Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-09-29

CHINESE CASH:
nIze, frequently by weight. They pre-
fer gold when they can get it. When
subsidiary coins are needed or used,
however. the real trouble commences.
Various provinces mint them and pass
them into others, and these others re-
turn the compliment. But the China
man, being ingenious, has found coun-
terfeiting profitable and, being suspl-
cious, will not take coins whose anthem
ITCHY he doubts. Add to this some
other features of the money situation,
such as debasing of the coinage by
Sweating" aud the use of bullion sill
yer of varying degrees of fineness, and
you can understand that banking or
trading in China is not an unalloyed
pleasure Bullion silver, when used
as money, frequently is shaped like a
Chinese shoe and is known by that
name It's weight varies. but Is usually
80 ounces. When no acceptable coin
is at hand and a purchase Is to be
made, piece of the shoe is cut off
and weighed. OF course, the fineness
of the metal is called into question and
must be settled.
The copper coins, or cash, are OF
very small value about one-tenth of
cent? and are made with square holes
in the center. They are carried around
on a string. Were it not that food is so
very cheap In China it would take
very long string of them to buy a
square meal. Altogether the many
details of .he use of money III the
Middle Kingdom are wearisome to re-
late. Enough has been told to show
that the coinage needs reform as badly
as the government. TO the American
merchant, accustomed to a fixed, un-
varying standard of value, the in
evitable fluctuations in value are ex-
asperating and retard trade The Mex
lean dollar, which contains about 40
cents worth of silver, and the Chinese
tael, worth about 20 cents, constantly
vary in value. In a journey of hun
dred miles they may have dozen diff
ferent values, according to the many
high and constantly varying rates of
exchange.
; Trade between provinces is also
,hampered by the interprovincial duties
or customs. Such duties are known as
likin and vary between cities and
towns. These customs are arranged
on a sliding scale, determinations
being made, especially against for
eigners Many attempts have been
made to abolish the likin, with vary
ing success, for 1t still exists. Its in.
convenience may be imagined by look.
ing at a map of China. The country is
divided into IS provinces and is inter
sected by network of rivers and
canals, which form the highways OF
commerce. How to carry on trade and
still continue to pay likin when pass
ing from one province TO another be-
come an interesting problem.
Foreigners must pay more than Chi,
nese for everything. The ingenious
lChinaman believes or pIetends to he
lieve that q foreigner wouldn't live
among them if he were not rich and
charges him accordingly. They have
developed the system Of clipping" TO
an extent 10 make European hotel
walters blush, so much so that it is
impossible for one foreigner even TO
visit another without paying tribute
to the servants on both sides Foreign
ers are charged commissions by their
servants upon every mOuthful they eat.
The natives seem TO be leagued in an
enormous conspiracy to eXtort money
from the strangers within their gates.
This system of bribng and tipping
adds much to the cost of goods eX-
ported and imported. American trad
ers have found that unless they sub
nit to it they cannot do business in
China Chinese officials receive prac'
tically no pay from the imperial treas
ury and rely upon brides and black
mail for their income. The duties paid
by merchants not infrequently never
reach the capital; they are diverted &c
the pockets of the collector or of those
higher in authority, Therein lies one
secret Of the weakness of the govern
ment, for, from the highest officials
down, every detail of the government
Of these millions of people is depend
ent upon blackmall. Apropos of incon
veniences in trading with China, 1t Is
well to note that the most exasperat