THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1907. JAPAN'S FIRST COLONY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8451, 31 May 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1907. JAPAN'S FIRST COLONY.

When at the close of the war with China, Formosa, which has a population of about three millions, was ceded to the conquerors, Japan's career as a colonising country began. From the outset her path was beset with difficulties. The inhabitants, who are mainly Chinese by descent, were incited by the military officials to oppose the handing over of the country, a Republic was organised, and it was not until hard fighting, involving thousands of casualties, had taken place that the Republican army was dispersed. A guerilla warfare with brigands followed, w ( hich lasted for several years, and during this period 2,459 people were killed or wounded, while 4,653 were carried away and held for ransom. Another thorny question which had to be dealt with was the opium evil. The people were frantically devoterl to the use of the drug, and anxious as the Japanese authorities were to prohibit opiumsmoking, they realised that the adoption of such a radical measure might lead to a general conflagration. They therefore,decided to establish a Government monopoly in opium, and inflict severe punishment on any person smoking it without a license. At the same time they sought by means of moral suasion and the spread of education to reduce the devotees of the drug to abandon the baneful habit. It is evident, however, that the task of eliminating the opiur.i smoker will be a long and weary one; meanwhile, the monopoly is a source of considerable profit to the Government. A camphor monopoly has also been established by the Japanese. This, too, is a very lucrative indus-

try, and there are, it is said, sufficient trees in Formosa to supply the world's requirements for a hundred years. The achievements of the Japanese during their occupation of Formosa are certainly of a very creditable character. These include a scientific survey of the country, with a re-assessment of the land tax,, the construction of roads and railways, the introduction of modern methods in regard to the manufacture of sugar, the creation of a system of public education, and the improvement of the sanitary condition of the towns. The island's revenue is, it is declared, already sufficient to obviate the necessity of drawing any further subsidies from Japan; the telegraph lines, which in 1896 measured 710 miles, now extend to 2,700 miles; the exports rose from 11,402,227 yen (the yen is equivalent to two shillings) in 1896 to 22,822,431 in 1904; while the imports increased during the same period from 8,631,000 yen to 22,994,854 yen. The record is indeed a remarkable one.

MASTERTON TRUST LANDS TRUST ELECTION. The result of the election, held yes- ! terday in connection with the Masterton Trust Lands Trust, is very largely what we anticipated it would be. It resulted in the return of seven well-knowh and representative citizens, the majority of whom have had considerable experience in public affairs, and have by their actions in the past firmly established themselves in the confidence of the public. The retiring Trustees, Messrs C. E. Daniell and T. Wagg, who sought re-election, polled the largest number of votes, the former heading the poll, and this fact can certainly be accepted as evidence of the public generally being well with the administration of Trust affairs during recent years. The "building policy" of the Trustees will, no doubt, be wa'.ched with interest, but'there is no reason to anticipate that it will be other than successfully carried out.