The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-11
CHINA'S OPIUM FARMER
He Reigns for One Year in Hong.
kong.
A Farmer Who Hns for n Season
Full sway Over the Poppy Plant
A Subject of Queen Nfctorfn-Ai-
ways Retires From ONCE With u
Plcthoric POcketboOk.
From the Chicago Times.Herald.)

In the colony of Hongkong there Is a
Chinaman who while his brief reign lasts,
is spoken Of by the quarter million Of
his fellow countrymen on the island with
bated breath To these Celestials, subjects
of Queen Victoria, the Emperor of China
is not nearly go great man as the opium
farmer" and the Queen herself. compared
with his mightlness Of the drug is in
their eyes only far away sovereign, not
half SO imposing.
In order to regulate to some extent the
importation Of opium into Hongkong and
to simplify the collection of duties, the
British Government several years ago de-
cided to place the whole business in the
hands of one man. Realizing, however, the
tremendous and arbitrary power that could
be welded by a single individual in such
a position, it was also decided that the Of
flee should only be held one year and that
no person should be allowed to keep 1t for
more than single term. So ii was an
nounced that the Government was prepared
to accept bids for the privilege.
Since that time the selection of an
opium farmer as he is called, has be-
come an annual event. The highest bid
generally ranges from 100000 to a half
million dollars, according to the prospects
of the poppy crop for the year and the con-
dition Of the market. The successful ap-
plicant is duly gazetted in his position.
and he is given the assistance of fleet
CT dozen swift Government customs ves-
sells to protect his interests. He himself
employs several junks to guard his bust
ness against smugglers, but he must only
use these boats for the purpose of obtain
ing information. II he secures knowledge
of smuggling operations he turns it over
to the authorities, who run the malefac-
tors down. Nearly every week in the
year there is a smart skirmish between
the sampans Of the smugglers from the
mainland of China and the revenue cut
tiers. Pretty little battles some of them
are, too and very useful in giving young
British middies and junior naval officers
their first taste of sea fighting.
The opium farmer has the sole control OF
every pound of the drug brought into Hong
kong, and he generally makes from $3.50 eco
TO 5000, 600 clear profit in his year of office.
The Government gets much more from him
than it could secure If ii attempted to COL
lect the duties itself, and, moreover, gets
il in d lump sum, without the enormous
amount of trouble and the large force
of officers that would otherwise be neces-
sary. The opium farmers salaried men
watch all incoming boats, and. as it is a
case of Chinaman against Chinaman, very
little of the raw material gets past him.
At the end of his term of Office he gives
Il great dinner to Government officials
newspaper men. and the leading Chinese
merchants of the colony This dinner is
one of the great events OF the Hongkons
year. The other two are the polo cham
games and the sham battle be-
tween the troops in the garrison. AS
matter of fact, though natural pride keeps
them from openly acknowledging 1t. the
white people of Hongkong look on this
unique dinner as by far the most interest
ing affair In the social calendar.
When a Chinaman makes up his mind to
do a thing handsomely he generally goes
10 the limit. The opium farmer always
makes his dinner. which is a sort of fare
well to his brief reign OF car OF the opium
smokers, something to be remembered by
his white friends. Indeed, he lays aside
a large sum CT money, from $4,000 TO s25.-
900, for the banquet, and always reckons it
as legitimate item of exposure when he
figures up his bill to the Government at
the beginning Of the year.
week before the close Of his term of