CO129-409 - Governor Sir May - 1914 [1-3] — Page 401

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H. B. L. Consulate-General,

Canton, December 6, 1913.

399

Having reference to ry despatch Confidential No. 4 of the 23rd. ultimo on the subject of the embargo on limestone, I have the honour to report that on November 2b I communicated in writing to Lung Tutu the contents of your teleram No. 24 of the previous day. The Tutu's reply on the 29th. November evaded reference to the grounds of objection, reiterated the statement that, so far as he had heard, the tax was not an official one and ended by stating that he had ordered the Seushui lagistrate to come to Canton to receive personal instruct- -ions for the better guidance of local opinion. Copies and translations of the correspondence are enclosed herewith.

In answer to an enquiry which I made by telephone on receipt of your telegram No. 25, as to whether orders Led yet been sent to the Sausmui Kagistrate to issue the quarrying licences applied for by the Green Island Company's contractors, the Civil Governor, waile admitting that he had received instructions from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to suspend the levy and allow export, reaffined his former contentions that the tax was unofficial, that it as simply a requisition by the pouple of the district against the expenses of local self-government and that the master res terefore not one in which the Provincial Government could properly interfere. But he would go so far as to do his best by advice to obtain a reduction of the tax. I repli- -ed and subsequently confirmed the message by letter, copy and trans- -lation of which is enclosed that you refused to recognise the introduction of such special local teration and that it was idle to say the tax was unconnected with Government when the Government representa- -tive at Saushui re fused to issue permits unless the tax were paid. I again requested him to instruct the agistrate to suspend the tax entirely.

Although the newspaper agitation against the re.oval of the embargo has died down since I asked the Tutu to suppress it, it

would

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