CO129-399 - Governor Sir May - 1913 [1-2] — Page 439

بات محولات اور ان کا اندراج یا در دهه

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The

prepared opium through Hongkong likely to continue.

Government of the Philippine Islands would therefore do

well to bring pressure to bear on the Prench and Portuguese

Governments to limit as indicated above the supplies at

those places.

6.

You yourself make two suggestions for the

prevention of smuggling from Hongkong. The first is that

all steamers prior to sailing for the Philippines should

be taken to Venchow (Wanchai is no doubt meant) Bay and

searched; and the second is that the 4 Chinese Policemen

atationed on board thege vessels while in Hongkong Harbour

should be increased in number and that a European Inspector

should be present day and night to supervise their work.

Both those recommendations spring apparently

from a misconception on your part. It is not true that

"the only steps taken in Hongkong to prevent the introduct-

ion of opium on board vessels consista merely of the

stationing of 4 Chinese policemen on board while in Hong

Yong harbour", Those policemen ere placed on board at the

request of the Companies concerned and are paid by them.

The work of preventing muggling out of the Colony is in

the hands of the Police (and especially of the Detective

Department of that Force which numbers 12 Europeans and 53

Chinese in Victoria alone) and of Revenue Officers (7

Europeans and 31 Chinese under the Superintendent of

Imports and Exports).

By these officers a very large number of

seizures of opium being exported in contravention of the

law have been made and it is hoped that their work will be

rendered more effective by the impending changes in the

law.

It is considered that the effective search-

ing of a laden ship for an easily concealed article like

opium