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will cease altogether. On production of this licence at an official opium store or shop licensed to sell the drug, the bearer will purchase his quantum, which will be placed in a sealed tin or pot; not more than five days' allowance may be purchased at one time. On applying for a fresh supply the pot must be returned, together with opium-ash amounting to three-tenths weight of the amount purchased. These Regulations appear to make no provision for the large class of poor smokers, with whom opium smoking is not a daily habit, but a luxury only to be indulged in when funds permit-in other words, the frequenters of opium dens. Their case is said to be now under consideration by the authorities, and in all probability a limited number of opium divans will be opened, under strict police surveillance, in various parts of the city.
Chungking.
His Majesty's Acting Consul at Chungking reported on the 20th July that the opium dens throughout the city of Sui-fu were closed without disturbance on the 10th July.
Opium Li-kin. Upon the cessation of the "tung chuan" levy, li-kin offices should have resumed their former routine, but the offices in two districts insisted upon collecting export duty at their ports instead of allowing the exporter the option of passing his goods through the Foreign Customs at Chungking. The shipping firms protested against this action on the part of the Li-kin authorities. The Viceroy has now issued definite instructions that merchants, upon payment of the usual li-kin, may choose whether they will export through the custom-house at Chungking or pay the export dues at the li-kin offices.
Chinkiang.
All the opium-smoking establishments in Chinkiang were closed on the 9th August. The proprietors were notified some three weeks previously to present themselves at the Magistrate's yamên to sign bonds for the fulfilment of the enactment. Those who at the time of signing these documents applied for permission to sell prepared opium after the closing of their places to public smoking, for consumption elsewhere, are still allowed to do so. Whether this is to enable them to clear off their remaining stocks, after which no further sales will be permitted, or if this is to continue indefinitely, is not quite clear, as is also the question whether there is a limit to the amount allowed to be sold to any individual purchaser; it appears, however, to be certain that the drug is only to be supplied to known confirmed smokers. This will confine the consumption of the drug to a comparatively small number, while the closing of the establishments to public smoking will prevent many who are now occasional smokers from developing the craving, the seeds of which are often sown by an odd pipe or two taken in good. fellowship as a pastime or as a finale to a feast or other such function. Those opium- smoking establishments which omitted to apply for these licences are rigorously forbidden to handle the drug in any way from the 9th August.
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These Regulations have been very thoroughly carried out under the personal supervision of the Taotai and his staff. On the evening of the 9th August, of five large "divans" patronized by the wealthy, and some 300 "dens frequented by the coolie class, not one remained unclosed. In two cases on his inspection the Magistrate found the proprietors of the establishments engaged in smoking. The latter considered that they had sufficiently complied with the Regulations in closing their places to the public, and that they had a right to smoke in their own houses. The Magistrate thought otherwise, and punished one man with 200 blows; the other is now locked up in the yamên. A notice has been posted by one or more of the benevolent Societies offering to purchase at a price all the smoking paraphernalia, pipes, lamps, &c., belonging to the poorer classes of opium "den," now valueless owing to the Regulations,
Officials so much addicted to the drug that they cannot attend to their duties without its stimulus are to take leave of absence until they have broken themselves of the habit, and telegraph and li-kin employés similarly affected are given three months in which to get rid of the craving.
At Yangchow and Tanyang the same procedure has been followed with equal thoroughness; the same may probably be said of Changchow and the other cities in the limits of the Chinkiang Taotai's jurisdiction.
There are no opium-smoking places in the Concession, the last having been closed, in 1897. There is one firm engaged in the import of opium, but as the question of the unprepared drug has not yet been raised, there is as yet no need to interfere with their
operations. The Chairman of the Municipal Council was duly notified of the Legation wishes on this subject, and expressed his willingness to give effect to them when the time came.
The question of limitation of opium cultivation has not been touched. In any case it has a purely academic interest as far as this district is concerned, no poppies being grown in Kiangsu south of the river. Hsuchou, in the extreme north of this province, is the chief place of production in the Lower Yang-tsze; the opium industry there is directly under the Provincial Treasurer at Nanking, and the Chinkiang authorities have nothing to do with its administration, and know nothing about it.
Hangchow.
Numerous Proclamations have been issued from time to time in the Chuchow district of the Province of Chekiang. They usually end by the words "any person not conforming to the above will be severely punished." Opium smoking officials have sent to the Governor promising to give up the habit within a limited time. All underlings in the yamêns have been notified that if they do not give up the habit within the time limit they will be dismissed. Numbers of the gentry are said to have given up the habit. Very little poppyland is under cultivation, and cultivation has been forbidden. under penalty of a fine. About 7 per cent. of the opium dens and shops have been closed since the issue of the Proclamations. In Chuchow city there are several private manufacturers of medicines all having official encouragement. In the Lanchi district of the same province no Proclamations have been issued, and no official action of any sort taken.
Hankow.
Honan. A report including nine districts shows that Proclamations have been issued, and that mild action has been taken for the suppression of the opium babit, though there has been no enforced closing of opium dens. In most of these districts there is not much poppy grown, but what there is bas continued unchecked, with the exception of one place, where much that had already been planted was routed up at the suggestion of the officials.
At another place a Proclamation was issued last year containing the ten Articles, and another this year urging the people to break off the opium habit within six months, and to gradually restrict the poppy area so that it might eventually be reduced to nil. Barely 10 per cent, of the ground is planted with poppy, but beyond the above Proclamations no steps have been taken to reduce even that so cultivated area.
A Proclamation was issued at Yen-ch'eng in March exhorting the people to reduce the cultivation of the poppy and forbidding the secret sale of the drug. Here also about 10 per cent, of the ground is under poppy, but no steps are taken to restrict the arca. A few of the trades-people have organized a society agreeing to abstain from the use of the drug, but no such example has been set by the officials.
In three places embracing practically the whole of Honan north of the Yellow River nothing at all appears to have been done or even attempted,
At Fu-k'ou-hsien, near Ch'en-chou-fu, a Proclamation was issued in February strictly forbidding the sale and smoking of opium, and this was followed up by the closing of all opium dens and the seizure of persons found smoking in public, one being beaten for this offence. Although the opium dens have been closed the shops continue to sell the drug, but their sign-boards have all been taken down.
Thus it appears that throughout the Province of Honan, with the notable exception of Fu-k'ou, no energetic measures have been adopted. The force of the Proclamations which have been widely issued has been largely discounted by the period of ten years given for the eradication of the opium habit, which seems to engender a feeling that there is no hurry. The cultivation of the poppy continues mostly unabated. Restriction on smokers and closing of opium dens and shops is only met with in isolated cases. And the sale of medicine for the cure of the habit is apparently confined to the missionaries, and in some cases to a few private individuals amongst the natives.
Kansuh. The report from Lanchou is far from encouraging. With the exception of the issue of three Proclamations, which do not seem to have had any effect, nothing whatever appears to have been done. That from Liang-chou is most discouraging. A Proclamation was indeed issued, but its effect seems to have been to cause the people to make hay while the sun shines in the matter of increasing the cultivation of the poppy now before its cultivation is put a stop to. The fact that there are no opium dens is
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