1941-01-20 — Page 62

CHINA MAIL, PAGE 14

HONG KONG CENTENARY NUMBER

1841

Edicts Against Opium

(Continued from Page 12)

year, smallpox being rampant and 99 cases were admitted to hos- pital. Eventually sanitary ex- perts had to be sent out from Home, but that was not until 1901 and is anticipating the chronolo- gical record of events.

Finally, a few "headlines" to round out the picture of the years from 1866 to 1891:--

Paul's College (Church of England) closed for lack of funds Brigade (1867); Volunteer Fire established (1866): proportion of unofficial to official members វា the Legislative Council increased from 3-7 to 4-6 (1869), "H. E. the Governor opposed suggestion by His Majesty's Minister at Peking that # Chinese Consul should reside in Hong Kong (1870); Victoria Recreation Club amalgamated boat club, gymna- sium and swimming bath (1872): Horticultural Society began to hold annual Lower and vegetable shows (1873); China Merchants S. N. Co. established (1874); tan- der French protection Hanol and Haiphong opened for trade (1875); Po Leung Kuk establish- ed by Chinese to prevent kidnap- ping of girls and 11 treatment of domestic servant girls (1878); speculation in land and house property in 1881 was followed by numerous bankruptcles in 1882; Bellos scholarships established (1883); strikes of butchers, cargo- boat people and coolies (1884);

Big Loan

loan of £200.000 at 4%% raised by issue of debentures, money

to bu used for public works (1886), Alice Memorial Hospital (London Missionary Society) for Chinese opened (1887); Sanitary Board reconstituted under a pub- he health ordinance and Colo- nial Surgeon made president (1888); Queen's College, begun in 1884. completed. providing AC- commodation at first for 924 students. (1889); total of 33.11 in- ebes of rain (16.16 in seven hours) Tell in May, 1889, doing great damage; financial depression fol- lowing Aluctuation in exchange and speculation, chiefly in trading and mining ventures outside the Colony (1891).

A few statistics will complete the picture of steady growth dur- ing this 25-year period:-

1886

Shipping

entered/

cleared (tons

1,891,281

1801

10,279,043 Revenue $769,077 $2,025,303

Expendi-

ture

Non-Chin-

ese popu- lation Chinese po- pulation Total popu-

lation

$936,955

$2,449,086

3,616 10,494

111,482 214,320

115,098 224,814

Third Quarter

The third quarter of the century (1891 to 1916) opens with further extensions to the New Territories and ends with the Colony of Hong Kong playing its small but useful part in the common war effort against the Germans, who, at that time called their "Fuehrer" the Kaiser. As far as Hong Kong it- self is concerned, life for residents during this period must have seemed to consist largely of epi- demics, typhoons, piracies and business depressions brought bn by wars and other disturbances both in the Far East and eventual- ly at Home.

The year 1808 was an important one for the Colony, as a result of three agreements concluded that year by Britain with the Peking Government. In February, it was

will never

agreed that "China alienate any territory In the pro- vinces adjoining the Yangtze to any other Power" under which somewhat negative statement Bri- tain claimed the Yangtze valley as her particular sphere.

Taipo Ceremony

In June, 1898, under the Peking Convention, more territory Was added to the Colony of Hong Kong and a month later this British pos- session in China was joined by another, Weihaiwel, Designated the "New Territories," the new area added to Hong Kong under a 99-year lease comprised Lantao and other islands in the neigh- bourhood (roughly, a total of 90 square miles) as well as territory on the inainland south of a line joining Deep Bay with Mirs Bay (270 square miles).

The "New Territories" were taken over the following April by the hoisting of the British flag at Taipo. But Peking agreements were not always in favour with those living further south in the country, and there was some op- position which culminated in an attack on the British troops by nearly 3,000 Chinese, who were

civilised

higher rates, but more notions were beginning to prevall, both in the Colony and elsewhere, and while the solution of the pro- blem even in 1941 is far from hav– ing been reached, yet the close of the 19th century did see the first steps being taken towards the suppression of opium-smuggling and opium-smoking.

The first edict recorded in China against opium goes back as far as 1729, the introduction of the habit, from Java and Formosa, having started in the previous century. By 1858, the poppy was in bloom in vast areas of China and the bulk of the opium smoked was grown in the country itself; after that year, imports of opium from. India and from Japan-controlled Formosa showed a rapid increase, an Increase that was not without its effect on the trade of Hong Kong.

Peking Edict

In 1906, an edict was issued from Peking directing that the growth, sale and consumption of opium

10 should cease within the next years. A year later, opium dens Shanghai, Canton, Foochow and other large cities were closed

in

Yachting In this garb would cause Kellett laland to winge these days. Photo shows some of Hong Kong's residents of 1890, including on the extreme left, Sir Patrick Manson, foun- der of Dairy Farm. Others in the picture are Mrs. Bunbury (next maat), George Potts (at her side) C. A. Tomes Lady Manson, standing beside her husband.

possibly cgged on by some "person unknown." or persons (almost) While all this was being straight- ened out, our troops occupied Shumchun City, just beyond the new boundary line, and held it in their possession from May 10th to November 13th.

Things were then quiet along In the border for some years. 1912, military posts along the frontier had been withdrawn and the disturbed condition prevailing in the adjoining Chinese territory resulted in some serious raids be- ing made into British territory.

Indian troops were promptly sent to the frontier, and the trou- ble soon died down, the troops be- ing withdrawn after some months.

Ave

comes The "New Territories" into the news of this period once more before 'the end of the quar- ter-century when a tiger--Bince become almost legendary-Was killed. One European and two Indian constablos died from their wounds.

The oplum farm continued to add quite appreciably to the Col- ony's revenue, commanding ever

and

in

in-

and instructions were received from the British Government

divans in 1908 that all opium Hong Kong should follow suit,

Antl-oplum measures were not enforced uniformly throughout the country, however, provincial au- thorities in many cases failing to support the central government's anti-oplum drive; whereas in Yun- nan the cooperation was whole- hearted, in Kwelchow, for stance, there was great supinenėse in dealing with the problem.

On the initiative of the United States, international opium conference opened in Shanghai in February, 1900, and, although no far-reaching measures could suggested or agreed upon, a num- ber of proposals tending to a res” triction of the opium trade "were attopted, including the closing down of divans in foreign areas.

an

Divanu Closed

be

In Hong Kong, 20 oplum divans were closed down and the Opfum and Ordinances were amended consolidated--in accordance with the resolutions of the conference;

Evil

additional safeguards and restric- tions were also imposed on mor- phine and compounds of opium and cocnine. By the beginning of March, 1910, all opium divans in the Colony had been officially clos- eri.

the A grant was made by Home Government to offset the Joss in revenue.

Under the "Importation of Opium" agreement signed in Pe- king on May 8, 1911, by Britain and China, no Indian opium was to be imported into China unless it was accompanied by an Indian

certificate Government

showing that it was being exported from India for consumption in China. On Jundary 1, 1912, the import of Persian opium was prohibited.

Opium Farm

the

The need, at least during early period, for Home assistance to offset losses in revenue may be gathered from the Oplum-farm lease figures during this time.

In 1892, the opium farm was let for three years at $340,000 a year; in 1895, for three years at $296,000 a year; 1898, three years at $372,- 000 a year; 1901, three years at $750,000 a year; 1904, three years at $2,200,000 a year (reduced in November to $2,040,000 a year); 1907, for three years at $1,452,000 a year; and 1910, three years at $1,183,200 a year.

were

When all opium divans closed down in 1910, the British Government made the Colony a grant of £9,000 for 1910 un ac- count of the loss of revenue, and followed this by a grant of £12,- 000 for the year 1911-12 for the same reason. By 1911, the Indian opium trade was at an absolute standstill and in accordance with the agreement with China, no fur- ther imports were permissible un- til existing stocks had been ex- hausted.

Markets Paralysed

While all these negotiations over oplum were going on, wars-civil and foreign "incidents," ty. phoons, strikes and boycotts were also playing their by now custom- hry part in the life of the Colony. The year 1894 saw the outbreak of the China/Japan war, which arose over Korea, and for a time all Chinese markets were partially paralysed, as can be imagined, Peace was signed the following year, and things began to pick up again.

When the Boxer rebellion broke out in 1900, Hong Kong served as a British base, while the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese war in 1904 brought a great influx of colliers, etc. to the Colony and at the same time resulted in a great decrease of foreign shipping using the port. Chinese Speculation among the

caused that year

them heavy losses.

with

to

The proximity of the Russian fleet during April and May Hong Kong, coupled

the sinking of the British ships Old- hamia in May and the St. Kilda. considerable in June, caused a commotion to arise in the Colony over the duties and rights of neu- trals. By the time peace was res- tored in September, however, shipping had begun to return to normal levels.

In 1908, the Cantonese enforced a boycott on Japanese goods and this eventually resulted in a riot in the main part of Victoria city in November that year. There was more rioting in the Colony exactly three years later, a cons sequence of the revolutionary movement then spreading throughout China, -

Kwangtung province declared it's independence in 1013 and the sound of war could be heard in (Continued on Page `16)

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1941