May 13, 1899.1
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
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may safely be left to be decided by the "necessities of navigation for the require- ments of trade." We can only repeat his statement with regard to the expression" not "of a sea-going_type" and wonder which member of the Legation it was that allowed so important a restriction to escape his notice when translating the Chinese text of the Regulations into English?
tion of the Shanghai community to this highly We may remark in passing that the important subject, and Mr. DUDGEON'S letter
passenger stations" at which vessels may addressed to the N. G. Daily News, wherein stop, as published by the British Govern- he refers to our leader as an able and inter- ment in the Blue Book (page 252) and as esting article, was in its turn taken up by published by the Chinese Customs do not the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce and agree. Tungchow," or, as it is sometimes made the basis of a representation to Sir called, "North Tree," is omitted from the CLAUDE MACDONALD, Mr. BRODRICK former; but this is about what might be was doubtless correct in his reply to Mr. expected when we see in the Inland Water ASCROFT, but we regret that so misleading Regulations that the word "small," having an answer should have been allowed to pass reference to steainers, was erased by the unchallenged. It is true that the restric- Minister as being unnecessary, and in the tion referred to is not contained in the Re- Regulations when published we find the gulations as published in the Blue Book, expression "not of a sea-going type" has but if the Supplementary Rules issued by been allowed to be substituted for it. As the Chinese Government for the working of Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD observed, "There these water had been looked at it would "is no necessity for the insertion of the have been plainly seen that these restric-word 'small,' The size of the steamers tions were implied and understood as the basis of them. Surely Mr. BRODRICK, if he gave the matter that consideration which he stated was being given to it, would see that the Regulations stating that the waters were open are not sufficient to enable a shipowner to start steamers under them. He must know that all goods in China are taxed and that the taxes on them have to be paid somewhere and somehow, and that any No one can read through the pages of Rules or Regulations which do not expressly this last published Blue Book without see- provide for the amount to be paid and the ing that the past year's work at Peking place where it is to be paid must of necessity must have taxed the resources and energies become a nullity. The result of the trausit of our Minister and his assistants to the pass tsoli might have taught him that, if he utmost, and no one will, we are sure, be- was unaware of it from other sources. grudge Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD his well Hence it is we say his answer was entirely earned holiday, but in the fierce strife going misleading, and we regret to see that it on we cannot afford to let sentiment carry passed unchallenged. If Mr. Ascroft had us away to the exclusion of more practical taken the trouble to refer to the very Blue business considerations. Our coutention Book that was quoted in answer to his ques- has always been that in the opening of the tion he would on page 252 have found the inland waters of China the main point at Yangtsze Regulations, wherein, as we have issue, which is the placing of the carriage again and again pointed out, certain places of the domestic trade of China on an equal called "ports of call? and others “ passenger basis of taxation, no matter what its means "stations" are provided along the course of of transport, has been overlooked, and our that river where steamers running from one contention is confirmed by what we find Treaty Port to another may stop and land published in the Blue Book. In this, no or embark passengers or cargo, and that con- reference is made to the Supplementary sequently it follows that these places being Rules which have been issued by the Cus- specified no others can be so used, and that toms. These, as we have pointed out in this, in its turn, involves the logical con-
our previous articles, are the important clusion that vessels running between treaty point in the whole concession, and judging ports are Bot entitled to inland water by the result it would appear that they are privileges. This point we have frequently not satisfactory. We again repeat that emphasized, but even at the risk of being before anything can be done the duties tedious we would again point out the in-payable on cargo shipped in steamers and portance of it to all those, be they merchants or in native boats must be published or Ministers, who have any interest in the legitimate expansion of trade that must result from the unrestricted circulation of goods by steam power. Hitherto this cir- culation hus been restricted in every possible way, and not least in supporting the antagonistic attitude of the Chinese Government have been our own officials. We will take as an illustration these same 'ports of call,” etc., on the Yaugtsze. Months have been spent over drawing up rules under which cargo can be landed or loaded at them. The Rules are doubtless very able productions from a diplomatic point of view, but the great, and to the bulk of people, important fact remains, that. uo cargo ever is landed or loaded at them. The cargo belongs to Chinese who are willing enough to give the carriage of it to steamers if they can obtain any assurance as to what they will have to pay in the way of duties provided they do so. The as surance is forthcoming quickly enough as regards the duty payable to the I. M. Castoms, but when in addition to that the merchant is told that his goods will be subjected to lekin before shipment and after discharge it is not to be wondered at that he declines to avail himself of the disadvantages of steam traffic.
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No. 469 when referring to the resolutions made by the A Newchwang residents with regard to the inland
inland waters is only too apparent to anyone familar with the con- dition of things in Chini, He says (Blue Book, page 356) “The right exists; it is for "the merchants to make use of it.” This in spite of the fact which must have been well known to him at the time, that the amount of duties payable on those merchants' cargo had never yet been published or declared by the Chinese Government. MP. BRENAN the other day, in his reply to the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce, made a somewhat similar statement, the pith of his argument being "the waters are open, go ahead and
use them," quite ignoring, like the Min- ister, the question of the amount to be paid in duties. The Minister may have done it through ignorance. We don't think Mr. BRENAN could plead the same excuse !
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The fact is we have had about enough of such diplomatic expressions as “the duties to be paid shall be the same as those paid by native craft or native goods," or some- thing else equally vague, and it is about time we insisted on knowing what there is to pay and have it stated in hard dollars which admit of no discussion. Until that is done the British Government can rest assured that the opening of inland waters will remain the barren concession it has been up to date.
CHINA AND THE DISARMAMENT CONFERENCE.
(Daily Press, 10th May.) That solemn farce the Disarmament Con-
ference is to be attended by a Represen tative from the great and ancient empire of China. The casual render of this an- nouncement may be forgiven if, without sufficient consideration, he dismisses it as of no importance. China, he may agree is vast in her dismensions, venerable in her antiquity, and her human products are as the very sands of the sea for number. The Celestial Empire contains therefore some of the first elements necessary to cou- stitute a powerful and progressive stilte. If, indeed; her capacity for exercising potential influence were to be panged by her area, resources, and population, her voice in the future parliament of nations, would be a decisive one. But Chipa is, in full by the Chinese Government | for her size and number, the very and means must be taken to ensure that weakest bundle of provinces held to they are levied on all alike. Why the gether by a central authority. Tife dis. very point which Sir CLAULE MACDONALD integrating forces at work in Chin may in the case of the Yangtsze allows for the not, possibly, be more pronofeed or safeguarding of the lekin revenue, viz., more deadly than those which affet some that inland waters steamers shall only tow other states, but what she enters cou- on that river when specially authorized to spicuously from is a lack of national feeling, do so by the Customs, is being made use of the sentiment of patriotism as distinct from by the lekin authorities on the West River mere superstitious regard for ancestral to defeat the end he had in view. The graves and tablets, and an almost universal lekin officials, of Kwangtung, finding that distaste and contempt military service revenue would surely be diverted from their or any other career than that of a literale. pockets to the Imperial exchequer unless The system of Government, pafriarchal and they devised some means whereby the quick in theory benevolent and fiberal, is in ness of steam carriage could be combined practice a tyranny of the most corrupt kind with the payment to them of duty conceivable, where the multiplication of on cargo carried, have arrived at that end taxes is only bounded by the limits of the by means of the very vessels which our mandarins' ingenuity, and the administration Minister was careful to state, as an amend of justice is a mere farce. There is no per- ment to his Inland Water Regulations, sonal loyalty to the EMPEROR; he is a should be authorized to tow by the Customs. mysterious entity secluded in a Palure at These authorized steamers take in tow native Peking, and his name is chiefly invoked to boats coming under the lekin administration sanction some new tyramy on the subject and by this meaus ensure that the cargo or a tresh surrender to outsiders who are carried shall pay duty to the provincial strong enough to threaten. authorities ́on à tariff which is alone known to those whose interest it is not to publish it. The absurdity of the statement made by Sir CLAUDE MacDonald in his despatch
No wonder, therefore, that soinverte brate a body as China shoubi have been omitted from the Conference. She was hos reckoned with in counting the civilised