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upon the degree of stringency with which it is enforced. The only way in which abuses can be rooted out and deceptions avoided is to prepare explicit supervisory Regulations for the prohibition of opium, and to devise means of compliance therewith.
The measures involved in the prohibition of opium are many and difficult, including as they do the supervision of the cultivation, consumption, and sale of the drug. All these measures are of great importance, but the first step should be to investigate the amount of land under opium cultivation, and gradually diminish the quantity grown. This plan attacks the evil at its source, and other measures, such as the investigation of the number of opium smokers, the closing of opium dens, and the limitation of the sale of the drug, must then be carefully considered in their turn.
As all the above matters are connected with land and taxation or else are concerned with the police administration and the public health, they come within the province of the Boards of Finance and of the Interior, and it is, of course, our duty to consider them carefully. We have now the honour to submit supervisory Regulations for the prohibition of opium, and to request that Imperial instructions may be issued to the high provincial authorities to furnish detailed reports, in accordance with these Regulations, for the information of the Board of Interior. As to whether it may be possible to shorten the time limit with a view to hastening the attainment of the object in view, or to introduce any modifications into the Regulations, such points will be for the provincial authorities concerned to decide on consideration of the local conditions.
With regard to the measures to be taken to secure the strict enforcement of the Regulations, the question of rewards or punishments will turn upon whether a strict supervision has been exercised, and whether the Regulations have been faithfully carried out.
The matter of rewards and punishments, however, concerns the Board of Civil Office, and these Regulations merely outline what is to be done; special Regulations in detail should be prepared by the Board of Civil Office, in accordance with precedent, and submitted for approval to the Throne, in order that uniformity may be preserved.
When those who should set a good example to others become addicted to opium smoking, they should be dealt with, after an investigation into their case, by the Commissioners for the Prohibition of Opium.
The question of finding other sources of revenue to take the place of the opium tax will have to be considered as a separate question by the Board of Finance, who will present a Memorial on the subject, and take action.
We now reverently submit for your Majesties' consideration the twenty-three supervisory Regulations prepared by the two Boards in consultation. Should they meet with your Majesties' approval, they will then be sent to the Commissioners for the prohibition of opium for their information, and instructions will be issued to the Board of Civil Office and the provincial authorities to take the necessary action.
This Memorial, setting forth the supervisory Regulations for the prohibition of opium prepared by the Boards in consultation and the methods suggested for securing their enforcement, is now submitted for your Majesties' approval, and the Imperial commands are requested.
This Memorial has been drafted by the Board of Interior with the co-operation of the Board of Finance.
On the 23rd May the following Imperial Rescript was received:---
"Approved."
(Translation.)
PROHIBITION OF OPIUM.
Supervisory Regulations.
Section 1.—Diminution of Cultivation.
Article 1. Returns of the amount of land under opium cultivation, the names of the owners, and the amount of opium produced shall be made by all local officials within six months to the high provincial authorities, who shall forward collective reports to the Board of Finance and Board of the Interior.
Art. 2. The ten years' period within which opium is to be abolished shall be reckoned from Kuang Hsü 32 (1906-7), and the cultivation of opium is to be diminished in accordance with the Regulations laid down by the Grand Council. No opium must ever be grown on land not hitherto under opium cultivation, and in the case of land already under opium cultivation, the amount must be annually decreased by one-eighth, taking as a basis the figure given in the returns for Kuang Hsü 34 (1908-9). The cultivation of opium will thus cease entirely in Kuang Hsü 41 (1915-6). Returns shall also be made from time to time as to what crops are being grown on the land withdrawn from opium cultivation.
Art. 3. Permits, sealed by the provincial authorities, shall be issued by the local officials to opium growers, the permits being renewed annually. Any person growing opium without a permit shall be liable to punishment. A fee of 15 cash per mou shall be levied on each permit, but no further charge whatever may be made.
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Section 2.—Public Hongs.
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Art. 4. Since the inauguration of a consolidated tax on native opium, the Provinces of Anhui, Honan, and Shansi have already established a system of public hongs for the sale of native opium appointed by the Branch Consolidated Tax Office and the local official. These public hongs are responsible for the payment of the tax on native opium, and the grower must sell and the dealer purchase opium through them. The warehouseman must also report all purchases and sales of opium to the public hong, which sees that the taxes are paid. This system will now be extended to the other provinces, and these public hongs shall keep a daily record of all sales of opium, giving the names of the purchasers, and shall report to the Branch Consolidated Tax Office. A general Report, setting forth the reductions effected by each public hong, shall be furnished annually to the Board of the Interior by the Directors-General of Native Opium Taxation. In the case of Szechuan, Yunnan, Kweichow, Turkestan, and Manchuria, where there is no consolidated tax on native opium, the provincial authorities shall take action on the same lines.
Native opium warehousemen must hold permits from the Local Consolidated Tax Bureau and local official. Without such permits, they will not be allowed to purchase opium either through the public hong or from the grower.
Section 3.—Opium Shops.
Art. 5. Returns shall be furnished within six months by the local officials, through the provincial authorities, to the Board of the Interior of the number, situation, capital, &c., of opium shops in their jurisdiction. No new opium shops must be opened.
Art. 6. Opium shops must have permits issued by the provincial authorities and changed annually. Fees of from 2 to 6 dollars will be charged for these permits, according to the capital of the shop.
Art. 7. Monthly returns shall be furnished by every opium shop of the amount of opium sold. No opium must be sold except to persons provided with permits. A general annual Report shall be furnished by the provincial authorities to the Board of Interior.
Art. 8. All opium shops should endeavour to establish some other line of business apart from the trade in opium, for this trade must cease entirely within the fixed time limit.
Section 4.—Opium Divans.
Art. 9. Under the instructions issued by the Government Council in Kuang Hsü 32 (1906–7), all opium dens were to be abolished within six months. Should there still remain any opium divans, or tea-houses, wine-shops, &c., providing facilities for opium smoking, they must be closed at once under pain of severe punishment.
Section 5.—Utensils for Opium Smoking.
Art. 10. Instructions have already been issued in Kuang Hsü 32 (1906-7) for the closure of all shops selling utensils for opium smoking. The local officials must now investigate whether any shops for the manufacture or sale of such articles still exist, and, if any are discovered, they must be closed and the proprietors fined.
Section 6.—Opium Smoking.
Art. 11. The authorities of each province shall fix a time within which returns shall be furnished by each local official of the name, residence, and age of every opium smoker within his jurisdiction. An annual Report embodying these returns shall be made by the provincial authorities to the Board of the Interior.
Art. 12. Opium smokers must obtain a permit from the local officials, stamped by the provincial authorities, and renewable annually. Only those holding such permits may purchase opium. The amount of opium required for daily consumption shall be entered on the permit, and not more than that amount can be purchased.
Section 7.—Cure of the Opium Habit.
Art. 13. Offices shall be established by local officials for the purpose of issuing to medicine shops and philanthropic institutions anti-opium medicines recommended by the Board of the Interior. These medicines shall be sold at cost price or given free to poor persons. Provincial authorities should send to the Board, for investigation, samples of any good anti-opium remedies discovered by persons in their jurisdiction.
Art. 14. Local officials should encourage the foundation of societies for the cure of the opium habit, the publication of anti-opium literature, &c., but such societies must not be allowed to concern themselves with anything apart from the abolition of opium.
Art. 15. Local officials shall investigate whether any of the medicines sold by drug shops or other establishments in their jurisdiction are compounded with morphia, and shall take steps to prevent the illicit sale of that drug.