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the interference of the Central Government is yet to hand to the best of our knowledge. However, it is learned for certain that the new reduced rates for the specific through imports even over the Imperial Government Railways or the Chosen Railway have not yet taken effect for some reason.
A QUESTION OF FAIRPLAY.
Notwithstanding the rampancy of false interpretations put on this important question, even by some of the leading Tokyo journals, there is no denying the fact that on the chessboard of this game the S. M.R, Co. has played fairly and honourably throughout from the start, and that the Company has never been guilty of a false or even mediocre move. In a few words the Company has played the game with a masterly hand that has completely. baffled its antagonists at every move.
To cite one conspicuous instance, the Chosen Railway authorities, who are the prime movers of this proposition, having in ultimate view the booming of the import route via Chosen at the expense of the two other routes via Dairen and via Newchwang, their acceptance of the S.M.R. Co.'s proposition to extend the reduction of freights at a similar rate to import goods which pass into the interior of Manchuria via Dairen and also via Yingkou as ports of transhipment has frustrated their very object in view. For, what changes that are to ensue from the operation of the new reduced rates would only reduce the annual earnings of the S.M.R. Co. by a paltry sum of hot quite Y 150,000, but would do nothing whatever to place the import route via Chosen at an advantage over the two other import routes. The moment the Chosen Railway embraced the S.M.R. Co.'s proposition, their labours expended upon this fond scheme of theirs were utterly lost, and they have nobody but themselves to blame for this.
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Railway Board, the directors of the South Manchuria Railway Company have not only downed the project of the Government authorities, but have decided to resort to an aggressive attitude, with the object, no doubt, of ascertaining whether they or the Government are to dictate the business policy of the line. As a result, the Company has now informed those interested that, on and after May 11th, a special rebate will be allowed on the freight charges on all goods transported on the Dairen-Yinkou line. this announcement the Company states that it considers it is necessary prior to the In making enforcement of the new project, to inform the Governor-General of Kwantung leased territory, and that it will notify the authorities of the Railway Board when it is convenient. The Railway Board, on learning of the matter from another source, at once instituted inquiries, and found to its consternation that the report was only too true.
It is now stated that the higher officials of the Railway Board, who have long laboured under the delusion that the South Manchuria Railway Company is directly under their control, have received a severe shock, and are now deliberating as to steps to be taken in the future. These authorities state that if such a precedent is established the Government will experience considerable difficulty in enforcing its own policy on various other lines which are more or less under Government control. It will be extremely interesting to follow the progress of this Government attempt to oust foreign trade from territory which is regarded as within the sphere of Japanese influence.
THE "OPEN DOOR" IN MANCHURIA.
GOVERNMENT AND SOUTH MANCHURIAN RAILWAY AT VARIANCE.
As already reported, the authorities of the Railway Board some time ago attempted to persuade the South Manchuria Railway to agree to the adoption of a rebate system on all Japanese goods transported to Manchuria via the Antung-Mukden line. The object of this proposal was avowedly to exclude as far as possible the import of foreign goods into Manchuria, and to this end the Central authorities urged the South Manchuria Railway Co. to agree also not to allow any rebate on goods introduced to Manchuria by that Company's Dairen-Yinkou line, this being the line used by most of the foreigners who export goods to what is, at present at all events, Chinese territory. Unfortunately, at least for the Central authorities, the officials of the South Manchuria Railway Company apparently could not regard the matter in the same sentimental light, but as a business concern thought more of the business end of the affair, reports the Japan Herald. In spite of the insistence of the
Excerpt from the Manchuria Daily News, 19th June, 1914.
COMPARATIVE COST OF THROUGH TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN OSAKA AND MANCHURIA.
The through rate freights, the customs duties, etc., on Cotton Cloths to be imported to Manchuria north of Mukden from Osaka via Chosen and Antung and via Dairen, according to the existing tariffs on both routes, which will remain practically the same even on and after 1st July, show that the Dairen route costs 651 sen per bale more than the Chosen route, taking into account the reduced Customs duties at Antung and the rebate offered by both the Imperial Government Railways and the Chosen Railway to the members of the Japanese Cotton Exporters' Association.
Supposing that Japan should agree to include Cotton in the list of Japanese imports to China, for which the present Customs Tariff is to be raised to an effective 5 per cent, the difference of 64 sen per bale in the amounts of the import duties in favour of Antung would be raised by about 40 sen. Accordingly, the difference against the Pairen route in the cost of transportation will be something above Yeni per bale.
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