CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910 — Page 62

aud so on.

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Autumn sees inspectors go, To eradicate with care, Treading down and scraping off Where the cultivators dare; Landlord, teuant, both will share Penalties the tithings bear.

Enclosure 4 in No. 1.

(Translation.) REGULATIONS drawn up by the Provincial Opium Warehouse ("yen-t'u mai-mai tsung-hang") and the Opium Li-kin Office for the abolition of the opium octroi stations and the prevention of the drug crossing the frontier in either direction. (From the "Chengtu Jih-pao" of the 19th November, 1909.)

AFTER the first day of the 3rd moon of Hsuan-t'ung II (the 10th April, 1910), the import of opium will be prohibited. A despatch has been sent to the Governors- General and governors of Shensi, Kansu, Yunnan, and Kueichou requesting them to

issue instructions to this effect.

2. After the first day of the 6th moon of Hsuan-t'ung II (the 7th July, 1910), no Szechuan opium will be allowed to leave the province.

3. Apart from the Government opium stores ("kuan kao tien")- the purchase of prepared opium by which is dealt with in Regulation 4-all other merchants must export their stocks of raw opium, whether local products or imported, before the first day of the 6th moon of Hsuan-tung II (the 7th July), reserving no raw opium in stock. Any raw opium found in stock after that date will be dealt with as illicit opium.

4. In buying the raw article the Government opium stores shall purchase sufficient When a sufficient quantity has been for the needs of the district under their charge purchased a notice shall be exhibited that buying will cease.

5. In places where no Government opium stores have been established, request made be made at a branch warehouse "yen-t'u fen-hang"), which will then issue a warrant authorising sale at some specified Government opium store in the neighbour- The raw drug must then be transported thither within the set time, and hood. handed over to the branch warchonse of that place for sale to the Government opium

store.

6. The head and branch offices of the opium li-kin administration, all opium li-kin stations, and the head and branch Government opium warehouses shall all be abolished on the 1st day of the 6th moon of Hsuan-t'ung II (7th July). After this date, a further period of one month is allowed for the settling up of accounts, and after the expiration of that time, all payments will cease.

7. All brokers employed in warehouses and receiving offices shall be dismissed at the expiration of this period.

8. After the abolition of the li-kin offices and the Government store, preventive offices (“ch'a chi ssu t'u chi") will be set up at all important points on the provincial frontier. If merchants are found smuggling opium, and investigation proves it to have been brought from other provinces, in the first ten days (after the 7th July) 10 per cent. of the quantity will be confiscated, and so on proportionately, 10 per cent. for every ten days' delay. The remainder of the drug will be sent back under escort, and not allowed to come into Szechuan for sale. After the expiration of three months from the date of prohibition, the whole will be confiscated.

9. The duty of the preventive offices is confined to the prevention of the drug crossing the frontier in either direction. If opium is illicitly stored, sold, or transported within the province, it is the duty of the local officials to deal with the case, the penalties being fixed and punishments determined by the intendant of police.

10. The opium so confiscated shall be sold at current rates to the Government store of the place. Haif the amount so received shall be included in the accounts; the other half will form a prize fund. The expenses of the men employed as escorts under regulation 8 shall come out of this prize fund.

Translated November 20, 1909.

W. STARK TOLLER.

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Enclosure 5 in No. 1.

Regulations by Police Intendant for the Suppression of Opium Smoking: approved by the Governor-General of Szechuan, December 1909.

(Translation.)

Chapter I-Introductory.

ALL branch warehouses for the purchase and sale of raw opium ("mai-mai yen-t'u fen-hang") will be abolished on the 7th July, 1910. Though cultivation of the poppy is to cease, smoking will continue. Hence the necessity for recasting previous regulations, to the end that opium-smoking may be effectually suppressed.

2. The present regulations will take effect from the 10th February, 1910. Previous regulations for (a) dealing uniformly with officially prepared opium ("t'ung- hsing ch'ou-pan kuan-kao "); and (b.) the issue of licences ("fa-chi p'ai-chao"), except in so far as these are embodied in the present regulations, are hereby rescinded since they are no longer applicable to existing circumstances.

Chapter II.-Prepared Opium.

3. The method heretofore of dealing with officially prepared opium ("kuan-kao") has been to set up in each city or town one head office ("tsung tien"). In the country districts regard was had to population and distance the larger market towns were allowed two licensed retail shops ("pi-fa kuan-kao tien "), medium market towns one such shop; villages none. This system will be continued; but while shops may be closed, no new shops are to be opened. The local authorities will keep a register showing the number of shops, the owners' names, addresses, and capital; a copy of the register will be sent to the intendant.

4. Privately owned supplies of opium must be exported from Szechuan before the 7th July. Each head office must calculate, on the basis of the smokers' list ("yen-chieh"), (see chapter 3), the yearly amount to be sold, and, allowing for the annual reduction, must estimate how much of this opium in private hands they ought to buy. Capital for the purpose may either be borrowed from public funds, or raised by shares, or procured as in section 13. The local authorities will convene gentry and traders, and arrange with them, reporting to the intendant.

5. Licensed retail shops shall, as before, get their supplies from the head office, at a discount of 5 per cent. They must sell at the official price.

6. Licensed retail shops can never receive more from the head office than the amount they get in the first moon of the second year of the Hsuan-t'ung (10th February to 10th March, 1910). They must continue to report to the intendant the quantity they have sold each month.

7. Hitherto on each mace of prepared opium sold, an additional charge of 8 cash has been made, one-half of which has gone towards the expenses of establishing opium refuges ("chiel-yen kung-so"). From the 10th February, 1910, the head office, whatever be the rate at which it sells to the shops, will, after deducting the charges for wages, boiling, interest, and rent, add on 12 cash per mace. Returns must be sent in before the 5th of the following moon; if not, then for every ten days after such returns are due, one bad mark will be scored against the local official, and for every month three bad marks. The intendant will inform the financial commissioner, and the local official will not be allowed to redeem his marks. One half of the fund so raised will

go to the local opium refuge; the other half, towards local police expenses.

8. Shops can only sell officially prepared opium, and may not allow smoking on the premises. If detected in permitting smoking, in selling contraband prepared opium, or in selling without a licence (" p'ai-chao"), they will be fined fifty-fold.

(Added by the Governor-General). Establishments other than licensed retail shops selling opium for smoking will be severely punished. If what they sell is officially prepared opium, they will not only be fined fifty-fold, but will be forcibly closed.

Chapter III Smokers' List.

9. Persons of all conditions within the police districts of a town and its suburbs will be under the supervision of the police; persons in the country under that of the tithing ("pao-chia"). All smokers who have not relinquished the habit, whether

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