CO129-479 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1923 [1-3] — Page 63

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of the general maximum) was not forbidden to others. For, as has already been said, it was feared, that a prohibition against the possession of opium, would be difficult to enforce, and that it would expose the population to numerous searches in the houses and would very easily lead to illegal practices. One therefore wished to begin with a proper identifi- cation of all buyers, so that these would all become known at the opium-retail-shops. The buyers were formerly already registered, but it was far from being the case, that they were thereby all known. Firstly, for practical reasons a portion of the buyers at the largest opium-retail-shops never came on the registers. But even though the registration was extended to include all the buyers, as was the case in Pa- lembang and Cheribon for instance, its utility in those large pla- ces was nevertheless comparatively small, amongst other rea- sons because it was only too easy for the buyers to give up fic- titious names and wrong addresses. This then was often done.

Proper identification was obtained by stipulating that opium was only allowed to be supplied at the retail-shops to those, who had an identification-card with photograph, which complied with requirements to be laid down. The objections, which some have to getting a photograph taken, and which had formerly led to this not being demanded of all licensees in areas with a licence-system, were set aside, as one was of the opinion, that it was otherwise impossible to obtain a proper identification of persons.

Fairly heavy expenses were incurred by this measure and the supervision required to enforce it. It was expected, however, that if the identification was properly carried through with adequate means, it would immediately lead to a reduction in the turn-over, because the smuggling of regie-opuim to other places is obstructed thereby, and less will also be used locally. Experience has taught, that a dependable registration has a restrictive effect on the sales.

Later on, when all buyers are properly known, and provided with a personal licence, on which the amount, which they are allowed to buy, is indicated, it would probably be possible to refuse opium to new buyers, and to the crews of ships.

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This "identification-system" was brought into force at Cheribon, Djocdjakarta, Palembang, Menado and Maccassar.

XII.

Before it could be introduced elsewhere, however, the tem- porary prosperity in trade and plantation circles caused the use of opium to increase to an alarming extent. One had therefore to have recourse to combative measures, which would immediately lead to a diminution of the consumption in the areas which were not included amongst the prohibition areas, with or without a licence-system. If this end was to be achieved, then one had to start in the first place by taking steps in those places, where both the importation of smuggled opium from outside of Netherlands India, and the clandestine export of smuggled opium to the prohibition areas were the greatest. As has already been gathered from the previous paragraph, very great difficulties lay in the way of introduc- ing restrictive measures in those places and still greater ones in the enforcing of them. It could not be expected that a system, whereby the destination of the opium is closely looked into, would immediately operate as it ought to, nor that it would not lead to abuses. It was a fact,on the other hand, that as long as a better control of the destina- tion of opium sold was not obtained in those places, the restrictive measures in others could not be properly enforced.

Would one arrive at a somewhat proper condition in Java in not too long a time, then the rectification had to com- mence at the centres of the illegal trade in smuggled as well as in regie-opium. In the first place then a start had to be made in the place, where that illegal trade flourished most, namely the capital Batavia.

To obtain a proper supervision there on the consumption of opium a so-called identification system even as prelimi- nary transition measure, was not considered sufficient. The period of transition would last too long, and the consumption of opium in Java had increased to such an extent, that ra- pid action had to be taken. Besides, with an identification

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