CO129-510-8 Policy on sale of Opium 12-1-1928 - 24-7-1928 — Page 49

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(see paragraphs 37 and 38) that an unduly high

price of opium "would be bound to have the effect

of driving still more consumers into the arms

of the smugglers, either for the whole of their

requirecents or to supplement the quantities which

they might think they could buy at the Government

shops without coming under adverse notice. Smuggling

would still further increase and eventually get

completely out of hand, with the result that

unlimited supplies of cheap opium would be available,

leading to a great increase in individual consumption.

In these circumstances, while the sales of Government

chandu (prepared opium) would no doubt decrease,

the official figures of consumption would be little

more than 'eye-wash'', in the same memorandum

it is pointed out that the Government of the

Netherlands Fast Indies, in order to induce smokers

to return to the comsumption of Government opium,

contemplated, if necessary, as a last resort to

reduce the price of Government chandu. This is

precisely the action which, being in far greater

jeopardy than the Netherlands East Indies, Hong

Kong has been obliged to take.

21. In the same memorandum the Colonial

Office observed that in Hong Kong *it has been

officially estimated that (in spite of all the

ka

efforts of a recarply vigilant and efficient

preventive service) at least as much illicit as

Government chandu is smoked*.

but even that

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description