[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[1047]
No. 1.
517
[January 16th]
SPORTON
INFE
FEB 08
(No. 555.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received January 11, 1908.)
Peking, November 27, 1907.
DURING the past year reports have from time to time been sent to you of the progress of the measures which the Chinese Government and the provincial authorities were taking for enforcing the Opium Decree of the 20th September, 1906, but the information thus furnished was necessarily of a somewhat fragmentary character,
In order to convey an adequate idea of the results attained during the first year in which the Decree has been operative, I requested Mr. Leech, the Councillor of the Legation, to bring all the information at our disposal into a general and accessible form, and the result is the Report which I have now the honour to transmit to you, and which will, I venture to think, prove both instructive and useful,
I have, &c. (Signed) J. N. JORDAN.
Inclosure in No. 1.
General Report on Opium.
GLOSSARY.
THE following glossary is given of words used in this Report, which may not be familiar to those who read it-
TAOTAL: The Intendant of a circuit usually composed of several prefectures within a province.
YAMEN: An official residence.
MANDARIN: A general term for an official.
GENTRY: Influential people, not necessarily landowners.
Texashur: Consolidated provincial dues; in this Report applicable to native opium, which pays a uniform tax of 115 Kuping taels per picul, whether for export or consumption, and on payment of which the drug is labelled, and can then circulate freely throughout the Empire.
Li-kin: An inland transit tax.
CONCESSION: An area of land leased in perpetuity by a foreign Government from the Chinese Government.
SETTLEMENT: An area of land selected as a suitable place for foreigners to reside.
CATTY: 1⅓ lbs.
PICUL: 133⅓ lbs. (100 catties).
MACE: 1/10th of a tael.
HAIKWAN TAEL: The average demand value was 3s. 3½d. in 1906.
KUPING TAEL: Is the Government Treasury tael, differing slightly from a Haikwan tael.
CASH: About 1,200 are equal to 1 tael.
DOLLAR: Present exchange is 2s. 7¼d.
AS a year has now elapsed since the issue by the Chinese Government of the eleven Regulations framed for the enforcement of the Opium Edict of the 20th September, 1906, it will be of interest to review the results which have been so far obtained, and the measure of success which has attended the stupendous task of attempting by legislation
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(To be continued)