ANOTHER PAPER SUPPRESSED.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 269, 6 August 1908, Page 9

ANOTHER PAPER SUPPRESSED.

;Tlie editor of tho , "Seoul Daily News'? is not the only newspaper man in trouble'with the, Japanese Government. Tho salo of the issue of the "Hoshi," a widely-circulated Japaneso paper, has been prohibited, ;so far as its .issue of Juno 21 is conccrncd, on the ground that it contained a leading article instigating tho assassination of Mr. Hara, the Home Ministor, in the event of the proposed munieipalisation of tho Tokio tramways being sanctioned by his department. A summarised translation of the 'articlo sa-ys: "There are some peoplo pressing forward tlie scheme in order that they may securo improper' benefits out of it for themselves; It is rumoured that Mr. Hara is determined to effect tho munieipalisation, ovor happens, in co-operation with undosirablo persons! ... If these reports are true he must bo considered to bo trying to fob] tho empire, tho citizen i of Tokio, and the financial department. Ho womu liijiuu tne national interests for the sake of liis'advantage, and he cannot bo restrained by forco of. reason. . , Somo.years ago Mr. Hoshi daringly took advantage of the Tokio administration to offeot 'his own purposes, and oven piit pressure oil the national government. An assassin then appeared ana killed Ijim. To carry out munieipalisation within legal limits is not unlawful, but such a hateful step will' not fail to encounter somo great check. . It is not to be supposed that the Japanoio of - the present day havo not tho spirit which filled somo of them at tho time, when Mr. Hoshi was killed. Wo very much hope that justice and honour will bo observed, and that no member of the Cabinet will causo that unfortunate incident to bo repeated in the city where, the Imperial resiidoncc is located." After that, it was hardly to bo expected that tho Government would not take some action against tho editor.

THE OPIUM HABIT. ■ The Chinese officials who are victims of tho opium habit are having a very bad time just How. Tho Dowager Empress has more than onco lately ordered that -they must attend the hospitals afad.be cured, or givo up their appointmonts. Many havo accepted this opportunity to rid themselves of tne evil habit, but others have not been so loyal to tho orders from tho throne. Some of the officials have shown moro zeal than justice' in carrying out tho orders of tho Dowager Empress. Ono of theso is General Wang J'in-kai, who commands the sixth division of tho troops in the capital. It was recently reported to the General that ono of his officers had been calight smoking opium. Ho at once applied to the War Office for permission to dccapitato him. This was granted. Tho condomnod man was carried to the execution ground and, when he was about to bo beheaded, tho wholo division of troops knelt down before the general and asked pardon for the officer, Tho soldiers statod that tho officer was not addicted to tho habit, at all, and that lie was only.using the drii); as a medicine when he had been dotectcd. Tho General replied that opium-smoking was strictly prohibited among tho military. The officer had treated the opium regulations with unbecoming lovity, and if ho were punished that were only what ho deserved. As tho officer was not addicted ,to tho habit ho would be sentenced to iiflO blows, and dismissed tho service as a warning to others. The General further informed his troops that if any soldier were found smoking opium ho would bo beheaded without fail! . JAPAN'S FINANCES. : The Chambers of' Commerce of Japan sent a deputation to tho Minister for Finance recently, and the, report thereof has now been mado available. Tho deputation pointed out that tho Government's luianco had oxpanded ih oxcess of the financial power'of the peoplo;

tho basis of finance was unproductive; "mili-~ tary interests preponderating ;- and the people regarded the present finaucial schomo as critical. Those were the causes of the present depression. The Minister replied that great suffering always followed a great war, and tho nation must endure tho pain with patience. Though they won tho br.ttlo of Mukden'the. Japapeso force, proved two divisions short to ; completely crush the Russians. Had the' Japanese army, been strong enough a large iiide'ninitfy would have been obtained from Russia';' If tho existing armaments were reduced, tho' Japanese would become tho laughing, stock' of tho world. The deputation replied that' /they were aware of tho necessity of maintaining the existing forco of a standing army,t'of,|l9Jdiviv sions,. and a fleet representing.,.^tonnage. of> COO,OOO tons. But an army without, an adequate supply of provisions ivas' no •better than toys. ' . . ■•"' i'_ Tho Minister replied that' taxation, would not be any further increased, hut in framing the' financial programme of the nation great stress had to he put on tho maintena'noo of' the. confidence of tho foreign'' powers..V.-TliQ, Minister hinted that the .present taxation, would be continued in order to rredeem the domestic bonds. ' • ,