Suppression Favoured by the People Whilst nominally enforcing the order of the Central Government suppress poppy growing, the officials of Suiyuan are alleged by the Suiyuan Anti-Opium Union to bbe encouraging the people to ignore the order so that they may collec a greater of revenue than they would otherwise. The method adopted by the authorities, it is said, is to permit the people to grow poppy and wait until it is ripe enough and then send tax collectors around to "fine" the farmers who engage in the practice.
Under instructions from the] National Government, the Suiyuan Provincial Government issued a proclamation early this year to the effect that poppy in the province Barly in July, when the poppy was ripe enough for harvest, a number of tax collectors were sent to different parts of the province for money under the pretence of imposing "fines." For Tsar. hsien alone, the "fine" amounted to $170,000' or approximately at £40 per mow, says the "Ta Kung Naturally, the people were ant over" such exactions, particularly at a time when the Feople were exceedingly hard-pressed to make ends meet.
Already the people of Paotao, Kueisui, Liangehen and sion districts have signified their Joint opposition to the local govminent's schemes. On July 23, an Anti-Opium Union was formed, and, immediately, two important: steps were proposed: to despatch 2 number of strong men to. the fields to destroy the poppy and to issue a lengthy manifesto ithe in-competency of the authorities. jodhe_fext of the mani the case, the government ought to do its best to. relieve the poor Yeople from further suffering. Much to our disappointment, the authorities think just the oth way. Their aim is to see how they can get out of these miserable people. The present opium case is a good illustration.
"We all know how harmful im is. It was the Opium War with China that opened a number jof treaty ports, and China had to pay a large amount of indemnity to the victorious foreign invaders. It is also the evil effect of opium that indirectly causes famines in the province of Kansu, the recovery of which can ' never. be effected during our life-time, "Fellow-countrymen! Such being the evil effect of opium, the government authorities ought to help} the people for its extermination, but, here in Sufyuan, they post. the National Government proclamation up on the walls, and, before this very order, they' encourage opium plantations. When the harvest joomes, they tell us what we are guilty for disregarding the Gov-ginment order "and should, therefore be fined.' It is strange indeed that, since they failed to enforce the order in the spring, when it was time to raise the toppy, they have never failed to Impose the fine' in summer, when it is time to reap. The provincial authorities may say that they did not know poppy had been grown in the interior but they can never excuse themselves for knowing about that growing under their nose, 80 to speak. protection ie to forma "united "Our only measure of self-
{Font oppose the government Diiats and, ae the sam tu, See ignore any claim lodged by the
re resolved to destroy all poppy in our districts, "It is our idea to with the destruction of the fu accepted "fine?
lant, rather than to di
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.