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The Settlements.-In January the Municipal Council was asked by the local authorities to close all opium shops within the Settlements within six months. The Council replied that, while they sympathized sincerely with the present movement, the supervision and control of opium shops, which follow from the issue of municipal licences, have no inconsiderable value, and that were the closure effected within the Settlement numerous smaller rendezvous for the consumption of the drug would be established in the less frequented parts of the Settlement and outskirts, and that the Council was not prepared to make the Settlement a field of experiment in advance of the Chinese cities. but will not hesitate, when there is evidence of bond fide intention on the part of the Chinese Government to give practical effect to present protestations, to support the action of the Chinese to the full extent of its power.
The Shanghae Taotai has subsequently expressed the opinion in conversation, with reference to experiments in criminal procedure, that, "like the suppression of opium, On the 3rd April they must first be carried out in the interior not in the Settlements." the Chung Wai Jih Pao states the Governor of Soochow to have written to the Shanghae Taotai
"It is probable that the tax on prepared opium is not levied in the Settlements as is done outside, and when the increase of price comes into force outside and not in the Settlements difficulties will arise, and people will flock to the Settlements to purchase opium. Shops outside will do no business. This is a consideration of great moment, so inquiries are to be made of the Shanghae officials, who are to report on the question."
The Governor received the following reply from the Taotai :-
"It is impossible to impose our taxes on the Settlements, and if the increased tax on prepared opium were levied outside, your Excellency's opinion is quite correct, that there would ensue a rush to the Settlements to purchase opiun.
"It has frequently occurred to me that this question presents great difficulties. The Settlements are quite beyond the influence and control of Chinese officials. However, in Shanghae city the following procedure should be adopted. Opium smokers must report themselves to the proper officials and receive a licence, to be produced when required. A smoker purchasing opium shall be given a ticket bearing particulars of the quantity of opium sold, and the date of sale to be shown to the deputy in charge of the prohibition of opium smoking on demand under pain of punishment.
"The officials and runners in charge of the investigation shall watch the chief approaches to the Settlements and prevent opium being smuggled in. Thus, although it is impossible to force smokers and opium shops in the Settlements to pay increased taxes or take out licences, those ontside will remain under our control, and the difficulty will to some extent be solved. With regard to the time limit set for the closure of shops, on receipt of your instructions I communicated with the Senior Consul, and received in reply the views of the Municipal Council. (Quotes letter.) They wish to look on and delay action. If, however, we could effectually shut up the opium dens in our own capital within the specified time limit of six months, we could ask the Senior Consul to fulfil his promises, and nothing more could be said. If the opium dens could be dealt with in this fashion, it seems to me that the procedure could be extended to the prepared opium shops. I have given orders that a secret watch be kept over the opium dens within and without the city, that they may be closed, but no fresh dens may be opened. I have great hopes that all will be closed within the period laid down.'
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General. The "Shen Pao movement in an editorial, says :—
of the 2nd April, commenting on the anti-opium
"The inception of this movement is due to Chu, the Provincial Judge (at Soo- chow), who was the first to evolve a working scheme. He proposed to double the price at which opium was retailed, and to establish a Bureau for the Control and Taxation of Prepared Opium.
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"The Viceroy and Governor did not agree with his former suggestion, and held that it would be more feasible to raise the price 10 per cent. only, and add a further cent. yearly, thus doubling the price in ten years. They proposed to apply the per income thus raised to the establishment of the new office, and any balance was to be handed over to the Soochow and Shanghae Li-kin Bureau.
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"The Governor and Viceroy have been in constant telegraphic communication discussing the matter, and have finally settled that the two measures are to be adopted. It is not, however, yet arranged at what date they are to be put into force."
The price of rice, says the "Shen Pao," is very high, and rice riots are frequent, and if the price of opium were suddenly doubled it is very probable that the existing urrest would be increased, and disturbances ensue, and the scheme could only be worked with difficulty. This, in the "Shen Pao's" opinion, is the cause of the hesitation in putting the measures into effect, and it considers that it is not practicable to do so at Liu Taotai, Director of the Anti-Opium Bureau, went specially to Nanking some days ago to see what steps are being taken in Nanking.
once.
1. Proclamations.
(Soochow "Shen Pao," April 11, 1907.)
Proclamation by Chu, Provincial Judge of Soochow, Superintendent of the Central Anti- Opium Bureau, and Liu, Assistant Superintendent, dated April 9, 1907.
In obedience to the Imperial Edict ordering that very thorough measures be taken for the prohibition of opium smoking, very clear Regulations have been sent to each provincial capital, and action is to be taken at once. The city of Soochow is a very important centre for the south-east of China, and is thickly populated. For centuries it has been celebrated as the head-quarters of learning and refinement.
We are in receipt of instructions from the higher authorities to establish a bureau for the suppression of opium smoking, which is also to deal with the surveillance and taxation of licensed prepared opium. The plan is therefore to repress opium smoking by means of increased tuxation. A central bureau must therefore be established in Soochow, and orders sent to all Prefectures and districts to act similarly. The tax on prepared opium is to be levied as of old up to the end of the 2nd moon, but from the 1st of the 3rd moon it will cease to be collected, but instead the price of the drug will be increased. The original intention was to double the price, but as this is a new movement, out of consideration for those in the trade it is arranged to increase the price by one-tenth. As the equality of prepared opium is not uniform, and its price varies, we cannot be sure that the better qualities sold will not be fraudulently reported as being the cheaper kinds, and the standard of price will not be uniformly taken, as being that of the most inferior grade, for purposes of assessment.
This is a very lenient measure. Fifty cash will be charged, in addition to the market price, on every ounce of opium sold, and the prolit thus made is to be handed over to this office (by the sellers). Some of the sum thus levied will be handed over to the bureau formerly in charge of the opium tax, the balance to go towards the expenses of the anti-opium movement. Similar measures are to be taken throughout the province. The intention is to repress opium smoking by means of a system of surveillance and All prepared opium taxation, and is a special arrangement to meet the circumstances. shops which are already licensed must report at once at the bureau, and exchange their licences, to enable the bureau to exercise surveillance; the opium dens must be con- verted into retail shops within a period of six months, and no smoking will be allowed on the premises. As to the smokers, blank licences have been prepared at the bureau, and they must report to the central of branch offices established in the various thorough- fares, that their names may be entered in a register, and filled in on the licences. They will then be permitted to purchase opium, and, after the issue of such licences has been completed, a date will be determined on, after which no opium may be purchased without production of a licence.
The "Hsin Wen Pao" of the 5th April gave the gist of the above Proclamation, which, however, was not promulgated till the 9th instant.
In the Hsin Wen Pao" of the 8th April the outlines were given of a Procla- mation issued by the bureau for the control and taxation of prepared opium. In the three districts of Soochow, viz., Chang Chou, Yuan Ho, and Wu Hsien, the price of prepared opium will be raised from the 1st day of the 3rd moon (13th April).
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