Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-09-13
HINA'S IRISH RULER
ROBERT HART, WHO CONTROLS
 HER FINANCES.

M Is Absolute Ruler of 24 Ports and
 Xhout 5000 Oficials-How He Came to E Get the Position A Man Absolutely 5s Honest and Fearless.
 Wben the first Chinese loan for the ji3demnity of Japan was offered, it was !noticed that the loan was guaranteed by StfHart, I. G. C. As the entire amount was for G15, ,000, 900, and $75,000, ,000 is !. very big sum for any man to be able fo guarantee, there has been some curi- Hosity as to the guarantor's personality.
 Hart, L G. G. means a Belfast E Irishman known all over the earth as the most influential man in the orient He is in charge of the Chinese customs, with the title of inspector general of cnstoms which he economically cuts flown into s4I G. O. This position he las held since 1859. Before that year < fhe customs system of China was just one big steal Ostensibly it was under the supervision of q great noble, who was supposed to turn into the Chinese Treasury the entire receipts. Like most Ghinese officeholders, he kept three fourths of the receipts for himself. About 1858 there was a war between England and China, i'll which China got the worst of 1t. In the treaty that fol- lowed China agreed to pay the cost of England's war.
 The imperial customs, China's chief source of revenue, wore pledged to se- cure the debt. A young Irishman named Hart was England s representative and was placed in charge of the Chinese GUS toms bureau, charged with seeing that all the duties collected were turned into sthe Hongkong bank. The entire amount sof the indemnity was collected so much zquicker than either nation had expected sthat MT. Hart was called upon to ex- plain. His terse explanation was: One third of the duties collected never reach the imperial treasury. They are the spells of she officials who have been in charge of the customs. ;"
 Somewhat naturally, this answer created gloom ill the mind of the Chi nese emperor, and just as Hart was re- turning to his own country he sent for him and asked him to take charge of the Chinese customs aud do for China what he had just been doing for England Hart s answer was as terse as his former explanation. He said: "I will under take this work upon three conditions. The first is that shall have absolute authority over the entire system, and the second is that no one, not even the viceroy, shall interfere with me or give me any orders. must also have the right to employ my own subordinates and to hire or discharge whoever I please. ,
 This was rather large order, but the emperor of China agreed to it, and Hart was placed in captrol The very first years work with the old staff gave an increase of 25 per cent ill the emper- or's revenues. The succeeding year al most doubled the receipts, and now, after 55 years of benevolent despotisn, the most powerful man in China is the little Belfast Irishman, who is absolute lord and ruler of 24 treaty ports and 5000 officials. Probably no man hv- ing knows the Chinese character and the Chinese ways as well as S1r Robert Hart, l. G. c. When the great Chinese council of state gets stuck, as it ire quently does, Hart is called in, and 1t is his pride that he has always pulled the council out of these troubles.
 Absolute honor has been the keynote of Hart's success. An official who would not steal and would not lie was man unknown in China before Hart went there. For years after Sir Robert enter ed the Chinese service the viceroy kept tab on him, but it was soon found that he needed no watching, his accounts were correct to penny, and now he is absolutely trusted Thirty-fve years experience has taught the Chinese off cials that there is one man in the world who will not steal and can neither be frightened nor bribed. Chicago Chron- icle
 Good Sized Boys.