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to me by his Excellency the governor of the province. It gives sixteen instead of fifty- six wholesale opium establishments, and this is probably a printer's error.
The summary for Shansi is as follows :---
"The Governor of Shansi reports that, previous to the inception of the anti-opium movement, the cultivation of poppy was so very popular with the farmers and peasants that it occupied over 1,000,000 mou of land in his province. The law for its prohibition was stringently enforced, in consequence of which it has been gradually decreased during the past few years, until at present it has entirely disappeared. No poppy plantations can now be seen in Shansi. There are, however, still sixteen wholesale opium shops with a working capital of about 1,000,000 taels. All opium divaus have been entirely closed. As regards the riddance of the opium smoking habit, it is still necessary to carry on work in ten official and over 400 public and private opium refuges. Already about half of the smokers among the upper, social, and able-bodied classes have cured themselves of the habit, while those who are suffering from infirmities of old age are also making heroic efforts to rid themselves of the most injurious vice. The number of inveterate smokers who have been cured already considerably exceeds 100,000, and this number does not include those who have not come under the cognisance of the authorities."
The following is a copy of the letter to the American consul-general at Tien-tsin referred to above :---
"I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 31st March.
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With regard to your enquiries as to the prohibition of the cultivation of opium in this province, 1 beg to reply as follows:---
"From the fact that Government opium taxes have been levied in this province, the cultivation of the poppy has been encouraged, with the result that the plant has been grown throughout the province, and from the fact that opium growing had become so widespread, there have been no hindrances with regard to smoking opium, with the result that men, women, and children have generally acquired the habit.
"By the 30th year of Kuang Hsu there were some 1,000,000 mou of land under poppy cultivation, producing 40,000,000 oz. of opium annually.
I was appointed to Government office in Shansi in the 31st year of Kuang Hsü, and, realising the injury that was being caused by the production of opium, sent out general orders commanding a yearly diminution of the number of acres of land devoted to opium culture. I established later an anti-opium bureau in Tai-yuan Fu, and ordered anti-opium societies to be established in the different districts of the province.
"By the 34th year of Kuang Hsü, from the fact that the board for the general taxation of opium was anxious to collect as large a tax as possible, and therefore it was to its benefit that as large an acreage as possible should be under the cultivation of the poppy (and this inatter was openly expressed in despatches and letters), there were still inore than 350,000 mou of land given over to opium growing in this province.
"The natives of the province consume about 70 or 80 per cent. of the production of the province. The remaining 20 or 30 per cent. is exported to neighbouring provinces. In addition to the consumption of the Shansi opium, there is some consumption of imported opium.
"In the autumn of the 34th year of Kuang Hau the policy was instituted to prohibit the growth of native opium, and also to forbid importation. This policy was resisted by those who received benefit from the taxation and opium, but I myself, in co-operation with the other officials and gentry of the province, used our best endeavours to carry out the prohibition policy. The procedure 1 instituted was one largely of exhortation and advice, first prohibiting the winter crop and then, after a full on the part of investigation, prohibiting the spring planting. There was no opposition the people, for they were willing to obey the law.
"I further gave instructions that the province was to be divided into ten districts, and in each established an anti-opium bureau. Public and private anti-opium societies have been established in the various districts of the province. These bureaux and societies urge advice on opium smokers to procure medicines and break away from the injurious habit.
"In the first year of Hsuan Tung there was not planted a single poppy in the whole province. The people planted cotton, hemp, indigo, ground-nuts, beans, wheat, and other food-stuffs in its place.
'During last year more than 100,000 piculs of food produce was exported by rail
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to other places. This is the first time that such a thing has happened in Shansi, and is good evidence of the largely increased production of food-stuffs.
"At present some 50 or 60 per cent. of the healthy and better class opium smokers have given up the opium habit. The more elderly and weaker smokers, though they have not given up smoking, will, if they persist in their efforts, be able to get rid of the evil.
In the spring of this year I ordered an investigation to be made and prohibition as in the year before. Without warning some disorderly persons in the Wên-shui district, on the pretence that they were suffering loss because of the prohibition policy but in reality for the purpose of making an opportunity to rob others, stirred up the ignorant country people to assemble together and resist the official commands. The true cause of this disturbance was not the opium prohibition decrees. at once dispatched soldiers to put down all disorder, and ordered officials and gentry to proceed to the disturbed area to disband the assembled rioters, and to arrest and punish the leaders. an end, while the ignorant country The district is quiet, and the matter is at people regret their action, and will not dare to disobey the prohibition orders in the future. All other places are obedient to the order, and there has been no further disorder. am of opinion that, if we still put forth our best efforts and maintain a firm stand, the opium evil will be completely got rid of.
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"The inportation of opium is less at the present time that it was, and as the native growth has entirely ceased, the natural result is that opium smokers are less numerous than a few years ago, and their number is growing less day by day. The stock of year their shops opium in the hands of opium dealers is sold out, and at the end of last were all closed,
"These opium dealers will have to use their energies in other directions. Opium shops outside of T'ai-yian Fu were closed at the end of the first month of this year, and I have already received reports that this has been effectually carried out.
"The above is an accurate description of the actual present condition of the results of the prohibition orders.
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I have now the honour to reply specially to the specific questions asked by you
your communication.
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"1. Your first question is concerned with the number of mou of land actually under opium cultivation in the thirty-fourth years of Kuang Hsti and at the end of the first year of Hsuan Tung,
winter crop,
In the province of Shansi there is a spring crop and a though in the southern part of the province, harvesting of opium only takes place in the summer.
During the first year of Hsuan Tung the planting of opium was entirely prohibited, and no opium was grown at all. The record of the amount of laud under opium in the thirtieth and thirty-fourth years of Kuang Hsu you will find in the table which I have prepared and forward with this for your inspection.
"2. In answer to your enquiry as to the actual amount of opium produced during those years, I would reply, that in the first year of Hsuan Tung, in consequence of my prohibition orders, no opium at all was produced. The records for the 30th and 34th years of Kuang Hsu will be found in the accompanying table.
"3. Your third question deals with the kinds of plants that have been substituted for opium plauts in land where opium was formerly grown.
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"The land that is usually used for growing the poppy can be classed as wet land' or dry land,' and a distinction must be made as to whether a district is in the north or the south of the province. Wet land in the south is suitable for the cultivation of sesamum-seed, rape, indigo, cotton, and tobacco, while the dry lands in the southeru districts are well fitted for grounds-nuts, peas, beans, and different kinds of cereals, &c. The wet land in the north will grow hemp, wheat, indigo, &c., and the dry lands, potatoes, &c. I would remind you that the wet land which has been under opium cultivation, since the nature of opium is cooling,' is rendered unfit for the cultivation
of rice.
"4. With regard to the general willingness or unwillingness of the people to abandon the cultivation of the poppy and to substitute other plants in its place, I would reply that in Shansi during the first year of Hsuan Tung the people were very willing to cultivate other plants, and there was no opposition to the prohibition orders, and though this spring there was some rioting in Wen-shui Hsien, the actual cause of the slight difficulties experienced there was the desire of some to make money out of disorder, und not a movement on the part of the people generally with regard to opium, though this was put forward as the actual motivé.
[2980 e-8]
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