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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Governmen
CHINA RAILWAYS.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[10912]
No. 1.
C.O.
[April 614492
SECTION 2
HECP
Ace 24 APR 07)
(No. 83.) Sir,
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey,-(Received April 6.)|
Peking, February 16, 1907. I INCLOSE, for your information, a translation of an interesting placard which has been published in Szechuan and elsewhere, violently abusing the official mismanage- ment of the Szechuan-Hankow Railway enterprise. The authors of the placard are Szechuan students in Japan, and appear to be the same as those responsible for the "Appeal" inclosed in Sir Ernest Satow's despatch No. 122 of the 13th April, 1905, which was published at the beginning of the agitation against the employment of foreign capital in Szechuan railways.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
J. N. JORDAN.
(Translation.)
Inclosure in No. 1.
Placard drawn up by Students from Szechuan in Japan,
THE necessity of constructing railways in China by the Chinese themselves is now a matter recognized by all. It is unnecessary to prove the advantages of railroads, either for the general interests of military defence of the country, its commercial development and international relations, or for the private interests of those concerned. A share bought at 10 dollars may increase in value to 100 dollars, and still produce thereon 15 per cent, interest: such, at least, is the result all over the world.
But the Szechuan Railway is an exception. The Company established to build it has so far been of benefit only to the dogs and wolves (ie., the Mandarins), to the horses and oxen (i.c., the leading gentry). The people have obtained from it nothing but misery and suffering. For in truth it is the intention of these officials and gentry- real beasts of prey-to batten on the flesh and blood of the 70,000,000 of Szechuan. The wretched people are compelled, in order to provide funds for the accursed Company, to deprive themselves of food and clothes-to sell their wives and children. It must be confessed that the majority of these poor people are fools, who bare their throats to the knife, and have not yet found the means to escape the sacrifice.
The people are one great family, and if, in a family, a son perceives impending danger, it is for him swiftly to warn his father, so that the means of escape may be found. Thus do I. All my thoughts I now set before you; I propose to you a way of evading great calamities. Therefore listen, for the welfare of our province and our country.
1. The Tax on Property,-Szechuan is essentially an agricultural province; its trade is of secondary importance. But at present the farmers are overburdened with taxes; each year they have to pay the "tsin-tieh" and "kuan-chou"; and such are the exactions of the officials that the moment is not far distant when, the farmer being no longer able to sow, the fields will cease to yield crops. No longer have we any more the great landed proprietors, whose yearly revenue was more than 2,000 piculs of grain; the men of average means (200 to 300 piculs) have mortgaged their fields. No longer do they reap, but still do they have to pay the taxes. As to the small farmers, men whose yearly harvest varies from 10 to 20 piculs, they have not only to feed themselves and their families (averaging eight persons), but to satisfy the rapacity of the Mandarins.
And now the Railway Company intends to levy a further tax of 3 bushels on every 10 piculs, to be levied on the returns in the official registers. Under such conditions how can those whose fields are already mortgaged and the small farmers possibly find means to feed themselves ?
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