Translation.
99
(Extract from Tai Kwong Po, Hong Kong 7th March, 1927.)
Inquiry into the measures to be taken towards the
resumption of the Canton Maritime Customs.
Since New Year's day this year by the Lunar Calendar,
our Red National Flag has been hoisted at the Examination Shed
of the Canton Customs on the West Bund, the Office of the
Commissioner of Customs at Chau Tau Tsui, Honam, and the Native
Customs at Ng Sin Moon. The Commissioner of Customs, Mr. Berlin (?), has been urged by Sir F. Aglen, the Inspector- General of Customs in Peking, to recognise the Canton Government and to obey its instructions as to the allotment of the Customs revenues. Before the resumption of the Customs by the Government,
all receipts and expenses will be temporarily managed by the Commissioner and no unreasonable payment shall be made, nor shall any sum be expended in excess of the estimates provided last year, nor shall any expenses be added theirin retrospective- ly.
According to a telegram from Hankow, the three ministers, Sun (Fo), the Minister of Communications, Eugene Chen the Foreign Minister, and T.V. Soong the Minister of Finance, have organised a Commission of inquiry into the measures to be taken towards the resumption of the Customs. Chan Ki Woon, Ng Sheung Ying and Sze Chung Ok, who are all conversant with the work of the Customs, have been appointed to the Commission to report on what course of action should be followed in the resumption and how it is to be carried out. The terms of reference are:-
(1) To ascertain the total annual revenue from the Customs and
verify the accounts by audit.
(2) To draw up a schedule of increases and decreases in the
salaries of the officials in the Customs.