Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-12
TO STOP OPIUM SALE
Regulating the Traffic in the
Philippines.
INQUIRY OF COMMITTEE
Oriental Restrictions Regarding the
Drug.
REPORT SENT TO CONGRESS
Importation After March /, 1908,
Shall Be Unlawful Except by
the Government.

! the Government.
| 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 outline
| has already been published, but in view of
| the earnest efforts of Christian ciefeymen
| and refermatory societies TO stop the traffic
in opium in the Philippines and of develop
| ments since the publication of the report the
| following letter from Secretary Taft which
| accompanies the Presidents message to
| Congress. may be OF interest:
Secretary Taft's Letter
| WASHINGTON, y. c. March g. 1906
| My Dear Mr.. President:
Il have the honor to inclose herewith for
transmission TO Congress the report of the
| committee appointed by the Philippine
| commission to investigate the use of opium
and the traffic therein. and the rules ordi-
| nances and laws regulating such use and
| trafhc IN Japan. Formosa, Shanghai Hong
Kong, Saigon. Singapore. Burma, Java and
| the Phillppins Islands.
The law in force in the PhilpDine Islands
under the government of Spain made it I'M
| lawful for any Filipino to smoke or use
opium in any way. 1t permitted how
ever, license to issue for the maintenance
OF opium smoking resorts, TO be patronized
only by The Chinese, and police supervision
was exercised over the resorts. and any
Flilplno found there was arrested and pun
lShed. The owner of the resort was also
punished for conniving at the FHipiuo's
VOCATION OF the law 1t is generally
thouSht that the law fairly well en-
forced, and that the spread OF the use o.
the drug among the Fipinos was much
retarded by its enforcement Under the
law the right to sell opium for smoking
and other purposes WIS farmed out I'm the
various provinces to a wholesale dealer
VINO purchased the privilege at a puh,tc
auction. When the American troops en-
tered Manila and took POSSESSION Of tI1,
Islands the Spanish opium law was not
continue in force. A Iuty was imposed
ON opium, and towns were euioiued 10 nas
ordinances forblddtng tie estabi SD nre,t OF
opium dives. Such Information as the
commission could ohIaiE Indicated that the
suspension of the Spanish law had led 10
an increase of the of the drug among
Fllipinos.
Action Of the Commission.
Early in 1908 there was introduced In
the Philippine commission for enactment
into a law bill following in some re-
spects the Spanish law, especially In the
main feature, that the sale OF op:lm TO
Fflfpinos and its use by them was abso-
lutely prohibited and made penal offense
1t abolished licensed opium smoking re-
sorts, and provided that no opium could
be sold to any one to be smoked upon the
premises. II contained the feature of farm
Ing out the right TO sell opium to Chinese
persons twentyone years of age. The bill
wGs advertised for three months and when
1t came before the commission in open ses-
sion was discussed by members of the
public with great Vigor. 1t was very Wig
orously opposed by the clergymen of the
city OF Manila. Indeed, so strong was their
opposition that It led the commission to
able the bill and to appoint 4 committee
consisting of Maj E. c. Carter. surgeon
United States army, cnief sanitary officer
of the islands; DR. Jose Albert, a promi-
nent Filipino physician of Manila, and the
Right Rev. Charles II. Brent, Episcopal
bishop OF the Philippines, who were au-
thorized to visit the various oriental coun-
tries to investigate the measures taken by
the different governments for the purpose
of suppressing the use of opium This conf
mittee made its report to the Philippine
commission in June 1891. The report was
not transmitted by the Philippine COM
mission 10 this department until last August
The time since then has been taken In the
printing of 1t and in the correction of typo
graphical and other errors contained in it.
Action of Congress.
'An informal copy OF the opium report
brought by Bishop Brent reached the de-
partment a year ago and the result of its
conclusions was stated to the committees
Of the House and Senate when they were
considering the question of the duty to be
imposed upon opium III a bill providing for
a tariff on goods imported into the Philip
pine Islands The result was the adoption
Of the following by Congress:
Opium (a) Crude, n. W. kilo four dol
lars; (b) The same manufacturers or pre-
pared for smoking or other purposes, \.
w. kio five dollars;
- Provided however, that the Philippine
commission or any subsequent philippine
legislature shall have the power to enact
legislation to prohibit absolutely the I'M
porta ton sale of opium, or to limit or re-
strict is Importation and sale, or adopt
NAV he
the suppression of the evils resulting from
the sale and use of the drug; and PROVIDED
further that after March /, 1908 IL snalI
he unlawful to import into the PhnlpplHe
Islands opiuIn In whatever form, except by
the government and for nfedlclnal purposes
only and at no time shall 1t be laW1ul 10
sell opium to any native OF tne rnnIppai,e'
islands except for medicinal purposes.
fAct entitled An act to revise ana aiIen I
The tariff laws OF the Philippine ISLANDS
and for other purposes, approved MAJ oi
8, 1867 oeouo tho pbilip-
| nine commission for public discussion Dill
providing for the suppression OF opium
smoking. which penalties the SAFE OF op na
to Filipinos. its use by them sscolio'
IL prohibits the sale of opium to any Cnlha
| man unless he be registered as an haplt
user of the drug. License taxes are I'M
posed on wholesale and retail dealers, VINO
| are subject to close regulation and scrutiny
! The text of the bill has not been received,
| but only a cable summary rms Dill. II II
| becomes law. Will, by reason OF the consieS
| sional restrictions above set out, cease TO
! have effect In April, 1908 and at that time
! all importa tions of opium into the ISLANDS
will cease except for medicinal purposes,
| and the Importation for that purpose VIII pc
| made by the government only. The interval
| of two years before the absolute prohibition
applies is made in accordance with the sue
| cessful policy followed In Formosa by the
| Japanese. who did not put into operation
| the prohibition until after three years or
| preparation. during which licenses were i'm
/ posed, and q registered list OF habitual
| users was required. The proposed license
bill does not follow exactly the recommen-
! dation OF the Investigating commission. but
/ IL IL passes 1t will effect the same purpose
| in Il somewhat different way.
A supplement to the Secretarys letter Is
| contained in a cablegram received from the
| governor general of the Philippine Islands.
| at Manila, indicating that the public discus
| sion on the proposed opium bill has been
| finished and that the bill was passed. There
was little opposition. except from clergy
| men. who favored government monopoly
| but in view OF the short time before total
] prohibition were not strenuous In its advo-
| cacy 1t was felt by the commission. II Is