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FINANCIAL REFORM IN CHINA,
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on very
October 7, 1899.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
recently his ruling with respect to the | staniped out of Hongkong. And by enni- Inland Navigation Rules, being based tary mensures something much more drastic (Daily Press, 3rd October.)
narrow considerations, has in- than mere limewashing and disinfection is KANG YI has been commonly referred to pedal at the outset a trade that meant. Linewashing and disinfection are as the Lord High Extortioner and his promised to add largely to the prosperity of very excellent measures in their way but mission has incurred the odium of a device the country and to the revenue. As the ad- it has been proved by painful experience #för "squeezing. ✨ 'That large part of the ministrator of the Customs Service Sir that alone they are insufficient to produce gmoney he raises will be lost by leakage ROBERT HART is all that could be desired any appreciable effect on plague. The before it reaches Peking and that of the and long may it be before he lays down the colony must make up its mind, therefore, to remaining balance much will be diverted reins. The task of reorganising the general go in for reconstruction, taking the work in from its legitimate use is a foregone con finnuces of the country, however, is one hand bit by bit-and the bigger the bits the clusion, for no source of public revenue in that calls for all the energy of a younger hetter. The Taipingshan resumption did China can escape the taint of corruption. man and which it would be unfair to ask not turn out satisfactorily from a financial Nevertheless, KANG's mission appears to be the Inspector-General personally to under-point of view it is true, and that perhaps the outcome of dire necessity, and to be take in his declining years. A practical nets as a deterrent to the undertaking of entitled to rather more respect than for working arrangement would perhaps be to similar operations in other parts of the col signers have hitherto been inclined to accord | enlarge Sir ROBERT Haur's office so as to ony, but the experience they gained ought to toit. Peking isin financial straits, addition in luce the general financial administration, enable the Government to avoid a repetition af revenue has become an absoluto necessity, but to give him the assistance. fan officer from of the mistakes made inconnection with that and whence can it be obtained but from the the Indien Finance Department secured † transaction and still to carry out sub-tantial provinces? Naturally the provinces do not for the purpose whose duty it should be to improvements. At best, however, the policy welcome the additional deníands nade upon supervise the finances of all the departments will entail substantial expenditure, but it is a them. The position, however, niny lend t other than the Customs. How great is the necessary expenditure and must be faced. good results. Sweet are the uses of adver need for reuganisation may be inferred from sity, and with financial difficulties pressing the fact that KANG YI in his scheme for rais upon the Peking Government, the varing money from the Kwangtung province has ious provincial Governments, and the guilds and individual merchants who are required to pay additional taxes, the ground may be prepared for a thoroughgoing financial reform. KANG Yr's proposal to substitute a shop tax for the lekin tax, on the ground that it would yield better re- sults at a less cost, is an encouraging sign, even though the scheme has been pro nounced impracticable.
What China stands principally in need of now with regard to her finances is a thoroughly competent foreign adviser with large powers. We know what Mr. Mc- LFAVY BROWN nccomplished in a very short time in Korea, and a similar improve ment has been experienced in Siam, where the revenue brought into account was a few years ago only about $10,000,000, wherens eince the services ofa foreign adviser were ob tained it has risen to about $17,000,000 and is continually increasing. Financial reform in China would be attended with equally satisfactory results and the bankruptcy now staring the country in the face would be averted. But, it may be asked, what better financial adviser could the Chinese Government have than Sir ROBERT HART? We are not unconscious of the valuable Services BIR ROBERT HART has rendered to the Chinese Government and to foreign trade as head of the Customs Service, and had he been given the post of financial adviser-general thirty-five years ago per- haps no better selection could have been made. During that long period, however, his attention has been devoted almost ex- clusively to his own department, and when he has been called upon to advise
on
matters not immediately connected with
the Customs Administracion he has
evinced a disposition to look at them through Chinese spectacles, due no
doubt to his intimate association with Chinese officialdom and. the influence of environment. Thus, many years ago when the question of opening up China by the establishment of railways and so forth was being debated, Sir ROBERT was all in favour of allowing the country to develop in its own way and at its own time and avoiding the use of pressure. That was the view then adopted and acted upon and the result we see before us to-day. Then again, when the question of saving the China teu trade by relieving it of the burden of taxation which has crushed it almost out of existence was discussed, Sir ROBERT HART was found opposed to any measure that night show ant immediate loss of revenue. More
called upon a number of Magistrates to con- tribute annually Tls. 20,000 each to the Imperial exchequer. The money is to come from the officials' squeezes.
HOW TO IMPROVE THE SANITARY CONDITION OF HONG KONG,
(Daily Press, 30th September.)
the
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Meantime the Insanitary Properties Bill, which was read a first time in the Legisla tive Council in November last, still hangs fire. At the meeting of the Sanitary Board Mr. MAY wanted to know how this was and said there was at work some influence with which we are *
upacquainted," The influ ence at work is simply official dilatoriness and procrastination. There has been no memorial against the Bill, vo organised op position to it of any kind, and whatever our opinion may be of the discretion aptitude of the Government. no be entertained that it suspicion can would yield to any secret or improper influ- ences. The Government, and the Govern-
or
There was some plain speaking at the meeting of the Sanitary Board on Thursday na to the delay in passing the Insanitary Properties Bill, the necessity for an in- creased sanitary staff, and on the general question of the improvement of the sanitary ment alone, is to blame for the delay. condition of the town. As to the nieans of And not only is the Government guilty of effectively protecting the colony from suc
delay, but it is, as we think has been cessive epidemics of plague the Hon. F. H. remarked elsewhere, the greatest lawbreaker MAY hit the nail on the head when he sug-in the colony. One of the most important provisions of the Public Health Act is ser- ge-ted reconstruction of insanitary areas. After reminding the Board that
tion 4, which fixes the constitution of the disease disappeared from
amongst the Sanitary Board, including the election of denizens of Taipingshan when they were
two members by the ratepayere. The Gov- removed en bloc from their insanitary sur-
ernment is guilty of a continuing offence roundings and placed in teinporary dwellings against this section in not directing an where they had the advantage of sun and election in accordance with the provisions air, the hon. gentleman went on to say:--
therein centained, and while the Go- vernment itself thus treats the law It is no use groping about for panaceas with contempt what wonder if private "of any other kind. If you had twenty "Medical Officers of Health and a hundred individuals follow its exumple? The Sanitary Inspectors, and if you had dis- plague has apparently left us for this "infectants enough to drown the whole city, year, and, notwithstanding the pessiniis. Lic opinions of the doctors, hope is you would never stamp the thing out. The only way this
not altogether absent that its visit may be Can plished is to sit down and bit
not be repeated. But while hoping for the "by bit improve the city until you get it best we must be prepare for the worst. "into such a state that plague or any other If the Government would take the sanitary "infectious disease cannot obtain a firm improvement of the colony earnestly in "hold upon us.
In my opinion it will take mud it would have the fuil support of the One of the most important community. twenty-five years of hard work to do this.” This is the policy adopted in India. The Bengal Government has recently appro- printed a sum of five crores of rupees for the improvement of the city of Calcutta,
CA
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acconi-
stere is to bring to bear upon sanitary pro- bleius as they arise representative public opinion, and to obtain this we would urge upon H.E. the Governor the desirability of at once restoring to the Sanitary Board its legal constitution,
LANDLORDS AND SANITA JỌN.
.res-
and similar action is being taken at Bom- bay. In London and other cities and towns of Great Britain large sums are from time to time expended in buying up property for the purpose of making new
`(Daily Press, 3rd October.) roads and streets, or widening old ones,
Whenever the discussion of the sanitary the reason in some cases being the accom question reaches an acute stage a plentiful modation of an increasing infic, but in stock of abuse is poured out upon the many others it is to open up congested areas andlords, who are represented as and admit light and air amongst the overpostule for the overcrowding evil, The crowded dwellings. long kong must be pre- landlords have broad backs and can bent pared to undertake similar improvements the animadversions passed upon
them. The cost will be considerable, but it is a As a class they possess no particular thing that must be done. As mentioned by claim to public sympathy, but neither Dr. CLARK, typhus has been banished from should they be regarded as especially England by sanitary measures, and it is by reprobate. Like other investors, their ob- sanitary measures that plague must be ject is to get the best return, they can
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