Sessional_Paper_1909 — Page 126

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inish smoking of opium in private houses, and to confine it to adult males, and are a check on dross eating since neither the keeper nor the smoker may retain the dross. Their complete abolition would not improbably produce many evils not contemplated by those who have no actual knowledge of the circumstances.

It is to be noted that in Hongkong, where the adult male population (who which used. alone smoke) is nearly equal to the total of women and children combined, the number who smoke in divans is only in the proportion of about 7 to 5 who smoke outside.* This proportion would be greatly less in rural districts. The closing of divans in Shanghai and the neighbouring city is said to have led to no apparent diminution in the sale and consumption of the drug. **

Closing of divane in China,

Further restrictions on divans.

Comparative effects of

substitutes.

China has not hesitated to adopt the closing of divans, but her ideas of justice and vested rights are not those which obtain among ourselves and to which ex- pression was given in the recent debate on the Licensing Bill, nor has she to deal (as Hongkong has) with the question of the rights of a Monopolist. The result, however, is reported to be very unsatisfactory, though owing to her defective Police Force any such order can only be partially operative. The hardship and injustice is proportionately greater in a British Colony, and the step more drastic, since it is fully enforced. †

The divan will gradually disappear with the cessation of smoking, and till then it is a useful agent for control. Persons who exceed should be treated as habitual drunkards or dipsomaniacs are, and placed under control and restraint. ‡ Divan licensees on whose premises such persons are found should be liable to fine and cancellation of licenses. They should only be allowed to be open during fixed hours say 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and no customers should be allowed to sleep on the premises. Restrictions of this kind are being placed on divans, so long as any remain in Hongkong.

Every race in the World in every age has exhibited a desire for something Opium and of to act pleasurably on the nervous system either as a stimulant or a sedative and Sir William Roberts who analysed the medical evidence given before the Indian Commission (of which he was the expert medical member) refers in his extremely interesting report § to the "Euphoric" and non-medicinal effects of stimulants and sedatives, which are so essential to the nervous organization of man, as to constitute "a profound instinct of human nature".

(a.) Opium.

Lord Brassey's Commission (which recorded its proceedings in seven volumes totalling 2,550 pages of small print) is an encyclopedia of information on every. aspect of the opium question, which should be studied by everyone interested in the matter. Innumerable witnesses of every class were examined and reports (in reply to a series of questions) were received from Hongkong, Singapore, and other places. The most eminent of Indian Administrators worte reports and collected statistics for it. The commissioners record this weighty opinion: "We have made

* 3.572 per cent, smoke in divans

2,678 per cent. smoke outside divans

Clementi 12.6.08.

** The facts, in comparison with Hongkong, appear to be as follow:-The population of the International Settlement (no divans have been closed in the French concession) was estimated in 1907 at 510.000 of whom about half are adult males (ciz.. possible smokers). There were 1,437 divans-1 per 177.4.- The adult male population of Hongkong in 1907 (exclusive of the New Territories) is estimated at 200,000 and there were 191 divans viz. 1 per 1.037. Thus Shanghai bad in 1907 proportionately about six times as many divans as Hongkong. By 31st December, 1908, 709 of the divans had been closed. Disregarding any increase of population this would allow one divan per 350 adult males. Hong- kong from 1st March 1909 has 165 divans viz. I per 1,212 males,-leaving Shanghai with still 3 or 4 times as many.

A large number of Shanghai divans are also brothels, where prostitutcs minister to the smokers, and some are very large houses, consisting I believe of several floors. This is a radically different matter from the divans of Hongkong and may perhaps account for the views held by many in England. Report bas it that many of the divans when closed became opium shops while others were carried on secretly. In Singapore there are within the Municipality 414 divans with a population of 99,173 males over 15 years viz. 1 divan per 241 adult males. Mr. James Munro, C.B., was one of the witnesses examined by Lord Brasser's Commission. He had formerly been Inspector General of Police in Bengal, then Commissioner of Bengal and finally Chief Commissioner of Police in London. At the time he was examined by the Commission he had returned to India as a Missionary, and he is one of the witnesses to whose evidence the Com- missioners in their final report direct special attention. (Vol. VI. p. 23. § 82.) When asked his opinion as to the closing of divans, he said his view was clear that it was a wiser policy to keep them open, and under Police control (Vol. II. p. 150). In this view the Commissioners apparently concur while adding that the restrictions in India had not been long enough in operation to afford material for a final conclusion (Vol. VI. p. 23) and that there was little opium smoking in India. I may add that I had formed my own conclusions from local investigation before reading the Indian Commission's report.

The Straits Commission do not accept this view and stigmatise the compulsory detention of "Sots" as

"intolerable and unjustifiable Report § 277. Indian Commission Vol. VI pp. 99 to 119. Summary of medical evidence by Sir W. Roberts, F.B.S.