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ENGLAND AND THE OPIUM
QUESTION.
(Daily Press, February 1st.) We wonder what prompted KEUTEE's Agency to inform the East that the Bishop of London together with the Nonconformist and Scottish religious leaders have made an appeal throughout the United Kingdom for special prayers for the era. dication of the opium traffic while the International Commission on the Opium Question is sitting at Shanghai? Various suggestions occur. Was it merely to show us that the race of the immortal Pecksniff still survives? Or was it but to give us some idea of the exaggerated views of the opium evil which the Anti-Opium League has been successfully propagating in order to draw for foreign missions the support which is so sadly needed at home? There is no Society in England interested in publishing such facts as the careful analysis made by Mr. CLEMENTI revealed. If Mr. CLEMENTI'S paper did but come under the notice of the Bishop of London and the Nonconformist and Scottish religious Teaders who are appealing for special prayers for the eradi- cation of the opium evil, they would perhaps perceive how ridiculous their attitude must seem to those who can compare the drink evil in England with the opium evil in China. Unfortunately no comparison of statistics can be made, because no reliable statistics of the native opium trade are published by the Chinese Government, and, for the matter of that, the literature of the Anti-Opium League in England on which British sentiment on the subject is so care- fully fed and nurtured, takes small account of the Chinese production of opium. It is against the trade of the British Colonies in opium that the League launches its thunder bolts. "The blackest spots are under British rule," they have told the people of England. If that be so, it will be readily acknowledged by all acquainted with the Colonies
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[February 6, 1909.
tic evil than it really is. The Commission | ago it was reported that Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE which begins its inquiry in Shanghai to-day had been greatly interested in studying may be able to furnish to the world more Japan's method of levying an income tax, reliable data on the subject than has bereto- but we doubt whether the adoption of the fore been available, and that we conceive to Japanese system will form the feature of be the chief value of the Cconference, for the Budget which the Chancellor had in China has already been amply assured of the mind when he promised that it would be a sympathy and co-operation of the Powers in startling oue. There are many, however, in the honest efforts she may make to wean England who would like to see the principle her people of a habit which is admittedly of the income-tax extended to the income vicious. The Government of China hus of the ordinary working man, and there are proved its earnestness in the matter, but sound reasons to be adduced in favour whether it is able to effectually secure of the suggestion. It is not the present
payers who complete obedience to its decrees through-income-tax
dictate the out the Empire is still open to doubt. legislation of the country but the work- ing classes who form the majority of the electors, and if they were made to bear in the direct form of an income tax the increasing cost of Government entailed by the ten- dency of the age towards socialistic legisla- tion it would greatly increase the sense of responsibility in the elector. But what political party would venture to put forward such a proposal? Its defeat at the polls would be a foregone couclusion. Whatever new proposals may be made are certain to evoke a storm of opposition and the Chan- cellor of the Exchequer who spoke con- fidently some months back of the impro- bability of a dissolution for a few years bas now come to see that "it is just possible that Parliment may not run its normal course." It is not merely just possible, but very probable that the present Parlia-
BUDGET SPECULATIONS
IN ENGLAND. ·
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to rob.
(Daily Press, February 2nd.) It has recently been estimated by one of the London newspapers that the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he frames the Estimates for next year, will find himself obliged to suggest fresh taxation calculated to bring in the large sum of twenty-five million pounds sterling, due partly to the additional expenditure which the legislative achievements of the present Government have entailed, partly to the decline in the national revenue, and including an addi- tional expenditure of about six million pounds per annum for some years to come on the Navy if the Government mean to fulfil their promise to maintain the Two. Power Standard. It was not many months ago that the Premier was publicly ridiculing a prophesy which appeared in the Spectator, that an additional income of sixteen millions would have to be provided in the next Budget. Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE, however, kew full well how ill-founded was the optimism displayed by his leader in that speech, for it was not long afterwards that the Chancellor of the Exchequer was cheerily telling the country that he was already As or Settlements under British looking out fur "hen-roosts rule in the East that there are infinitely the end of the financial year approaches worse evils at Home calling for treat there is naturally much speculation as to ment than the practice of opium smoking what "hen reosts" are to be robbed. For among the Chinese. If the people of the statement that the Budget will be England did but know that the "opium "a startling one we have the word of the smokers in China do not amount to two per Chancellor of the Exchequer himself, and cent of the population they would realise he has further declared that it will not the hypocrisy of the whole agitation, and "interfere with any productive industry perceive that there is infinitely more call for in the country. Not directly perhaps, special prayers for the eradication of the though it is matter for argument whether drink evil in England than the opium evil any taxation which the Chancellor of the in China. Charity should be in at home; Exchequer can devise will not re-act upon but it seldom does. The annual drink bill the productive industries cf the country in England with its population of forty-two But new taxes of some kind cannot be millions exceeds £160,000,000 sterling; the avoided. Does the limitation we have import of foreign opium into China barely mentioned portend taxation of foreign im- exceeds £3,500,000, and assuming the ports? Perish the thought! Is not Mr. native grown opium is three times the LLOYD GEORGE a staunch upholder of Free amount of the foreign import we get a total | Trade? Did he not in that very speech supply of opium valued at £14,000,000, for | dilate upon the glories of Free Trade in a distribution among a population of four manner quite poetical? Yet Lord CROMER hundred millions. These figures are open said quite recently in the House of Lords to correction so far as concerns the estimate that the country had positive knowl dge of the native-grown opium, but they serve that in a few months the £3,500,000 which roughly to show the relative prevalence of the Government threw away in reliet of the the drink evil in the United Kingdom and sugar duties will be re-imposed, "perhaps the opium evil in China. Had such figures in a more objectionable form." The tea as these been before the leaders in the re- meu are not a little apprehensive lest the ligious life of England when tre appeal Chancellor, in spite of his glorification of for special prayer was suggested they would free imports, may look for "hen roosts" in have doubtless recognised the application cf Mincing Lane, but until the plans of the the Scriptural advice to the hypocrite to first Chancellor are definitely known, there will cast out the beam in his own eye so that he linger the hope that so far from adding to might the more clearly see to cast out the the burden on tea, the Government, bound mote in his brother's eye. We cannot by its Free Trade traditions, will publicly doubt, however, that the Bishop of London lament the necessity of having to tax tea and the other religious leaders who at all. In all probability the Government have made the appeal are persuaded will further squeeze the income tax-payers that opium smoking is a much more gigan-and increase the death duties. Some time
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ment will not run its normal course.
SIGNS OF TRADE REVIVAL,
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(Daily Press, February 3rd.) The hopes of an improvement in rade the present year which were during expressed a month ago when, with the passing of the old year and the dawn of the new, we reviewed the past and endeavoured to dimly forecast the future, grow more confident as the weeks pass. Confining our attention for the moment to China, we note that northern trade reports indicate a very satisfactory recovery. The purchasing capacity of the nation has been improved by bumper crops and the consequent reduction In the price of the staple food of the people. in the northern provinces the crops are des.
"the best known for forty years' cribed as and we read that shipments are being made in bulk to Europe, where presumably better prices can be obtained than in Japan. These exceptionally heavy crops are certain to make a vast difference to trade generally, Stocks in the godowns of the immorters were smaller at the end of 1908 than they have been for many years past. A comparative statement of stocks in foreign godowns and at the public wharves at Shangbai, on the 31st December compiled by the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce shows the vast difference at a glance, so far as that port is concerned, and the position at Shanghai is characteristic of the position at Hongkong and other importing centres. I cotton yarn the reduction is especially remarkable. A comparative tabl› published in one of the recent reports issued by the well knownShanghai firm of NOEL, MURRAY & Co.. Limited, show that at the end of 1904 the stocks at Shanghai amounted to roughly 260,000 piculs; at the end of 1905 there
were over 400,000 piculs in the · godowns; in 1906 nearly 700,000; in 1907, about 460,000, while at the end of 1908 the total stocks did not amount to more than 93,000. So that what with the greatly reduced stocks, in nearly every line of business at the end of the year, and the bumper crops that are reported from most of the provinces of China hopes of a sub-
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