ustom.

As the speeches were concluded, the Chinese Volunteer Band struck up a
lively air and amid the deafening din of crackers and bombs a torch was
applied to the oil-soaked stacks of pipes which at once burned up
fiercely. Extra oil was thrown upon the flames and the glass lamp-covers,
bowls, etc., were heaped upon the flames, thus completing a ceremony full
of earnestness and meaning.

It has come as a matter of great surprise to many sceptical foreigners
that the Chinese should be making such strenuous efforts to do away with
the opium-smoking curse. Not a few have thrown cold water upon the
scheme, sneered at the Chinese in this endeavour, and doubted both their
desire and ability to suppress the sale of opium. The Commercial Bazaar
Committee, consisting of well-known Chinese business men, is not only
seconding the Municipal Council in its gradual withdrawal of licenses in
the foreign settlements but has also accomplished the closing of many
opium dens through its own efforts by bringing pressure to bear upon the
owners of the dens. Already, many private individuals have given up their
beloved pipes and some dens have voluntarily closed. It has also been
agreed by the Chinese concerned that all of the shops run by women are to
cease the sale of opium. This activity on the part of the Chinese
themselves is a striking rebuke to those who cast suspicion upon the
honesty of purpose of both the Chinese government and people, refusing to
immediately abolish the opium licenses in the foreign settlements of
Shanghai, despite the appeals from the American, British, and Japanese
governments, the petitions of the leading Chinese of the place and the
general popularity of the anti-opium movement. Yielding to great pressure
from all sides, the Shanghai Municipal Council _did_ consent to introduce
a resolution upon this question before the Ratepayers Meeting to be held
March 20th, but the concession made was small indeed compared with what
was generally desired or what might be anticipated from the leading lights
of "civilized and highly moral" nations. The resolution was as follows:--

"_Resolution VI._ That the number of licensed opium houses be reduced by
one-quarter from July 1, 1908, or from such other early date and in such
manner as may appear advisable to the Council for 1908-1909."

While there was in this a definite reduction of one-fourth of the
opium-joints in the settlement, there was nothing definite as to any