The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-12-31
TEE HAsKIN LETTER
SURPRISING the Opium Trade

WdHteu 70 use II IN MS own room. In
buying It he secured the necessary
information regarding the sale OF tne
drug to enable him to prosecute the
yiolators of the law.
The traffic In San Francisco was
the greatest OF any American city. II
is now believed to be effectualiy di-
minished. although yigilant sys-
tenn OF inspection win continue tosbe
maintained. Inspector Sutherland's
efforts resulted In the conviction Of
nearly hundred men. to jai sem
fences. Within three months, ninety
seven men and women paid fines
amounting to S11, 300. Over 500
opium joints were closed and opium
to the value of IS 900 was con-
fiscated and burned In an open square
i'm the Chinese quarter of San Fran
Cisco 1t was found that many re-
spectacle physicians had been sell
ing prescriptions to drug fiends and
that reputable family drug stores
were really acting as Illegal distrib-
uting centers for these drugs.
Il The campaign throughout thu
country has been greatly aided by
the activity OF Charles b. Towns, for
merly of Georgia, but now OF New
York. Mr.. Towns established an
anti-opium institute in Picking. He
co-operated with ex7President Taft
in bringing about the first Interna-
ttional Anti-Opium conference which
was held in Shanghai in 1909. The
second was held at The Hague In
1911. Mr.. Towns believes that the
only method of dealing with the
opium problem is by making it q
government monopoly with the active
cooperation of each of the other
governments OF the world. Even the
most stringent prohibitive laws
passed by Congress cannot do away
with the smuggling of the drug into
the country, although the heavy pen
alties attached may lessen it some-l
what. But If all the nations had n
rigid registration OF the amount Of
opium manufactured or. impor. Z i
within their borders and none were
sold without a registration of the
quantity, the proposed use and the
name of the purchaser. the Illicit
drug trade could be effectually throt-
ted. Such cooperation was we'll
under way before the outbreak OF the
war in Europe and its final estab-I
ltshment is likely to be brought
about.
In the meantime the country must
handle its drug problem alone. More
money is now being spent along ourl
frontiers and at our ports providing
inspection to prevent opium from
being smuggled in than would suffice
to handle and distribute all the drug
which is needed for legitimate pur-,
poses. The new laws do not hindert
q druggist from procuring what he
can handle honestly, but 1t can make
him responsible for the sale of it,
II the government handled all the
opium brought into the country and
the druggists were permitted to sell
1t only for medicinal use, the res
sponsibility OF the drug habit would
rest entirely upon the physicians
who write prescriptions for 1t and
the detection and conviction of those
who would lend themselves to the IL
llcit use of the drug would be a conf
paratively simple matter.
The law. of 1909 prohibited the i'm
portation of smoking opium into the
United States. But between the
time of the passage of the law and
Its going into effect American dealers
had ample opportunity to learn the
process of preparing the drug for
smoking. knowledge which has
heretofore been confined to the ORR
emit. The campaign in San francisco
indicated how Intellectual had been
the restriction regarding its importa-
ton. But the habit of smokingl
opium is less menace to the nation
that that of taking the drug in other
forms. either In hypodermick injec-
tion or by swallowing it. The drug
habits which are most dangerous to
the public welfare are contracted
usually from the careless use Of
some form of opium incidentally.
Twenty-three states now have laws
prohibiting the selling OF opium and
morphine except upon the original
order prescription of licensed
physician, dentist or veterinary
Sugar output of British Guiana.
for 1913. was valued at s5.432,s16.
NJ tho mn n00 naap1a u. r onA4~