(No. 6. Confidential.) Sir,
2
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Acting Consul Smith to Sir J. Jordan.
Chungking, February 9, 1910. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge receipt of your despatch No. 7, Confidential, of the 28th December last, transmitting copy of a communication addressed by His Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies respecting the alleged increase in the export of native opium from Szechuan, and asking for my observations on the subject.
I have the honour to enclose a memorandum dealing with the figures quoted and amplifying the explanation furnished by Mr. Acheson in the trade report referred to, which qualifies the bare figures given in theenclosure to your despatch. From this it would seem that the customs figures themselves do not necessarily justify the conclusion that the Chinese standards in regard to the suppression of opium were not being reasonably maintained during 1908.
Whatever may have been the actual state of affairs in that year, I would mention that, on the whole, the authorities would seem to be making commendable efforts to put down the cultivation of opium at present. In order to ascertain the result of the Governor-General's proclamation of August last forbidding the sowing of any poppy whatever in Szechuan this season, Mr. Broomhall, of the China Island Mission here, recently addressed the following question to members of his mission throughout the province: "Is the poppy being grown in your district ?”
Out of forty-six replies received the answers are: "No" in forty cases; "Practically none" in four cases; in one case "Not in the open districts, but I suspect there is some in unfrequented places"; in one case "Yes, but less than one-third of what was formerly grown."
As far as I am able to learn the only place where the proclamation has been seriously disregarded in the Ch'uan Tung district (Eastern Szechuan) is at Fowchou -a large opium-producing centre. The taotai recently visited the place and took bonds--so he informs me--that all poppy plants would be uprooted within ten days, and did not leave until he was satisfied that the undertaking was being carried out. No foreign missionaries reside there, and I have not yet been able to get reliable information as to what the actual result of the visit is.
Speaking generally of the Ch'uan Tung district, I think that on the whole a serious attempt, which is being attended with considerable success, is being made to suppress the cultivation of opium, but that the carrying out of the rules with regard to smoking, licensing, &c., leaves much to be desired. This, however, does not seem of so much importance, and will right itself in due time if the authorities persevere in their present efforts to entirely cut off the source of supply.
I regret that I have not yet been able to forward a report on the progress of the anti-opium movement in this district for the present season, delays having occurred in the receipt of answers to enquiries which I have addressed to missionaries in the interior. I hope, however, to be in a position to send it shortly.
I have forwarded a copy of this despatch to His Majesty's consul-general at Chengtu, and am sending the original under flying seal to the British consul at Ichang,
I have, &c.
J. L. SMITH.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum re Customs Figures respecting Export of Native Opium for 1908.
"There was an increase of 58 per cent. in the export of native opium from Chungking,
namely, 16,429 piculs in 1908 as compared with 10,378 picùls in 1907.”
IN 1906 the Central Government established "t'ung shui"-a tax of 115 taels per picul on the export of opium; payment of this was to free the cargo from any further levy to whatever part of the Empire it might be sent. During that year the tax was imposed in Hupei but not in Szechuan; opium exported from Chungking was therefore charged the ordinary 20 taels per picul export duty here, and on arrival in Ichang the "t'ung shui " of 115 taels. This double levy naturally put a check on export.
3
On the 14th January, 1907, levy of the " “ tung shui was commenced in Szechuan, but excited so much opposition that it was abolished on the 10th June. Pending a settlement of the question as to whether the tax would be discontinued or not, stocks were held back. Stocks which were actually exported but which would in other circumstances have passed through the Customs were sent by Li-kin, owing to the fact that the "tung shui" collecting office allowed one month for payment of the tax after departure of the cargo in Li-kin-controlled junks, whereas cash down was required by the Customs.
The result was that the amount of opium which passed through the Customs during the first two quarters of 1907 was about one-half less than in the corresponding periods of previous years.
Owing to the dangers which beset navigation during the flood season of the summer and early autonin, and also possibly to market conditions also, the export of the stored opium did not commence till later on in the year and continued into 1908.
Opium, therefore, which would ordinarily have been exported in 1907 went to swell the returns of 1908, so that the increase was an artificial one. In the trade report to which the Governor of Hong Kong refers, Mr. Acheson states under the heading of revenue that "328,530 taels were derived from native opium, but the very great increase of 189,125 taels over the 1907 collection must not be held to imply any abnormal development in the trade. While the figures for 1908 undoubtedly show that the trade flourished, by far the greater part of the increase was merely due to the fact that it had then resumed its wonted channel."
This statement is borne out by the returns for 1909, during which year 13,106 piculs were exported as against 16,429 piculs in 1908, 10,378 in 1907, and 12,125 in 1906. It should be mentioned that these figures include Yunnan-grown opium to the extent of from one-fourth to one-third in each year.
"It was reported that 11,000 piculs of native opium were passed through the Fowchow
office at the new year season.
21
At the time Mr. Acheson was writing-the 27th February, 1909-opium cultivation was officially restricted to 50 per cent. but not prohibited, hence, Szechuan being one of the largest opium-producing provinces, a considerable quantity must have been available for export. Opium is sown in the autumn and reaped in the spring, so that the stock exported at the new year of 1909 would be mostly derived from the harvest of the 1907-8 crop, when restrictions on cultivation were not so great.
As Fowchow is one of the best opium-growing districts of Szechuan and the chief centre whence export under li-kin is made, it is scarcely surprising that large stocks should be collected there in order to reap the benefits of the rebates granted, as Mr. Achesou states, at the China new year season.
Mr. Acheson adds that at the date of his report (the 27th February, 1909) 73 opium
dens had been allowed to register and continue business."
Mr. Acheson's full statement is: "Having in view the public peace, it has been deemed inexpedient to attempt the entire suppression of public smoking. In Chungking the great majority of the old dens, over 1,600 in number, have indeed been closed; but a certain number--73 at date-have been allowed to register as 'kuan kao fen hsiao tien' (branches for the distribution of officially prepared opium) and continue business.
**
In amplification of this statement I would add that, in view of the reason given, these "fen hsiao tien were duly licensed by the authorities to continue business.
(No. 1.)
Sir,
37
Enclosure 3 in No. 1.
Consul Little to Sir J. Jordan,
Ichang, January 11, 1910. IN reply to your despatch No. 4, Confidential, of the 28th December, calling for my observations on a report by the Governor of Hong Kong respecting the export of opium from Szechuan, I can only repeat, in somewhat different form, what has already been said in the reports I have furnished from time to time on this subject.
Opium is exported from that province (1) by chartered junks from Chungking to
523
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.