OPIUM IN THE PHILIPPINES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1288, 25 August 1914, Page 4

OPIUM IN THE PHILIPPINES.

Opium reform in the Philippines began as far back as 1843. The Spanish Government, alarmed by the spread of the opium habit, began to farm out the opium monopoly by restricting the use of opium to the Chinese exclusively. Of course the temptation of the owner of the opium privilege was to sell all the opium he could, and, although its use was by law confined to the Chinese, an increasing number of natives contracted the habit. In .1898, directly after American occupation of the island, the opium “ monopoly ” was abolished as not being in line with American traditions. The Act of Congress ot 1905 provided that after March 1, 1908, it should be unlawful for any person or corporations to import into the islands opium in any form. The Government is, however, permitted to import opium for medicinal purposes. A second measure was the passage of an Act by the Philippine Commission in 1908 by which only adult male persons not natives of the islands were permitted to use opium; and then conditionally upon raking out a certificate. At that time about two-fifths of the number of opium-users had quite the habit, and a large precentage of the remainder had become moderate users. To-day the Insular Bureau of the War Department reports that the opium problem as a problem has practically been eliminated. The Chief of Police In Manila declares that every opium joint in the city has been put out ot business, and says that it is now harder to buy opium in Manila than in any city of the United States having a considerable Chinese population.