CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 770

C.O.

34968

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]

TREET

(REC! 25 OCT 09

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[35884]

No. 1.

[September 27.]

SECTION 1.

(No. 316.) Sir,

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey-(Received September 27.)

Peking, September 4, 1909.

I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 215 of the 23rd July last instructing me to furnish a report regarding a complaint by the China Association of the levy of a tax, described as "loti shui," on a consignment of oil-tins forwarded by the Asiatic Petroleum Company in February last by rail to Nanking.

In reply, I have the honour to forward herewith copy of a despatch, with its enclosures, from His Majesty's consul-general at Shanghae, dated the 15th May last, reporting fully on this incident. It will be seen that as a result of energetic representations by Sir Pelham Warren the amount illegally levied in the instance complained of, together with a sum levied on a subsequent consignment also sent up by rail to Nanking under exemption certificate, was refunded to the company in March last.

I take this opportunity of adding that the system of exemption certificates is, so far as my information goes, working satisfactorily on the Shanghae-Nanking Railway.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

* Consul-General Sir P. Warren, No. 39, May 15, 1909.

[2427 dd-1]