CO129-483 - Others & Individuals - 1923 — Page 464

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for the British Government at the appro-ching

Conference on opium szoking in the Far East to defend

the position hitherto taken up that the existing system

of control in HongKong is the only one suitable to the

local conditions and is working satisfactorily, that

the arrangements while providing for the needs of the

casual and temporary population which is always passing

into and out of HongKong, has been successful in

restricting the consumption per head to a very small

figure and enabled the authorities to keep the opiur

habit within bounds. It is difficult to urge the

necessity of providing for the needs of the floating

population as an argument against the introduction of say,

a licensing system when it has to be admitted that

under the present system that part of the population

is not under any real control.

4. It has been submitted to me that both the classes

of persons referred to in 2 would be equally well provided

for under a system of registration of confirmed opium.

sLokers resident in the Colony, with perhaps some adjust-

ment (which it should not be difficult to devise) to

meet the case of smokers who spend only part of their time

in the Colony, or even visit it for short periods. The only class of persons who would not be provided for

under such a system would be the casual population which drifts into and out of the Colony. In regard to them.

since they would not be on the register the purchase possession and use of opium would be absolutely prohibited. 5. If such a system were adopted the British Govern- ment would have done everything possible to discharge its obligation under the Opium Convention.

It must be

accepted

** (x) (367078) WC. 20112/36 Gp. 140 80,000 11-20 W&S fad.