The-Hong-Kong-Weekly-Press-1901-03-23 — Page 3

March 23, 1901:]

CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.

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THE SANITARY BOARD AND

SMALL-POX.

THE COMING LEKIN QUESTION. | continued: To us it seems very doubtful that the Elliott and Blonde Islands belonged that the money derived from increased to Russia and yet concealed the fact care- (Daily Press, 22nd March.)

customs charges, once transmitted to the fully for three years. It still seems prob- Among the many important questions its way back to the different provincial bluff" which it was at first thought to Imperial Government coffers, would find able that this claim is merely the piece of which will arise when the Chinese Imperial Court has returned from Hsianfu to Peking

governments, and these, being deprived of be. The Government of the Tsar has not and a guarantee has thus been given of the

'one of their main revenues, would seem to yet communicated with London in the mat- stability of the agreement between the

"be compelled to levy blackmail upon na-ter, so that we cannot as yet tell whether Powers and China, none will more intimately The difficulty here raised is by no means assigned to her by the St. Petersburg papers. “tives and foreigners from dire necessity." | Russia will officially maintain the position concern the future welfare of the Chinese to be disregarded, but with a reformed Go- Whether she does or does not, it is full time Empire than that of tariff revision. Before

vernment at the head of affairs in China that an exact definition of the extent of her the Boxer outbreak last spring overthrew all the prospect of the provinces being fairly rights in China should be arrived at once the calculations of the diplomatists, it was treated in the distribution of revenue is far and for all. beginning to look as if tariff revision were better. likely to be the next subject to come under

It should be aranged beforehand, consideration of the British representative which we have quoted, that the revenue as Mr. WHITEHEAD said in the speech from in China. Rumours were assiduously cir- from the revised tariff shall be divided pro- culated in Shangbai and elsewhere that Sir portionately between the Central and the CLAUDE MACDONALD had actually agreed Provincial Governments, and the new treaty to a raising of the existing Customs tariff. A should contain a stipulation that the in- promise, however, was given that no change creased tariff shall be collected and ad- of tariff was likely to take place without pre-ministered by the Imperial Maritime vious consultation with the parties most interested, more especially the Chambers of Commerce of Hongkong and Shanghai. The troubles of last year drove all such questions into the background, but now that peace prospects are growing though but slowly) brighter the matter of duties on imports into China must soon regain its previous urgency. In this question of tariff revision the fate of the lekin duties holds a large place. On the 12th day of last month the Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD read a paper before the Royal Colonial Institute

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Customs. "This department," Mr. WHITE- HEAD justly says, "has rendered the most "invaluable service to the Central Govern- ment and to foreign trade ever since it was established in 1859. The fact of the new increased tariff being collected by "the Imperial Maritime Customs would be a sufficient guarantee that the money would be honestly collected.

In the staff of the Maritime Customs there is the "nucleus of the very best material for the "ultimate formation of a Civil Service for the Chinese Empire. From an increased "volume of trade ou which would be charged the revised and increased tariff, “China and the Chinese people would derive

immense benefit."

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THE ELLIOTT AND BLONDE

INCIDENT.

(Daily Press, 19th March.) The special meeting of the Sanitary Board yesterday was convened for a very impor tant object, to consider what steps should. be taken in view of the rapid increase of small-pox cases in the Colony, and there can be no doubt that the three resolutions carried on the proposal of Dr. CLARK are The main diffi- dictated by commonsense. culty of coping with such a disease in a large mixed population like that of Hong- kong lies in the objection of te native section to submit to protective inoculation, though it be offered to them free of charge, and only involves the trouble of walking to The Expansion of Trade with China," and

the hospital where the vaccination is per- in the course of his remarks he naturally

formed. The Sanitary Board has recom. had something to say about the lekin ques-

mended the Government not only to an tion. With his words all British merchants

nounce free vaccination at the Tung Wa, Alice Memorial and Nethersole and Govern. in China, we imagine, must heartily agree, for

ment Civil Hospitals, but also, as has he brought forward once more the arguments which have long been familiar with those

been done before, to issue through the who have studied the tariff question out

Registrar General posters and handbills calling the attention of the Chinese to the here, though they have failed so far to induce the official iniud to grapple with the

necessity of undergoing vaccination and to (Daily Press, 20th March.) difficulties of the problem requiring solution.

establish a system of house to house visita- Mr. BALFOUR has informed the House of tion by competent vaccinators, who are to For no one can deny that the problem, how Commons that H.M.S. Plover in searching offer to perform the operation wherever they to get rid of the lekin, is a very difficult one. for Chinese pirates in the Gulf of Pechili, call. This seems to us to be an excellent Mr. WHITEHEAD himself says:-"The which brought about a collision between idea, though the house to house visitation speedy abolition of inland taxes and levies the British and Russian naval authorities, must necessarily be a lengthy process unless on trade would be a difficult step to effect was acting in accordance with Article 52 of a very large staff can be employed. It re "in isolated parts of China. It might be the Tientsin Treaty of 1858. This article moves at least the excuse of loss of time "practicable in and near to the Treaty is as follows :--" British ships of war com- on the part of the would-be patients Ports, but in other parts of the country ing for no hostile purpose, or being en- through having to call at the hos- the merchant and the trader relieved of

gaged in the pursuit of pirates, shall be at pitals, and the saving of trouble will paying lekin would, according to previous liberty to visit all ports within the domi- no doubt induce many to undergo vac- experience in the matter of Transit passes,' nions of the Emperor of China, and shall eination who would be prevented by mere be boycotted and thus be unable to sell receive every facility for the purchase of laziness from offering themselves as sub- "his goods." The change therefore must provisions, procuring water, and, if occa-jects. It cannot, we fear, lead to a general be gradually brought about-the opposition of the Chinese will insure this-but there

s.on require, for the making of repairs. The commanders of such ships shall hold must be no doubt that it will come to pass. intercourse with the Chinese authorities The present time, as Mr. WHITEHEAD says; on teruis of equality and courtesy." The "is most opportune for insisting upon the question at issue resolves itself therefore in gradual abolition of lekin and inland taxa the establishment by the Russian Govern- “tion on trade, as well as upon the actualment of the claim that these islands were "opening up of the inland waterways of "China to steam navigation on equal terms "to all nations."

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included in the interpretation of the clauses of the Port Arthur and Talienwan Agree ment of 1898, which refers to the extent of Russia's "lease"

vaccination, but it can vastly increase the number vaccinated, which seems to be the best step which can be taken at the pre- sent stage. As a matter of fact, the volun- tary appearance before our local doctors of those wishing to undergo the operation have been very numerous indeed since it became known that small-pox was among us; but the Chinese population, of course, has hardly been touched as yet by the p The backbone of the opposition to the

pre- from China. The No-ventive measures. The Chinese death-rate abolition of lekin is of course the provincial voye Vremya claims that the two groups has been 13 in 20, as compared with the officials. Writing on this question last May have been administered by Russia since the European 2 in 9, and the proportion would Ostasiatische Lloyd said :--“ One of the conclusion of the Agreement. If this is so, be still higher if the disease were to assume main objections and it seems a genuine the question arises, how is it that it has epidemic form. With regard to the stock "Chinese objection-is the fact that the abo- escaped the notice of British officers in of vaccine, the Sanitary Board's recom- lition of the lekin would make many thou- North Chinese waters. If the St. Peters- mendation that Saigon should be imme- "sands of people paupers who now find ein- burg Government can establish as a fact diately communicated with for fresh supplies ployment by the system and make a com- that the two groups of islands were publicly must be adopted at once, for our local out- "fortable living. It must be granted that a included in the territory leased by China to put (which, we believe, there was at first an consideration of this kind, however much Russia in 1898, an answer to this question official reluctance to use) cannot cope with “it may influence the Chinese Government, will be awaited with interest. It is quite the demand. One fact is very clearly can have no weight with the Powers." certain that the general public knew nothing pointed to, and that is that we have not Our German contemporary went as to ques-whatever o; this claim of Russia, and no been sufficiently prepared in the past to deal tion whether the deficiency caused by the

with such emergencies as this—and no time abolition of lekin would be covered by the

should be lost in preventing a repetition propusel increase of import taxation, and

of this failure.

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English translation of any document bear ing on the subject has ever been seen. The British Government can hardly have known