Another thing to the credit of the administration is that opium planting has ceased and the tous "anti-opium bureaux' have been stopped. It will be remembered that under the late Hong Chao-lin these bureaux were opened for the express purpose of compelling the planting of opium. 'The order was veiled not only by the cynical appellation of the bureaux, but also by calling the tax levied a "special tax on fields,' Each village was assessed and it was left to it to pay as it could: but the intention was that opium should be planted, and only by means of such a' lucrative crop could it be paid without hardship. In addition to the tax paid to the authorities the their share of squeeze, system I am told has been continued, and in a few—places Wwhero the opium was still planted special commissioners have been sent to deal with the' matter, This and the decrease in gambling are all to the good.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.