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(c.) September 7 (by the Governor-General, in colloquial): Exhortation against opium smoking and foot binding.
(d.) Undated (Prefect and Magistrate): Forbidding poppy growing.
Official action: In the city the Local Government has opened one refuge and five dispensaries; the gentry, one refuge and one dispensary. The opium dens have been closed in the city, and opium shops and opium smokers registered.
"As to whether it has been thorough I cannot say, but something has been done."
Ch'uching.
(a.) August (Governor-General's Proclamation): Younger men allowed six months to break off opium; older men, one year. Those over 60 years of age to be exempt from control. All opium dens to be closed; licensed opium shops to be opened. Curative medicines to be approved by the lead Bureau. Amount of poppy to be planted to be notified beforehand; after three years cultivation must cease.
(b) September (Prefect): Similar to (a).
(c) October 1 (Prefect): No one allowed to sell prepared opium. This year only one-third of last year's poppy crop may be sown; officials must be notified. Opium dens are to be closed; no opium utensils may be sold.
Official action: A Head Bureau has been established.
Pingyi.
(a.) Undated, but issued about August 28: All opium dens to be closed in half a month.
(b.) Sale of opium utensils forbidden.
(c.) September 20 (Governor-General): Against opium smoking and foot binding.
Official action: A show of closing opium dens on the 8th September, but smoking still continues more or less secretly.
Kueiyang.
(a.) Undated, but issued about September 29: Sale of opium pipes, lamps, &c. and preparing of crude opium in shops and on the streets is to be prohibited; anyone offending to be severely punished. To take effect from the 7th October.
(b) October 27 (Governor): No opium to be grown on Crown lands; if this involves loss to tenants, then rents are to be reduced. On other lands poppy crop to be diminished by one-tenth yearly. Growers to report to the opium refuge ("ch'ih-yen hui") and obtain certificates.
Official action: Previous Proclamations concerning closing of opium dens and control of sale of opium have been partly carried out. The dens were closed on the 10th July, and in September a limited liability Company for sale of opium was established under official sanction, with, it is said, 20,000 taels capital. Mr. Cecil-Smith was told (October) that the Company was trying to buy in as much opium as possible to sell to retail dealers.
In the Ting-fan Department a Notification was issued by the Magistrate on the lines of the Governor's Proclamation of the 27th October. "Here in Kueiyang nothing has been done, so far as I can ascertain" (4th December).
Anshun.
(a.) September: Recites Imperial orders for suppression of opium, and exhorts to cease from smoking and poppy-growing. Offers remission of taxation on public lands not planted with poppy.
Official action: (Not stated.)
Tushan.
(a.) Undated, published about the 30th September: Gives gist of Emperor's Edict regarding the cultivation of opium.
Official action: All yamên assistants are to either break off opium or to retire. (Otherwise nothing seems to have been done.)
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2. Attitude of Local Officials and Gentry.
Yunnan-fu.
The gentry are reported to be pleased at the movement, and the Magistrate is said to have broken off the habit. A large number of the officials, gentry, and people have given it up. Over 3,000 are taking medicines at the dispensaries. Money is being subscribed by the gentry and others to purchase medicines for sale at less than cost price, or to be given away.
Ch'uching.
"Our Prefect unfortunately smokes opium, and up to the present" (2nd October), "as far as one can learn, has no thought of giving it up. Very few, if any, as far as I have heard, of the gentry have given up smoking opium; this is scarcely to be wondered at when the Prefect does not. The tenor of their talk is very unhopeful."
Pingyi.
"On the whole favourable. Three have given up the habit" (December).
Kueiyang.
"Reported that the new Prefect is an opium smoker. Military officers are breaking off by order of the Commander-in-chief."
Anshun.
No remarks.
Tushan.
"The Commander-in-chief for Kueichow has just" (September) "had all the officials under his jurisdiction in this part of the province to an examination in the Prefecture, in order to discover who are addicted to opium smoking, and adopt stringent measures for their reform. The Prefect, the Magistrate, and several other prominent men are giving up their opium; some are almost finished with the medicine, but others are not so far advanced."
3. Restriction of Area under Cultivation.
Yünnan-fu.
Practically all the ground is now (26th December) planted with other crops.
Ch'uching.
In some districts inquiry is being made as to how much each family is going to plant this season. No attempt is made at restriction, beyond the three years' rule. Owing to high price of cereals a great deal less opium was planted last season.
P'ingyi.
"The feeling among those appointed to investigate into land under cultivation is that the task of gradual reduction along the lines indicated to them is next to an impossibility. It has been suggested that it would be comparatively easy to totally forbid opium growing in the entire district." "The work of investigation has just" (1st October) "been allotted to men in the various districts, who have, as far as I can learn, done nothing as yet.
Last winter about one-third of the old poppy ground was planted with other crops, the people fearing official displeasure." "There will probably be a great falling off in the amount of the ground planted with opium" (December).
[2889 g-1]
B 2
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