CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 592

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In lorgo placos further, opium may only be sold on a buying-card belonging to the permit. The buying-card is periodically renewed(1) The licensees do not always require to come themselves to buy but can order this to be done by a servant or a member of the house- hold; the sending along of the license to the opium-shop is also unnecessary; only the buying-card requires to be brought along. It the introduction, arragomonts were made, whereby it was possible for those who did not wish pubholy to ask a permit (e.g. well-to- do Chinese womon, persons of standing, and such like) to apply if neccssory diruot to the Controllor of tho Opium-rogio or an officin of the anti-opium service through the intermodiary of a relativo. Liconcos hovo ovon boon issued on which only a number appears, and not the name of tho 1iconsco; this person is thon only known to the official who issued the pormit. It is not mndo too difficult for those who ru pssurs-through and the crews of ships, to obtain opium. Travel ra, who cannot do without opium con, for so for as they are also roquired to have a licence in their town of rosidonoo, bring this, or otherwise a popor issued on behalf of tho official in oh rgo of the district, on shoving which they can obtain card for a specified period horo, while those who have to stay hore reportedly on apply for licence for the use of opium,

This was based on the principle that the endeavour must be to restrict the use of opium throughout Java and to control it, and that it is only then of use to prohibit some one, who in one place is allowed to smoke opium, from doing so in onother licence-area, when the number of 11oonsees in the lattor is only so small that it can be expeated, that within o short time that district enn be entirely closed to opium,

The system therefore does not compel the bonafide consumer to have recourse to smuggled opium, But it formed an obstacle to those who were accustomed to buy much more opium than their income would allow them to do, and who destined most of the opium bought for re-sale or forbidden export to other parts of Netherlands India.

An unfinished licence-system has also be on introduced in the still not closed portion of the plantation aron of the Enst Const of Sumat. Also in that distriot the rovonuo from opium groatly incronsod, Thore woro indications that some of the opium bought was clandestinely carried to Banks and other districts with stringent restrictive measures. Upon inquiry it moreover transpired that many Chinese coolies had never smoked opium prior to their arrival in Deli, and had only begun to use opium there for the first time.

(1) specimens of licence and buying-card are included as

dieos II and III,

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