# Annexes.
# NATIVE PRODUCTION.
Province. 31st Year (1905). 32nd Year (1906). 33rd Year (1907). Fengtien 3,080 Piculs. 3,662 Piculs. 1,284 Piculs. Kirin 378 812 604 Hei-lung-chiang 1,744 1,805 818 Chihli 3,004 3,870 1,477 Kiangsu 9,794 9,919 8,022 Anhui 5,020 4,048 3,423 Shantung 5,217 6,868 3,155 Shansi 13,573 9,666 4,946 Honan 2,640 5,283 4,074 Shensi 10,743 10,815 8,088 Kansu 4,818 7,988 4,142 New Dominion 144 187 178 Fuhkien 1,500 Chekiang 8,716 1,514 1,824 Kiangsi 4,724 4,206 (Practically suppressed, only 78 piculs in 33rd year.) 8,800 120 51,134 89 1,299 158 57,463 77 1,242 137 14,519 Under 1 Under 1 66 7,574 7,928 15,950 Hupeh 14,532 9,950 12,250 Hunan Ssuch'uan 142,698 148,103 119,988 Kuangtung 4 Kuangsi Yunnan Kueichow TotalBut as some equilibrium must be maintained between supply and demand, and as most of the native opium consumed in the south-east provinces comes from Yunnan and Kueichow, the immediate suppression in its entirety of the cultivation of the poppy in these provinces is impracticable. Local conditions will have to be considered, in conjunction with the amount of area under cultivation in each province, before determining as to whether a partial or entire suppression can be carried out. The total amount produced annually exceeds 100,000 piculs, and the proposals made by Ko Feng-shih relative to its suppression over a period of years were submitted by memorialists to the Governors-General and Governors of Kiangsu, Anhui, Shantung, and Honan. With the exception of the Governor of Shantung, who feared that a total suppression would result in illicit trafficking in opium, all three high officials approved of this measure being adopted, and the Provinces of Yunnan, Fuhkien, and Hei-lung-chiang have already reported the total prohibition of the cultivation of the poppy, so that in six provinces of China its cultivation will be totally prohibited by the second half of this year, and the entire production in the Empire reduced by 30 per cent. The production in Feng-tien, Kirin, Chihli, Shantung, Kiangsi, Chekiang, Hupeh, Hunan, the New Dominion (Hsin Chiang), Kuangtung, and Kuangsi is very small, and can be suppressed entirely after the second half of next year, which will imply a further reduction of 10 per cent. in the entire production of the Empire. In Shansi a large amount is produced, but its sale is confined to the province, so that it will be the Governor's duty to take steps for its entire suppression in due course. Regarding Ssuch'uan, Kueichow, Kansu, and Shansi, most of the native opium consumed in China comes from these four provinces, and we now propose that an annual reduction of over 20 per cent. on the area under cultivation last year shall be carried out, until its entire suppression has been achieved. Success in accomplishing this result at an earlier date and in sowing the area in question with cereals shall be rewarded. A similar reduction of 20 per cent. must annually be effected on the amounts of opium from these four provinces placed for sale in the other provinces, so that in this way the reduction in the number of smokers will be commensurate with the reduction of the area under cultivation. Should it be found that any province, with a view to increasing its revenue, is not making the proper reduction in the amount of opium exported, the share allotted to that province under the Consolidated Opium Tax Regulations will be reduced by one-half. As regards foreign opium, although a ten years' limit has been fixed, if there are no smokers there will be no profit accruing to the foreigners importing opium, and the traffic will ipso facto cease before the ten years fixed upon.
On the other hand, the establishing of an official monopoly would mean that many complications would arise, and that no reduction of the ten years' period would be possible, and our object in suppressing the drug would be rendered futile. It behoves us to take advantage of the success attained already to eradicate the evil entirely, and thus attain a swifter realization of our wishes. A list of the amounts produced in each province for the last three years is appended, together with the sales both of native and foreign opium. We request your Majesties to give orders that the rules drawn up be rigidly enforced, and that any disobedience be punished, in order that the practice may speedily be abandoned, so as to insure the speedy eradication of an inveterate malady, and the bright prospect of a tranquil future.
On the 4th October the following Imperial Decree was received: “Approved.”
Province. In 31st Year (1905). In 32nd Year (1906). In 33rd Year (1907). Fengt'ien 3,080 Piculs. 3,662 Piculs. 1,284 Piculs. Kirin 378 812 340 Hei-lung-chiang 1,744 1,805 818 Chihli 6,400 5,860 5,040 Kiangsu 12,999 9,069 7,088 Anhui 5,020 3,314 3,216 Shantung 5,217 6,319 2,489 Shansi 13,429 10,381 8,262 Honan 2,640 2,880 1,353 Shensi 4,652 ... ... Kansu Uncertain Uncertain 45 New Dominion 144 187 178 Funkien 6,000 6,524 5,234 Chekiang 4,338 6,081 5,399 Hupeh 11,429 6,734 Kiangsi 10,383 11,518 11,927 Hunan 2,820 8,668 4,611 Ssuch'uan 25,084 26,549 3,781 Kuangtung 7,283 8,856 8,425 Kuangsi Yunnan 4,328 4,859 3,611 Kueichow Uncertain 9,744 2,985 Total 141,525 135,699 97,738659