the ninth recommendation, viz., the treatment of addicts; also with regard to the tenth recommendation he remarks that while research on the questions therein mentioned would undoubtedly be useful, North Borneo is at present unable for financial reasons to contemplate any expenditure in this direction.
7. In regard to the eleventh recommendation, the Governor states that the particulars therein set out could be included in the form of annual report as suggested. 8. The Governor does not consider that the limitations indicated above are so important as to prevent North Borneo from adhering to the Agreement and Final Act. 9. The Court of Directors are in agreement with the views expressed by the Governor, and desire me to inform you with reference to the concluding paragraph of your letter of the 15th April last that it is not their desire that North Borneo should be excluded from the operation of the Agreement.
I am, &c.,
W. O. PIDGEON,
Secretary.
C. 92871/32 [No. 39].
SIR,
No. 39
BRITISH NORTH BORNEO COMPANY to COLONIAL OFFICE
17, St. Helen's Place, London, E.C.3, 27th July, 1932. IN continuation of my letter of the 16th June last, † I am directed to inform you that the Court of Directors have now received from the Governor his observations on the Agreement and Final Act of the Bangkok Conference, copies of which were enclosed in your letter of the 15th April last.
2. The Governor states that Article I of the Agreement is practically complied with in North Borneo, and that the provisions of Articles II (1) and III already have. the force of law in the Territory. The application of Article II (2) would, however, require the enactment of a notification, and in this connexion he proposes to await the publication of legislation in the Straits Settlements.
3. With regard to the second and third recommendations in the Final Act, the Governor considers that it is not at present necessary for the North Borneo Administra- tion to go further than it has done, the present procedure being to record, at the time of sale, the name and address of the purchaser and the amount of opium purchased, and to restrict supplies according to the class of purchaser. Regarding the fourth recommendation, the Governor remarks that financial considerations preclude any extension of medical and health services at present. A special opium account could, he reports, be prepared on the lines of the fifth recommendation, and in pursuance of recommendation 6, it would be possible to increase the severity of the penalty at present provided, though he considers it desirable to await any action which may be taken by the Straits Settlements Government in this direction.
4. As regard dross, the subject of the seventh recommendation, it is not considered possible for North Borneo to do more than is being done at present by offering a good price for dross produced from first smoking. If a simple test could be devised for determining the character of dross brought in it would be of great help, and, should such a test be discovered, it would no doubt be communicated to all Administrations interested in the suppression of the use of prepared opium.
5. On the subject of the proposal in recommendation 8 to extend the arrange- ments for the exchange of information in respect of illicit traffic, the Governor men- tions that little has resulted from the existing arrangements, as most of the illicit
+ C. 92871/32 [No. 35]: not printed.
‡ No. 31.
* No. 37.
C. 92871/32 [No. 41].
(No. 31.)
No. 40.
BORNEO (SARAWAK).
THE BRITISH AGENT to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(Received 6th August, 1932.)
[Answered by No. 41.]
SIR,
King's House, Kuala Lumpur, 14th July, 1932. I HAVE the honour to refer to your Sarawak despatch No. 41 dated the 16th April, 1932,* on the subject of the Agreement and Final Act of the Bangkok Con- ference, and to inform you that it is not the wish of the Government of Sarawak to make a Declaration of exclusion from the operation of the Agreement under Article V. The Government of Sarawak has made the following comments on the Final Act, in order to make the position in that State clear :-
2.
Article V. For financial reasons the Opium Monopoly functions only as part of a department. Ancillary services, such as Preventive, Medical, and Educational, are the general duties of other departments, and therefore any special opium account of the nature suggested can only be taken as an estimation.
Article VI. Until some form of simple test is devised, it will be difficult for
the Government to obtain the return of dross.
Article XI. The scattered nature of the population will make it unlikely that detailed information of the kind required will be of value, if furnished.
* No. 34.
I have, &c.,
C. CLEMENTI, British Agent for North Borneo and Sarawak.
231
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference -
C.O.882/12
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-| COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONUGN |
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