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Chinese men waited on the Minister for Education today
and asked that the permission granted for the manufacture
of opium in the Northern Territory should be withdrawn.
The deputation referred at length to the evil results
of smoking opium and pointed out the probability of the
practice being taken up by the European residents.
The
Minister, in reply, said that it was not the manufacture
but the smoking of opium that was injurious. If the
manufacture was stopped in the territory, larger quantities
would be imported from Hong Kong.
If
the manufacture was the only source of supply he would
stop it, but could not see the force of stopping the
factory for the purpose of increasing the profits of
the Chinese merchants of Hong Kong and the Territory.
The
government were not prepared to disallow the sale of
the drugs, but he would make inquiries.
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