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HUPEH
This province has not changed in any marked manner since 1924. The long list of military shipments of opium down the River to Hankow published last year, and the numerous military opium seizures have in no way changed except that they have now become permanent and cease to attract attention.
The Military and Police Headquarters in Hankow still maintain their Opium Suppression Bureau with its system of taxes and licences. Opium steamers and junks still make their journeys from Ichang to Hankow with their tons of Szechuan opium.
Ichang is still the port of transhipment and centre for down river traffic, and here the traffic controllers retain the taxes of entry and the higher rates for river transportation.
The Yang Tzu Chiang or Great River is the free route from Szerhuan and Kueichow, the whole traffic is dominated by military and civil authorities, hence there is no hindrance or protest.
Not content with the opium monopoly and its revenue the provincial an Anti- authorities have seriously considered the establishment of Narcotic monopoly for the purpose of raising money from morphia and morphia pills. Large quantities of narcotic drugs reach Hankow which is both a railway and river distributing centre, and this narcotic suppression Bureau would be a very welcome source of income. Eual Hepel.
No poppy. Smoking universal, and opium sok openly.
Tei An correspondent writes: A large increase in the amount of opium smoking both public and private. All pipes taxed 40 cents a month for military purposes,
Sui Haien. Poppy cultivated for the first time from seed supplied by the Tamen, the tax on opium land is four times higher than that of ordinary land.
Wusnek, Kwangisi and Ch'ichow. No poppy grown, opium smoking widespread, used publicly on steamers, inns and tea-houses.
Pipes and lamps displayed in all large shops. Hankow. Opium is rampant everywhere, and is used by all from the high authorities down to the common people. The price of opium is lower than that in Peking or Shanghai. The opium is put up in small boxes, which bears the local Government's official stamp. These boxes when empty are so plentiful that they are found scattered everywhere. Opium is displayed in shop windows, and many shops have signboards "Good opium for sale here", "Wanted opium pipe ash”. Many shops boil their opium on the street front.
A regulated tariff of opium tax is being collected through the agency of the Military and Police Inspection Bureau throughout the province for the maintenance of the 200,000 troops of Hupeh. In many districts, opium planting is forced on the farmers under military coercion, and the entire scheme of opium taxation on a large scale is ponsored by the military commanders, who have divided the pros. sperous revenues amongst themselves on agreed proportions. It is said that about $20,000,000 is raised from opium annually by the Hupeh military from the Tupan down to the military officer of the lowest rank.
The tax on each ounce of opium sold to consumer is fixed at 30 cents, besides which, of course, there are other exactions by local troops.
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The tax on smoking dens is $5 per lamp per nonth, while for individual smokers the lamp tax in $5 per month.
Central. No poppy grown. Smoking increasing. One correspondent for the 3 districts of Hwang An, Hwang Pei and Hwang Kang states: "Our magistrate is against opium, has kicked out all opium smokers in his Yamen, but can do little to prohibit its sale because of the Government. Some 200 young people in our city (Hwang Pei) have taken to opium smoking since the beginning of 1926."
All river steamers permit opium smoking.
South and West. Traffic unchanged. Ichang and Shasi, both are centres of import and export under military authority. Transhipment taxes vary with distance, from Ichang to Shasi is $100 per 1,000 Ounces and to Hankow $250.
Customs reports: Ichang only 3,000 lbs of opium seized compared with 14,000 lbs the previous year. This does not indicate any local diminution in the traffic, the drug is still cheap and plentiful. (Military control places the opium traffic beyond Customs.)
Shusi. There is no change from last year's procedure in the methods of importing and levying takes on opium by the military authorities. Opium is one of the cheapest commodities on the market. North Dupeh. Slang Yang. Very little cultivation. Heavy traffic both for local use, and transportation under military patronage. Opium comes from Chunchow, Uinyang, etc., further up the Han River and from Szechuan.
Smoking paraphernalia sold on the streets and all classes are addicted to the drug.
Reports from Chaoyang, Suichow, Pancheng, Icheng, Nanchang, Kingmen, Kingchow, Tsinkiang and Laohokow. Poppy only in small corners, though cultivation is widespread in Chaoyang county. The other counties have been threatened with cultivation, but so far it has not been enforced.
In the cities there are few homes where opium is not used. In the country it is not quite so bad. Trade and smoking is done openly which is natural when the military endorse it. Most of the soldiers rations come from opium taxes. Opium comes from Szechuan and the North.
A correspondent states: Opium is flooding my district. I have just returned from a long journey into the mountains and it makes one sick to see the amount of smoking. It has never been so universal as now, and it is daily increasing.
Laohokore. This is the centre of a big importation traffic along the Han River from the province of Shensi. It comes in boat loads.
JEHOL
North Section. Names of local areas are omitted for missionary correspondents have suffered in the past for giving information. As far as can be learnt there is more opium being grown this year than ever before. Last year was supposed to be a record but this season beats it. We have suffered from attacking and retreating armies, business has been at a standstill for months and local currency is worthless. Banks have issued millions in paper with no silver to redeem them. Previous to the rebellion the military Governor bought up opium by the ton and sent it down the Lan River or by
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