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3346. Talking of rickshaw coolies, do you know how much they averagely
take and how they take it ?-They smoke chandu when they have the
money; when they have not the money to buy chandu, they swallow dross.
3347. Have you had any I)xperience of injections of morphia and cocaine?-No.
.
3348. You have not met with them in your work at all ?-No.
3349. Do you think there is any of it going on now ?-I do not think so.
3350. You are against the use of opium amongst Chinese ?-Certainly
I am against the use of opium.
3351. Medically you are not against it; for other purposes you are?­
That is so.
3352. Could you give us any idea of any system which might be
followed to reduce its use ?-I cannot give anything off-hand. It is a very
big question, and would require a wiser head than mine.
3353. We have been told that one thing is absolutely necessary as a
preliminary step, and that is, registration of all the opium smokers ?-I
happen to know that in some parts of the world what it is proposed to do
here now has been going on for 10 years or more.
3354. You have had experience in the Dutch East Indies ?-Yes.
3355. Will you tell me what course they follow there ?-Just what is
proposed here. Chandu is retailed by the Government altogether. They
employ the people, they sell the opium to the people who are supposed to be
smokers; smokers are registered, their photographs are on their permits,
their addresses are taken, and nobody else is allowed to buy.
3356. That does not extend to the whole of Java ?-I cannot tell you
about the whole of Java. I have experience of Banka only. Further parti.
culars can be obtained from "Report on the Dutch East Indies Section of
the Netherlands Red Cross Society" of the Red Cross Conference held at
Bangkok from 29th November to 18th December, 1922, under the heading
of "Opium Policy in the Dutch Indies" by Dr. VON ROEMER.
3357. Did that system work out well ?-It might be better; but like all
systems temptations are put in the way of the officials in charge of the shopS!
to make money. .
3358. You have actually heard those suspicions voiced by people in
'Banka ?-Yes. .
3359. Do you know of any instance where this temptation was not
resisted?-Yes, squeezing is said to be going on.
3360. Is the squeezing confined to the upper class of officials ?-From
what I have heard, it goes on from top to bottom; but I do not knowhow
far it is true. .
3361. The whole system is full of corruption ?....,Not at all; the system
itself is a very good one, but the carrying out of it might be under stricter
supervision. Here again more information may be obtained from "Report
on Opium Policy in the Dutch East Indies" by Dr. VON ROEMER. .
3362: Do you think that we would have any greater success here than
they have in Java ?-That would depend on what Government was prepared
to pay to supervise.
• 3363. If Government were prepared to carry this out thoroughly, they
would have to have very highly paid officials so that they would be above
temptation ?-Nobody is above temptation.
3364. Do you recognise the difference between the population of Banka
and our population? The population of Banka is practically all resident;
they are born there and live there all their lives?-That is not so; there are
Chinese coolies there who come and go. .