The sun., 1897-03-28
Chinese Finance,

1nasmuch as the Celestial Empire has
lately come into the European money
market as borrower of considerable sums,
and as it Is understood to contemplate
building several long lines of railway we
are interested in learning something
definite regarding the extent and elasticity
of it's fiscal resources. Some welcome in
formation ON this subject is furnished by
Mr.. JAMESON, the British Consul at
Shanghai, in q report on the subject, which
has been published as a Parliamentary
paper. The difficulty of obtaining data will
be obvious when we say that the central Gov
eminent publishes no statistics or returns
OF any sort, except those Of the foreign
maritime customs. Budgets are unknown,
and the finances Of the central and provin-
cial Governments are inextricably inter
woven. The Investigator, consequently,
has to wade through the provincial finan-
cial accounts, which are published in the
Pehin Gazette, and it is only by extending
the inquiry over wide area that 1t is posi-.
BILE to gain fairly accurate idea of the ex.
tent of the resources of each province, and
of the manner in which it's revenues are
disposed of.
Mr.. JAMESON points out that the diff
Guilty of the problem arises from fact, i'm
perfectly understood in foreign countries,
that for purposes of revenue, as indeed, for
other purposes, China must be regarded,
not as highly organized and intensely
centralized State like the Japan Of the pres
ent day, but as an agglomeration of many
quasiindependent provincial Governments.
Excepting the revenue derived from the
foreign maritime customs and a few of
the old native custom houses, no part
of the national income Is collected
directly by the agents of the i'm
perial Government. All the collectors
of revenue, with the exceptions noted,
are agents Of the provincial Governments,
and responsible in the first instance to
them. The money collected is first paid
into one of the provincial treasures, of
which there are several In each province,
and thereafter is remittcd, according to the
apportionment of the year, partly to Pekin,
partly for local government needs, and
partly, IL there Is any surplus, in aids to
other less wealthy provinces. 1t appears that
the remittances to the capital are forward.
ed, as rule, with reasonable punctuality,
but, although the system works well enough
In times of peace and plenty, it Is liable
to break down In times of stress, and then
special acquisitions are made on the prov
inces which can best afford them. When
demands from Pekin become more impera-
tive, the local authorities have to increase
their exactions, which almost invariably
take the form of an extra duty on salt or
merchandise.
Passing to figures. we learn that In the
year S93 the total returns from the i'm
perial maritime customs were 81, $50, 800
taels, the expense Of collection by the
foreign stan and the Chinese superintend.
ents being per cent. of the whole. MIR.
JAMESON estimates that the land tax
yields on an average 25,Oss, 900 taels per
annum, and the grain tax 6,562 900 taels;
the difference between this latter amount
and that actually received by the Pekin
Government t5,O40, 900 taels) being due In
great part to sheer waste. The salt tax
produces, 1t Is computed, 1869, 900 taels,
and the iikin, or tax on merchandise, 49,
100000. Adding to these the amount
received from the native customs the duty
and likin on native opium, and the income
from miscellaneous resources, Mr.. JAMIE.
SON arrives at total revenue of ss, ,979, 900
taels. or abost $74, 900, 900. In the likin
the local officials find convenient instru.