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C 226
3718. Without the smokers is there a sufficiency of labour in the Peninsula
?-No, that is absolutely certain. Even the Chinese will tell yuu that.
That is the reason why they want registration. They do not want abulition.
If they had this registration they would be able to keep their opium-smokers
on.
3719. You are speaking of whom at present ?-The owners. They are
anxious to have registration, not abolition altogether, which would do away
with coolie labour.
3720. Mr. Ie/I.-If a notice were posted in the shipping offices in
Amoy, "No opium-smokers allowed", it would be difficult to obtain labour?­
I should think so.
3721. Sir David Galloway.-Is there any comparison between the effects
of alcohol and opium ?-No comparison. In the one you have definite tissue
changes, and in the other you have not, except in very grave cases of morphine
injection. I have never discovered in a post-mortem examination any tissue
changes.
3722. As a member of society which is the more acceptable, tbe opiumsmoker
to excess or the man who takes alcohol to excess ?-I would rather
be in the company of the opium-smoker to excess than with the alcoholic
subject. The former is peaceful and quiet. He certainly smokes away his
earnings, but so does the drunkard. One gives you no trouble, but the other
man is up to all sorts of tricks and very possibly does you harm physically.
3723. Have you ever met highly intellectual men who were smokers ?­
Yes, two or three. One, a very acute business man, was not a moderate
smoker, but more on the inveterate side. He died in Penang some time ago.
I knew two or three others in Ipoh. I will not mention any names, but they
are intellectual, quite good business men, and very difficult to deal with
sometimes, in the way of being too acute, in spite of their opium-smoking.
One celebrated his seventieth birthday the other day and had three thousand
guests at various places. Though he had had his quantum of opium, and
he is not a moderate smoker, he came round that night, and was quite intelligible,
very amusing at times. He came round to each table and had his
glass of champagne.
3724. Looking back over the men you have known in the Federated
Malay States, you must recollect at least half-a-dozen, who though opiumsmokers,
made their way in life from coolies to millionaires practically ?-Yes,
and most of them were opium-smokers.
3725. Did you know Mr. T. T. S. in Singapore?-Yes_
3726. You will probably remember him as one of the most intellectual
Chinese you ever met, and a member of the Straits Philosophical Society?­
Yes.
3727. Mr. Lim Nee Soon.-How many employees have YOI1 at
present ?-At present I have about two or three hundred coolies.
3728. All of them Chinese ?-Practically ninety per cent.
3729. How many per cent are smoking opium ?-I should say about
twenty-five per cent.
3730. Do the smokers get any malaria fever ?-I have already pointed
out that last instance when we had that outbreak, the smokers came out to
work when the others were laid up. Then we had another attack of influenza,
and these opium-smokers to my surprise were out to work.
3731. Are smokers and non-smokers getting the same pay?-Oh yes_
But these are all very moderate smokers.
3732. How much do your coolies get a day?-They vary between eighty