L
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July 19, 1909.]
LIKIN AT CHINKIANG.
THE SYSTEM RIDDLED WITH ILLEGALITY AND FRAUD.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Though the transit trade is liable to exactions of this kind, it is still at such an advantage as compared with trade carried on under the native likin system with its incalculable uncertainties and vexations, that it is actually found advanta Mr. Pitzpios, the British Consul at Ching-geous to export Chinese medicines, in which kiang, has the following illuminating comments
there is a large trade, to Ho gkong, so that in his Report under the heading "Likin ":
they may be brought back as foreign goods and be distributed under the transit pass system.
"A few remarks with regard to this perennial burden on all trade may not be out of place. As illustrating to a small extent the multiplication of effects from this one cause, I have pleasure in quoting the following luminous remarks of my Hsuchoufu correspondent, the Rev. T. B. Grafton:- "The one great com- mercial need of this end of the province is the dredging of the Grand Canal and the abolition of the stores of custom-houses along its borders. Could this be accomplished, the flood of orders for foreign goods would make the wharves at Chinkiang a sight to behold. As it is, in consequence
of likin exactions, kerosene costs 1 dol. 10 c. more per case of 65 lbs. at Hsüchoufu than at Chinkiang. Lumber, both native and foreign, has become almost impossible to get. I have now (October 21) on the road from Chinking two boat-loads of lumber that were started about Sepember 21, and have as yet heard nothing of them, though they should have arrived weeks ago. This district has always depended on southern pine poles for house roof beams, which now can be brought up only with the greatest difficulty and expense. This also compels the use for building purposes of what is ordinarily sold for store wood, thus demoralising the fuel markets and causing great distress to the poor. It also affects the price and supply of fuel used for burning bricks; hence bricks are exorbitantly high with few buyers."
The following illustration will show that the whole system, inconsistent even with its own low standard, is riddled with illegality and fraud, calculated to fill the pockets of in- dividuals to the detriment of the revenues of the Empire.
**
THE CALL OF THE SHROFF.
Some correspondence has been proceeding in the N.-C. Daily News on this interesting sub- ject. One correspondent writes:--
There are five classes of people the business houses of Shanghai have to deal with, viz. :---
1.-Those who pay promptly. 2.-Those who do so after allowing the account to become, say, three or four months old, mora from sheer habit than anything else.
3.--Those who save their money in order to purchase land or shares, allowing their creditors, to wait till it is convenient to pay them, boing totally indifferent as to the loss of interest incurred, for although the amount may be paltry, they forget that it may be one of a thousand similar accounts, the aggregate being quite a large sum.
4. Those who put off the "ovil day" as long as possible.
5.-Those who do not intend to pay at all, unless pressure is brought to bear
upon them. Fortunately, the last class is a small one, but it exists, all the same. If people would only carry out the "golden rule," business would be infinitely easier; in many instance prices would be less, and there would be no need for the usual Provision for bad and doubtful debts."
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THE MANILA HOTEL PROJECT.
The promoters of the new hotel for Manila have issued a statement on the subject from which we extract the following :—
hotel and provide a working capital, will To purchase the site, erect and equip the require an investment of P.900,000. An agree- ment has been entered into with the Insular Government whereby the latter will purchase at par P.600,000.00 of the bonds of the Com- pany redeemable within twenty-two years and
the very
reasonablo bearing interest at rate of four per cent. per annum upon condition that the company place the remain. ing P.300,000.00 by the sale of its stock, and
upon the further condition that the Com- pany shall not pay dividends on its stock in excess of ten per cent per annum, until the bonds are redeemed. A sinking fund is provided for whereby the bonds will be steadily retired until, at the end of 22 years the stockholders, for their original investment of P.300,000.00 will own, free of encum- brance, a property worth P.900,000.00, without taking into account the increase in value of the real estate and the dividends that will have been distributed in the meantime.
The P.300,000.00 of stock has already been applied for and underwritten, but the Directors appreciate that this is a popular enterprise and have decided to offer to the public of Manila and the Philippine Islands until the fifteenth day of August, 1909, P.200,000.00 of the stock at par. The Government, as well as the Board of Directors, wishes that this stock be distributed as widely as possible among all classes of citzens, and for this reason all subscriptions, however small, will be welcome. The shares are for People who talk about the "exorbitant
P100.00 each and may be paid for in install- prices charged by the retail stores in Shangscription is accepted by the Company, and P.10.00 ments of P.20.00 per share, when the sub- hai, with consequent enormous profits should go into business for themselves; then they would soon have tales upon taels,
E4
JAPANESE VOLCANOES.
Under the regulations governing transit cargo, inspection should take place at each barrier, and if the goods are found to correspond with the description given in the transit pass, they should be at once released without any payment asked or given. But, in the busy season, when mach cargo is passing inwards and outwards, the strict enforcement of these regulations would entail congestion of traffic and consequent delay As a consequence a practice has grown up, whice is a source of revenue to the likin officers and a convenience to merchants, while at the same time it reduces the transit trade regula tions to a farce. When cargo is approaching & barrier, the person in charge of it goes ahead of it to the barrier, presents his passes for examination, and
pays an illegal fee called K
pass inspection fee, whereupon the officer in charge of the barrier stamps the passes, and when the goods arrive they are passed through without any inspection whatever. Many so-called detention cases arise ont of a refusal, on the part of persons who have gone ahead of their cargo to get their passes stamped, to pay the inspection fee," whereupon the likin station official falls back on the letter of the regulations and insists upon examination.
This is repre- sented to the Consul concerned as a detention, the Consul communicates with the Chinese authori- ties and is informed in due course that there was no detention beyond that necessary for the exam- ination of the goods as the regulations pres- cribe. To avoid the delay attendant on this routine, the system of paying a "pass inspection is of about the same length. fee" has become a regular custom, and as long as the normal rate of extortion is adhered to, no complaints are made.
Herr Immanuel Friedlaender recently deliver- ed a lecture in Yokohama on Japanese volcanoes, in the course of which he said that the total number of Japanese volcanoes could not be stated exactly, as it will always remain more or less a matter of arbitrary opinion which of the many mountains of volcanic material shall be reckoned as independent volcanoes and which not. The geological maps of Japan, however, give a good basis for calculation, and upon them Japanese geologists have marked 165 independent volcanoes. He arranged the vol- canoes of Japan in the following great zones :----
1. The Kurile zone, stretching from Kams- chatka along the Kurile Islands to Hokkaido.
2. A series of smaller zones which run parallel to the nothern axis of Japan.
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pass
There seems to be no remedy for these abuses but the abolition of likin altogether, Suggestions made in the past that transit cargo inwards should be put under hatches sealed by the customs and be allowed to go through to destination without being ex- amined so long as the seals are found to be intact, have remained barren of result. Apart from official opposition, the build of the boats is a difficulty. They have no hatches properly so- called, but are divided into compartments which are covered over with the narrow transverse boards forming the deck of the boat.
3. The Hakusan and Aso zone, running paralled to the South Japan axis.
dary between North and South Japan southward 4. The Fuji zone, which runs from the boun- to the Ladrone Islands.
5. The Kirishima zone, which extends from Kyushu on the west of the curve of the Loochoos nearly as far as Formosa.
The Japanese volcanic zones stand in the closest connection with the geological building ap of the country. For this reason, and also from their great size, they refute the view often expressed in recent years that volcanoes are merely local phenomena of subordinate import- The length of the Hawaiian volcanic chain is, roughly, 1,700 miles and the Fuji chain
ance,
TAXATION OF FOREIGNERS IN
KOREA.
The
The notification announcing the imposition of three kinds of taxes on foreign residents in Korea is reported to be in the course of transla. tion into different languages at the Residency. General and will shortly be published. departure has its precedent in Egypt and not only is its legality recognized by foreign Con- sals, but not a few foreign missionaries and others residing in the interior are stated to have offered to pay them. Under the circumstance, it is hoped that the matter will be very smoothly 'carried out-Seoul Press.
per month thereafter until fully paid. The subscriber for a single share will have all the privileges and the same consideration that will be accorded to the purchaser of a hundred.
The Board of Directors consists of Messrs. M. F. Loewenstein. Castle Bros.-Wolf and Sons; H. T. Fox, of Smith, Bell and Company, Francisco Ortigas, of Ortigas and Fischer, Walter E. Olsen, of W. E. Olsen and Company, Carlos de las Heras of the "Tabacalera, of the Germinal,
44
21
Mauro Prieto
Otto Ranfft, of Germann and Company, P. G. Eastwick, of the Interna- tional Banking Corporation and Edward B. Bruce, of Bruce and Lawrence. Mr. Loewenstein is President of the Company, and Mr. Eastwick its Treasurer.
TIENTSIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
There was a large attendance of members at the special meeting of the Tientsin Chamber of Commerce og June 18, to consider what further action should be taken with regard to the debased sycee circulating in Tientsin. Mr.. outhcott was in the chair, and some sixty members attended.
The Chairman made a long speech pointing cut the serious impasse that had been brought about by the circulation of debased sycee. He stated that it was essential that the debased sycee should be recalled, re-melted and replaced with sycee of the established fineness of 992, and that steps should be taken to maintain the standard of syces at the proper fineness.
A leading banker pointed out that at any moment the banks might be forced to say they could no longer finance the trade of the port, as the debased sycee had been demonetized by pro- clamation by the Haikuantao and by notifica- tions of the Commissioner of Customs, and nothing had taken its place.
In the discussion that ensued, it was decided to adjourn the meeting for two months, and if before that date no progress had been made to recall and remelt the debased sycee and no steps had been taken to control and maintain the sycee at the standard fineness of .992, the mem- bers of the Chamber would consider taking very serious steps [which were proposed and dis- cussed at the meeting] in order to secure the required control and maintenance being es- tablished.
Resolutions were adopted embodying the above, and protesting against the inaction of
the Chinese authorities.