157
The villagers in the central part of the northern New Territories, accustomed to marketing at Sham Chun, were able to make do after 1899. They had the old satellite market of Shek Wu Hui (Sheung Shui) within British territory; as soon as the new frontier came into effect, Sheung Shui saw its business boom - it quickly replaced Sham Chun as the primary market for this area. At Sha Tau Kok the population within British territory accustomed to shop at Sha Tau Kok had no alternative but to continue to do so. Problems abounded. Village memories of the Customs are uniformly bad.
The Customs officials caused the goods of the merchants to be seized unless bribes were paid. They demanded a payment of 18 bushels of rice from each merchant. The villagers from the New Territories would come to the market to have their cloth dyed. Even if the amount of cloth was very small, 25 or £10 would be charged as a licence fee - if it was not paid, the goods would be seized and the villagers penalized. As for the merchants, if they sold a pig, or if a seed-pig was bought for rearing in the villages, when they went to the Customs they would have to pay $40 per tan as registration fee for the pig. At festivals, the village ladies would come to the market to buy oil or local sugar in small quantities. They would have to pay 50 or 60, or even 120 or 130 cash (#5 - #13) as fee before they could get an export licence. For cattle, for every cow crossing the frontier - in either direction for farm work, a Certificate had to be issued, at $20 Haikwan.
And, if the Certificate was lost, there was heavy punishment, and a replacement had to be taken out, to avoid confiscation of the cow. Further, at the harvest, if the crop was carried across the frontier, you had to pay what was demanded - it is said that a percentage of the crop was taken. The Customs swallowed money whatever purchases were made. These sorts of evil practices caused the villagers to hate the Customs to the very pit of their stomachs.
12
It is unlikely that the Customs were as corrupt as they are often portrayed by the villagers. The payments complained of were all reasonable, if it was accepted that the transactions were "imports" or "exports". The villagers could never see that their day-to-day marketing should be so regarded - they were only doing what their ancestors had always done.
The elders of the Shap Yeuk petitioned the District Magistrate on 19 April 1899, begging that the lease of the New Territories be not proceeded with. Their concern was, essentially, that if it did proceed, then they would be faced with “excessive taxation", especially Harbour Dues and Marine Fees, given that the waters off Sha Tau Kok would become Hong...
157
The villagers in the central part of the northern New Territories, accustomed to marketing at Sham Chun, were able to make do after 1989. They had the old satellite market of Shek Wu Hui (Sheung Shui) within British territory; as soon as the new frontier came into effect, Sheung Shui saw its business boom - it quickly replaced Sham Chun as the primary market for this area. At Sha Tau Kok the population within British territory accustomed to shop at Sha Tau Kok had no alternative but to continue to do so. Problems abounded. Village memories of the Customs are uniformly bad
The Customs officials] caused the goods of the merchants to be seized unless bribes were paid. They demanded a payment of 18 bushels of nice from each merchant The villagers from the New Territories would come to the market to have then cloth dyed Even if the amount of cloth was very small, 25 or £10 would be changed as a licence fee - if it was not paid, the goods would be seized and the villagers healer. As for the merchants, if they sold a pig, or if a seed-pig was bought for rearing in the villages, when they went to the Customs they would have to pay 240 per tan as registration fee for the pig. At festivals, the village ladies would come to the market to buy oil or local sugar in small quantities They would have to pay 50 or 60, or even 120 or 130 cash (#5 - #13] as fee before they could get an export licence. For cattle, for every cow crossing the frontier - in either direction for farm work, a Certificate had to be issued, at $20 Haikwan,
and, it the Certificate was lost, there was heavy punishment, and a replacement had to be taken out, to avoid confiscation of the cow "Further, at the harvest, if
the crop was carried across the fronter, you had to pay what was demanded - it is
said that a percentage of the crop was taken The Customs swallowed money whatever purchases were made. These sorts of evil practices caused the villagers
to hate the Customs to the very pit of their stomachs.
1
12
It is unlikely that the Customs were as corrupt as they are often portrayed by the villagers. The payments complamed of were all reasonable, if it was accepted that the transactions were "imports" or "exports". The villagers could never see that their day-to-day marketing should be so regarded - they were only doing what then ancestors had always done.
The elders of the Shap Yeuk petitioned the District Magistrate on 19 April 1899, begging that the lease of the New Terntories be not proceeded with Then concern was, essentially, that if it did proceed, then they would be faced with “excessive taxation", especially Harbour Dues and Marine Fees, given that the waters off Sha Tau Kok would become Hong
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