May 21, 1898.]
MEDICAL INSPICTION.
Hongkong, 20th April 1898. R. Chatterton Wilcox, Esq., Secretary, the
Hongkong Chamber of Commerce. Dear Sir,-Referring to the recent. Sanitary Board regulations in regard to the medical examination of all passengers arriving here from Canton aud Macão. which have been en- forced from the 11th inst..
none
We would be glad if your Chamber will ascertain from the Government whether any cases of plague have been discovered in our steamers, and, should
have occur, ed. whether they can see their way to modify the regulations, which cause great inconvenience to the travelling public.-We are, dear sir, your
obedient servants.
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE, Agents, China Navigation Co., Limited.
T. ARNOLD, Secretary, The Hongkong, Canton, & Macao Steamboat Co., Limited.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Hongkong. 22nd April, 1898. - Sir, The great inconvenience to which the travelling public are subjected in consequenre of the enforcement on the river steamboats running between this port, Macao, and Canton, of the medical examination of all passengers, has been brought to the notice of this Cham- ber.
My Committee understand that since this examination was instituted on the 11th lustant, at the suggestion of the Sanitary Board, only cne case of plague has been discovered on any of the steamers, and that case at the commencé. ment of the enforcement of these regulations. | If this be the fact they would respectfully suggest that the defention of the steamers for an examination which is apparently practically resultless might either be discontinued or that some modification of the regulations might he made that would render the examination les inconvenient to the Steamboat Compinies and their constitnents. -I have the honour to me. Sir, your most obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTON" WILCOX.
Secretary. To Hon. T. Sercombe Smith, Acting Colonial
Secretary.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 2nd May, 1898, Sir, I am directed to acknowlige the receipt of your letter of the 22nd ultimo re- lative to the enforcement of medical examina- tion of passengers ou board the river steamboats running between this port, Macao, and Cauton, and to state that the representation of the Chamber of Commerce in the matter is receiv ing consideration. I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servaut,
T. SERCOMBE SMITH, Acting Colonial Secretary. The Secretary, Chamber of Comm«re».
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. Hongkong, 7th May, 185, Sir,-With reference to the medical inspec- tion of passengers on board the river steam boats, I note that at yesterday's meeting of the Sanitary Board it was resolved to recommend that the inspection should take place after the vessel came alongside the wharf instead of, as at present, at the quarantine anchorage,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
-403
Coloui | Secretary's Office.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, Hongkong, 13th May, 1898.
Hongkong, 27th April, 1898. Sir.—I have the bonour to acknowledge the Sir. Since this Chamber had the honour of receipt of your letter of the 7th instant in receiving your valued despatch of the 14th which you refer to a resolution of the Sanitary October last, the Committee have been anxiously Board recommending that the medical inspré-awaiting the desired information as to internal tion of river steamers should take place at the steamers' wharves, and in which "you further not only indicate the objections to such au arrangement but also urge the discontinuauce of medical inspection
In reply, I am directed to state that is Excellency the Officer Adininistering the (to- verument. appreciating the objectious men- tioned by yon, has been unable to accept the modification recommended by the Sanitary
Board,
."
His Excellency, however, feels obliged to | adopt the opinion of the official Government experts as to the best method of safe-guarding the health of the colony, and is therefore nuable at present to necede to your request that the i medical inspection should be abolished.---I have the honour to be, sir, your mast obedient servant,
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It has been pointed out to the Chamber that, except perhaps in the case of the day boats, this arrangement could not work and would be no improvement on the existing system. With the night boats arriving at midnight the only way, if the vessel went alongside, to keep the passengers on board would be to close up the ship, which stop could not fail, in the hot weather how prevailing, to cause much suffer- ing and possibly to lead to serious disturbance.
My Committee would therefore respectfully arge upon the Government the discontinuance of the inspection, which, owing the superficial manner in which it is necessarily carried out, can be of little real value, while imposing gre... trouble and inconvenience on the Steamboat Companies. I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant.
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
T. SERCOMBE SMITH. Acting Colonial Secretary The Secretary, Hongkong General Chamber of
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Commerce.
LEKIN AND TROLL.
Customs tariffs, for which Mr. Consul Brenan applied to the Canton authorities. These tariffs have at length been supplied to the Consul in such a forin as to be practically valueless for the purpose of discovering the actual taxation which foreign imports have to In undergo before they reach the consumer. short the correspondence with Mr. Brenan only Ponds to illustrate the heartbreaking work of combatting native duplicity with which he has had to contend, without leading to any explicit statement of the final imposts charged at the various destinations.
Seeing no prospect of any immediate satis- faction being obtained from that quarter, my Committee naturally turn to your Ex- celleucy to beg that you will be pleased to carry into effect your promise to address the Tsung-li Yomen on the subject. They sincorely trust that your Excellency will not, even in the press of other important matters claiming your attention, lose sight of this from a commercial standpoint vital question of taxation on imports. This Chamber is not alone insisting upon its sigual importance to the welfare of trade; the China Association has taken up the question with much ability and energy, having demons- trated in a convincing mauner to the Foreign Offer the restrictivă effect produced by the exactions of the provincial officials, while the experience, frequently placed ou record, of the various Cousuls, will amply sustain our conten- tion.
H. M. Consulate. Canton, 19th April, 185A, Sir.-In reply to your letter of the 11th in- staut i beg to state that I am not aware that any change is about to be mele in the mode of collecting likin in this province; that is, any change that will substitute regularity and i- formity for the present confusion and uneer- fainty. The likin authorities are trying to make their operations less open to objection by changing the name of the tax; they believe that foreign Powers will say nothing against a dos- tination tax (soli); so that what was formly called likin is now called troli; and, as much as is practicable, it is being collected at destina-submit that the importer has at any rate
tion.
passos.
The provincial officials now believe that they have discovered a way of turning one Hank and neutralising the, to them, evil effects of transit If they have their way the permission to sell transit pass goals en route will not be of e much value as I hoped. In communicating to me this modifiertion of the transit pass rul· the Viceroy laid down that no matter whether the merchant carried the goods to their on gival | des ination, or sold them ca møde, it was in- cumbent on the Chinese purchaser to pay tsodi as son as he obtained possession of them amı, sir, your obedient servant.
BYRON BRENAN. The Chairman. Hongkong tieneral Chamber of
Commerer.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 27th April, 18 8.
;
Sir, I have the honour to thank you for your interesting despatch of the Hih iust.. from which my Committed learn with regret that the inland taxation on foreign imports ¦ continues to be suronded by irregularities and confusion, and for the improvement of which you sem nuable to hold out any prosent prospert.
This hamber had been led to hope, frou, fle apparent readiness with which it was promised fon should be supplied with a list of the tariffs at the different destination at some d fuite information would be vinensafid with regard to the actual amount of taxation foreign goods incurre 1 before they reached the hand of the consum.r; but, when the manner of collection of the taxes is considered, this seems as far My Commitice are from realisation as ever. strongly of opinion that no stone should 1, left unturned to compass this necessary end, and are therefore on the point of again addressing Her Majesty's Minister ou this subject, be speaking his continued effects to enforce on the ne scheme whereby Chinese Government : consistent taxation can be guaranteed, and the present condition of uncertainty finally ter- minat-d-I have the hear to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
To Hon. T. Sercombe Smith, Acting Colonial | To Byron Brenan, Esq.,
Consul, Canton. Secretary.
R. M. GRAY, Chairman.
C.M.G., H.B.M.'s
My Committee are distinctly of opinion that the admission of the legality of the so-li tax was impolitic, as it appears to confer a right to colbert âu indefinite amount of duty on foreign goods at their destination. The tax having been recognised, however, they respectfully
the right to demand full and accurate in- formation of what these destination taxes con- sist in every district and what is the manner of their collection. The Committee entirely con- cur with the China Association in the opinion that such flagrant abuse has been inade of the elusticity with which foreign States have allowed their Treaties to be interpreted in the matter of taxation that it is quite time to insist upon the rigid er forestnent of their stipulations, the foreign text heing taken to decide the meaning.
The difficulty of providing for provincial ne- cessities without having recourse to the levy of illegal and unauthorised exàctions on foreign trade has not escaped my Committee, but it is hardly their province to suggest a solution of that problem, which it is the duty of the central A Government at cekin to resolve. Whether or ! not it would be more economical to place the
collection of all taxation on imports and exports. in the hands of the Imperial Marititas Customs and opportion a percentage of the receipts the different provincial administra-
not or
is for His Imperial Chinese Majesty's Ministers to decide. In any case, it is a tact for them to take into their
to
tions
f'
sideration that the increase in the revenue. which would result from an unshackled foreign trade throughout the empire would more than compensate for the loss of the revenue derived from the present internal taxes, owing to the wasteful costliness of collection.
be enabled to arrive at a final and satisfactory Sincerely frusting that Your Excellency will solution of this question, which has for many years hamper trade and led to endless aunoy- auce.. have the hour to be, sir. your most obedient servant.
R. M. GRAY, Chairman,
Sir Cande acdonald, K C.M.G., K.C.B.,
H.B.M.'sinister, Peking.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. Hongkong, 28th April, 1898.
Sir, I have the honour to transmit, for the information of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government, a copy of a letter addressed by this Chamber to H. E. Sir: Claude M. Macdonald, Her Britannic Majesty's Minister at Peking, on the subject of the