Two delegations have approached me to help them form a branch of the Honan Anti-Opium Association, The first came from the gentry and the second from teachers in the Government High School. We have now organized and the movement is backed by a band of very enthusiastic men who are out for business. IT am glad to aay that we have an official in Suichow who is a man of energy and good judgement. He is very glad to have this organization to back up his already active methods to suppress the sale of drugs. He is not content, I am told, with the information he receives but often goes out himself to investigate. He suspected a man of smoking but was told that he was mistaken. He paid him an unexpected visit one night and found him engaged with his pipe.
The making of straw hats is flourishing here as in our neigh bouring cities but the continually changing fashions make it difficult to prepare a style of hat that will make a good sale. It is good to see some sort of manufacture starting up. What this part of China needs with the rest of the world is more production, more work for idle hands to do.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.