CO129-505-11 Deleterious Drugs Ordinance 1927- proposed amendments 27-10-1927 - 9-11-1927 — Page 31

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(h) Section li...

14.

I have care fully considered this section in the light of the representations which have been made in the cases of the S.9. Have stein and the S.8.Haruna Maru (vide corre spondence ending with your telegram of the 25th of July, 1925) and in the case of the S.S.Amazon Meru.

I have considerable doubts whether the retention, in its

pre samt form, of a provision where by a person who may have had no connection whatever with any offence is made

liable to a heavy fine, merely because a parcel of illicit drugs may have been found on the ship, is de fensible. I am accordingly in communication with the

Home Office and the Board of Trade in the matter, and I '

hope to be in a position to address you in regard to this

Section in a separate despatch at an early date.

(1) Section 21, makes it an offence for any person

in the Colony "other than a person licensed under this

Ordinance" to procure or deal in or to offer to deal in

any deleterious drug elsewhere than in the Colony, but

the Ordinance does not appear to contain any provision

for the issue of a licence for the carrying on of such

transactions. As such traffic may be perfectly

legitimate, I see no reason why provision should not be

made for the issue of much licences. I consider however

that the appropriate licencing authority for this

murpose would be the Colonial Secretary who would of cours

not issue a licenos unless he were satisfied that the

applicant for such a licence was a fit and proper person

(or firm) and that the drugs in which he proposed to deal

were not intended for the illicit market.

(j)