CO129-322 - Acting Governor May - 1904 [1-5] — Page 757

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payment by the perpetual lessee who may deduct the whole amount paid

from what he owes to his tax lord. The tax lords resents this rule

very strongly, and I have received repeated representations from them

on the subject. The eldest of the Tangs of K'an Tin have drawn up at

my request a statement(marked A.) which I attach.

very fairly from the tax lord's point of view; they claim to be the

owners of the Land and to be treated as such by the Government.

It fucks

Muho the case

8. There would seen however to be very serious objections to

putting in the tax lord as owner of the land.

First of all he does not know the land and he will begin by

asking the Government to find it for him.

Secondly he is not the full owner and never really had full

have ownership. He would not at any time bed succeeded in turning out the

cultivator and of recent years it seems probably that his hold on the

cultivator has been gradually weakening.

Thirdly if we turn out the cultivator we have to face the question

who we are to put in his place.

The rent charge owner who receives something substantial? or

the tax payer who has only the most nominal interest in the land.

(see paragraph 7 at :A) °7

heder

The relations between tax lord and tenant seen then to have been

very cordial and there were many vexed questions as for instance the

size of the grain measure, the quality of the grain, the discount to

be taken off the nominal amount payable- such matters were certainly

causing

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