The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, September 25th, 1899.
* * *
INLAND WATERS STEAM NAVIGATION.
The following is a continuation of the correspondence on Inland Waters Steam Navigation forwarded to us by the Chamber of Commerce:--
THE CONSUL TO THE SHIPPING COMPANIES.
British Consulate, Canton, 6th May, 1899,
Gentlemen,-Referring to your letter of March 28th, forwarding a joint petition of British shipping firms to Her Majesty's Minister at Peking with reference to the working of the Inland Steam Navigation, I am directed to hand you the enclosed reply, and have to ask you to communicate it to the other British firms interested.-I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
R. W. MANSFIELD.
Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., Hongkong.
H.B.M. CHARGE D'AFFAIRS TO THE SHIPPING COMPANIES.
Peking, 27th April, 1899.
To Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., Messrs. Butterfield & Swire, Hongkong, Canton & Macao Steamboat Co.
Gentlemen,
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 28th March with reference to the provisions of the Regulations and Rules for the Steam Navigation of the Inland Waters of China.
The various questions raised by you are receiving my close attention and I will communicate with you further on the subject.-I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,
H. O. BAX IRONSIDE
Peking, 17th May, 1899.
Gentlemen,-In continuation of my letter to you of 27th April, I beg to inform you that I have been in communication with the Inspector-General of Maritime Customs with reference to the observations on the Rules and Regulations for Inland Steam Navigation in China made by you in your letter to this Legation of 28th March.
Sir Robert Hart was entrusted by the Chinese Government with the task of drawing up these Rules and Regulations and his views on the subject are therefore of considerable importance. He has written to me a reply dated 12th instant, copy of which I enclose for your information.
The system is, of course, upon its trial and is being carefully watched and reported upon by Her Majesty's Consuls in all parts of China. It should be given due time to afford a fair test of its merits. Your remarks as to the West River trade will be borne in mind in case revision prove to be necessary,-I am, gentlemen, Your obedient servant,
H. O. BAX-IRONSIDE.
To Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., Messrs. Butterfield & Swire, Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Co., Limited.
THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL TO H. B. M. CHARGE D'AFFAIRES,
Inspector-General of Customs Peking, 12th May, 1899.
Sir,
I have the honour to acknowledge your communication of the 27th April concerning Steam Navigation Inland.
2. When the Ministers of the Yamen originally decided to memorialize for authority to open the inland waters to steam the idea was simply to permit steamers to do what junks and boats do subject to the same inland charges, but when the privilege was extended to include foreign flag steamers some modifications were introduced in the rules first drafted. While the object of these modifications was to secure for the foreigners concerned the benefit of certain treaty stimulations therewith connected, their effect has been to create difficulty for the revenue generally, for, whereas the original plan was to apply inland local regulations in all their integrity to steamers as well as junks, and, by thus protecting the revenue, insure the support of the provincial officials, the introduction of the treaty element necessitates an exceptional procedure which interferes with former practice, makes taxation more difficult, tempts Chinese owners to buy foreign flags, and alarms and alienates both the inland authorities responsible for, and inland administration dependent on, inland revenue. The very sanctioning of the modification referred to created a necessity for strictness in interpreting the other parts of the inland steam privilege, and accordingly, in order both to protect and keep separate the Imperial Maritime and the Provincial Inland revenues, the opening of the inland waters to steam has had to be defined as forbidding licensed vessels to quit Chinese waters and as excluding vessels that trade between treaty ports.
3. What precedes will suffice without further detail to suggest explanations of, and reasons for, the restrictions foreign merchants now complain about, but in point of fact there is no differential treatment; whatever licensed Chinese steamers can do inland, foreign flag licensed steamers can do also, and whatever inter-port foreign steamers cannot do inland, inter-port Chinese steamers are likewise forbidden to do, but, just as Chinese waters and foreign waters are two different things, so interport trading and inland trading are also two different things, and, belonging to two different fiscal systems, the Imperial and the Provincial, must be differently treated. The hybrid character of the West River has of course its inconveniences; from one point of view it is a continuation of the sea and a highway leading to the two open ports of Samshui and Wuchowfoo while from another it is an inland water; to one set of eyes it is, notwithstanding its double character, one and the same thing, while to another it possesses, while one and the same thing, a double entity, the interport owner wonders why his interport steamer cannot do what he sees done by inland steamers passed here and there, while the responsible revenue officials require the two trades and the two vessels to be kept separate; while the apparent anomaly of two treatments existing side by side on the same stream is a puzzle to one party, there is the further fact that at its mouth are the foreign waters and the foreign colonies of Hongkong and Macao, and for the other party-the revenue officials-this fact opens up possibilities which render it all the more necessary to distinguish between the two trades and act accordingly. Treaties, conventions and rules being what they are on the one side, and the fiscal responsibilities being what they are on the other, the principle of the present treatment-distinction between inland and interport trades-seems both logical and necessary and any revision which ignores that distinction will be but a one-sided and therefore unpalatable remedy. It is not for a moment to be supposed that the inland steam navigation concession was intended to either abolish provincial taxation or kill native trade, and it is not unreasonable to ask for a recognition of provincial conditions and assent to provincial requirements. The expectations that heralded the opening of the West River were somewhat sanguine, but, even granted they could ever be realised, it is not the distinction between inland and interport trade that is either postponing or impeding that realisation. The concession was launched without sufficient consideration or preparation, and as it now is, it does not satisfy either side. The foreign trader fears that the restrictions which provincial officials call for will thwart development, and the provincial official fears that the development which the foreigner aims at will destroy revenue; but both one and the other are alarmed, and perhaps unnecessarily, before the event, and plead from fear rather than from facts. If steam navigation inland is to work quietly and be a benefit, it will ...
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The Daily Press.
HONGKONG, September 25th, 1899.
* *
INLAND WATERS STEAM NAVIGATION.
he following is a continuation of the cor. respondence on Inland Waters Steam Naviga- tion forwarded to us by the Chamber of Com. merce:--
THE CONSUL TO THE SHIPPING COMPANIES.
British Consulate, Canton, 6th May, 1899, Gentlemen,-Referring to your letter of March 28th, forwarding a joint petition of British shipping firms to Her Majesty's Minis ter at Poxing with reference to the working of the Inland Steam Navigation, I am directed to hand you toe enclosed reply, and have to ask you to communicate it to the other British firms interested.-I am, gentlemen, your obe. dient servant,
R. W. MANSFIELD. Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., Hongkong.
H.B.M. CHARGE D'AFFAIRS TO THE SHIPPING COMPANIES.
Peking, 27th April, 1899. To Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., Messr8. Butterfield & Swire, Hongkoug, Canton & Macao Steamboat Co.
Gentleman, I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 28th March with reference to the provisions of the Regulations and Rules for the Steam Navigation of the Tuland Waters of China.
The various questions raised by you are receiv ing my close attention and I will communicate with you further on the subject.-I am, gentle. wen, you obedient servant,
H. O. BAX IRONSIDE
Peking, 17th May, 1899. Gentlemen,-In continuation of my letter to you of 27th April, I beg to inform you that I bave been in communication with the Ins. pector General of Maritime Customs with reference to the observations on the Rules and Regulations for Inland Steam Navigation in Chins made by you in your letter to this Lega- tion of 28th March.
Sir Robert Hart was entrusted by the Chi. nese Government with the task of drawing up these Rules and Regulations and his views on the subject are therefore of oonsiderable im portance. He has written to me a reply dated 12th instant, copy of which I enclose for your information.
The system is, of course, upon its trial and is being carefully watobed and reported upon by Her Majesty's Consuls in all parts of China. It should be given due time to afford a fair test of its merits. Your remarks as to the West River trade will be borne in mind in case revision prove to be necessary,I am, gentle- men, Your obedient servant,
H. O. BAX-IRONSIDE.
To Mosera, Jardine, then 4 Co., Messre, Butterfold & Swife, Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Co., Limited.
THE INSPECTOR-GENERAL TO H. B. M.
CHARGE D'AFFAIRES,
Iuspector-General of Customs Peking, 12th May, 1899. Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge your communication of the 27th April concerning Steam Navigation Inland.
2. When the Ministers of the Yamen ori- ginally decided to memorialize for authority to open the inland waters to steam the idea was simply to permit steamers to do what junks and boats do subject to the same inland charges, but when the privilege was extended to include foreign flag steamers some modifications were introduced in the rules first drafted, While the object of these modifications was to secure for the foreigners concerned the benefit of certain | treaty stimulations therewith connected, their
effect
effect has been to create citiiculty for tile renume generally, for, whereas the original plan was to apply inland local regulations in all their in- tegrity to steamers as well as junks, and, by thus protecting the revenue, insure the support of the provincial officials, the introduction of the treaty element necessitates an exceptional procedure which interferes with former prag tice, makes taxation more difficult, tempfs Chinese owners to buy foreign flags, and alarms and alienates both the inland authorities res ponsible for, and inland administration depend- But on, inland revenue. The very sanctioning: of the modification referred to created a pecos- sity for striotness in interpreting the other parts of the inland steam privilege, and accord ingly, in order both to protect and keep separate the Imperial Maritime and the Provincial Inland revenues, the opening of the inland waters to steam has had to be defined as forbidding licensed vessels to quit Chinese waters and ar excluding vessels that trade between treaty ports.
3.What precedes will suffice without further detail to suggest explanations of, and reasons for, the restrictions foreign merchants now complain about, but in point of fact there is no differential treatment; whatever licensed Chinese steamers can do inland, foreign fag Koensed steamers can do also, and whatever inter- port foreign steamers cannot do inland, inter- port Chinese steamers are likewise forbidden to do, bat, just as Chinese waters and foreign waters are two different things, so interport trading and inland trading are also two differ- ent things, and, belonging to two different fiscal systems, the Imperial and the Provincial, must be differently treated. The hybrid character! of the West River has of course its inconveni- ences; from one point of view it is a continua tion of the sea aud a highway lending to the two open ports of Samshui and Wuchowfoo while from another it is an inland water; to one set of eyes it is, notwithstanding ita double character, one and the same thing, while to, another it possesses, while one and the same thing, a double entity, the interport owner wonders why his interport steamer cannot do what he sens done by inland steamers passed here and there, while the responsible revenue officials require the two trades and the two ressels to be kept separate; while the apparent anomaly of two treatments existing side by aide on the same stream is a puzzle to one party, there is the further fact that at its mouth are the foreign waters and the foreign colonies of Hongkong and Macao, and for the other party-the revenue officials-this fact! opens up possibilities which render it all the more necessary to distinguish between the two traites and set accordingly. Treaties, conventionn and rules boing what they are on the one side, and the fiscal responsibilities being what they are on the other, the principle of the present treat- ment-distinction between inland and interport trades-seems both logical and necessary and any revision which ignores that distinction will be but a one-sided and therefore uupalatable remedy. It is not for a moment to be supposed that the inland steam navigation concession was intended to either abolish provincial taxation or kill uative trade, and it is not unreasonable to ask for a recoguition of provincial conditions and assent to provincial requirements. The expectations that heralded the opening of the West River were somewhat sanguine, but, sven granted they could ever be realised, it is not the distinction between inland and interport trade that is either postponing or impeding that realisation. The concession was launched without, sufficient consideration or preparation, and as' it now is, it does not satisfy either side. The foreign trader fears that the restrictions which provincial officials call for will thwart develop. ment, and the provincial official fears that the development which the foreigner aims at will destroy revenue; but both one and the other are alarmed, and perhaps unnecessarily, before the event. and plead from fear rather than from facts. If steam navigation inland in to work quietly and be a benefit, it will
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