1926-10-09 — Page 5

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CANTON'S SURTAXES.

TO COME "INTO FORCE ON MONDAY.

OFFICIAL OUTLINE OF THE SCHEME.

PROBABLE YIELD OF $2,000,000 A YEAR.

Mr. Eugene Chen, the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in Canton, has now officially notifed the Consuls of the plans made by hir Govern- ment for collecting the surtaxes on imports and exports. The taxes are to come into force on Monday, October 11th or as near that date as possible. The boycott, according to official announcement, is to be terminated at noon to-morrow, October 10th. ・・・

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14

It is definitely pointed out that there is no intention to interfere with the Maritime Customs organisation and the surtaxes are described as "internal taxes, separate and distinct from the Customs. At the same time the co-operation of the Maritime Customs is requested in order to avoid "possible misunderstanding and friction" and the hope is expressed that a room in the Customs building may be placed at the disposal of the Government staff in order to facilitate the work of collecting the revenues. These points, will of course have to be submitted to Peking. It would appear impossible for the Commissioner of Customs in Canton to give co-operatior on such lines without express authority from the head of the Custom Service.

The revenue of the Chinese Maritime Customa at Canton last year was over three million Haikwan taels, a decreass of Hk. Taels 700,000 on the previous year. The Canton Clovernment's proposed surtaxes are roughly half of those of the Customs but they will be levied on goods inward and outward. If the taxes are maintained for a year, therefore, it is fair to assume that the yield will be over £2,000,000 for the Government.

The communiqué dealing with the scheme is as follows :—

The Acting Foreign Minister for For eign Affairs has addressed an identical Note to each of the local representatives of the foreign Powers whose nationals are in trading relation with the Liang- kwang Provinces. The Text of the Note is as follows:--

ห

I have the honour to communicate to you, the following translation of a man- date issued by my Government October 4th

ON

(1) The Ministry of Finance is hereby "instructed to levy a temporary internal

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9TH. 1926

THE OFFICIAL DECLARA TION STANDS.

BOYCOTT WILL END, AT NOON TO-MORROW.

ANNIVERSARY OF CHINESE

REPUBLIC

CELEBRATIONS IN HONGKONG.

(TOM OUR CHIMENE CORRISPONDENT. } To-day, to-morrow, and on Monday many organizations among the Chinese Community in Hongkong will be celeb- CABLE FROM MR. EUGENE, CHEN rating the 13th anniversary of the||

Chinese Republic, which this year comes. on a Sunday.

THE INTERVIEW PUBLISHED. IN

THE DAILY PRESS."

This evening, October 9th, a group of Chinese merchants under the auspices of the Chinese Y.M.C.A. will give a dinner Mr. Eugene Chen cabled to us yester on the roof garden of the Chinese, Na day as follows:

tional & Commercial Bank Building at I gave no interview to anyone who Des Voeux Road, alter which there will either represented himself or was known

As a correspondent of the be short talks on civic topica Daily Press, nor have 1 authorised the publication in the Hongkong Press of any interview with me. The interview, [ therefore, in your issue of October 6th is entirely unauthorised.

to me

1 may state, however, that the official declaration already made by me re garding the termination of the boycott on or before, October 10th stands, and that the boycott will end on October 10th at noon-EUGENE CHEN.

We are glad to have received this message, containing as it does the latest possible official intimation that the Gov. crnment programme for to-morrow is to be carried through in its entirety.

There have been a good many doubts use of a small staff to carry on the col- lection of the new taxes which facilitate and speculations upon the subject and work of both the Ministry and Cthere was fear in some quarters that at

toms' administration..

(3) The tax will come into operation commencing on October 11th, 1926, or as near that date as possible."

BOYCOTT TERMINA

TION.

"CANTON "GAZETTE'S "*

--ANNOUNCEMENT.

I

the last moment something would happen to prevent, or at any rate to delay the promised announcement at the public demonstration in Canton Mr. Eugene Chen's cable should set these doubts-at

rest.

The misunderstanding regarding the interview is easily explained. Our cor- The Canton Gazette, as far as one is respondent

not a professional

was

tax on the consumption or the produc-aware, has made no reference previously journalist, but a well-known merebant. tion of such articles as are the subject to the proposed termination of the boy-We should have been perfectly willing. Provinces and the other Provinces in cott. In its Thursday's issue, however, it of trade between the Liang Kwang China and foreign countries.

gives the subject prominence on its front page.

"Govern-

(2) The rate of taxation shall be equivaleat to half the usdal Maritime

Under the bold headlines "Termination or native Customs tariff, as the case may be, on general articles and to of the Strike on Sunday": full tarif on articles of luxury such ment will issue statement for as silk, silk stuff, toilet articles, furtion of the people," it says: and leather articles of decoration, gems and precious stones and similar goods. Cigars, cigarettes, imported wines, kerosene and gasolene, which are the subject of other special taxes, are exempt from this tax

(3) The Ministry of Finance for the purposes of convenience may collect such taxes at or near the various Mari time and Native Customs barriers, and is, instructed to make detailed Regula tions governing the collection of the said tax

1

(4) Any person selling or buying or otherwise dealing with articles on which the said tax has not been paid shall be liable to a term of imprison ment not exceeding three years and/or a fine equivalent to ten times the value of the articles or articles which shall

also be confiscated.

to have published the interview under his own name, but he did not wish his name mentioned. (British. merchants are pro- verbially shy and retiring.) Therefore we gave the report of the interview in informa-the usual way as from our correspondent. When speaking to Mr. Chen our cor. respondent did not introduce himself definitely as a representative of the Daily Press. That seems very natural because at the beginning of the interview he probably had no idea of reporting 'the conversation.

"On Sunday, October 10th, the General Strike which was started against British Imperialism and its Colony in consequence of the May 30th and June 23rd Massacres will be definitely called of

"Shipping communication with Hong kong will no longer be interfered with by the Strike pickets.

"The Government will issue a declara-

tian for the information of the people.

"The Ministry of Finance has been engaged in making the necessary arrange- ments for the collection of the special tax on imports and luxuries as well as the production tax. It is hoped that the special collectorate will be ready to func tion immediately after the termination cf the strike."

A CONTRAST

The Scholars of Ying Wa College (Bonham Road) will salute the flag, on Sunday morning, and the boy scouts will parade. The programme is wholly in the hands of the students themselves.

Other schools, the Sacred Heart College and the Y.M.C.A. Day School will hold patriotic meetings and give concerts in honour of the occasion."

On Sunday evening Chinese Christiana will meet in the auditorium of the Chinese F.M.CA. at Bridges Street to hold prayer for the Nation. The "Rev. Yang Tang Shang of the Church of Christ at Ladder Street and the Rev. Chang Maa Chia of the Chinese Baptist Church at Caine Road will conduct divine service. Dr. Chau Wai Cheng, Hon. Secretary, of the Chinese Medical Association of Hongkong will be the principal speaker. Sunday services in

all Chinese Churches will make special reference on the day.

PROPERTY SALĖ.

At the China Auction Rooms yesterday afternoon, Mr. E. V. L. R. de Sousa sold, by order of the second mortgagee, a leasehold property, situated at No. 11, Bonham Road.

square feet, and the annual Crown rental The property has an area of 2,138)

38 89.45.

+2

The upset price was $50,000, with, bids of 8500 acceptable. After the price had been advanced to 880,000, Mr. Chung Chun Ming became the purchaser.

The internal revenue of the Kuomin When, however, Mr. Eugene Chen gave tang in Canton will be still further sug- him information which was obviously of mented by the ruling that boats and sam- importance and which it was known would pans on Canton waters should be subject prove of the greatest interest to Hong to capital tax like property on land kong readers, our correspondent thought The Kuomintang Commissioner of Finance of us and asked whether he was at liberty in Canton will levy a tax on floating pro- to use what had been told to him. Mr.perty and, since some $15,000,000 worth Eugene Chen replied Certainly" and of vessels and other craft are to be found

In the next column to the announce added that it was with this idea that be in Canton waters, the Kuomintang, even

ment reproduced above is a long article dealing with a meeting of the four Cham- Lers of Commerce which it is proposed

(5) This Mandate shall come "into effect on the 11th October, 1926.

had spoken of the boycott termination "It seems desirable to emphasise the

There is, therefore, not the slightest fact that the new tax is, in principle, an internal tax to be distinguished from the to call to discuss the question of the suggestion of any breach of confidence. imposts levied as Customs duties under non-purchase of British goods and the Mr. Eugene Chen says the interview con-usaga of British bank notes" The the Chinese Maritime Customs system proposal regarding British bank notes is was unauthorised. That statement is, of There is, of course, no intention to inter- that the bolders of such notes should course, in these particular circumstances, exchange them for others within a period fere with the latter as at present ad- of three months. The meeting will be quite true. It was, in a technical sense, ministered, though possible misunder-aaked to pass a resolution recommending an unauthorised interview but it gave the standing and friction would be avoided the prohibition of British bank notes in facts of the situation, and, if we may say the home trade, after the lapse of the if Maritime Customs co-operation should three months' grace and it is suggested so, it gave them in an interesting and be available in the collection of the new that offenders of this rule shall be convincing way. As a former journalist tax by the fiscal authorities to be ap-treated as breaking our patriotic move we think Mr. Eugene Chen will have no pointed by my Government."

ment, and shall be punished by the vari ous classes of people for betraying their country.***

Customs Co-Operation.

That Maritime Customs co-operation is desired is indicated in a letter addressed to the Commissioner of "Customs by the Chinese Superintendent of Customs who

states:-

This, of course, is the development of the old idea of the severance of econ- omic relationship" and should not be treated seriously. The meeting is appar ently being called by a few malcontents without any organisation at their back.

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fault to find on that heading.

CANTON ITEMS.

STRIKE COMMITTEE WISHES "TO WIND UP ITS AFFAIRS.

at a rate of one per cent will be enriched by at least $150,000 easily.

The Canton Strike Committee has now expressed its desire to wind up its affairs within three months and is calling on the Kuomintang Ministry of Finance to appro priate to the Committee $50,000 immedi ately in order that the pickets now seat- tered all over the districts of Canton may, be called in not to strike while it is negotiating with The Kuomintang is urging the postman the Chinese Post Office in Canton relative to their demands for better pay and ser- ice conditions ending an answer from Peking, the Kuomintang in Canton is to grant another mouth's bonus to the post- men on condition that they refrain from going on strike. The amount of the bonus will be about $15,000 The Kuomintang is also asking the Chinese Post Office suthorities not to take any action against the postmen pending a final settlement of the case.

The employees of the pawn shops in Canton were go strike on October

Let Further, with referanumption and THE POSITION IN KONGMOON. VACATING PREMISES OF FRENCH 9th, the proprietors having failed to incet

production tax, I wish to reply to your specific questions as follows:

(1) A tax will be levied basing on the Customs tariff unless for any technical reason such would prove an Batisfactory in which case, an effective per cent. and 5 per cent. will be charged for general articles and luxuries respectively.

PROSPECTS OF TRADE KESUMP. TION WELCOMED.

The Hongkong Naval Authorities have received a message from Kongmoon, dated October 7th, saying:

MISSIONARIES.

[FROM OUR CHINESE CORRESPONDENT.];

The Conference of the Central Execa

completely the demands for an increase of pay w

The Chinese employees of the Hospital for the Insane at Fongtauen, Canton, an American institution, have threatened to go on strike, if their demands for better service - conditions and other privileges All pickets are expected to go to Cative Committee of the Kuomintang in are, not, conceded. The hospital authori ton on Friday, October 8th. (2) The Ministry of Finance wouldInformation concerning the probable Canton will probably have to be post ties cannot grant all the demands, one prefer, if possible, to borrow a room or arrival of Hongkong steamers has been poned for several reasons. For age thing of which is for the non-employment of patients in manual labour within the rooms in the Customs Building for the favourably received.

it is useless discussing whether the hospital compound. The physicians in Party headquarters shall be removed to charge any that some patients require Wachang until it is certain, that the Party some work for the benefit of their health. will be able to inchide Wuchang in its sphere of influence. The next few days should settle the point. So far war re.

THE YELLOW DRAGON."

ANOTHER ISSUE OF QUEEN'S

COLLEGE MAGAZINE.

announced, the order of Orange Nassau by Her Majeaty the Queen of the Netherlands for his long and faithful service with the Company and his great ports are not all sure that the Party will assistance during the strike and the stand in Central Chiar, A Shanghai dig period of depression, is also referred to patch suggests that General Tang Seng

in another contribution. Another refer

The pickets and strikers in Canton, who have been occupying the premises belonging to the Catholic Mission at Yat Tak Malod are moving out gradual ly, and it may not be long before the French missionaries are able to get their buildings back When the strike ago and Canton was full of unemployed, and boycott commenced some 16 "mouths

The September number of The Tellow Dragon, the Queen's College magazine, has now been issued, soon after the vacs tion. It is a very good number and con- tains among other interesting matters, an appreciation of the late Mr. Ho Fook in the South Sea Island.eu who is planning a "' come back "' to Han an Old Boy of the College. The honour Other articles include “ English Litern-

enco applies to the contribution by Mr. Chi, now commanding a corps affiliated the Strike Committee commandeered some Arthur Grimble, MA, FR.AL, new with the Kuomintang amy, will drop out of the French Histon properties for phew of Mr. George Grimble, President

of the QC.O.B.A to the Wide World on condition that General Sun Chuah Magazine of an article on "Witcheraft Fang of Nanking and Marshal Wa Pel Fu,

for another Old Boy, Mr. Chung Wan, ture: an Apprecitation Michael Kow, will assure him of a military sphere compradore of the Netherlands Trading Faralay"; and "The Birds of Hong. Hunan unmolested. Society, who was granted, as previously kong.”

(Continues on next Column.)

the housing of the returned strikers. jazd

Since Oetober S, Camion-Shekki traffic has been restored, and the Central Bank

in Canton, as a depository of the mintang, has heard from its agencies and correspondents in Shakki without further trouble. The attempt of anti- Reds" to start a revolt there has failed.

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