SHANHAI
787
of salt smuggling, often encouraged secretly by over-greedy officials desirous of illegal 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 T'ai 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 became so numerous, many cases of murder, of gouging out of eyes, and of mutilation occurring in the immediate suburbs, that at the annual ratepayers' mecting in 1906, the Municipal Council were ordered to increase the force of Sikh Police to a thousand men.
FINANCES
The Revenue for 1915 was the highest on record. The growth of the Settlement is shown by the rise during the past twenty-five years in the chief sources of Municipal Revenue, namely, Land Tax Tls. 54,645 to Tls. 680,405, Forcign House rate Tls. 44,477 to Tls. 569,053, Native House rate Tĺs. 104,740 to Tls. 847,637, Wharfage dues Tls. 64,322 to Tls. 183,289, and Licence fees Tls. 109,559 to Tls. 598,292.
...Tls. 680,404.75
550,139.63
The Ordinary Revenue of the "Anglo-American" Settlement for 1915 amounted to Tls. 3,051,017.17 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, 6 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
...
...
C
...
...
18,913.09
843,520.49
...
...
4,116.46 598,292.16 183,288.82
90,766.95
81,574.82
Rent of Municipal Properties, Markets, etc. Contribution from Gas, Telephone, and Electric Undertakings, etc.
Tls. 3,051,017.17
..
“
The Ordinary Expenditure for the same year was Tls. 2,781,752.20, and was divided * mong the different departments as under :-
...
...
...
Police Force
Volunteers
...
...
...
Fire Brigade
...
...
...
***
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Tls. 849,370.70
47,342.22
66,771.18
...
...
...
...
...
203,267.55
Do.
Do.
Health Dept. including Hospitals
Public Works Dept. General
Creeks and River
Building.
...
Do.
Drainage
...
Do.
Roads
Do.
Lighting
...
Do.
...
...
...
...
...
...
•
...
...
...
...
...
Tls. 199,796.56
57,095.98 36,619.64
Cr. 3,162.88
286,343.46 88,352.84 43,134.23
Public Band
Parks, etc.
...
...
Education, including Library
Finance Department
•
...
...
...
...
Secretariat, Tls. 63,710.16, Tax Office Tls. 100,3:0.67
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
General, Tls. 106,388.36, Stock and Stores Tls. 100,311.61 Interest, Tls. 147,231.66, Redemption of Debentures, Tls. 155,700.00
708,179.83 50,893.11 112,904.64
69,350.51
164,040.83
206,699.97
302,931.66
Tls. 2,781,752.20-
Page 885Page 886
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