§ MR. HERBERT SAMUEL (Yorkshire, Cleveland)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether the Transvaal law prohibiting the sale of intoxicants to natives will apply to imported Chinese labourers; and whether 1487 the regulations to be framed under the Transvaal Imported Labour Ordinance will prohibit the supply of opium to those labourers.
§ MR. LYTTELTONThe Law to which the hon. Member refers prohibits the supply of intoxicants to coloured persons, except as regards Kaffir beer for the use of natives employed at the mines, and I am communicating with Lord Milner as to the corresponding arrangements to be made in the case of Chinese. As regards the second part of the hon. Member's Question, I am advised that Chinese labourers are not addicted to the excessive use of opium, but the necessity for providing against such abuse will not be lost sight of.