CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 552

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37. For the vor R.L. 2464 (1921-22) overy retailer 111 have his supelius thus restricted and this renewal of the paassnont systein will, it is honod, have much better re- sults then thon rst -ttenetud (su) ores 16 & 19), as the sessments ill be unde mithin n-rroer limits, i, e. for ret flers inut. of for sub-Fernors, Tho n-turally handled nuch larger quantities. The no Orium Ler, thich is to como into operation t the same time, 111 -1so give greatly in- crossed f ̃cilities for the detection of the 111icit use of the drug, and will "rovide suitable conalties on conviction.

11th the end of the European "ar, opium again bocame FD internationa) question one of the obligetions of the signatories to the Peace Treatybeing, within a voer of its ratification, ito put into force the Hague Convention of 1912, ps Simm ratified the Treaty of Rece on January 10th, 1920, the Convention had to be me do affective by January 1921. The first stop to be taken res to revise the old orium laws com- clctely. This matter had already been taken up, and a rough draft of a conrrehensive nur les mes completed by 1919, Put so the onnetmont had to apply to a large turritory with a -idely sentt.ru completion living under varying conditions, it 178 .until that all the provincial authoritius should be fully consulted on the subject. This neccsserily occupied a considerable tido, but the law was finally cromulgated on January 6th, 1921. In Annoxe VI will be found a translation of this law and of the nisterial Regulations issued ther- unfor.

It mil), homover, not come into force until the 1st April 1921, the dato on which the year B.E. 2464 com-noncos.

29. The provisions of the 17 are designetud to op- creto in three distinct and succbssive periods, The provi- sions which become immediately our-tive re those which on- force the existing legal requiroments, modified and brought up to 2-te, and with additional restrictions as to the pós- Bussi m of opium. Under he now law, no person may have in his cossossion orium of any sort or description Thetsocvar without a license, rod the only persons to be licensed to possess orium will be retailers, snokers licensed to smoke at homo, end nudical practitioners end 2tapons rics.{ Vide Opium Lee, Titles II and III).

It may be mentioned hure that gront erro is t-kon by the ruthorities in issuing iounacs for hone smoking, and és the holders are mately liäfted to "ell-to-do persons, the number of hono smokers is concretively small. (Vido Annoxo VII, T-bão II.) Further, si nec retaflurs ro only #llowed to supply onium to their customers for consumption on their