63
Health in the matter, and I agree with him that it will not be necessary to exclude Ceylon under the provisions of Article 5 when the Agreement and Final Act of the Conference is ratified by His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom.
I have, &c.,
C. 92871/32 [No. 42].
(No. 96.) SIR,
No. 41.
BORNEO (SARAWAK).
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE BRITISH AGENT.
Downing Street, 13th August, 1932.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 31 of the 14th of July,* and to inform you that the Government of Sarawak will not be excluded from the operation of the Bangkok Conference Agreement.
2. The comments of the Government of Sarawak on Articles V, VI, and XI of the Final Act of the Bangkok Conference have been noted.
0. 92871/32 [No. 58).
No. 44. HONG KONG.
GRAEME THOMSON,
Governor.
232
C. 92871/32 [No. 43].
I have, &c.
(for the Secretary of State),
R. W. HAMILTON.
No. 42
HONG KONG.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE OFFICER ADMINISTERING
THE GOVERNMENT.
(Confidential.)
SIR,
[Answered by No. 50.]
Downing Street, 13th August, 1932.
I HAVE the honour to refer to the Confidential despatchest regarding the open- ing in Hong Kong of six establishments under direct Government management for the retail sale of monopoly opium. I shall be glad to receive fuller particulars of the scheme which the Hong Kong Government has in view. In this connexion I would refer to paragraph 3 of my despatch, No. 109 of the 16th of April.
2. I presume that each of the six establishments is intended to serve a consider- able area, but I should be glad to know where each of them will be situated, what area each is expected to serve, and how many of the existing private shops will be abolished as a result of their establishment. It would also be interesting to know
how many more Government establishments will in due course be required, and how soon it is hoped to provide them and to complete the replacement of the existing private shops.
C. 92871/32 [No. 47].
No. 43.
CEYLON.
(No. 431.) SIR,
I have, &c.
(for the Secretary of State),
R. W. HAMILTON.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 15th August, 1932.)
Ceylon, 27th July, 1932.
WITH reference to paragraph 2 of your despatch No. 251 of the 23rd May, 1932, § on the subject of the Bangkok Conference on the Suppression of Opium Smoking, I have the honour to inform you that I have consulted the Minister for
‡ No. 32.
§ No. 35.
* No. 40.
Nos. 37 and 38.
·
THE OFFICER 'ADMINISTERING THE GOVERNMENT to THE SECRETARY
(No. 395.)
SIR,
OF STATE.
(Received 21st September, 1932.)
Government House, Hong Kong, 18th August, 1932.
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatches Nos. 109 of 16th April,* and 187 of 20th June, 1932,† regarding the Bangkok Opium Confer- ence, and to inform you that immediately on receiving the report of its representatives the Hong Kong Government began to move along the lines of the decisions taken at the Conference. Details of the action taken or to be taken are set out in the succeeding paragraphs.
2. Agreement Article 1.-A beginning has been made with the system of Government shops by renting and fitting out as Government Opium depots six shops in different parts of the Colony. The cost will be considerable, being estimated at $30,000 for the current year, but unless the new system results in a marked decrease in the sales of Government opium in the districts served (indicating, in the conditions prevailing here, an increased market for illicit opium), it is intended gradually to extend the system until all licensed retailers have been superseded.
3. Article II.-The use of opium by minors and any incitement towards such use are prohibited by Section 14 of the latest Opium enactment of this Colony, Ordinance No. 7 of 1932 (copy annexed), and a breach of this section is by Section 39, Sub-sections (1) and (2), made punishable by a fine of $1,000 and, in addition, imprisonment for six months. Smoking establishments, i.e., divans, have been totally prohibited in Hong Kong for many years, and this position is maintained in Sections 15 and 16 of the Ordinance. A minor, therefore, who is found in a smoking establishment maintained in defiance of these Sections becomes liable by his mere presence to the penalty prescribed for breach of Section 15 (2), i.e., a fine of $25.
4. Article III.-The managers of the new Government shops will be required to balance their cash with their stock in hand daily and surprise audits will ensure compliance, but the Hong Kong Government is convinced that at no time has monopoly opium been sold by licensees otherwise than for cash. The risk of non-recovery would always have beep too great, and since the substitution of fixed salaries for the commission system, all inducement to push sales has been removed. Opportunity will, however, be taken when next the Opium Legislation comes up for amendment to include a specific prohibition of sale otherwise than for cash.
5. Article IV.--Arrangements are already in train for Hong Kong to obtain its supplies of prepared opium (in sealed tubes) from the Singapore factory, and it is expected that the new system will be working early in 1933, the exact date of commencement depending on the rate at which existing stocks of prepared opium held by the Hong Kong monopoly are sold out. The Government of India will be invited to allow Hong Kong's quota of Indian opium to be diverted to Singapore for this purpose.
6. Final Act, Resolution II.--Hong Kong is a region in which the illicit traffic is of such enormous dimensions as to render any attempt at licensing and rationing worse than nugatory, since any measures taken to control smokers must inevitably add to the attraction of illicit opium.
7. Resolution No. III.--For the reasons given in the preceding parágraph inquisition into the identity of purchasers of Government opium has to be conducted with extreme caution if it is not to defeat its own object, but a periodical census will
+ C. 92871/32 [No. 31]; not printed. ↑ Not reprinted.
* No. 32.
PUBLIC
RECORD OFFICE
C.O.882/12
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON,
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC. | COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOI JO
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