Squeezes to which Junk Traffic is Subject: The Military Trade in Opium The following extract from the letter of a correspondent in Hunan gives a|q bad one for business if one judges lively idea of the obstacles to trade in that province "The rice shortage has a bearing on finance as imports are at thrice the normal value.
The straitened circumstances of trade have given a stimulus to the opium traffic, and at present the drug is forming the principal means of barter between Kueichow province and Liangkiang, and furthermore between the latter and Changteh. The capital controlling the drug is reported to be $4,000,000.
It is very obvious that the opium traffic is under military protection, as at Hankiang armed guards are stationed at the hongs and coolies are escorted by the soldiers when carrying opium through the streets.
The interest of the military in the opium traffic takes on a different complexion when approaching the vicinity of Taoyuan, as it is here that the military examination stations commence, and they are manned by men of the same division as those in garrison at Hang-kiang, commanded by Gen. Chai Shu-yue. This is an innovation of the past few months and their function is to suppress opium. This may be so in principle, but the object for which they are established falls far short of fulfiiment, as corruption is the predominant feature. Junkmen are terrorized by the soldiers into submission to many pernicious fees, such as examination fee, chop fee, clearance fee, in fact every movement has its corresponding fee, and when it is realized that 14 of these stations have been established and that all junks have to put in for examination at each station and} the masters subjected to such im-! positions, it is easy to understand} why this hard working class are so disheartened. They are not so apathetic as hitherto, and cases of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.