The morning call., 1890-07-21
DEBT-PAYING In CHINA.
Curious Results of Practice of the
Country.

Curious Results of Practice of the
Country.
A writer in the North China Herald of
Shanghai lately takes for his theme the
peculiar Chinese practice of settling debts
just before New Years day, which has
often been praised by Western observers,
but which he does not applaud so much.
The custom has, he says, its roots in three
causes: First, that everybody owes some
thing; secondly, that a great necessity ex-
lists for short settlements; and thirdly, that
no one will pay debt until he is forced to
do so. Tyrannical custom oompels most
persons to live beyond their means. Mar
riages and funerals are the ruin OF the peO-
pie. The farming classes are in perpetual
difficulties, while the small traders work on
such narrow margin that frequent "ac-
commodation" is essential.
On the other hand the balance in the
hands of creditors are so small that no one
can afford to leave his money out OF call
for more than a few months. Finally the
universal habit is to avoid discharging
liabilities il possible. SO at New Years
and pursuit. Creditors hunting reluctant
debtors are themselves hunted by
hungry creditors of their own. The
nation, in short, revolves in vicious
circle. and its only period of brief
pause is New Years day. The double
anxiety of Chinese in the twelfth moon
is to find some one else and not to be found
himself. Any particular creditor hunting
any particular debtor will find that he Is
himself anticipated by a swarm OF other
creditors hunting the same game. 1t Is
greatly to the interest of all parties that
no claim for debt should get into the courts
of law, for this would mean that not only
the amount in dispute, but all the rest OF
the property of both parties, would be in
danger of being wasted.
10 "a n q
debtor to represent that he is harassed by
importunate creditors to such an extent
that he knows not which way to turn. In
ninety-nine cases out OF one hundred the
creditor is compelled to ''call again." then
the debtor sets his wits TO work to invent
new occasions for begging for writ nolle
prosequi. Ii the creditor were to relax his
hold and cease his claims that would be the
end of them for an indefinite period, perhaps
forever, and this he knows as well as any
one. Therefore, once having taken hold he
keeps his grip, like the jaw of bulldog, till
lie gets his pound of flesh. Eternal vigil
lance is what the Chinese creditor has
large supply Of
To avoid the creditor altogether is a
prime object of many debtors during the
trying period which follows the winter
solstce. Many are the individuals who
feign sickness and who cannot therefore be
seen; who do not venture on the street for
many days before the close OF the year, and
VINO i've III IacI Tue lives OIL thieves Until
just at the close of the last day of the year.
Then they emerge from their obscurity in
time to get their heads shaved for
the new year, and have the keen
joy of knowing that they have eluded
the vigilance of their remorSeless foes.
The Chinese debtor who succeeds in
evading or parrying the claims of his cred
ltors at this critical epoch finds city of
refuge" in which for the time he is safe.
On New Years day or soon after, he may
possibly cali upon his creditor. or his cred
itor upon him. Each is arrayed in his best,
and each is full of polite phrases The
creditor may be inwardly swelling with
wrath and fury at the thought that this
cunning waetch did, after all the pains
taken TO prevent it, make his escape.
The debtor may be full of smiling
self-compIacency to think how well he
played some of the numerous tricks of the
season. But neither the one nor the other
would ever dream of abiding to such affairs
at this festive time. Business is taboo,
contraband of war, interdicted by the law
of the realm, and so the debtor is out upon
an other stadium Of his existence, the fangs
of the adversary whetted in secret are re-
strained from the flesh for the time, and he
walks the earth with sense of iuconstraint
to which he has long been stranger.