194
FOREIGN MERCHANTS AT THE OUTPORTS AND IN THE
"INTERIOR,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
44
•
[March 11, 1899.,
.
later adds :-" If the passage of the Yang
"not under transit pass are subject to taoli so "taze Kiang above Ichang was to be made are yours, not otherwise. Bring me proof "really navigable the British Government "that the goods are not subject to taoli and must with the consent of the Tsungli “I will take up the case.” Which will (Daily Press, 4th March.)
"Yamen undertake the conservancy of the lay his goods down in Yunnan the clieaper, The ignorance in Europe on the subject of" river. A little dynamite would soon the foreigner or Chinese? The reply is China is truly appalling. In a late 7imes "clear away the rocks which are the main obvious. Is this what Professor DOUGLAS appears a communication from Berlin in sourees of peril." We will not dispute means by "pushing," and "as far inland as which it is stated that a number of guilds Professor DOUGLAS's technical knowledge "possible"? There is a gentleman not un- and Chinese at Amoy are anxious to assume of the application of dynamite to the Yang- connected with the cotton thread trade who German nationality and that the German tsze rapids, though we have an impression speaks Chinese well and who goes into the Consul there has referred the matter home, that the Sin-tan, the Tatung, and Shan- interior establishing, so it is reported, agen- and we are asked to accept this as a proof of tanpiu rapide-consisting as they do of cies for the sale of thread. He, we remember, the estimation in which the Germans are vast masses of rock which in the winter was held up in one of the Consular reports held by the Chinese. No doubt the Ger- form islands and in sunn.er, with a rise of as the model for other merchants to imitate. mans in China are as much respecter and 60 feet in the river, are those most danger. It is of course not our business to en- appreciated by the Chinese as the British ous obstacles to navigation, namely rocks quire into private individuals' affai.s, but or any other European race, but the conten- just awash--will try the greatest engineering we fancy that if the gentleman's accounts tion that that respect is shown by the skill before they can be overcome; but be were gone into his expenses would be found Chinese wishing to assume German nation that as it may, according to the Professor's to exceed his gains from the sale of thread, ality is to reduce the thing to a farce. Put- own showing until something in the nature and that it is as an advertising agent for a ting aside the absurdity of a "guild" assum- of dynamite is applied they can't be made powerful syndicate, who are content to drop ing or taking any nationality, the Chinese, really navigable," and in the meantime it money for the time being with the object of everyone familiar with them knows, is not to be wondered at that the shipowner creating a demand for their goods, rather when they seek foreign nationality are an does not think the amouut to be earned in than us a merchant, that he travels. ziens to obtain its cover, not t of respect freight is equal to the risks his vessel Whether the syndicate will ever recover the for foreigners, but either to
xation would run when making the passage. In amount so expenied is a question time orto gain protection from their own officials. fact the merchant's reply to both of alone will solve? In proof of this statement let the following the above contentions is short, shurp, and be tried. Give the Amoy merchants the decisive. He says, "it doesn't pay," ," German nationality they covet, then let the and in those few words the whole situation German Government put a tax on those is summed up. One would imagine from merchants' ships and on the goods and pro- speeches like the one we are dealing with duce they deal in; the tax to be slightly in and also from some of our Consular Reports excess of what they can get through the that the panacea for all evils in China is for lekin with or what it would cost them to the merchant to learn Chinese and reside in secure British nationality by paying a Bri- an outport. It does not seem to strike these tish subject to lend them his name. Then theorists that the merchant is quite willing let a census of the German subjects he to go anywhere and do anything the Govern- taken. The number of Chinese who would ment will allow him, provided he can make register as such would, we fancy, be smalla profit, and that it is because he is unable when compared with those who would elect to remain Chinese or be the authorized agents of British firms or individuals! It is useless to trespass on our readers' time and patience by illustrations of imaginary cases when in their every day experience they meet real ones of the kind; but the
public at home come under a different cate- gory and we have no doubt but that to many of them the impression was conveyed of a large and influential body of Chinese longing to place themselves under the banner of the Fatherland, actuated thereto by an admiration of that country and its institutions. The publication of paragraphs such as the one above referred to serves to increase the delusions and perplexities surrounding the subject of China, a subject on which it is important that the fullest and clearest light should be thrown,
to make a profit that he shows a disinclina tion to reside at the outports. Professor Douglas admits that the disinclination is "possibly a natural one." It is difficult to conceive a more natural one in view of the reason the merchant gives.
There are
The same authority tells us that it is only by personally pushing the trade at the treaty ports and as far inland as possible that our merchants can expect to add to the volume of British commerce. one or two phrases here which would be more useful if their meaning were more clearly defined. For instance, what does be mean by "pushing" and " as far inland as possible?" A, a British merchant, lives at, say, Samshui, and imports cotton yarn there. B, a Chinese merchant, does the same. It costs A to live at Samshui $100 per month, board, and lodging. It costs B, say, $30. For the sake of argument we will say that it costs both the same to get their yarn up to Samshui in the way of freight and duty. Both can send their goods into any part of Ching under a transit pass. Both accompany their goods to, say, || Yunnan. The foreigner, even if he goes in the same junk, will probably require separite accommodation and his expenses at the lowest estimate will amount to $1 per day. The Chiuaman will spread his mat with the junk master and live on 20 to 30 cents per day. On arrival at their des tination the never failing "tsoli " or trade at the treaty ports aud.' "shui" is levied; both protest against it. ar inland as possible that Our After a few days the Chinese merchant merchants could expect to add consider compounds with the lekin, pays up, and ably to the volume of British commerce," goes back to Samshui. The foreigner won't Then follows something about the difficulty pay, stops a month (cost at least 840) to see of learning Chinese being exaggerated. it is not levied, then goes away. Again :—" Though by the Chefoo Conven- as he has left the lekin levy the tsoli" in tion the right of navigating the Yangtsze full on the Chinese holder of the goods King from Ichang to Chungking was He writes to the foreign merchant who sold accorded to foreigners only one steamer them. The foreign merchant goes to his had ever attempted the passage." He Consul. The Consul says "If the came goods
Nor is the act of conveying wrong im- pressions...confiued to the newspapers. Professor DOUGLAS quite unwittingly we admit is engaged in the same and, where ignorance is so general, not too difficult task. Th his speech before the London Institution he is reported to have said “A “great disinclination, possibly a natural one, had also been shown by merchants to take up their residence at the outports, and ht several of the treaty ports not a single British merchant was to be found. It was high time that it should be recognized that it was only by personally pushing
"the
28
1
« loti
As soon
i
It is far from our intention to infer that there is nothing for foreign merchants to do at the treaty ports or in the interior when they are allowed to reside in the latter. On'' the contrary, with an honest administration. at Peking they can undertake any and all big concerns which the Chinese themselves are unable to organize or work, such as mining, railways, manufactories, steamship lines, &o, but until the British Government take up the financial reform of the country the foreigner is likely to find his efforts to engage in any of these either thwarted completely or else hampered by such vexatious restrictió:1 and regulation that the same result, will be arrived at. The ridiculous and absurd Mining Regulations issued by the Taungli Yamen and the restrictions imposed on the opening of inland waters, making both impossible as enterprises for the safe invest- ment of capital, are samples of these. To neither of these exceedingly important points does Professor DOUGLAS refer, other wise than by informing us that by steam na- vigation on the inland waters a vast saving would be made in time !
44
10
✓
ITALY'S CONCESSION IN CHINA.
(Daily Press, 6th March.) The first authentic intimation of any formal demand being made by Italy for a concession in China is contained in Reuter's message of the 2nd instant published in our columns to-day. This is not exactly · an announcement, but merely a comment on what is apparently supposed to be a well known fact. The Times in an article "sympathises with the Italian demand for concessions in the Chekiang province, and says that it hopes the British Foreign. "Office will grasp the true condition of "affairs before it is too late, as China is breaking up, and the future lies with the nations who understand what to do."" The nearest approach to any indication of Italian activity in this part of the world was previously confined to the
Latement made by Reuter on the 23rd ult. that Italy will form a naval division for China and increase the number of her "Consula in that country. ." The Intest message, of the 3rd inst., informs us that
the concession asked for is in Banmün in approved
Bay, and that Great Britain of the demand. The entrance to Banmun Bay is twenty miles W.N.W. of the Hieshan Islands, and from the description in the China Pilot the bay appears to be a „god patel one out to liur 891990