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Extract from the Manchuria Daily News of the 2nd May, 1914.
REDUCED RATES FOR SPECIFIC THROUGH
GOODS.
On Mukden-Antung Line.
We are definitely informed that the Chosen Railway Administration, with the support of Gov.-Gen. Viscount Teraucht, has been pulling wires" in obstructing the demand of the S.M.R. Co., to have the essential condition originally agreed upon fulfilled, viz., to have the reduced freight rates over the Mukden-Antung Line extended to the two other routes. The Imperial Government Railways authorities, inclusive of the Supervisor of the S.M.R. Co., were willing enough to be reasonable towards the S.M.R. Co., whose claims were strictly tenable, but they were compelled to act against their own judgment through the strong pressure of the Chosen Railway people. The Chosen authorities proposed impossible terms as a compromise, as transmitted by the Imperial Government Railways to the S.M.R. Co., and noticed in our issue of the 29th ult. These terms were that a reduction of the railway freights on through goods for direct transportation over the two import routes via Dairen and via Yingkou from Osaka and Kobe to Mukden, Tiehling, Changchun, &c., would be permitted to the extent of 20 per cent., but that in return therefor the railway tariffs for local operation should be raised by
10 per cent. Between the lines of this counter-proposition the true motive of the Chosen authorities is writ in letters of fire.
Firstly, as pointed out in our issue of the 30th ult. in the article under the heading "Japanese Cotton Exporters' Association," the rate of reduction for the Mukden-Antung Line is about 40 per cent., against which a reduction of only 20 per cent. is offered for the two other import routes via Dairen and via Yingkou. It must be remembered that, as far as the railway and ferry services between Osaka and Kobe and Antung are concerned, the Chosen Railway, conjointly with the Imperial Government Railways, allow to the members the Japanese Cotton Exporters' Association the further reduction of Yi per ton on the freights for Cotton Cloths and Yarn in addition to a rebate of Yrgo per ton in case of the aggregate annual consignments of the Association exceeding the minimum tonnage of 5,000 tons. The importers via the Chosen route would thus enjoy the dual advantage in the shape of the cheaper freight and rebate amounting to Y250 per ton over the Japanese and Chosen lines, and a gain of about 20 per cent. in the freights over the Mukden- Antung Line compared with the other two import routes from Dairen and Yingkou. With such handicaps encumbering the importers interested in the Dairen and Yingkou routes, how could they hope to compete with any chances of success with their rivals utilising the Chosen route, who, on top of all these, have in their favour the Customs duties at Antung by one third reduction ? It would be safe to say that the niggardly reduction of 20 per cent.
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would have no appreciable effect to prevent the diversion of goods to the Chosen route, The ports of Dairen and Yingkou would be divested of their legitimate portions of the import trade with Japan.
Secondly, the compromise scheme restricts the goods to through imports for direct transportation from Osaka and Kobe to Mukden, Tiebling and Changchun, whilst the list of the stations of destination in the agreement with the Japanese Cotton Exporters' Association includes, besides the above-mentioned three, the following seven stations on other than the Mukden-Antung Line :-
Kaiyuan, Ssupingkai, Kuochiatien; Kungchuling, Fanchiatun, Fushun and Liaoyang. As to the stations of despatch in Japan, in addition to Kobe and Osaka, named as the only ones for the Dairen and Yingkou routes, there are the following fourteen :--
Nagoya, Yokkaichi, Kuwana, Tsu, Akagi, Ichinomiya, Okayama, Tamashima, Kashiwabara, Handa, Hamamatsu, Shimbashi, Moji, and Hakata.
The deletion of Moji, the most important intermediate port of call, in particular, from the ports of despatch for the Dairen and Yingkou routes would make a serious difference.
These restrictions are not all that make against Dairen and Yingkou.
It being limited to through goods for direct transportation, both Dairen and Yingkou would serve to these goods as nothing more than ports of transit, which contingency would deprive the importers of both ports of so much business.
This would cost the prosperity of Dairen and Yingkou dearly.
It was for this very reason that the S.M.R. management stuck to its original contention that a reduction at a similar rate to the new rates for the Mukden-Antung Line should be allowed for import goods which pass into the interior of Manchuria via Dairen as a port of transhipment.
Thirdly, in consideration of the niggardly "concession," which in fact amounts to only partial fulfilment of the original engagement, a to per cent. rise of the railway tariffs for local operation was demanded.
This gave the "whole show" away. What rational connection could this proposition have with the main point at issue, except for heaping upon the head of the S.M.R. Co. management the execrations of the people of Dairen and Yingkou and all the other trade centres along the S.M.R. lines for its abject imbecility in submitting to so outrageous a dictate of the Imperial Government Railways as the above-mentioned terms are, and also for increasing the burden of the local clients of the S.M. Railway and blocking the growth of trade, as if the management had not already done enough to work the ruin of the Japanese settlers in South Manchuria other than interested in the import trade via the Chosen route?
When it is called to mind that all these preposterous conditions were advanced by the Chosen Railway authorities and the Imperial Government Railways were used as a mere scapegoat and mouthpiece, what are the uiterior objects of the Chosen Railway authorities will be plain as daylight. At the same time what dominant influence is wielded by the Chosen Railway over the Imperial Government Railways will be also apparent as well as the sad fall of the status of the S.M.R. Co.
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