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with a lot of illicit chandu. I believe in Java they have the big pots ?-I
have only seen the small tubes that they have in Java; I was referring to
those.
1546. The tube is merely a thin zinc envelope, I believe?-Yes, sealed
at the top.
1547· Would you tell us what the advantages of the tube system
are ?-At present they keep our packets and pack them with contraband;
they can do that quite easily. If the opium was packed in tubes they would
not be able to do that, because in that case they would have to break the
seal. .
1548. DI'. Gal/oway.-In what sort of packages does the opium from
China come in ?-In tins and bladders. .
1549. Which can be easily broken down and the contents packed in
Government receptacles ?-Yes; I?ut our pots are sealed.
1550. Yes, but after a pot has been emptied a man may /i11 it with
anything ?-That is so.
1551. How are your pots sealed ?-With sealing wax and the
Government seal.
1552. Is the seal easily counterfeitable ?-No.
1553. Chairnwn.-Then the purchaser of one of these pots in which
contraband chandu has been put would be a party to the crime ?-They
could not very well put the contraband in these pots. I was referring to
the 3-hoon and 4-hoon paper packets. The earthenware pots are sealed.
ISS4. Then if you put the contraband chandu into a counterfeited
bamboo leaf with a counterfeited printed Chinese label, the purchaser can
have contraband chandu landed on him without his knowledge ?-Of course
he could. .
1555. But, in fact, directly he smoked it he would know the difference
and he would probably go back and murder the shop-keeper ?-It all depends
on the quality of the chandu. It might be of good quality.
.. 1556. Do you know of any cases where' contraband chandu has been
passed by your people as good quality chandu ?-We have had bad qualities
and good; not extraordinarily good.
155-7. Have you ever had contraband chandu tested by a smoker ?-No;
. very likely Mr. TAYLOR might have done that.
I5S8. I suggest to you that the tube system is a very costly innovation.
Do you think that the advantages, generally, would compensate for the
cost ?-I do not think so.
1559. Mr. lelf.-Have you ever had any cases of Malay or Indian
smugglers ?-Yes, we have had a few cases of Indians, and a very few
Malays.
1560. At the Opium Conference at Geneva, the Netherlands representative
said-"There was not much smuggling going on and no big seizures
had been effected. When the opium had been farmed smuggling had
existed, but since the establishment of a monopoly no important seizures
had been recorded". Have you any observations to make on that ?-I think
he is wrong. .
1561. Have you any reason to suppose that there is a great deal of
smuggling?-I would not say a great deal; but there is smuggling. .
1562. Why do you say he is wrong ?-Because I have arrested cases
leaving Singapore for the Dutch islands. We have caught them leaving
Singapore with contraband for the Dutch islands.