· April 13, 1908.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT,
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PIECE GOODS.
work of the Likin gatherer would cease. It is one of the most potent proofs of the state of dependence into which the once powerful,
(Daily Press, April 7th.) and for commercial purposes most useful of The piece-goods trade at Shanghai is said institutions has fallen, that it permitted to be in a "ruinous" condition, and we notice itself to be made use of to establish on the an attempt at explanation which, while it northern railways the most hateful and may or may not be capable of close oppressive system of taxation ever conceived. comparison with Hongkong conditions, Its latest development is in connection with certainly throws an interesting light on the great main line from Shanghai, the Chinese ideas of business. It would seem great trade centre of China to Nanking, from that the more "gamble" there is in trade, whence is to start the trunk line to the the better some Chinese like it. Also it capital. At first the liue was left free, but would seem that, for a consideration, apparently only till the Likin fiend had initiated Chinese who are well-off are quite developed his plans for strangling the willing to let in Chinese who are not well traffic. The first appearance was of an
off. These novices do the "over buying" apparently unauthorised stranger in the that spoils the market. They are described receiving yard, who commenced making as penniles shroffs, Japprentices and rather questionable movements. On being hangers-on of the older dealers, men. with ordered off the premises he assumed an little or no experience of the up-country impertinent tone, whereupon the intruder requirements, and absolutely without was very properly told that if he did not go capital." It is asserted that it is and has willingly he would be kicked out. The next, been the custom for brokers or other Chinese heard of the affair was a demand from the who wish to start in the piece-goods trade to provincial officials to know why their Likin pay a "cumshaw" to the shroff of one of the officer had been assaulted. As half the foreign hongs, and for the shroff thereupon board of directors are Chinese, nothing to introduce the man-as a "dealer," good could be done, so that the Office is now for so much credit." Thus the new-made regularly, or irregularly-established with "dealer." establishes relations with as many a right to tax ad libitum, it being one of the hongs as he thinks necessary to caver,his peculiar features of the system that it is idea of the amount to which his enter. above tariffs, each operation being independ- prise leads him to commit himself. Soon ent and a subject of private bargaining. to his orders is shipped "a magnificent The absurdity of the system might seem to variety of cargo," which he has not sold, ensure its abolition, or its being kept within and certainly cannot pay for till he does. bounds, but so many live on it, and such is the hold it has been permitted to obtain, that entirely to clear any one lot of cargo advan 'Consequently he can never really expect all the resources of the Province are sure to tageously because it is hardly likely he can be engaged in its favour. Not the weakest offer his cargo on any better terms than the actuating cause of this tenderness is in older dealers with proper connections." He disputably the growing oppuation between has to undersell these latter, and he can Peking and the provincial administrations do so only by paying short on taking wheu everything is done by the latter to delivery. Thus he clears perhaps three incommode and weaken the Central autho- quarters of any one shipment, and the rity. We have lately shown how effective remaining quarter ho leaves to cover the this feeling is in causing disorder, and how shortage on his bill. His own manipula. much of the actuating motives of the recent tion of the market has made the cover piracies on Northeru rivers is to be attri-insufficient, and so it goes on, from bad to buted to this cause. The infliction of the Likin is on a par.
The line of railway between Shanghai and Chinkiang. has to stand the competition of water carriage, the line running the whole way parallel with the Imperial grain transport canal; and the local tariff rates have bad to be fixed low to meet this alternative route. The imposition of an irregular tariff, such as is the Likin, is therefore calculated to stifle in the beginning this rising traffic, the benefits of which entirely accrue to Peking; and has doubtless been deliberately plannel with this intention. The curious point which without an understanding of the bidden causes at work, would seem inexplicable, is that the Peking Government has guarante- ed to pay interest on the capital expended on the construction of the line, aud there- fore has a direct interest in its success. In the face of this it appears as a consenting party to a scheme for actually rendering goods traffic impossible! Of course, being Chinese it sees this well enough but such is the ill-feeling brought about by its recent attempts to hamper the provincial reve- nues, that the officers charged with the collection of the latter take every oppor- tunity to cross the Imperial Government of the Empire.
*
Telegrams from Peking report that the three persons who have been arrested on the charge of selling State secrets to certain of the foreign Legations in Peking bate been found guilty. It is reported that Kao has been ordered to be exiled to the New Dominion (Chinese
Turkestan) to work, and that Tao and Ku have both been sentenc.d to ten years' penal
Borvitude.
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worse. A few such men, introduced to only a few hongs, can evidently do much harm to the legitimate market.
It is asserted that even the more powerful honga have permitted such innovations, and the suggestion now is that all the reputable hongs should lay their heads together and institute a more careful scrutiny of dealers coming forward as clients. It would not be difficult to find out if the candidate had been a buyer before, and if so, how he had taken delivery and met his liabilities. The desirability of a meeting of those interested is suggested; and we shall watch with great interest for its outcome.
OF TASTE.
(Daily Press, April 8th.) Who are the arbiters as to what constitutes good taste and what bad? We know some who pose as such, but we want to know who really are? Perhaps we had better first try for a definition of taste. The taste of the tongus we know; this taste of the mind must be analogous. That which is "in good taste" must be that which is pleasant to the mind of the taster; that which is "in bad taste must be that which offends the mind of the observer; and " in questionable taste" should mean that the taster cannot make up his mind whether the thing is nice
or not.
We have received a letter, which We do not intend to publish, in which the writer says Mr. WILLIAMS' letter in our issue of Friday last was "in questionable taste." The context shows that he really! means that it was in bad taste. We are struck with this impudence, for it is obvious
233.
that in publishing the letter, we were as much to blame for possible errors of taste as was its writer, and there is something piquant in the action of an authority on taste requesting an elitor to publish the failure of his own glossopharyngeal apparatus. Good taste was, in days of more polished manners, considered to be show when a person could point out the excellence in subtler forms of it, in any object of art. any performance, the beauty, especially the
They never showed their good taste by showing up the bad taste of others. Taste is a matter of both sensation and reason, but many people seem to think their personal sensations sufficient, and do not trouble to exercise judgment. It is not always safe to trust to the senses. To a man with a bad cold, or a palate spoiled by too many cocktails, the best cigar is like the worst. Men are not everywhere and always capable of laying down the law as to what in conduct is beautiful, or terly, On- grubus, symmetrical or otherwise. empiric busybodies and egotistic quidnunes presume to declare offhand and publicly whether something be refined or coarse, or in accordance with the best usage. It really cannot be done. The old definition of taste, as
Only
& discerning sense Of deont and, sublima,, with quick disgust From things déformed, or disarranged, or gross In species. was quite inadequate. Just as physical taste
decent in one environment is quite decent varies with the individual, so this other taste taries with societies. What is in.
in another, and we know very well that what appears to us as deformity may be au added charm to other peoples. Taking only taste, had-it is sheer insolence to claim our own rice, we find various standards of that our own is the only possible criterion. There are some things on which all are agreed, things that are admittedly in very bad taste in any grade of society, but there is a wide, wide range of possibilities with regard to which it is either humbug or impudence to suggest there are any canons. Mr. WILLIAMS appealed in the most deserving case for public sympathy our columns on behalf of what he considered and help that he had ever experienced, and we understand he had the consent of those the worst possible taste to publicly attack immediately concerned. It seems to us in
such an appeal, especially as no object could letter was an error of taste, the second (had be served thereby. Supposing the original
we published it) would have been worse, It would: bave been on an equality with the tasteful reproof of the board-school miss, who exclaimed at a party Ob, Par! You make me shamed, eating with your knife." It is a lesson that a great many otherwise fairly cultured people have yet to learn, that everything which happens to displease us is not necessarily in
"De mortuis nil nisi bonum bad taste. is a generally accepted canon of good taste, but to speik ill of the living without sufficient necessity is a breach of morality as well as of taste.
T
INCIDENTAL.
(Daily Press, April 9th.)
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A Hongkong Governor is not so very far from the position of a Hongkong editor after all. He cannot please/everybody, and if he gets some ha'pence, it is becoming increasingly evident that he doesn't escapej the kicks. In this matter of the Sinitary. Commission and its various issues, we find it in our heart to condole with His Excel- lency, but to cheer him up a little, may