CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 513

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At the ombilin-mines the uso of opium is

forbidden to the chain-gangers as from 1st April 1915.

It was still permitted to the free labourers on a personol permit, but since January 1918, all legal use of optum has also come to an ond.

Also for other Government undertakings regulations were formulated, These are Adfosely applied, so that a Government circular was drawn up in 1921, in which it was pointed out that it had appeared, that when labourers were recruited for the Government undertakings or publio works nocount was not always taken of the approved principles as regards the use of opium, often on account of ignorance of the existing regulations, It was therefore considered desirable that the attention of the hands of these undertakings be onlled to this matter, at the same time making known the principles of the opium policy, which to prevent misunderstanding were recalled to mind.

In the first place the use of opium must everywhere be combated. where the Government is in its own bounds,

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As parts in its own bounds" must be considered all Government mining and agricultural undertakings, and further all Public Works, where the housing o the labourers is looked efter by the Government.

In places where the labourers have to look after their own housing, osre will have to be taken; that no opium is used during work, but the smoking of opium outside of that does not require to be forbidden, if the local laws relating to the Spiumregte allow that a permit to possess and transport regie-opium can be issued without the previous consent of the Governor-General,

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In connection with the widely differing

Toy' tians for the Optumregie in the different parts of Nether-

India, the heads in charge of the above-mentioned works will have to satisfy themselves first if opium-smokers may also be reoruited, before engaging labourers from other places.

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If that should appear not to be the case, then they Just the same as those in charge of undertakings and works where the housing is provided for the coolies will have to inform these

who are in charge of the recruiting, or through whose inter- mediary the labourers are recruited, that no opium-smokers may be recruited, and that if opium-smokers should be discovered amongst the labourers engaged through their intermediary all the same, these will be returned at their expense.