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The second matter he touched on was the injurious
effect which the present great fall in the value of silver
was having upon Chine ge Customs revenue. So erioUE WAS
this that it was at the present moment under contemplation
whether the tariff - or at least the export tariff
should not be levied on a gold basis. There was a precedent
for thie, for during the fall of the ferman mark all
Cerman invoices had to be in gold dollars. I gathered from
him that the matter was by no means settled but that the idea
was very much on the tapis again as regard export at
least. I said that, whilst I could quite understand that
such a matter should be under discussion, it seemed to me
rather a serious measure to take. Trade was already more
or lees at a standstill (indeed, I understood that that was
one of the reasons why silver was so cheap), and if any
further obstacle were placed in its way (euch as the raising
of the tariff by the imposition of a gold standard) the
effect was bound to be pretty severe. And there we left 11
But it is interesting to note that when, later in the day,
I saw ir Frederick Whyte and we were discussing things
in general and I alluded to t is possibility which had
reached my ears, he told me
he told me that only two hours before he
had been in discussion on this very point with Dr Soong
and that it was a very real danger that it would be adopte
I did not pursue the matter any further, but it is just as
well to have it on record.
(sd.) Mile s Lampson.
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