CO129-405 - Public Offices - 1913 — Page 180

as last

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year saw practically the end of the poppy, and with very little trouble to the officials, much less than was expected.

+

Eating is back at the old level, as the drug is cheap, about 50 tael cents the ounce for the raw drug, less than half the price last winter.

2. Lanchow, September 5, 1912 :-

"GORDON HARDING."

"T regret to inform you that no previous year have I seen so much ground given to opium cultivation as this year. This in a great measure is owing to the late Manchu Viceroy Chang giving widespread permission by proclamation to its growth, in order no doubt to court the favour of the people at a time when the situation was extremely critical. I do not consider the Republican Government can be held responsible for this.

LC

Opium smoking is as prevalent as formerly. It has been a bad year for opium owing to excessive rainfall.

3. Liangchou, September 8. 1912 :-

"ARTHUR PREEDY."

I am sorry to say that when permission to grow opium was granted by the late Manchu Viceroy Chang, the people took full advantage of it to grow it this last season, as I have never seen it grown for the last twenty years. Some say as much as 70 per cent. was put down, but to a large extent the crop was a failure, first owing to the dry season, and then when that which had been well irrigated was just right for gathering, the rains came and washed a great deal of the sap away, but with all this a vast quantity was brought into the city, and the exchange went down to 1,000 odd cash the tael, and the raw freshly-gathered opium was selling for 150 cash the ounce, but as the days went by and no buyers came from the south, it gradually dropped to 100 cash the ounce, and could hardly be sold for that. This, together with the high tax-1.90 taels per acre-did not bring much grist to the farmer's mill. They say there will be some difficulty in collecting this tax. As to smoking the drug, it is computed that about 70 per cent, use it, and we are seldom asked for medicine to break off the habit. It is now sold quite openly on the street corners, as of yore. All the officials use it, and it is only a question with them of £ s. d.

"W. MALPAS BELCHER."

The Province of Shensi.

1.—(a.) Hanchung Fu, September 5, 1912:—

"Last autumn on the outbreak of the revolution the farmers immediately set to sowing opium, but being late much of it came to nothing. There was, however, an amount grown in out-of-the-way places, but as it has been kept well out of public sight it is difficult to say whether much or little was gathered. Much of the crop has been smuggled down to Szechuan, as there it sells for 2,000 cash an ounce, as against 1,000 cash here,

"A large number of retail dealers all of whom had been successfully closed- reopened during the winter, but the former extensive outside trade has not revived. The retail dealers are now to receive fifteen days notice to close, and premises are being prepared for the purchase and sale of opium by the officials. Smokers are to be registered, and the supply to them is to be gradually reduced.

It is now about three weeks or a month to sowing time, and the farmers have been planning to sow extensively, but recently various proclamations from the Provincial and Central Governments have been issued which have created much alarm. Ground sown is to be confiscated, and individuals persisting in opposition to authority are to be executed; officials failing to secure obedience to the law are to be dismissed. The general is that the above measures will be effectual and the sowing will not take place.

1.-(.) Hanchung Fu, November 14, 1912-

"G. F. EASTON.”

"I have just returned from a three weeks' journey in the prefecture, which has afforded considerable opportunity of observation,

"In spite of the most stringent prohibitions and threats opium was very extensively sown throughout the prefecture. In some parts, however, much of the sowing has been useless owing to the drought now prevailing in these parts. I found in one district the district official very busily engaged in superintending the destruction of the opium

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which was above ground, and in other districts deputy officials were engaged in the same way. No opposition was apparent, and the thing was being destroyed wholesale over large areas. In another district, however, I learn that the growers have been defiant, and are said to have called together the local militia to protect the growth.

"The growers tell me that they are willing to give up the growing if the officials will guarantee that there will absolutely be none grown anywhere, but as long as there is any grown at all they will insist on attempting to grow it. This arises from the fact that in previous years, and especially last year, the law breakers who succeeded in raising a crop in spite of all difficulties made quite a fortune out of it.

I believe the officials, especially those of higher rank, are sincerely desirous of suppressing the drug, but they are somewhat inexperienced, and the machinery through which they have to work is very imperfect, and it is early for them to put too much pressure upon the people. I trust the British Government will show ité dignity and patience by allowing to the utmost for the difficulties of the position, and not accede to the request for revoking the agreement.

"Licenced shops for the sale of the drug are now opened everywhere, and all private dealers are closed, but I fail to see how it is to effect any diminution of the consumption, while it must increase official revenue. Illicit trade is, of course, largely carried on.

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On the whole it looks as though last year's experience were to be repeated, a quantity of opium will be grown in those places that escape the search of the

"G. F. EASTON,"

detective.

2. Hing Au Fu, September 20, 1912 :— "An office is

Poppy seed for the cure of opium eaters. I have not seen any land planted

yet with

Proclamations forbidding its growth have been issued, and there seems to be a feeling of fear among farmers, and they dare not plant it.

"OLIVER BURGESS."

3. Mei Hsien, October 28, 1912:—

"Last year's opium was a splendid crop, and the people had hoped for another this year,

but the rain has been withheld. The drought will help the officials in doing away with it

Proclamations are out against the cultivation.

K

Wherever the land can be irrigated they are sowing opium, but the Governor has issued proclamations threatening to execute anyone found planting with brass grasscutters which he has had made and are on view in Siam. Soldiers have been sent out to warn the people of Chang's coming to carry out the Tutuh's instructions. It is rumoured that one man has already been executed.

"R. W. MIDDLETON."

The Province of Honan.

1.—(a.) Taikang, September 17, 1912—

"It is reported that a society to protect opium growers is being formed in one part of this district. The growth of opium in this Hsien was practically put down before the revoltion, but those who are forming the above society are determined to grow it again, and if need be to fight for their rights. So far as I have been able to learn this feeling only exists in the south-west, where this Hsien is adjacent to Layi Haien, a district in which opium growing has been persisted in and never stopped.

HENRY S. FORD."

1.--(b.) Taikang, November 18, 1912—

"I sincerely trust that my letter of the 17th September to you has not given you the impression that opium is really being cultivated again with official recognition. This is not so, and I have every reason to believe that those who are determined to recommend growing the poppy will find themselves very severely punished.

HENRY S. FORD."

2. Kingtzekwan, November 15, 1912:—

"A few days ago a man from Yünyang Fu, north bank of the Han River, brought

the news that Künchow, south bank, had more opium sown than ever before.

CC

Yesterday a farmer from Siping, 90 l north of this town, the mart for Honan

varnish, reported more opium sown than ever before. A Shensi borderer reported that

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