(Concluded, from " Japan Mail.'
Regulations Respecting Opium, 1.—Lekin on opium in Wenchow district will be collected in accordance with the Ningpo ayator, viz., at the rate of Caela 40 per chest, 40 balls constituting a chest of Patna, and 100 catties one of Malwa, 2.—-Opium on importation will be examined by the Customs and deposited in foreign downs under bond, report of the arrival ing made to this office, purchaser is to be directed to pay lekin, on the production of the stamped relonso slips only, may delivery be granted. Smuggling to be punished by fine of tele 1,000 for each picul smuggled, 3.—By mutual agreement existing amonget foreign firms, it is customary for them at Ningpo to pay the lekin; and in return from the levy of T'aels 40, five taels are returned to the compradore of the Grm concerned, and Tael one is paid to the native broker, leaving Taels 34 a6 the sum accruing to the office, aments having mate ffow for payments a above is no occasion for granting the refauds mentioned, but as soon as euch understanding is come to, a auca will be granted and at th more detailed measures for controlling opera-tious promulgated, From the foregoing it will readily be seen how completely subservient not only foreigners peeesallye but the Customs, were to be to the lesin office, not merely as payers but also as assistants in enforcing and collecting the tax. The interpretation put on the Chefoo Convention is no less clearly than boldly svt forth, and if this rendering is correct it ix certainly, the proclam: planatory of fence.
Fifteen or eighteen years ago there was a brisk trade (import and export) carried on at Wenchow. Foreign goods and produce from the Southern ports and Straits Settlements were in considerable demand, several Swatow, Caaton, and Singapore houses were established in the city, and although the inhabitants of Wenchow proper do not neem to have engaged very largely in trade, still through the medium of these outside capitalists employment was they may in reality be looked on as chiefly provided for a largo number of natives and a showing the trade of the first happy four hot inconsiderable amount of foreiga shipping. monte immediately following the opening of From a variety of causes the branches the port. of native houses established here gradually "Phe import trade was almost entirely con-withdrew, probably in consequence of the fined to piece goods and alittle opium, coming isolation which a more general ratification of chiefly from Shanghai, although some were conferred on the port, an: l the greater shipped to Ningpo. facilities Ningpo and Foochow were enabled to 'The value in all amounted to £73,600. offer. Left to themselves, the Wenchow people Opium.—Ol Malwa, there were' imported Jacked the energy to carry on or encourage thirty-nine chests, and of Patna ten... The rage price for the former being $044 per picul, and for the Intter $853.
Owing to a failure of the poppy crop in this consuming province in the autumn of 1877, Indian drug towns and villages lower down the river and frould undoubtedly have obtained high rat those on the sea coast adjoining its mouth. but unfortunately a similar catastrophe seems This was the condition of hen Wea-to have occurred in India, and there was little chow was opened to foreigners and it now or no attempt made to respond to the demand, behaved the latter by a re-introduction of In December, 1878, the price offered for Malwa capital and enterprise to tempt back the trade had risen to $750 per picul. to its former state of concentration. In order Patna, quoted at $670, was not however so to do this there is no doubt but that at first much wanted, In starting the direct import almost a system of retail business would have of opium to this place, there are many obstacles to be overcome, and one the absence of local capital, which enables the immediate purelas pense with Tong credit, in, hitherto all drug coming here has been land from Ningpo, the native guilds of which place have been able to grant the by politico exigencies to follow in the past, at ry facilities, By this method of for-stock, apart from the arrangements Confidence once established and trade Which it would appear they are able. to make firmly set going, there seems every prob-with the Ningpo lekin officials—it seems ability that the necessary intermediary native possible for a good deal of opium to evade capitalists would soon be attracted, and the tax altogether, would in due course take over the peddling The whole amount consumed in Wuchow Portion of ithe business, carrying on the iteolf is only about 115 chests per annum, larger (and therefore to foreigners more con-perhaps it may be throught possible or cou-genial) traxsections with those who had pr out to iowa on this portion ceded the: No doubt with some such el \eir efforts to gain the ject in_ view, one of the largest and mo: custom of outlying distri enterprising British firma in the East oper supplied by Ningpo, but which an agency at Wenchow, and as long as th bly come to our port favoured it is by its had fair play their efforts seemed likely to geographical and other advantages, crowned with the success they merited. Even For instance, there are many districte in after the lekin meute had taken place they bravely held on, now and again mating efforts Fobliou infuitely more accessible from Wén-chow than from Nivgpo, and these would I to revive the blighted trade; but alas! by the think be aura to buy the drug {rom the former time the officials were brought to see the error Ince and most probably seek to. barter toa of their ways, and the old stof dismissed, it for it, was too late to commence those all essential The Uekin on Opium is extremely high at arrangements at the tea-districts, The d Foochow, whereas that paid hero may be pressed state of affairs which bad existed be regarded as being similar to that imposed at up to this time had doubtless deterred other "gp, Viz. Tis, 38 or Tie, 34 por picul firms from starting, and when the crops of 1878 Decides which the difference in cost of tran came to be gathered, the absence of any kind with the ominous Bart leaves a larger margin for prot i of what the demand for and a large portion of Fohkien, I tea being 8 have the best authority for stating that at least from thirty to forty per cent, of th tage, however, of the improved leh popul oko a mixture containing ents, in the spring of this Sheng (native drug) and Malwa, the former
advent, prospects for import trade again ra once more began running, and, Preponderating. brightened;'Bat thie was not to be for long, most important factor, however, in Aiminishing the foreign opium trade is' the as naturally disheartened, and perhaps some-{increasing native cultivation of the poppy in what disgusted with the vexatious interference this province, the rope from which supplying they had met with in the past, the firm in Cheliang acd a large portion. of Fohbien whom all hopes were centred and whose pre-famish exports to formosa, Shanghai and nee was the sole guarantee for the con-other places. The total yield in the prefect ance of steam communication, suddenly ures of Taichow and Wenchow is estimated withdrew their agency, and Wenchow was lett without a single representative of for at about 7,000 chests per annum. commerce. dering that for 0 long they the crop of of ided the force of In August and September when first it realises Heled and illegitimate obstruction, that about $200 per picul, running up from that primary efforts to time through December (when it attaing about eat expense must have been incurred, picul), from $400 up to $450 in not a matter for surprise that even ary and March, at which time its further dawning prospects of brighter days and value is regulated by' the prospects of return for their efforts should have failed to to be gathered in the following May. Last induce persistence in attempts which had through the failure before mentioned, native previously resulted in go much disaster and opium kept up to about $450 per picul, and annoyance; but be this as it may, by their but for the contemporary high price of Malwa departure the port of Weénchow received (Grbich is said to be double the'strougth), the a blow, the severity of which may take long latter would have quite monopolised the years of struggle to efface. market. Speaking generally then, it may be So much then for the causes which led to said (in view of the partiality shown for the the destruction of apparently well grounded Indo-Chinese mixture in those parts of Keanghopes. I will now try to show what the si and Fokien more easily approached from capacities of the place really are, leaving it to this,) that should attempts be made to supply those interested in the question to decide whether the expectations hitherto entertained the demand for foreign drug through it is probable a result would be obtained proas fo its value as a port of trade, are proved fitable commensurate with the energy and erroneous by our present further knowledge. capital expended; and if, as seems by no Tu order to do this, I take the trade returns improbable, opium be accepted at for 1877, and in going over them strive to lets in exchange for their product lofly conjoin such other information as may condition of trade likely to prove specially seem fitted to convey ain adequate idea of the favourable to foreigners would be established, existing state of matters, and would ask you with this advantage, that whereas the barter to remember that although these returns pur-of drug for leaf which may now go on in port to refer to the whole nine months of 1877, Foochow passes through independent middle
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.