Shansi's Border Hsiens Following the Bad Example: Shansi Governor's Anxiety Peking, Dev. 10.
The International Anti Opium Association has received the following communication from its branch at Taiyuanfu under date of November 29:—In accordance with reports submitted by one of our officers at Lich'enghsien, Shansi, we are enabled to forward you the subjoined statement "Chuhuhsien and its eastern and western districts in Honan province are now sowing poppy seeds. These are obtained from a district named Paishanch'un, where they are usually sold at 7 or cents per ho (1/100th of bushel), but now the price has risen to ten cents. This gives the impression that opium cultivation must be enormous.
The Shehsien district is divided into 28 yuen-kuan, and a mow in each kuan' is taxed $10. All planters must be registered and pay $5 in advance, the other half of the taxation to be paid harvesting.
As Lihsien, of Shansi, and Shehsien, of Honan, are neigh-bows there is great difficulty in ensuring—successful prohibition, of the opium evils in the Libsien in spite of its being under a separate jurisdiction.
The reporter made a secret investigation and states that the above report is accurate..He imblores the International Anti-Opium Association to lodge a strong protest. Accordingly we have petitioned the Civil Gover-noy of Honan: through Governor Yen to take immediate acuan.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.