The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-28
ADJUSTMENT OF GAMBLING IN CHINA Has Been Effected, States
 Consul General HISTORY OR REFORM Is Similar to That of the Crusade Against the Legalized Sale
 of Opium in
 China
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Washington, May 2z-(Special.) .)-The
 state department has received report . from the consul general at Canton say ing that, after years of hard and con-
 sistent work, the reformers in China have
 caused the abolishment of licensed gamb- ling, and that this victory is next in moral importance to the stamping out of legal
 ized opium selling.
 According to the report, licensed gamb-
 ling in the province, which has centered
 mainly in Canton for years, was prohib- tied when vice-regal edict against it in all forms became effective in April.
 "The happy eventuation of the anti
 gambling movement" the report says,
 twas met on all sides by marked rejoic- ing. and was celebrated by a demonstra-
 tion in Canton. in which merchants, gen try and people enthusiastically joined, the
 principal feature of which was huge parade which passed for hours through
 the streets of the city and portrayed to
 the people by floats and tabaux the civil
 results which follow gambling"
 | The history of the anti-gamblng move ment in China was very similar to that of
 the suppressing of opium smoking, and, was in one way a sequel to 1t. The great strength which the gambling monopolists commanded was derived from the enor- nous revenue in taxes which they an-
 nually paid to the provincial treasury. and
 the difficulty which lay in the way of the government in securing similar reve- nue from other sources.
 Had it not been for the success of the
 anti-opium campaign, which gave hope
 to the reformers, and the opening of the
 provisional assembly. which placed In | their hands a weapon of sufficient power l to enable them to meet the gamblers
 with a chance of success, 1t Is probable I that the movement would have ended in 1 failure.
 r "It should not be inferred" the report | to the department continues. that all the credit for the success of the reformers l is due to the assembly. Its efforts would have been without avail if it had not l fallen back for support upon the bet 1 ter element of the provincial population. ! While the assembly ostensihly led the | way it was pushed, assisted, exhorted l and prayed to by the people to fight l their battle for them.
 1 The agitation was carried on against gambling in a sane and dignifed man. ner, and its success was largely the re- suit of the feeling that the act of the government in licensing gambling was to the great detriment of the common people. Also the people came forward with a substitute for the revenue lost from the wreck of the gambling busi- ness, thereby depriving the officials of their one potent weapon of argument. It was proposed at the time that this money be raised by tax on wines and. spirits, increases In salt and prepared opium taxes, and taxes on tobacco. fire crackers and butchers. The first four of these suggestions have already been ac- cepted by the government as practicable.
 The gambling question was before the assembly in Carton in 1909, during it's last session, and on both occasions the members gave the movement warm sup port In October, 1910, they requested the acting viceroy to memorabilia the throne to set a date on which gambling would be done away with. and when the request was not acted upon, the assembly summarily adjourned.
 This move had the desired effect. The | viceroy at once reported the matter to the throne, by whom 1t was referred to the board of finance. The board re- piled that a date would be set when substitute revenue had been found, | whereupon the assembly resumed its sitting.
 "The acting viceroy arrived in Can | ton" according to the official account of | this campaign, "and took over the seals | of office on January 4, 1911. After go- | ing into tn @ matter of a substitute rev. | enue with a thoroughness seldom seen in a Chinese official he issued proc | lamation in February interdicting gam | bling of all sorts from the 30th day of March.
 "The suppression of gambling is re- form apparently so widely popular that 1t is probable that no protests will be heard from the people against the new taxes so long as the revenue derived therefrom is employed as substitute for that previously received from li- censed gambling.
 With the suppression of gambling has come the question of providing some thing for the former employees of the great business to do. Statements place I the number of gambling houses in Can ton in recent years at 10000. employ | ing at least 50,000 men. and frequented iby not less than the same number of professional gamblers.
 The yiceroys interdiction Is not con fined to the suppression of licensed | gambling, but covers private gambling as | well. and strenuous efforts are being made to enforce the proclamation in all its provisions.
 Special deputies have been appointed to watch the premises where gambling l. was formerly carried on, to make known to the authorities any attempt to re- open them, and spies have been detailed to visit the various "yamens' in Can ton to report all cases of gambling among officials.
 The experience of other governments | in their attempts to break up gambling gives little hope that the Canton vice. roy will be successful in his present movement. "It should be recodred to his credit" the report says in con- clusion, that by abolishing gambling he has removed from his district the | stigma of government sanction of the evil, and that he Is moving with all his resources against private indulgences therein"