OPIUM IN CHINA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14528, 20 May 1909, Page 3

OPIUM IN CHINA.

. o~ STAMPING OCT TilK HAIiIT. A MISSJONAUVH KXI'KHIKXCES. ' ''The opium habit, is one of the great en diflii-ullies I hat has to be faced in China.'' 'thus on Tuesday spoke the Rev. T. I\. Kearney, a missionary from Ichang. who is just now in Diiiicuin on leave, and wlio was pivsem al a meeting; in the Sluiii't Mall. Ichang is ;. town a thou-and miles inliiiul in the Vanvlie Valley, j;isl at the limit of riv.'.r vti-aini-i- liinigaiiu-,;, and through il pa.sses on its way In Ihe coast much of the pi-odue" of i!n> interior. Here, in the very centre of China, Mr Kearney had ;i. iiiiiipm opportuiiiiy of .studying the native ui home, and of interesting- himself in Ibe great social problems, in the grip of which this huge Kaslern Kmpire is labouring, (laving been there for tome 15 years. Mr Kearney was able to .-.peak on mull ss Hating lo China and the Chinese with some authority, and he made some interesting references to the opium traffic ill China. " I think that on Ihc opium question there are many things, aTxju! I lie traffic that are not generally known—not known, in fact, by anyone, who docs not know something- of the inner history of China. Howmany of you know that' the greater part of the opium consumed in China is of Chinese growth? It is a coinninn error to suppose that all. or a great pari of il. Mine's from India. [ do not believe that one-lenth comes from India. Situated as we are on the river, we have ample opportunity of seeing something of the native trade in this matter. Opium, as you doubtless know, is simply the juice of the stem of the poppy flower, which is cultivated for that pui|iose. Jt is grown in Western China ill abundance, and we .see il, in great numbers of boxes, passing through Ichang on iis way to other parts of China." Opium was heavily taxed, and thereby much duly accrued to the Chines? Governuieiit. And one of the things that bad evidently not been greatly thought about when the edict went forth suppressing opium was how they were going to compensate themselves for the loss of this duty. Personally, ho did not know. But he did believe that the Chinese Government, was in earnest in (his matter, and was deicniiined to stamp out the fearful opium habit. It. was an insidious and deadly practice, tlmt of opium-smoking. It v.as'frctpicntlv commenced by a Chinese going with anolher man and for the sake of friendship (■iking a. pipe with him. A second and u third followed—could, indeed, hardly be resisted—and almost before ho know it the poor victim was a slave of the opium liend. Sjomctimos, to such an extent had opium entered into their blood, these men could .'•moke an ounce of opium a ik\v—a dose that would kill a non-smolier. ' In the hospilal in Ichang they had a ward devoted solely ki the treatment of opium victims, and last year this was constantly filled by those seeking lo give up the habit. Tho Chinese Government was doiDg much, and had done much, in the stippres" sion of the opium traffic, but (hero was yet much to be done. China was receiving , the. support, in this matter, of the milepcn.bnt Government,; at Hongkong and Shanghai, and he hoped that Ihc habit, would eventually lx> one of die tilings lh.it wouldjiass awny, and tin that new"China now rising would be a China entirely freed of tho habit of opium-smoking,