244
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
IMPORT TAX ON LIQUOR
"
18
as
no
[September 18, 1979. scheme forward is entirely outside Canada, | THE
to have in view? We fear the prospect of and the individuals interesting themselves
Chinese smuggling foreign liquors into the in it are partly English but largely capital-
(Daily Press, September 17.)
Colony from China ports was not sufficiently its from New York. It is this aspect of The Legislative Council yesterday passed considered before the Bill was introduced. the affair that may well afford a useful the second reading of the Bill entitle" An HIS EXCELLENCY stated that he had been lesson to China. Up to this all Cannda's Ordinance to provide for the collection of informed that already the Chinese com- great works have been engineered by Revenue of Excise upon Intoxicating munity consume as much, f not more, foreign Canada herself, but the present is quite Liquors.' That is to say, the Council-the liquor than the Europeans, and it is not outside, and it would be well for China Unofficial Members included-approved improbable that the restrictions now placed to notice how it has been received. When the principle of the Bill, which the Govern on opium may tend to an increase in the undervery similar condicions certain outside
ment during the past week has shorn of consumption of liquor by the Chinese. All syndicates offered to construct for China,
some of its objectionable features. A new this goes to show that the cost of making an without in any measure hampering her, and and more reasonable schedule of charges was
effective coll ction of this revenue is likely with full acknowledgement of her sover pressed upon the Government yesterday and to require not an insignificant Customs eign rights," railways, over which she was, accepted, the remaining clauses of the staff but one of considerable numbers. The too, to have the right of purchase, China, Bill being reserved for discussion to-day. Hon. Mr. MURRAY STEWART Confessed that it may be remembered, turned up her nose By "the principle of
the Bill »
he proposals in the Bill staggered him indi nantly. As a compliment, she was meant not only the imposition of duties when he first read them. They have willing to accept themoney uncond tionally, on all alcoholic liquors imported for staggered many other men in the community but she was not going to make any term, consumption into the Colony, but also the who had never dreamt that Hongkong her «
sovereign rights" were too precious establishment of a Customs service to secure would come to such a pass. The die, how- things to be bartered. Well, as we all effective collection of the revenue therefrom.ever, is cast, and the glorious freedom of know, she got the money, and the first thing The news that the Council has unanimously the port of Hongkong, we fear, is for ever that she did was to appoint directors, and accepted this principle, hus sane ioned this gone! Regarding as they do the imposition the directors called a family council, and startling and dangerous innovation, will, we
of an import duty as a necessary evil; appointed all their relations to the twelth
are sure, be widely read with the deepest appreciating as they do all the manifold degree to office, and when the money was regret. If this were a self-governing dangerous potentialities of the "minimum asked for to build the railway, it had mys- Colony, we are confident that the principle possible Customs service," the duty Dow terious'y disappeared, and no one was found f imposing taxes involving the innovation rests upon the members of the Council who could explain where it had gone. In of
amend the Bill a " Customs service, however smal, to so
to guard the end, true, the railway was opened in a would have been overwhelmingly de- against the evils so clearly indicated kind of way, but the sleepers were of Japanent d by the popular vote. While, in the speeches of the Hon. Mr. HEWETT soft wood, the rails were second-hand, having as we have said before, the community is
and the Hon. Mr. STEWART. The latter been rejected elsewhere two or three of pretty unanimou-ly agreed, if alcoholic expressed the opinion that the character
f the port need suffer contractor's engines hal been picked up quor is to be taxed for revenue purposes,
noticeable cheap," and were recommended as a grea hat the burden should be imposed on all change if it is administered in the spirit bargain, and as for the rolling stock, there liquor consumed in the Colony, and not of HIS EXCELLENCY's assurances, but the was just sufficient to marshall one train of merely on that comparatively small propor- unofficial members will need no reminder of passenger carr ag 8-and that of the poore t tion consume l in license premises, there is
the fact that Sir FREDERICK LUGARD may ́ and common st description. It is instruc- little public support for the view that not be with us for many year- more, and the tive to note al ngsi e this how very different The setting up of the machinery of
assurances HIS EXCELLENCY has given has been the rec pt ou given by Canada t Customs station is a necessary corrollary should, as far as possible, be made binding the similar proposition. In the first place The community have protested against the
on his successors by being expressed in the no question of Canada's sovereign right-
on two grounds: firstly, because. terms of the Ordinance. was raised, though the money largely is to this most upwelcome invasion of the come from New York-Canada's keenes!
freedom of the port, and secondly, because competitor: Canada being quite able to the duty to be imposed on spirituous take care of her own prerogatives; in the liquors is unnecessarily burdensome. In next place, no expression of contemptuous Committee, as we have said, a revise indignati n met the proposal; Canada and more acceptable scale of duties was accepted a business proposition in a accepted by the Government, but His business-like manner, and her only question EXCELLENCY does not admit that a tax was whether the project was worth con. imposed for revenue purposes is opposed to sideration from a financial point of view. free trade. When explaining the measure As yet the affair is but in the embryo stage in the Council last week HIS EXCELLENCY but it is evident that if once the doubtful declared t at no member of the Council was question of the feasibility of the navigation more jealously anxious to safeguard Hong- of Hudson's Bay were decided in the kong as a free port than he was himself. affirmative the new route would rapid y Veel or revenue is,of course, the original plen become a favourite, to the great advantage for most riffs, and the wedge, once inserted, of Canada, and it is easily seen that China is easily driven. What is objected to is not herself would share in the benefit. With the revenue demanded but the restrictive regard to China, no one, in fact, stands to measures on trade the collection of an lose by her foolish holding on to her import duty necessarily entails. There strange ideas of her so ereign rights being are few people who share IS EXCELLENCY'S in danger so much as China herself. The view that only a very small Customs staff cry has been got up for selfish motives will be necessary to prevent syst mate entirely by her old re-actionary party, who smuggling. So far as consignmen's for would gladly see the sate of affairs that Europ an firms are concerned, the Govern- brought on the great Taiping rebellion ment, in order to secure due observance of restored, in order that they might fall in for of the Ordinance, can, no doubt, confidently some fat office where they could pick and rely on the co-operation of the big firms in stal to their heart's content without any the Colony and on the heavy penalties t checking hand to restrain them. The tru
which offenders would render themselves -offender in teir eyes is not the foreigner - iable; but when we think of the thousands
with him they would be quite content to share the plunder-but a reforming Government that seeks to control the peculations of an unprincipled officialdom.
It is announced that negotiations for the fusion of the Russo-Chinese Bank and the Siberian Commercial Bank are practically com- plete. The two great concerns have hitherto operated in rivalry, and the arrangement will mean not only economies in working but a great extension of business, chiefly in China.
sure
"
of Chinese who come into the Colony daily from Canton and Macao, most of them with bags and baggage of some kind, when we realise that there will be a differenc of something like 30 or 40 per cent. in the price of whisky between Canton and Hongkong prices, even on the revised sale is not the smuggling of spirituous
these other places o liquors from the Chia coa-t lik ly to tax the visi ance of a very much larger preventive staff than that which the Government appears
7
RANDOM REFLECTIONS.
Our great poet has told us, and we liave accepted it, that in the Spring the young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love. Not so in the East. That inspiration or craze--does not should hear the sound of wedding bells not once seize him until the Autumn, and this month
nor twice, but many times. In calculating the monthly expenditure one has now to reckon on wedding presents. Good wishes must have a tangible accompaniment.
*
We are brought into touch with the aerial triumphs achieved at home by a European firm advertising in the East "Blériot aeroplanes for sale." The price is not one within the reach of all, but some sports may like to experi ment even at this stage with the machine about which the following limerick has been per- petrated:
There was a young fellow named Blériot, Who went on a journey so h'airy oh,
He nimbly flew over From Calais to Dover, And so he escaped Mal de Mary oh!
*
Now that aerial navigation has received such a tremendous impetas it might not be out of place to quote the rules for passengers in air- ships which have been drawn up by an ingenious German. They are:
1. Do not fear accidents; the airship is safe enough and cannot, like a train, run off the rails. 2. Keep calm; do not fidget or throw your arms and legs about in your excitement.
3. Do not smoke.
+
4. Do not light matches.
5. Do not make a nuisance of yourself by making commonplace remarks about the advance of modern science. Everybody knows it is advancing.
6. Be sensible about your equipment.
7. Do not take useless baggage; the necessary things are heavy enough.
8. Wear sensible garments. It is cold high up in the air.