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4. Measures to keep out the use of opium in the Army and the Navy in Netherlands India. The possession of opium was entirely forbidden to the Native sailors of the Royal and the Governmental Navy. As regards Native soldiers it was only permitted to those, who had a personal permit. Now there is no longer a single Native soldier, who has such a permit.
VII
Indirect meansof counteracting the use of opium were also ap- plied. Little paragraphs on the evils of using opium were put into schoolbooks. Besides, books with similar contents were distributed as literature for the people, and were in- cluded in the Native People's libraries. The following figu- res indicate the amount of interest in it shown by the po- pulation.
The Malay booklets "Obat pemboenoeh madat” (“Medi- cine to do away with opium"), "Dari hal tjandoe” (“About Chandu") and "Djaoehkan dirimoe dari pada tjandoe" ("Be- ware of Chandu") were lent out by the People's Libraries respectively 1607, 1041 and 1254 times, while 194, 114 108 copies respectively thereof were sold. The Javanese cdition "Serat erang-erang" was lent out 1273 times and 266 copies of it were sold. For the Madurese edition, "Pabi- njebli", the figures were: lent out 123 times and sold 108 copies.
A subsidy was given to an Anti-opium hospital, established by a society subject to conditions, the purpose of which was to ensure that the treatment of the patients would be given under proper medical supervision, and that the hospital also otherwise satisfied proper requirements. When at an inspection by the Medical Service it was observed, that those condi- tions were not followed up, the subsidy was again with- drawn. It was also made known by the Netherlands Indian Government, that if any one should succeed in discovering an anti-opium medicine, which contained no morphine or other substances injurious to the health, it was prepared to make
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that medicine known everywhere, and to make it obtainable at cost price.
Further a Commission for combatting the use of opium was appointed, which gives advice in questions of choice of combative measures. European, Native and Chinese mem- bers have seats in this commission.
In fighting against the use of opium, the Government cer- tainly gets appreciation from certain sections of the popu- lation, but it is not supported by a powerful movement against opium set up by the inhabitants themselves.
An Anti-opium Society was certainly formed. Notwith- standing that it had the promise, that it could count upon strong financial support from the Government for its propaganda- work, that society has shown no sign of life. *)
A Society "de Nieuwe Akker" formed later, consisting of total abstainers, has assiduously taken up the battle against alcohol and opium, and amongst other things publishes a monthly paper.
This, however, is published in Dutch, and is therefore not of much use in combatting the use of opium. For the sections of the population in which most of the opium-smokers are found, do not know the Dutch language.
VIII.
Besides the restrictions already discussed, measures, which had already formerly been taken to make the use of opium diminish, were also gone on with.
a. The price at which regie-opium was sold was gradu- ally raised. In this matter, when the regie was introduc- ed, it was necessary to unite with the farm, and only after the regie had operated for some time in a certain district, could a beginning be made with rais- ing the sale price. It goes without saying, that one had to go very carefully about this matter, as one would otherwise cause smuggling to increase, while the local
* This was the lamentable result of circumstances, not dependent on the will of that society.
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