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J40 The price now is $12 a tahil; would you put it up any more ?-l
think not· $ 12 a tahil seems to me to be prohibitive enough.
341. If you will look at that list, since 1910 the price has almost
mUltiplied by 3. Do you think that wages have gone up by 3 times in the
same period ?-Oh, no, I do not think wages have gone up by 3 times; perhaps
a little more than twice, but not 3 times.
342 If that is so, the coolie cannot afford to smoke as much in 1923
as he could in 1910 ?-I do not agree entirely with that, because a confirmed
smoker may have to spend a greater part of his income on opium, no matter
how high the price may be, at the expense of other necessities of life.
343. I suggest to you that in 1908 you said exactly the same as that;
but it is not so applicable now, because you have admitted that he has got
less margin to go. He has not as much margin as he had in I908 ?-He has
!ess margin but he will be compelled to spend more on opium than on other
necessities of me.
344 .. The normal smoker amongst the lower classes is said to require
60 cents worth-that is 4t hoons-a day. Would you accept that ?-It would
depend on the daily earnings of the man. Some coolies do not earn 60 cents
a day.
345. How much of his earnings can your "sot" spend on opium ?-A
man earning $2 a day may spend $1 on chandu. We must also take into
consideration that a large number of the opium smokers do not smoke
chandu alone; they take to chandu dross, which is a cheaper but a stronger
drug.
346. Dr. Galloway.-They might go even further and .take to swallowing
dross ?-Yes.
347. Chairman.-Your figures are rather high; $2 or $3 a day you
said. What about the "sot" among the class who only earns $15 a month?­
He must swallow dross.
348. As regards the better class Chinese, has the habit any noticeabie
effect on their capacity for intellectual labour ?-I do not notice any. I find
mal}y heavy smokers are just as capable in managing their businesses as
non-smokers.
349. Now, take the lower . classes whom you have seen passing in
front of you in the Protectorate in vast numbers; do you notice that it has
. any pronounced effect on their physical capacity?-Yes, I have noticed that.
350. In regard to the moderate ones ?-Not in regard to the moderate
ones.
. 351. In fact I suggest to you that you could not spot a moderate
smoker; you are only able to spot the "sot" ?-That is right. Many moderate
smokers who smoke only chandu do not show outwardly any appearance of
being smokers.
352. As regards China itself, and what is put in the local Chinese
newspapers, is there any effort being made in the K wangtung Province at
the present time .to eradicate the habit ?-U p to the time that Dr. SUN went
back to Canton on this occasion I understand that measures had been adopted
to reduce at least the habit of opium smoking. _
353 In the Amoy district ?-Even in Amoy.
354. You admit that China is not in a position to take effective suppressive
measures at the present time ?-I quite admit that.
355. Then is it any good our taking them ?-I think ·not.
356. You know roughly the laws that are in force in regard to opium
here. Can you suggest any measures of control that, in your opinion,
would be beneficial, that ought to be brought in irrespective of any action