CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923 — Page 398

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reason than that its general adoption

under the aegis of the League of Nations

would at once remove one of the grounds

بسی

on which attacks on the Far East Colonies

have from time to time been made by 111-

informed persons or Societies, particu-

larly if as I can well believe would be

the case) the Colony's "legitimate" require-

ments could be met by a considerably smaller

ration than that allowed under such a scheme.

I recognize, however, that there are con-

siderable, though not, I think insuperable,

difficulties in the way of the adoption of a polier (nivolui possibly an arbitrary restriction of the amount of opinen legitimatch pland

on sale in the Colony.

As you are no doubt aware,

at the beginning of 1920 an attempt was

made by the Government of the, Straits

Settlements to reduce the consumption of

chandu by introducing a system of rationing

whereby retailers were supplied with only

your cant.

90% of their former average purchases, but

the attempt had to be abandoned after a

few months trial owing to the great dis-

satisfaction produced by the hoarding

and

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DRAFT.

These difficulties with ho doubt be considerably

Aray

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

MINUTE.

Sir C. Davis.

Sir G. Grindle.

Sir H. Read.

ar

Sir J. Masterton Smith.

Mr. Ormsby-Gore.

Duke of Devonshire.

and profiteering which occurred.

Suien

Combined, however with a system of com-

plete Government control over retail

sales and possibly with some form of

of consumer/ÅLERS registration, I think the suggestion

is well worth sympathetic consideration.

(IV)

The British Representative had

hoped to be able to propose definitely

at the meeting of the Advisory Committee

that the interested powers should be

recommended to adopt a system of regis-

tration and licencing of opium smokers,

bue Aven before the despatch of my

telegram of the 5th of May(which was

sent at Sir Malcolm Delevingne's request)

my officers had informed him that I did

not feel able to consent to His Majestys!

Government committing itself to the

adoption of such a policy in Hong Kong

and as a result of your telegram of the

!

11th of May, the proposal in ite

!

original form was abandoned.

I consented, however, to Sir

Malcolm

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