Directory_and_Chronicle_1916 — Page 882

788

SHANGHAI

gain. There has at all times existed a considerable amount of clandestine salt manu- facture on the northern shore of Hangchow Bay. Its existence is well known to the provincial authorities, who, however, have not the means nor the desire to provide an adequate coastguard to effectually repress it. The proprietors of these illegal salines are in touch with a widely-organised band of ruffians, who dominate the Pootung_country, and are a constant source of trouble to the police of the Foreign Settlements. Under the administration of the ex-Viceroy, Cheo Fu, and his then lieutenant, the Taotai Yuan, these bands of salt smugglers grew in numbers and audacity, and have so far advanced their organisation as to reach to the west of the Tai Hu. As in carrying the salt from the coast to the interior they must of necessity cross the river above or below the Foreign Settlements, nominally the stream is guarded by the River Police, mainly com- posed of a small body of foreigners under the orders of the Maritime Customs: they are, however, few in number for the distance to be guarded, and, moreover, by the express order of the high Chinese officials are not permitted to carry arms, while the smugglers are well armed and organised. Although it is no part of the business of the Municipal Police to undertake the thankless task of protecting the Chinese Revenue, they are occasionally called on to intervene when some outrage worse than usual takes place on the outskirts of the Settlements. Cases of this sort have of late become rather numerous, many cases of murder, of gouging out of eyes, and of mutilation having oc- curred in the immediate suburbs; and so complete is the terrorism that in few cases have the actual culprits been successfully traced, the country people not daring to give evidence. Under these circumstances, at the annual ratepayers' meeting in 1906, the Municipal Council were ordered to increase the force of Sikh Police to a thousand men. In a few cases where the perpetrators of these outrages have been arrested and brought before the Mixed Court, every possible means have been brought to bear to defeat the ends of justice by inadequate sentences, or by procuring that the accused should, under one pretext or other, be sent to the City Court for judgment; the almost invariable re- sult in the latter event being that in a month or so the prisoner has been permitted to escape to renew his depredations.

It was to these disturbers of the law that, in December 1905, as mentioned in a previous page, the provincial officials made their appeal at what they alleged to be attempts to interfere with the dignity of the Lord of the Soil. As a fact, of course, the Municipality had shown itself all through more regardful of the Imperial interests than the Provincial authorities. It is only necessary to refer to the pages of the Peking Gazette within the last few years to understand the dangerous state of disorder existing in the lower Province. Unfortunately, the headquarters of the Smuggling Association are in the im- mediate vicinity of the Foreign Settlements, and though the Municipality would prefer not being in any way forced into contact with any of the political parties of the State, with which it has no concern, the case becomes different when the lives and properties of the residents with which it is charged are endangered.

FINANCES

The Revenue for 1914 was the highest on record. The growth of the Settlement is shown by the rise during the past twenty-four years in the chief sources of Municipal Revenue, namely, Land Tax Tls. 54,645 to Tls. 678,067, Foreign House rate Tls. 44,477 to Tls. 563,241, Native House rate Tĺs. 104,740 to Tls. 773,631, Wharfage dues Tls. 64,322 to Tls. 189,362, and Licence fees Tls. 109,559 to Tls. 582,058.

CC

The Ordinary Revenue of the Anglo-American" Settlement for 1914 amounted to Tls. 2,934,381.58 and was derived from the following sources :--

Land Tax, six-tenths of 1 per cent. less 15 per cent. General Municipal Rates, Foreign Houses, 12 per cent....

Do. do. on houses beyond Settlement limits, C per cent. General Municipal Rates, Native Houses, 12 per cent....

Do.

do. on houses beyond Settlement limits, 6 per cent. Licences, principally vehicles, and opium shops Dues on Merchandise

•

Rent of Municipal Properties, Markets, etc. Contribution from Gas, Telephone, and Electric Companies

TIs. 678,066.67

546,548,25

16,693.00

769,879.22

3,751.43

582,057.95

189,361.98

73,382.63

74,640.45

Tls. 2,934,381.58