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. Wo 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."
Fengt'ion Kirin... Hei-lung-chiang Chilli...
Province.
21
SALE of Foreign Opium.
31st year (1905).
32nd year (1906).
33rd year
(1907).
Piculs. 25
Picule.
Piculs.
98
11
432
Kiangsu
Anhui...
Shantung
225
282
19,077
19,384
1,628 440
1,633 627
150 19,994 2,428
375
Shansi...
Honan...
NATIVE Production.
Shensi...
Kanau...
Now Dominion
Fuhkion
6,600
7,007
7,064
Province.
31st year (1905).
32nd year
(1906).
33rd year, (1907).
Chekiang
4,011
3,164
3,240
Kiangsi
1,715
1,459
1,874
Hopei...
261
308
238
Piculs.
Piculs.
Piculs.
Fengt1ien
Kirin...
Chibli...
3,080
3,662
1,284
378
812
604
Hei-lung-chiang
1,744
1,805
Hunan
Szechuan Kwangtung Kwangsi
298
303
356
I
1
18,587
19,818
18,845
33
8
818
3,004
3,870
1,477
Yondan Kucichow
Kiangsu
9,794
9,919
8,022
Anhai...
5,020
1,048
5,423
Total
51,920
54,117
54,584
Shantung
5,217
6,863
3,155
Shansi...
13,573
9,866
4,946
Honan...
2,640
5,283
4.074
Shensi...
10,743
10,815
8,088
Kansu...
4,918
7,988
4,142
Appendix (C),
New Dominion
144
187
178
Fubkion
1,500
1,514
1,324
Chekiang
3,716
4,724
4.20€
Kiangsi
(Practically suppressed, only 78 pients in
33rd year.)
Hupei...
3,800
1,203
1,242
Hunan
120
158
137
Szechuan
51,134
57,403
44,519
Kwangtung
Kwangsi
Yünna
Kueichow
89
77
66
(under)
1
1
1
7,571
7,928
14,532
9,950
15,950 12,250
Total
142.608
118,103
119,983
SALE of Native Opius.
Province.
Fengt'ien
Kirin
---
Hei-lung-chiang
Chihli ...
Kiangsu
Anhui...
Shantung
Shansi...
Honan...
31st year
32nd year
33rd year
(1905).
(1906).
(1907).
Pients.
Piculs.
Piculs.
3.080
3,602
1,284
379
812
340
1,744
1,805
818
6,400
5,860
5,010
12,900
9,069
7,088
5,020
3,814
3,216
6,217
6,319
2,489
13,429
10,351
8.262
2,640
2,880
1,353
(About
Shensi...
4,650 annually.)
Kauso...
(Uncertain.)
(Uncertain.)
45
New Dominion.
144
187
178
Fubkien
6,000
6,324
5,334
Chekiang
4,338
6,084
5,339
Kiangsi
11,429
6,734
9,741
Hupei...
Hunan
Szechuan
Kwangtung
Kwangsi
Yünnan Kueichow
Total
10,383
11,518
11,927
9,829
3,668
4,611
25,084
20,549
3,731
7,283
8,860
8,425
:
4,328 (Uncertain.)
4,359
141,525
3,795
3,811
(Uncertain.)
9,744
2,085
510
135,693
97,738
700
Extract from the "Oficial Gazette" of November 7, 1908.
MEMORIAL by the Board of Finance proposing the imposition of Fees on Permits to purchase Opium with a view to making up the Deficiency in the Revenue from the Native Opium Tax.
(Translation.)
UNDER the Regulations for the consolidated tax on native opium the amount due from cach province was regulated by the receipts during the 30th year of Kwang Isi (1904-5). Since then, however, the measures for the suppression of opium have entailed a great diminution in the revenue from this tax which is now insufficient to meet the heavy demands, amounting to over 1,000,000 taels, made upon it for military purposes in Yunnan, Kiangpei, and Hupei. With a view to making up this deficiency the Board has already caused an addition to be made to the price of salt, and in the case of six provinces Chibli, Shantung, Honan, Auhui, Fulkien, and Chekiang-this additional levy should be sufficient to counter-balance the decrease in the native opium revenue. The case of Ilupci has already been considered in a separate Memorial.
In the Kiangnan provinces the increase in the price of salt will only realize some 500,000 or 600,000 strings of cash, and some other source of revenue must be found to make up the deficiency. This is also the case in Kiangsi, Hunan, Kwangtung, and Kwangsi. After consultation with the Director-General of native opium taxation, the Board have decided to introduce a modification of the procedure already in force in Kiangsu whereby a fee is charged on permits to purchase opium. From the beginning of next year every person buying opium will be required to pay a fee amounting in the case of prepared opium to 60 cash, and in the case of raw opium to 40 cash per tael weight. This additional levy will certainly act as a strong deterrent to opium smoking, but officials must not make it a pretext for imposing further taxation, and any irregularities will be severely punished.
At the end of the year accounts must be furnished, and if it be found that even with the revenue from the increased price of salt and from the fees of opium permits any province is unable to make up its proper share of the consolidated tax, the deficiency must be furnished by the Head Consolidated Opium Tax Office. In accordance with the scheme already sanctioned by the Throne a reduction of 20 per cent, in the sales of native opium, calculated on the returns for 1907, must be effected annually. Thus, in the case of Kiangsi, which has in the past been required to remit 700,000 taels, this contribution will now be reduced in proportion to the reduction in the sales of opium.
As regards Szechuao, Kueichow, Shensi, Kansu, and Shansi these provinces are all noted for their production of opium, and in spite of the measures which are being introduced for its suppression it is a diffienlt matter to introduce any effective system of supervising the cultivation of the poppy by private persons for their own consumption and enforcing the payment of the fees où permits. The authorities of these provinces should therefore devise stringent supervisory regulations with a view to safeguarding the revenue, and also insuring the suppression of the drug.
On the 24th October the following Imperial Decree was received -
Approved."
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