CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 504

OPIUM-POLICY IN THE DUTCH EAST IND ES

502

I,

The use of opium has been introduced in the

In the last century it was Dutch East Indies from elsewhere, limited in some districts to a few Chinese smokers, and was unknown as it were, to the natives; but in others it spread more and more, It is used, nearly exclusively, by smoking of chandu, whether or Other methods not mixed with fine cut leaves of various plants.

The of use, esfor instance, the eating of opium are very rare, olandestine use of morphine however increased in the present century

During the Dutch East India Company regime

opium was commonly viewed as a substance with which one could get There- great profits, though there were some laudable exceptions. fore the Company monopolized it, where such was possible.

After the downfall of the Company the different Governments of the Dutch East Indies have been keeping in mind that it should be their duty to oppose the use of opium, where that is possible. A rigid policy in this direction however was rarely followed,

The croumstances in the beginning and the middle of the last century did not lend themselves well to it. In different parts of the Dutch East Indies some autonomous States still existed, which hodnot ceded the optun-monopoly to the Government. The attitude of those States in regard to the opium differed very much, In some the use of opium was unknown to the

In others the prince forbade the use of opium to the

But in other States, the use was vory majority of his subjects. extensive, and there the opium was viewed as good source of revunuo.

inhabitants.

a

In the Governmental districts and the Nativu Statos, who, the opium was cuded to the Government, the Government

During the formed it out. Thu farmors word nearly all Chinamun, 19th century several parts of the Archipelago wuru altoguthur clgsod to coium,

Some of those were opened once moru, aftur the pro- hibition of opium had existed some time, and when it was „vidunt, that the prohobition could not bu maintained properly. In the fruc areas the Government tried to limit the use of opium 69 for ng possible by means of regulations, even in the 1.ngus,

Rupeatedly the system was changed.

On clay

the Government tried to deor.nso the us by permitting the farmers to buy a limited quantity of opium only, next day it tried to attain its and by othurmonns.

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