June 24, 1899. [
CONSUL HOSIE ON THE INLAND NAVIGATION RULES,
(Daily Press, 22nd June.)
in
:
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
native custom-houses and lekin stations, What is wanted, says Mr. HostE, if the exports of China are to be developed--and in this lies the development of the foreign buy-
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for the German territory pay no duty the Customs regulations are much the same as at a Chinese port. Customs officers board vessels on arrival, und the masters are to give in their manifests. Foreign goods and Chinese commodities, unaccompanied by duty-paid certificates, imported from Chin- ese ports are to pay tariff import duty on exportation from German into Chinese Ler- ritory; and Chinese goods imported from native ports, accompanied by duty paid certificates, must pay const trade duty on
ese goods arriving
interior pay tariff duty when exported. - Produce from the German territory of Kiaochau or goods manufactured therefrom are not liable to export duty.
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ment. What a satisfactory amendment | the regulations that have since been framed exportation to the romterior. On
means, however, is nothing less than the complete reformation of the Chinese Native
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The criticism to which the inland naviga-ing capacity of the people-is a reasonable tion rules have been from time to time sub- tariff on domestic trade. Great expectations jected in this column is fully justified by were entertained when the announcement Mr. HOSIE'S Consular report on the trade was made that the inland waters were to be of Wuchow 1898, and we hope that the thrown open to navigation by foreign energetic (onsul's able exposure of the vessels, and it was thought that at last we defective principles on which the rules are were about to witness at least the beginning frame may result in a satisfactory amend of the opening up of China. Unfortunately
for the control of the navigation render the concession nugatory. As Mr. HosiE says, To throw open to steam the inland waters "of China hampered by restrictions which 'practically keep them closed and without
ก drastic revision of the taxation on dom- In an article upon the subject the Ostasia "estic trade is absolutely worthless."The tische Lloyd says that no one competent to Consul gives a very apposite illustration of form an opinion upon the question can what the concession really amounts to.
It doubt that the admission of the Chinese is the same, he says, as through a Customs into Tsintau was the simplest and tradesman in an English town might sup- most equitable solution for the colony. ply Nos. 1 and 20 situated at the respective
"To the merchant it must be a convenience ends of a street by a van driven through to be able to pass his goods through the that street; if, however, he has customers Customs in Teintau itself. Both imports in the intervening houses he must trausfer "and exports will thus be dealt with his goods to another van at whichever end
"Tsintau" instead of at scattered stations of the street he pleases (he has that option)" on the frontier; there will be no Customs and after supplying Nos,. 2 and 19 from
cordon and only one manipulation will be that end and that van only he must return necessarv. It will also conduce to the the way he entered, aud on no account must
development of the harbour and town of he visit or piss the last house at the other "Tsintau to have all the Customs business end with his second vau. It is to be hoped transacted in the harbour instead of at that this exposure of the absurdity of thre "various frontier stations, which would regulation that river steamers plying be
expose the Chinese merchants" to squeez- tween two treaty ports may not land or shiping and delay the growth of the port. abrogation. cargo at intermediate plices may lead to its "Another consideration applying to the We would commend Mr. "future is that traffic by the railway will be HOSIE's report to the consideration of the
facilitated by the Customs business being Chamber of Commerce and the China Asso-
“transacted at Teintau." Our contemporary, ciation; it deals with politico-commercial after treating of the regulations in detail and questions of the highest importance, and indulging in prognostications of the future deals with them in a commou sense and ins
prosperity of Kinochau as a manufacturing tructive manner.
centre and commercial emporium, arrives at the conclusion that "the Customs is a very valuable acquisition for the colony. We note also that the N. C. Daily News, in recording the fact that the German authori- ties have come to an arrangement with the Foreign Chinese Customs to undertake the control of traile in the German territory, says:"And a very wise decision this is, as "the experience of the Foreign Customs will "be the guiu of the German Authorities in facilitating the trade of their recent con- " cession."
满着
THE CUSTOMS QUESTION AT KIAOCHAU AND HONGKONG..
-Customs and their control and administra- tion by an efficient foreign staff. How advant- ageous this would be both to trade and the revenue may be gathered from Mr. Hoste's report; the only interest on the other side is that of the hungry officials who live by squeezing. In the letter addressed to Lord CHARLES BERESFORD by the Hon. Dr. Họ Kat and HON. WE AYUK the writers deal very ably with the squeeze system as it exists in China. Speaking of official salaries, they mention, inter alia, that a Viceroy in the provinces gets as his yearly official salary about £100 and allow ances mounting to £900 or £1,200 mure, but he has to defray out of these jums all his yamen expenses, including stationery, etc., salaries and food to his secretaries, writers, and A.D.C., his body guards and general retinue, to entertain his innumerable guests, and send his auuual tributes to the various high officials in the capital, to say nothing of suppporting his high station and his numerous family and relations. As u a matter of fact, to meet all his expen- diture he would require no less than £10,000 or £15,000 per annum. Other instances having been given, the writers say:- "From these high magnates downwards, "the Chinese officials are underpaid in the same proportion, until we get to the "lowest grade, the petty mandarins, whose "official pay is scarcely better than that of "a well-paid Hongkong coolie, and, the "soldiers and sailors, who receive four to "ten shillings a mouth, subject oftentimes
(Daily Press, 20th Jane.) to various unjust deductions and squeezes
The Customs and Harbour Regulations for by their superiors.
With such a
the German territory of Kinochau, which system in vogue, how can China expect have just been issued, possess a special 'any reform? All the mandarins in power interest for Hongkong at the present "would naturally oppose any measure for moment, when our own relations with the "reform tending to take away
their Chinese Customs are under consideration. The illegitimate though, under the circum-policy adopted by our German friends is dia stances, quite necessary gains. How can metrically opposed to that advocated by the "she expect her officials to refuse bribery anti-Customs party in Hongkong, arrange "and blackmail when profe: red to them ments having been made by which a Custom
by friends or foes? How can she expect to house is to be established at Tsintau, the "have a true return of her revenue, and port of Kiaochau, where the duty upon recover the seven-tenths of it which goods destined for Chinese territory may be annually goes into the pockets of her paid. The Germans have had the ex- "officials?
How can she make a perience of Hongkong before them, and satisfactory settlement about her lekin they have apparently come to the conclusion "taxes in their various forms, such as that our policy has been wrong, as indeed "lotiahui, choli, etc., when a great ninjority the Hougkoug Chamber of Commerce itself of her officials look to these sources to eke has, for that body has recommended the estab- " out their income and supplement their lishment of bonded warehouses for opium
mengre salaries ?”
in order to put a stop to the smuggling How this corrupt system hampers trade of that article. The Germans have gone and prev
* expansion may be gathered further and consented to co-operate with from Mr. ste's report. For instance, a the Chinese in the collection of the just Fatshau merchant, in order to get the dues of the Chinese Government on all benefit of the transit pass system when send-dutiable articles, the trade thereupon to be ing a consignment of paper or prepared free from all further obstruction. The tobacco to the west of Kwangsi, finds it to Germans may be right or may be wrong, his interest to send his goods to Hongkong but their judgment has been arrived at and reimport them as foreign merchandise, To get his goods from Fatshan to Nanning by this roundabout route he pays two full tariff duties and a half as well as freight to Hongkong and back; and all this is cheaper than if he carried them past the
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after due consideration and with the ex- perience of Hongkong to guide them, and we may assume that while they desired to act equitably considerations of self-interest have not been lost sight of. With the exception that goods
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The interests of Hongkong and Kinochau are much the same, both being free ports on the coast of China, and if the Customs are such a good thing for Kinochau it would follow that they could not be a very bad thing for Hongkong, and, per contra, if they are bad for Hongkong they cannot be goorl for Kinochaú. Our
own view is that h middle course would be the more correct. We would not like to see the Chinese Cus- toms in control of the trade by foreigh vessels in Hongkong, but we have been able to understand why obstructions should be placed in the way of the Customis collecting the just dues of the Chinese Go- vernment on cargo carried by native oraft to Chinese ports since the collection" fins been placed in the hands of the Foreign Customs. Formerly, when the collection was in the hands of the Native Customs, the system was corrupt and an abomination, but since the advent of the Foreign Customs all abuses have ceased and the service is no honest as the Customs service of any other country. The question is not settled by the shifting of the froutier, for however far back the frontier be removed there will alw be Chinese territory the other side of it,
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