CO129-486 - Public Offices - 1924 — Page 475

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الدية

472

and it ma laposrible now be re-open the question of the desirability or otherwins of opium smoking- As to the possi- bility of further measures for the suppression of opina moking,

this was a matter on which the Government desired to have the

advice of experts. Er. Fletcher represented one expert view. that had Sir John Jamieson to say?

Sir John Janisson said that he was an advocate of absolute

prohibition. die 34 years' experience of China had esuvinced him that it me possible. Chinese Republican Goverment bad by

recrudescense.

ediat totally suppressed opium moking, and it was only the present

disturbed state of the country which bad brought about this

Be one could maintain that the present deplorable

state of China was but temporary, and when ordered Government

returned opium moking would discontinue. The younger federation

of Chinese looked upon opium smoking in the same way as the abuse

of alcohol was viewed in this sountry. He would point out that

the life of the Chinaman now was not what it used to be. There

were several alternativo usthods of rearsation open to him.

nights were now not spent in the dark be had electric light, and

by this could play gmen, gamble, or read. He had ännumerable

picture palaces to go to. The British should go into this matter with alean hands: It was impossible to fase gas or Indo-China whilst we permitted, and what was more, received revezme from,

opiun meking. He did not believe that Chinees opinion would be

hostile te prohibition of spin smoking in Hong Kong-

HA

Sir Malcolm Delevingne enquired what in fact was the value to

the Hong Kang Government of the Yong Kong system. The Hong Kong

Goverment admitted that it did not stop smarɛling, that so mach

sanggled spins was being smoked in Hong Kong at the present time an

Covernment opium, and that the revenue derived from it was not

necessary to the Colony's finance. that would be the probable

resulte if the Hong Kong Government abolished the monopoly and made

opium smoking illegal?