118
ANOTHER BREACH OF TREATY.
"
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
|
|
.1
[February 23, 1907.
19
The amoun' of this new tax at first and is likely to result in serions consequen•* sight seems, to the foreigner at least, as
res for the race. In this respect it is in too trifling to make a fuss about. (Daily Press, 19th February.)
But some particulars akin to thosa great migra-' when we consider the absurdly low figure at tions which nearly two thousand years ago The Chinese Imperial Postal Administra- which Chinese newspapers are necessarily completely altere the social and political tion bas taken the reactionary step of im- sold to secure any circulation at all, the relations of Europe, and finally brought posing a tax of two cash per copy on the impost appears exorbitant. On the Hong about the fall of the Roman Empira, and import and expart of Chinese newspapers, kong newspapers entering Canton it is with it of the ancient civilisation. As in the Officially the impost is described as a postal equivalent to an import duty of 10 per case of the irruption of the Teutonic peoples tax," but it is clearly of the nature of a jem; while on the Canton newspapers, ¡ into Europe the new comers did not meet Customs duty and will be c-llected in muny wise subscription rates do not excel 31 oneywhere with a friendly reception, and parts of the Empire by the same official per annum, the tax is equivalent to autheir manners and customs displeased in who combines the two offices of Customs export duty of from 15 per cut to 20 për
It 10any particulars the oller ponles. Commissioner and Postal Commissioner.
cent. The Chinese new-piper prisi iš a | soomei in leel in the former cass for a while We view this tax as an evasion of the Tariff | plant of tender growth. In no country in { that the knell of “civilisation had been Conventions as well as a characteristic the world are newspaper reulers, even in ssundel, and thit the world was about to attempt to check the spread of en igntenel | large cities like Cauton, so few in proportion
return to primitive harharism. We now.
of ideas among te people of China. According to the population. The majority of Chinese
course, know that the new tribes proved its to the import Tariffs arranged by China inland cities are still without newspapers, regeneration, and that both morally and with the Foreign Powers, newspapers but the spread of Western education physically the world owes to them its rege- are entitled to admission into any part of China is creating the appetite for news and neration. Without going so far as to any the Chinese Empire free of duty. For
a recognition of the newspaper as an organ of that a similar capsizing of all that the pre- some unexplained reason it has apparently popular sentiment and a powerful engine of
sant generation worships is about to take now been decided to draw a distinction public liberty. The rule bibis g of all the place in the new migration, the movement between new papers printed in Chines and world over put in proportion to the freed m is one to which it would be in every sA:189 these printed in a foreign language, and in of the press is the freedom and prosperity unwise to close our eves, Tribal migrations future to take a particnlar case-all Ch:- | of the people; and it is greatly to b» regrettel like the present movement of the Jina rese nese newspapers published in Hongkong that the Chie Government while making in every case will be found to have had their and sent in bundles by steamer to Cauton | blatant announcements of administra is origin in deeply itel con litions which will be subject to a tax of two rash per | reform along the lines a lopted in the most have has long in preparation; an 1, as in cpy, and similarly all newspapers sent enlightened countries of the world should the possent case, are not to be lightly chockel beyond the limits of the city of Canton, even at the same time countenance a tox whic›.
or divertel. It is an new thing that a na. if only to a neighbouring hamlet, will be sub whatever be the motive for it, will assure lly |tion, especially after a successful war which ject to a like tax. l'e it remembered that check the growth and development of the has called forth its utm st energies, should. the Chinese postal authorities are not in any most potent metus of educating the nation fid its innat p wwers of increase stimulated. way burdened with the delivery of these in the new ideals. It has been well said Such a thing «ccurred in the United States newspapers, any more than the Post Office that the prevalence or scarcity of new*. after its Civil War, and more mark-dly in Eng and is concerned with the i-tribu- pipers in a country affords a sort of index still, such WAS the result in Germany tion of the bundles of newspapers seut to its social state; that where jour ils are after her var with France. That it should daily, say, from London to Birmingham numerous the people have power, inhumpin after Japan's war with Russia, or Manchester. The tax is therefore telligence an 1 welth; and where they are where the very existance of Japan as a na- clearly set in its proper light as an im- few, the bulk of the people are in redity tion was in jeopardy, is therefore only in the port or export duty, and to call it a inere slives.
A very cursory study of natural course of events. It is not, however, postal tax appears to us a mere subter.uge this remark will convince the rider of to be expecte I that the Californians, look ng That
tax on the admission of is truth and if the Chinese Government
at the affair from their point of view, and Chinese rewspapers into China is an evasion is sincere in its desire for administrative with their limitations, shoull at once be of the Tariff Conventions is apparent to any. reforing and general progress, nothing could | thle to consider the mitter equally com- one ho knows the history of the Free import serve la fru-trite that desire more effetually placently. One of the most lau lable features of Chinese newspapers. We believe we are than this tax on the circulation of Chinese of the Janinese picple is thintanse desire correct in stating that when the Tariff of newspapers. No other untry in the world | of all clisses to aquire information, but 1858 was negotiate 1, in which tariff it
that WES
We are aware of-certainly no this des ra s›metimes display itself in a specifically stated that Chinese newspaper eulightened country-seeks to derive મ Iven træeibla form; it is not every travəllər were entitled to be imported free of duty, revence from the taxation of its newspapers | seekin? rest or recration who can bring the only Chinese newspapers in existence in this way. S far no explanation has hief to understan and complacently (apart from the Peking Gazette, which is o; ; baða given by the authordies of th2 | undergo the cross-examination on the most houry autiquity.) were owned by Bri.sh "objec ́s and reisons of the measure, and triv al subjects to which he has to submit subjects as the most important Chinese, we are at a logs to cone ive any son id an o a visit to the ports. The friendly and newspapers are to-day. For example we si sfactory argument for the tax. In the i well meaning Japanese asks the foreigner may cite the Chung Ngoi San Po (the present state of newspaper development in ¡ questions spmetimes of mo1 irrelevant and Chinese "Daily Press") which was fouudel Chma, we fancy the cost of collection will fifty years ago by British subject and exed the revente derivable from this remains a British property. So also is the reactiary and vexation impost an I the Wah-tse Yat Po of Hongkong. In Shangha¦ only re-ult likely to be achievel is provibly there are two or three old-established the re-ult anticipate by its origin vorg British-owned Chinese newspapers, and in the diffusion of enlig stone lilas will b recent years several Chinese newspapers e ecked and a longer lease of life will thereby have been started we believe by other
be assured for those offte and corrupt foreign subjects. In so far, therefore, as meth is of administration whicġ prevail in engendered. The people of California, he the new impost affects these newspapers we all the provides of th empire t the profit te'ls u have come to find all manner of repeat that it is a distinct evasion of a right of dishonest officials, the impoverishonest of ¦ abominable traits in the Jɩpanem; they are intended to be secured by Treaty We; the peuple, and the detri ne it and defeat ot in popular estimation immoral, unclan, have remarked that in the earlier Tariff all effts aiming at alministrativa retormtroke in business dealings, impulent, Convention specific mention was male of 'and publ c progress. "Chinese newspapers" among the free imports. In the existing tariff there is no
88
•
t
|
specific mention of Chinese newspapers, but the general term 'newspapers, We may assume, was preferred by the Treaty-makers
embracing all
newspapers-those printed in foreign languages as well as those printed in Chinese-because in the earlier, tariff no mention was made of " foreigu newspapers," and a strict application of that tariff would have entailed the taxation of such foreign newspapers as were imported into Shanghai and the other Treaty ports by the booksellers.
|
+1
A
*
THE ETHNOLOGIC EBB AND FLOW.
(Daily Press, 20th F-bruary.) The Japanese people, with a rapidly in creasing population, have for a cousi lerable time been emigrating in large numbers, and, as we have frequently had occation to notice, have overflowed into the adjacent lan is at both sides of the Pacific. This movement has been one of the most import. ant ethnological problems of modern times,
1
I
i
casion illy imprtinent chracter. This is no don't partly answerable for a good dad of the ilfeeling which hay of late beca engenderel all round when the Japanese have come in proual contact with other pples. The Times correspondent recently writing from San Francisco, tells us of the disagreeable_feelings
which this has
1
unreliable, and suff ·ring from “big-headed-
It i We may take these in turn. ༽ས་ rher to much for a San Franciscan to complain of the "immorality ' of the ¦ Japanese ;-10 we may leave that out of consideration. That he is unclean, as ev'ryone who has experience of the Japrusse knows, is simply untrue; comparel with his equals in station all over the world the contrary is one of the mist pate it facts about the nation. Unfortunately, some of the other unpleasant truits have bein, as elsewhere, in evi leace. 01 the China cxst, for example, the Japanese has not acquired for himself a reputation abova suspicion in