The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-03-13
PRESIDENT GETS
J OPIUM REPORT
Drug Can Be Sold in the Philippines,
but Natives Not Allowed to
Use It.
FOLLOWS SPANISH LAW
FIGHT MADE BY CHRISTIAN
ELEMENT.

Washington. March 1.-THE president
today sent to congress the report of the
opium commission appointed in 1904 to
investigate the use Of opium in the
Philippines and to suggest means for
its regulation. The report itself in out
line has already been published, but in
view of the earnest efforts of Christian
clergymen and reformatOry societies to
stop the traffic in opium in the Philip
pines. and after developments since the
publication of the report the following
letter from Secretary Taft, which ac-
companies the presidents message to
congress may be of interest:
Washington March 9, 1906
MY Dear PRESIDENT have the
honor to enclose herewith for transmits
sion to congress the report Of the COM
mittee appointed by the Philippine
commission to investigate the use of
opium and the traffic therein and the
rules, ordinances and laws regulating
such use and traffic in Japan, FOrmOsa,
Shanghai, Hongkong, Saigon, Singa-
pore, Burmah, Java and the Philippine
islands,"
Spanish Law in the Philippines.
The law in force in the Philippine is
lands under the government of Spain,
made it unlawful for any Filipino tC
smoke or use opium in any way. It
permitted, however. a license to issue
for the maintaining of opium smoking
resorts to be patrOnized only by the
Chinese and police supervision was eX-
ercised over the resorts and any Fill
pino found there was arrested and pun
iShed. The owner of the resort was also
B-o
violation of the law. 1t is generally
thought that the law was fairly well
enforced and that the spread of the use
of the drug among the FflipinOS was
much retarded by its enforcement. IN
der the law the right to sell opium for
smoking and other purposes was
farmed out IN the various provinces to
wholesale dealer who purchased the
privilege at a public auction. When
the American troops entered Manila
and took possession of the islands the
Spanish opium law was not continued
I'm force. A duty was imposed on opium
and towns were entOined to pass Ordi-
nances fOrbidding the establishment of
opium dives. Such information as the
commission could obtain indicated that
the suspension of the Spanish law had
led to an increase of the use Of the drug
among FilipinOs.
Resorts Were Abolished.
Early in 1908 there was introduced in
the Philippine commission for enact
ment into law a bill following in some
\ respects the Spanish law, especially in
ethe main feature that the sale of opium
% FilipinOs and its use by them was
= absolutely prohibited and made penal
offense. It abolished licensed opium
smoking resorts and provided that no
opium could be sold to any one to be
Gu1nlzn6 tho nrnT0iCnG
tanned the feature of farming out the
right to sell opium to Chinese persons
u years of age.
The bill was advertised for three
months and when il came before the
committee in open session it was dis
cussed by members Of the public with
great VigOT- 1t was very vigorously OPP
posed by the clergymen OF the city of
Manila. Indeed, so strong was their
objection it lead the committee to table
the bill and appoint a committee con-
sisting of Major Carter, Surgeon L. s.
A, chief sanitary officer of the islands
DR.. Jose Albert, a. prominent Filipino
physician Of Manila, and the Rt Rev.
Charles H. Brent, Episcopal bishop of
the Philippines. who were authorized
TO visit the various oriental countries
to investigate the measures taken by
the different governments for the DUR
pose of suppreSsing the use Of opium.
This committee made its report to the
Philippine committee in June 1904. The
report was not transmitted by the Phil
fppine committee ia this department
until last August. The time since then
has been taken in printing of it and the
correction Of typographical and other
errors contained in it
: Department Gets Report.
An informal copy OF the opium report
brought by Bishop Brent to the depart
ment a year ago, and the result of its
contents and conclusions were trans
mftted to the committee of the house
and senate when they were considering
the question off the duty TO be imposed
upon opium in a bill providing for a
tariff on goods imported into the Phil
ippines. The result was the opinion
of the committee:
Opium: (A) crude, n. w, kilO, 81
OBJ, the same manufactured or pre-
pared for the smoking or other pur-
poses, n. W. kiIo, So; provided. how
ever, that the Philippine commission or
any subsequent Philippine legislature
shall have the power to enact legisla-
ton to prohibit absolutely importation
or sale Of opium or TO limit or restrict
its importation and sale or adopt such
other measures as may be required for
the suppression of the evils resulting
from the sale and use of the drug; and
provided further, that after March 1,
1908. it shall be unlawful to import
into the Philippine islands opium in
whatever form, except by the govern
ment, and for medicinal purposes only,
and at no time shall it be lawful to
sell opium TO any native Filipino in
the islands except for medical pur-
poses.
An entitled Of 70 ,.o1-iSa md