AN INIQUITOUS TRADE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2295, 9 January 1909, Page 7

AN INIQUITOUS TRADE.

meeting, asso|y; CIATION. -

SOME STRONG COMMENTS. The annual meeting of the New Zealand Anti-Opium Association was held at the Y.3VT.C.A. rooms at-Wel-lington recently. Mr. J. G. W. Aithen piesided. There were ahout fifty persons present, including a number of minsters of religion. THE ASSOCIATION’S WORK.

The annual report, which was read ' by the secretary, Captain H. S. Wackburne, stated that local seerptf&es had been appointed in Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Napier, Nelson, Gisborne, and Wanganui! This added considerably to the scope of the usefulness of the Association as all the helpers were most earnest in the cause. The membership durin tho yeai\ had increased from 100 to about 370, and after the present meeting it was hoped it would be over 200. The' work of the Association had been principally confined to. the circulation of anti-opium literature, sending occasional articles and up-to-date news of the. anti-opium movement to the press of the Doiminiou, keeping in touch with the Home Association, and endeavoring to get resolutions passed at Synods’ Church Conventions, etc. _ ' DEMORALISATION AND DESTRUCTION.

The work was one . of the most important of the age. It was helping to save from demor alis all OrTa n d destruction, not only thousands, but millions of fellow creatures, and through there were not manny who realised ?t the terrible consequences of the sin would not only affect the millions of India and China, hut our own nation The great British nation would suffer the retributive judgment of God if we did not repent and give up the stupendous sin. India, was again seething with discontent and hostility to the British race, and China was fast growing into power—so rapidly that the Western nations generally severe beginning to talk about the 'wpcril from the nations of the East. In May. 1906, the House of Commons unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming its conviction that the IndoChinese opium -trade was morally indefensible. and requesting the 'Government to take such steps as might he necessary to bring it to a speedy close. After such a resolution in a House in which the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for India, the Under-Secretary of State, and other members of the Cabinet 'were known to be in full sympathy, one might have naturally expected that the opium traffic had received its deathblow, but instead of that it was found that two and - a half years afterwards the horrible trade was still in full swing. THE AWFUL CUKSE.

It Avas gratifying to know that the Chinese Government Avere still making strenuous efforts to rid their people of the aAvful curse. High officials had in some instances been severely dealt with, and the people were loyally supporting the Government in the effort. There had been no less than six public burnings of opium pipes, the la-st being at Fooclioav. In May of this year, in response to a resolution moved, and unanimously agreed to in the House of Commons, ail the opium dens -in Hongkong Avere ' -.whiered by the Imperial Government , %be closed. This order had created a howl of protest from the Hongkong 'merchants, etc., -and it Avas not clear whether it had yet been carried*out. In response to continual pressure from the British Government, and public opinion in England, etc., the municipality of Shanghai had decided to gradually close the opium dens. Three hundred and fifty of them Avere - to he closed on December 31st, and probably the same number Avere closed in July, as a resolution Avas passed in March to close 25 per cent, of the dens by July Ist, and the remainder on or before December 31st, 1909. THE ANNUAL EXPORT.

In the early part- of 1908, Hie British Government agreed (if certain conditions were fulfilled on the part of China) to diminish the annual export of opium from India to China by one-tenth of the average amount ~ taken annually hy China, for the next three years. The “North China Herald” of October 3rd stated that a Pekin despatch 'reported that the central Government had lately decided to shorten the period for the entire abolution of opium consumption and cultivation from ten 'to five years, and that that decision had been approved of by their .Majesties. An Imperial decree was all that was needed now to make the decision law. it -.was officially announced m Pekin that 7 all the Powers had now assented to the prohibition of the importation into China of morphia except for medicinal purposes. The prohibition would be enforced from January Ist. The Bight Bev. the Bishop of, London, who presided at the memorial meeting held at the Queen's Hall, on June 26th last— the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Tiensin said, “In my quarter of an hour I am going to put before you what I believe to bt the leading facts which dominate the situation to-day. .The first is the certain fact of the tenjlo dy moralisation of opium-smoking. The second is the sad fact that this d y fifty years? ago— and that is the lea son wo hold the meeting to-night-we compelled China at Jhe :P“ n the bayonet to buy that di tig us ”

OA.TTSE FOR SHAME

The chairman said he had ;not sufficient faith of belief in the idea that we were anywhere like _as nea ' . _ end of the accursed opium a to assume that the time was at hand to rejoice over the finish of the who business. In many directions the Empire had done that which we were rail proud of; -but in other. things there was cause for shame. Undoubtedly and beyond all question the nation was sinning. He was in conversation with two. gentlemen wno had been in China and had seen the condition of things m that country. These, persons had sought to justify the British nation in forcing opium on China because it was a question of' revenue. He hoped and trusted that nobody at the present looked upon the matter m that light. Sr In his opinion this added to the Wot * upon the nation. (Applause.) jhe outcome was the degradation of the •people for the sake ; of money. H any private persons m this 01 any

other community tried to obtain monby degrading the people as a whole or any number of persons they Avould be held up to scorn and would be obliged to desist. It is were not for the revenue involved the opium trade would ha\ r e been swept out of existence by the nation long ago. therefore the discredit on the nation AA r as all the greater on account of the money involved. They were perfectly justified in raising their voices against this pernicious habit. It Avas a most difficult thing to enthuse the people because avg Avere so for from the centre of the trouble. But avc AA-ere surely alive to the awfulness of the thing. Stronger antipathy against the trade should be created and the people of New Zealand should •make their voices heard in no uncertain sound in denunciation of the accursed opium trade. A STRONG MOTION.

The Roa'. Dr. Gibb moved "That this meeting cfe'eply deplores tlie sin and crime of Avliich the British nation is guilty in forcing A'ast quantities of. opium grOAvn. and manufactured in india upon the people of China. Great Britain is usually supposed to stand for righteousness : the opium export is a \ T ile immorality. Great Britain is equally supposed to stand for freedom and the rights of weaker peoples. The opium export is a brutal infraction of the liberties of the Chinese and of their right to self-goA-ernment. This meeting therefore calls upon the British Government to put a swift end to this unspeakable disgrace and to cleanse the nation from the black stains which uoav defile its escutcheon.” A DEADLY POISON.

Dr. Gibb said lie did not think the motion was sufficiently vigorous. Opium in the hands of a skilled physician was a valuable ding. Indiscriminately used it,was a deadly poison. It killed the soul and blotted out human feeling of every kind. It destroyed the Dmne Image in man and created in its stead the image of tlie devil. Unspeakable harm Avas being done the Chinese nation by tile opium being forced into the country. In British India money was advanced AA'itkout interest by the British authorities to persons growing the poppy. The opium trade Avas a GoA r ernment monopoly.

Mr. ‘•‘Holmes, secretary to tho Y.M.C.A., and the Rev. j. J. North also spoke.

The morion Avas carried by acclama tion.

The report and balance-sheet, Avliich slioAved' a credit balance of £2 12s 4d, was unaninioush T adonted.

Officers AA-ere elected for the ensu-

r vear, and the secretary was eulogised for the good work he had done in the cause.