By locating Chengtu on the map of Szechuan it should be easy to find the other places. If we ask to what extent is opium groWing in this large area, we find that varies in different places.
Hopachang, a market 35 li from Mienchu towards Anhsien, about three-tenths of the land is sown.
In the Changmin district, 301i from Chongpa, opium is grown in th f-the-way places. The authorit~
is no open growing of opium.
in Mienchow tell me that there is not taxed and so is discom enhanced. Smokers if caught are punished. There are, however, opium dens in the city; and others ay it is doubtless grown in secluded places, It has not been planted in Sintu, but is grown in Hanchow, and Kintang, 50 and 40 away. ' There is not'so much in Longan as last year, but still one-third of the land is planted. Mienchu there is less than last year, as it did not pay the farmers. In regard to Maochow I told planting is as follows: the west about seven-tenths of a in extent; fon the north about three-tenths of 8 district of 300 to 400 li in ex-fon the south about two-tenths istrict of 80 or 90 li extent; about two-tenths of a 1 have no information from Songpan Dut it is not likely to be freer from opium than In the Chongpa di tenth of the land is planted.
If we take these figures as approximately accurate, they show that opium is grown to a very There is no reason general accuracy for universal witness supports: the fact. that opium is a very serious question. The people generally seem to be unwilling to plant; but we are told that in Hopachang five-sixtus of those who plant are forced to it, Rumour has it that in Mienchow the mii Longan, Chongpa all report compulsion. Commissioners appear to be ap: pointed to control the traffic and ostensibly suppress it; but one witness reports that these men speak publicly to favour planting and the result amounts to pressure.
Taxing No Prevention General opinion says that it does not hurt the land, one witness tion, but some declare that food products are. poorer from opium-growing land. All they are Gearer.. The general opinion is that smoking is on the increase, it is Sone openly, and is heavily taxed; and here we seem to come to the main cause of its increase. If results are to be trusted taxing seems to be an. unsatisfactory method; and Iam becoming note convinced that Sir John Jordan in his opposition to taxing is speaking out of the riches of his intimate knowledge of China. Taxing up here is proved helpless to decrease the output, and chiefly because of the desire of the tax-gatherers to collect. As we have seen there is a desire in some directions to stop growing where over-taxing has made it a losing trade, but if the tax-gatherers are moderate in their demands farmers are not averse to growing it, because there are so many to smoke it. And so the vicious circle goes round. Growing increases because smokers are many, and smokers increase because supplies get cheaper through extended growth, The Scale of Taxation the system of taxation ww, and it is largely re-
(1) Nominally $9 an acre are charged for planting, but really collected. (If a new set of military come in before the year is out they want to collect for themselves!).
(2) Opium dens have to pay per month per lamp.
(3) The price for those who smoke in their own homes varies from §1 to $3. There are spies to find out those who smoke at home, and they receive 40 per cent. of the fine inflicted, Some quote $5 an acre as the tax. In Maochow the amoker appears to be taxed according to the Gepth of his pocket. In Changmin Tam told the land is not taxed, but the opium is taxed when it is brought to market.
Some Phases of the Evil The reader who is interested in the welfare of China will see that the above is a serious state of affairs. Everyone is agreed that health, wealth and morals suffer from the habit of smoking. Smokers on the average (my inform: tion seems to show) spend 50 cents a day. The ranks of bandits are swelled from those who cannot et opium in other ways. Your chair-coolie will keep you waiting an hour while he spends his hard-earned money in an opium den, Your servant, unless he is a trusty man, will secrete opium about your possessions as a "safe" method of transit, He may not smoke himself, but it pays. Most travellers, now, however, are too wary. The military reap' rich harvests at the expense of the people, rice becom searce, and goes up' to twice its normal price, The evil is deep-seated, and stopping the growth is 1ot @ sufficient remedy. Social life must be improved. Hard conditions drive many a coolie to smoking. 1 the opium were not there, of ce! hho could not smoke, but there can be no doubt that many a man's misery drives him to drown his cares in opium, Only wise, self-sacrificing, and Christian statesmanship can deal with this problem,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.