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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
June 17, 1899.
THE INLAND NAVIGATION RULES, | being made to carry these into effect except | ductions, the only drawback to them
when it is a case of applying restrictions to being that there will not be
(Daily Press, 15th Jane.) At the end of February last, Mr. BREMAN, then addressing the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce on the subject of the Inland Waters of Chino, said:—” Our newly ne- "quired rights are clearly defined in Re- gulations 1 and 2; and I feel confident "that H.M. Minister will see that any British subject is compensated for any oss he may suffer should the Chinese, "officials by any illegal act obstruct him "in the enjoyment of these rights." We are not aware what grounds Mr. BRENAN had for his statement, but we regret that he is not now in Canton, as an opportunity would be afforded him of testing his cou- fidence in the British Minister. We learn from reliable sources that the decision of the Customs Authorities to which we have 80 frequently referred-namely, that vessels running between two treaty ports cannot register for inland waters-is being enforced and that in the case of some British vessels running on the West River the permit or certificate issued to them by the Customs allowing them to trade on inland waters has been withdrawn; and, moreover, it would appear that scant grace has been accorded them to make the arrangements necessary to meet the changed order of things. It is stated that a mistake was made in ever issuing the certificates to these vessels and that they must be withdrawn
at once.
| foreign vessels. Clause 5 of the Supple-trade for them to apply to steamers or
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mentary Rules says:-" Cargo shipped on "Native boats to be towed by steamers is to "be on the same footing ns regards Duty payment as steamer cargoes," and we challenge the Customs at Canton to show us a single case in which steps are being taken to enforce this rule. Hundreds of native boat, towed by steam launches, radiate daily in all directions from that port, nud up to date not a single package of cargo carried in these native boats has had duty | levied on it in accordance with what would be charged if a foreign steamer attempted to carry those same goods. The Customs are perfectly well aware that the whole of this traffic should properly come under their administration, but the interest which the provincial authorities have in maintaining the present state of things has proved too strong for them. We have no objection to the susceptibilities of the provincial officials being considered as much as possible, but when they clash with foreign interests and the best interests of the Chinose themselves it is plainly the duty of the administration which prides itself on being the only honest one of the country to step in and insist on a fair field for evenyone. The Custo.ns have decided what is to be done in the case of foreign vessels and actel on their decision promptly. We claim as an act of justice that they shall be equally prompt in the case of native vessels. i
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and a better example of the force of this argument cannot be given than is afforded by the Tungting lake trade.
This lake is the main approach to the province of Hunan, and it might reasonably be expected that now the waters are open steamers will be able to ply from the great centre of Han- kow to the furthermost points of Hunan, but the opening of Yochow as a treaty port at the mouth of the lake will effectually bar anything of the sort. One steamer will be equired to run from Hankow to Yochow, another from Yochow into the Inke. Tran- shipment of all goods will have to be given at Yochow and on all Chinese goods the tax of a duty and a half will be levied for the distance separating Yochow from Han- kow, and that irrespective of what the lekin would be on such goods were they junk borne. It now remains to be scen whether the British Government will allow the restriction with regard to treaty port steamers to be enforced, in which case there will be no inland water navigation; or whether they will boldly face the problem which confronts them of reorganizing, under European control, the financial administra- tion of China.
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THE VICTORIA JUBILEE ROAD.
(Daily Press, 14th June.) The question of the Victoria Jubilee Road is once more under discussion, having been brought forward by a reference in the annual report of the Director of Public Works, who expresses disappointment that the work has not yet been commenced. Mr. GERSHOM STEWART, one of the chief pro- moters of the Road scheme, has replied in a letter which appeared in yesterday's issue, in which he lays the whole blame for the delay on the Public Works department. Mr. ORMSBY, however, has been, we infer, ready to proceed with work on the road, but not on the particular section which the Jubilee Committee stipulated should be first commenced. On the 26th April, 1897, the Committee passed resolution to the effect that of the Jubilee Fund one half should be disbursed towards the erection of the Hospital for Women and Children and the training of nurses, and “the other half "towards the construction of the first
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The first intimation that Shanghai got of It is a matter of regret that Sir CLAUDE the restrictions with which it was intended MACDONALD should have inserted such to hamper the opening of these waters was vague expressions as he did in the Regula- from our leader of the 26th January, but tions. He seems to have been under the we cannot suppose that the difficulty of impression that once he had made a few reconciling the Supplementary Regulations amendments the whole thing was finished issued by the Customs with the levy of and that all the shipowner and merchant duty and a half on domestic trade between had to do was to go ahead-the one to run treaty ports can have escaped the notice of his steamer, the other to ship his goods by it. Mr. BRENAN, for in his trade report for It does not seem to have struck him that Canton in 1897 he particularly calls at the insertion of such clauses as" In deal- tention to the injustice and absurdity of 'ing with the vessels of Foreign mer hants taxing native cargo 7 per cent. simply a procedure analogous to what the Treaty because it is steamer borne, and he theu “Tariff calls for is to be followed "--is worse aids, "the injury thus caused will become than useless, inasmuch as it means nothing, "more apparent when, as promised, all but, like the Yangtze non-alienation guar- "inland waters shall have been opened to antee, can be used against us but never for us. steam navigation." The promised open. The Treaty Tariff makes no provision for ing of waters has taken place, and vessels carrying goods between two inland what is the result? The only people who places, and it is just this traffic that the inland had the enterprise to attempt to take ad- water regulations should mainly deal with. vantage of it are now informed that their The fact is, Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD did
se tion of the carriage road from Ken- vessels are not eligible because they run not understand the large questions he was 'nedytown to Aberdeen, which the Gov- between two treaty ports. Their rights are raising when he first started the idea of 'ernment undertakes to commence forthwith: withdrawn at a moment's notice, their opening these waters. He was actuated by "and carry on the remaining portion of the traffic thoroughly disorganized, and a cor- a desire to safeguard what he thought were "road until completed." In October, 1898, responding financial loss inflicted on them; the interests of British merchants and their Mr. ORMSBY addresse in letter to the Press, and all this because they attempted to do goods, and thought to do it by the insertion officially, in which he suggested that this what-if the opening of waters has any of the words “Treaty Tariff" In the press resolution should be varied to the extent of meaning at all-any vessel has the right to and rush at Peking we can well understand allowing other sections if the road to be do, and that is, go anywhere where there that his main idea was to get the waters proceeded with first. For this course he, is water to float her. We by no means opened and leave the details to be settled gave cogent reasong. The amount available infer that any evasion of revenue should afterwards, and it seems a great pity he did for the road is about $92,000, and Mr. be allowed or must of necessity follow. Some not follow this idea out. Instead of wasting ORMSBY showed in his letter that with this payment in the way of taxes is necessary, but his time trying to decide whether a pro- sum he would be able to make four miles of let it be known and published what that pay-blematical offender on board a foreign roadway from Shaukiwan towards Stanley, ment is and let it be enforced on all vessels vessel should first be brought to the Com-or nearly to Tytamtuk, and two miles from alike. If the Customs would recognize that missioner and then to the Consul or to the Aberdeen towards Stanley to Deepwater fact and proceed to act on it, the whole of Consul direct, he might well have confined Bay, the latter two miles including the re- the mercantile community would cheerfully himself to a plain statement that the waters | clamation of the Aberdeen tidal flat of evil put up with any temporary restrictions thøy | are open and have left to those better and repute, the bugbear of Magazine Ganz
These six miles would provide a nearly level carriage road from Aberdeen to Deep- water Bhy golf links, doing away with the e path by steep circuitous existing vridle
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might seek to impose, but such, we contend, more fully acquainted with the subject the is not what they are doing. A Tariff task of drawing up rules for the government strictly administered to all alike is what we ot the traffic on them. Sir ROBERT HART's want, and instead of devoting their energies Supplementary Rules must has been in the to drawing up that they are employed in de- | nature of an eye-opener to Sir CLAUDE, | Little Hongkong, and at the other eu vising more regulations! The regulations These at least are logical, and for what they would provide a carriage road o
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aleking are in themselves sufficient for | wie intended to provide for-which is, trade gradients from Shaukiwao to Tytamtuk,
easy
practical purposes without the addition from an inland place to a treaty port | thus avoiding some of the steepest and worst of any others of local origin. No effort is 'or vice versa-are exceedingly able pro- parts of the existing path round the island.
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