July 30, 1896.1
soon reach the leading lines of trade. While differing from Mr. JAMIESON ir his appreciation of the extent of Continental
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tition with British imports in China, however, we must congratulate him on having produced a very interesting, sug gestive, and valuable report, which we would commend to the attention of all in any way concerned with the China trade,
THE OPENING OF NEW PORTS AND THE TRANSIT PASS TRADE.
When the opening of the West River takes place it is not improbable that after the first rush some disappointment may be felt, for new trade openings are generally rather overdone at first and it takes some little time before things settle down and develop ment assumes a normal course, In this connection we find some interesting remarks in the report of Mr TRATMAN, Acting Consul at Chungking, on the trade of that port for last year. "In 1892," Mr. TRAT- MAN says, "when the effect of the partial opening of the port was first felt, there was a rush of imports, with the result that "the market was overstocked, and in 1893, "with one exception, a decline in all goods
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is noticeable. * In 1894, with two or three exceptions, a further decline took place, "which is to be attributed to the serious "Aluctuations in exchange. In 1895 there "is a general and encouraging recovery. "Exchange has been steady, with a slight tendency to rise, and this has inspired importers with શ confidence which "shows itself in the returns. 1895 may be “taken as a normal year, and, if conditions "remain unchanged, may be safely used as a basis for future comparison." Else- where Mr. TRATMAN speaks of the result last year being extremely encouraging, and adds, "If it has been attained in face of the various disabilities under which Chungking at present labours, what may not be expected when the port becomes in "the true sense an open one?" He also expresses the hope that in the near future foreign representatives of the various firms will replace the present native agents and take free advantage of the privilege which the treaty offers them in the matter of tran- sit passes.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT,
existent, though efforts are now being made to compel the officials to comply with the provisions of the treaty.
extermination was so ruthlessly carried on that half the province was laid desolate, and vast districts full of ruined towns and It has recently been urged, "in quarters wasted fields still attest more than twenty "where riper knowledge might have been years later-the thoroughness with which the expected," that the transit pass is as much Imperial orders to kill and spare not were a snare and delusion in North China as it is carried out. These severities, however, down here in the South. The fact is, how may have the opposite effect to that which ever, that the revenue from transit dues they are intended to produce. Instead of last year was greater than it has ever been daunting the rebels they may render them before, with the exception of the years 1890 desperate, and they are said to be meditating and 1891, being no less than Tls., 521,000. the declaration of a holy war, in which event, It is not to be supposed that merchants it is alleged, the Mahommedans across the would pay dues to that extent, covering, Russian frontier have promised their aid. say, Tls. 20,000,000 worth of goods, if they If a Jehad be declared by the Central did not derive some advantage therefrom. Asian Mahommedans, it might prove diffi- In the South, however, the benefit of tran- cult for the CZAR to restrain their fire, and sit passes is denied, which makes the opening it might even be found necessary for Russia of new ports and trading stations of even to intervene, on behalf of the followers of greater importance than it is in the North, the Prophet in China. The Chinese Ma where, if the system does not work perfectly, hommedans can fight if they receive encour it nevertheless offers substantial advantages.agement, and they could be turned into It has not yet been introduced for districts useful allies by any Power having schemes beyond Chungking, but from Mr. TRATMAN's of aggression in China. It will be well remarks quoted above it will be seen that therefore for the Chinese Government to set that officer considers that when it is intro-to work to pacify the country, not by means duced trade will materially benefit thereby. of exterminating the discontented, but by redressing their grievances, by putting down brigandage where it really exists with a firm hand, and by abolishing unjust squeezes. If China is to exist much longer as an in- dependent Empire, the Central Government at Peking will have to exercise their capacity for administering, and not merely to show, by brutal wholesale massacres, that they have power to punish disloyalty. There is un- fortunately too great a similarity between the methods adopted by the Sick Man of Europe and the Sick Man of Eastern Asia in the suppression of revolts.
THE INSURRECTIONARY MOVE-
MENTS IN CHINÀ,
The Chinese Government seem likely to have some little trouble in quelling the re- bellions in Kiangsu and Kansuh unless they nct with vigour and promptitude. As we have on previous occasions pointed out, there is little chance of any insurrection in China proving successful or even formidable if the Imperial Government only take care to nip it in the bud. The insurgents are invariably badly provided with funds, have few arms, and possess no organisation. Imperfect, therefore, as the organisation of the Imperial troops undoubtedly is, inferior as the arms used often prove, and gross as the corruption in the military administration is known to be, they are immeasurably superior in arms and even discipline to the untrained mobs that are hurled against them. But there is such a thing-as British commanders amoug. others have found out ere now-as unduly despising the enemy. In Kiangsu the Taotai who has charge of the troops appears to be quite unable to meet the foe, and he is practically shut up with about two thousand The experience of Chungking, partial as troops in the town of Hsuchow. Meanwhile the opening has been, ought to stimulate the rebels are every day increasing their the Foreign Powers to press for the opening numbers and strengthening their position. of more ports and trading stations on The rebels have lately been joined by up every possible occasion.
In tracing the wards of three thousand local banditti, development of the trade it is neces- and if the prospect of plunder seems sary to take the Customs returns of good, this number will no doubt soon Ichang, as all the goods for Chungking are be largely augmented. It is also stated transhipped there into junks and are in that if the rebels can manage to keep the cluded in the first instance in the imports Imperial troops shut up in Hsuchow they at that port. In 1890, the year before the will march on Yang-chow. Meantime, nominal opening of Chungking, the import another rising is reported to have taken place of foreign goods at Ichang amounted to in Hupeh, where the granaries have been Tls: 3,437,136, and for the succeeding years looted and the insurgents have defeated the the figures are as follows:-1891, Tls. Imperialist troops. Unless the reinforce 3,702,240; 1892, Tls. 6,091,517; 1893, Tls.ments sent by the Viceroy CHANG CHIH- 3,914,265; 1894, Tls. 4,898,481, and 1895, Tls. 5,721,633. The trade last year was therefore 66 per cent. greater than the year before the opening of Chungking, and the increase must be ascribed mainly to the greater facilities and greater freedom from squeezes under the new arrangement. In the Kwangtung province the proportional increase in trade that would follow the opening of new ports would probably be very much greater than this, for before the opening of Chungking to foreign trade goods were conveyed from Ichang to that port under transit pass, whereas in the South the transit pass system is as yet practically non-
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PEKING'S FINANCIAL DEMANDS ON THE PROVINCES. The report, said to have emanated from Peking, to the effect that the Emperor KWANG SU is about to call upon the Cus toms Taotais, Viceroys, and Governors in each province to contribute five million taels towards paying off China's indebtedness to Russia is surely a fabrication. It is true that the poorer provinces such as Kweichow and Kansuh are to be excused from the payment, but the rest, it is intimated, will gladly find the necessary funds, by which means it is hoped to raise a hundred million taels, out of which the Russian loan might be liquidated. But, on the other hand, the provinces are not overburdened with cash, and if new revenue is to be raised of necessity it will not easily be realised by the mandarins. The Chinese Government will not increase their power or their prestige by such an act, and are very likely to fail altogether in exacting compliance with the demand, which it is said was made on the recommendation of the Board of Revenue. The provincial authorities are often incapable of paying the expected con- tribution to Peking and frequently send memorials begging to be excused some TUNG soon reach the scene of trouble there portion of the amount, occasionally plead- can be little doubt the area of the lasting inability to make any contribution_at named rebellion will quickly widen. all to the Imperial exchequer. As a rule, if the taxes and duties were honestly col- lected, there would be no great difficulty in any province, except two or three in the far south and north, in making up the re quired amount. But there is a vast and universal system of squeezing and su locust-like army of officials and hangers to every yamen that it is impossible to satisfy their clamour without too grievous acts of oppression. If this alleged demand for five millions of taels be insisted upon there will be a terrible turning on of the screw, which
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The necessity for severe measures seems, however, to been have recognised in the North-west, for the latest news from Kansuh is to the effect that General TUNG FU-HSIANG, in obedience to orders from Peking, has commenced a massacre of all the Mahomme- dans he meets. At Heining-fu he is said to have slaughtered three thousand men and sold their wives and female children into slavery. These were the tactics resorted to in the suppression of the great Mahomme- dan rebellion in Yunnan, where a war of
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