February 18, 1907.] CHINESE RAILWAY SCHEMES.
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
|
|
|
reformers
is
**
103
worse than corrupt; it appears to be conscienceless; and the instinct of patriot- ism is not in it. Money is the only thing to low. it sees-speaking of it as a class—from high
The EMPRESs Dowager knows this quite well; perhaps even reckons on it sometimes. In the latest Edict regarding opium, insisting that the Throne is in earnest in desiring to weed out this evil, expressious are used that show how litt'e confidence the ruler has in his (or her) subor linates. Viceroys, Governors, and Tartar Generals are warned against evading the Edict by subterfuges intended to deceive, an im. plication, like the recent order that officials should cease to oppress and squeeze the people, suggestive of the nature of past experience. We have not here said anything worse of the official class of China than we have often said before, and we have said nothing derogatory that is not being said by competent observers everywhere. In China, according to a recent issue of oar Shanghai contemporary,
14
"With as und proletariat, posessed of many gul qualities and considerable strength of a passive character, we have a hopelessly corrupt sad incompetent official glass. Until this incubu‹ is removed it would appear idle to expect any good qualities with which the themselves for the beast of the nation as a Chino may be endowed by nature to assert whole.
of incapable and corrupt officials." The edicts during recent months. It would concluding remark is very plain speaking appear that the numerous individual " rice (Daily Press, February 12th.
indeed, and those who have been enabled to | Christians" with which the missionaries are It is gratifying to hear of the Edict, men-
follow closely the course of railway affairs in familiar in China have their national pro- tioned in our yeaty's communiqué the southern parts of the Empire know how totyp; that there are, in short, rice from Messrs Jardine, Matheson and Com- thoroughly justified it is. So our contem. pany, which gives assurance that
at Peking. The thing is by no theporary proceeds: "Not until they have realiz
means unthinkable. Chinese section of the Kowloon-Cantoned that a native bureau in China practically carefully watched the various straws wind To those who have Railway is now in bands capable of hasten- finds it a phrsical impossibility to be honest, blown, and who have remembered their ing its completion. There has been talk and that railways are not built by means of general direction, it will not occasion the and to spare of the railway development official speeches, will the country be free from slightest surprise. Mandarindom in general, of China, and a great deal of the talking this present delusion and the way left upen has been done by the Chinese themselves. for genuine railway enterprise. Even where They were everywhere going to demonstrate corrupt practices are not indulged in, their patriotism by building railways with incompetence plays havoc with the money exclusively Chinese capital, and the idea subscribed. It report he trn, the history appealed to the popular prejudice.
Aof the Chekiang Province Railway Company great deal of money is supposed to have is a good illustration of what is likely to been subscribed, but so far the railways take place throughout the country. There are as intangible as the dividends that the has been no system and no supervision; chauvinistic promoters promised.
The ballast has been dumped indiscriminately recently opened line from Swatow to and the beginnings of earthworks have Chaochou-quite a small, cal affair of provided only enough material to a thirty miles is so far the only visible washed away by rains." It would result of patriotic investments, and even
Le. 10 แรด slang expression, the it was built by foreigners, Japanese, though Chinamon's own funeral", if this sort with Chinese capital. It was two and a of thing meant only the enrichment of half years in the making, and est just a
official rogues with the money of the gulled hundred thousand dollars a mile, which is proletariat; but it is pointed out that the considered unreasonably costly in view propaganda *gainst foreign capital are of the easy nature of the country traversed. equal to a crusade agunst foreign treaty The Kowloon section with which His rights. That is to say. Peking by endors. Excellency the GOVERNOR has so thoroughly ing all these wild-cat schemes encourages identified himself, with all its formidable the provinces to work against concessions engineering difficulties, is not expected already made, and there are already to be so expensive in proportion. Still it threatened duplicate enterprises, Que is a railway in being, which is more than instance namel being in the district Letween can be said for any of the numerous pro Shanghai and Hangehow. Nine years ago vincial schemes for which Imperial per- Grea: Britain secured a concession there, mission, bas been requested with such and Peking is warned that, although it will flourishing of trumpets, and over the manage. le left to settle the difficulty in its own ment or direction of which there has way, without interference, it must be careful usually followed so much squabbling. "It not to sanction any breach of that agree would be well," our Shanghai coutem- ment, otherwise it will be firmly brought to porary remarks, after enumerating some accouut, in which case the Chekiang of the many schemes referred to, if all agitators would ultimately have to these symptoms of railway fever could be the piper for the tune they have chosen. taken seriously and were likely to lead to definite result. As things are, however, China does not appear to be going to profit by more than one out of every ten or twenty schemes planned and, perhaps, begu. Officials are availing them elves of the spirit of the times to appeal to their patriotic countrymen to subscribe funds, in order to keep my foreign capital. In the case of the Tientsin-Chinking line, indeed, the Waiwupu's request is said to be prompted solely by the desire to thwart foreign claims on
Financially, as Mr. GEORGE this proposed JAMIESON recently wrote, China is strong, railway. Agents are even being sent but none the less is it true that "the money 10 Chinese abroad, notably at Singapore, question" pervades every corner of her to collect funds for railway enterprise, present politics. A well-informed correspond and there is n doubt that success 15 attending the efforts t raise Chinese with reference to the situation generally, and out in North China, writing us privately capital for railway construction. From to the re-assertion of the Manchu in partis that point, however, the picture is not cular, reluctant! (as becomes an optunist so pleasing. The world may learn that the toward things Chinese) abandons the pre- first sod of this or that line has been turned ; that patriotic speeches by promiueuttons had inspired, but seeks consolating seat hope of refortas which recent inanifest i- officials have been made, and that gentry and in the following significant phrase: "But merchants are urged
(Daily Press, 15th February.) to put up vet more funds in order that China may be
if the Reform Party can lay bands on some Just at this period of pandemonium seems covered by a network of railway and the cucles, they may yet win the day." Think
more money to be doled out among court a fair opportunity to compare some of the bete noire, foreign capital, excluded froin all
more obvious characteristics of Chinese- Even reform has its price in China, | aad of foreigners. Just as for»izu mission- railway enterprise. Soon or later the share-and though the end may be said to justify aries sneer at the absurd superstitions of holders in these liues will display au interest them cans, it is, not a pleasant thing to think | Chinese religions, so intelligent Chinese in the prospects of their investiments; they of, for the foreign friends of China who have retort will find there is little or nothing to show in het hoping against hope for the uplifting foreizu religions. So also, as the Chinese the miraculous absurdities of the
way of railway construction, and there is of this rast nation.
¡ The word to which we openly call foreigners barbarisa IL, noone who can offer any satisfactory explana have given the emphasie of italics shows foreigners deuy the ancient civilization of the tion of the hiatus between the raising of funds that a well-informed observer entertains the the Oriental. For those who are and the commencement of actual works. It opinion that what little symptom of reform satisfied to side with the popular prejudice becomes, therefore, a question of time before has been vouchsafed has been bought and of their own people, every opportunity of they are forced to the conclusion that their paid for. This, if accepted, explains much studying & people's characteristics when that alternation of reformative and reactionary' poss, is to be welcomed. Occasions when that has been puzzling in the remarkable people is off its guard, and less likely to
£
[
enthusiasm has been wasted and their subscriptions have gone to swell the pockets
i
1
1
PAY
BRIBERY AND CORRUPTION IN
CHINA.
(Daily Press, February 18th.) The London Daily Telegraph's correspond ent at St. Petersburg has just telegraphed that "the crux of the whole situation in Russia is the money question." With only the slightest reaching after double meaning, the words may be taken as apt to the case of China.
of it!
Where the governing body is devoid of all sanse of morality, political or commercial, there can be no national honesty ; and those who have trade dealings with Chinese can only hope that the adage of universal application that honesty is the best policy will avail to deter the mercantily classes from falling to the lower stand- ard of morality in vogue with their corrupt oligarchy Soner
or later this traditional order of things must be broken down, whether peacefully or violutly it cannot yet be said; of view of China's own interests is glo my." but in the meantime the outlook from the point
The European public, attaching far more promises and signs of reform, had better importance than we have ever done to recent be prepared for disappointment; and our honest Chinese friends, who would gladly their Empire, will understand that in ex- see more than the opium evil removed from reading to them the good wishes customary of contains more than its superficial non- on this particular day, the expression there-
them nearer to the goil, we lack the courage ing. But that the next New Year will Had at present to do more than hope.
A CHINA NEW YEAR PROTEST.
on
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.