The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-11
LlnIN TAXES ARE
ASSESSED on AL GOODS
iN TR AN SIT.

this the merchants and middlcmsn make
a profit of more than ssnNNna
The Chinese salt IL not 50 iine as that
sold In the United States. u = dark,
porous ana fun OF humps, II ~ stored In
salt warehouses. and yon often see great
hills of IL near the large cities. II Is
piled up there and covered with mating
until needed for use.
Queer Me1ois of Squeesrc fhesPeorie.
One or the greatest sqteexnB III. China Is
the hkin tax Thls Is tax on goods In
transit. II Is collected along alisthe wat
erways of tho Chinese empire and II Nils
the rivers and canals with little revenue
boats. each equipped with soldiers and
cannon, The officials thus guard the wat
erways and take their toll from every
bit OF merchandise that passes through
them. The taxes are supposed TO he fixed.
but the officials make them a matter OF
bargain between themselves and the mer-
chants. Some OF the merchants unions
pay lump sums 10 have their goods es-
cape likin taxes. The shanghai Piece
Goods Guild. for Instance. had all ~ its
duties on foreign goods 40 committed for
q number of Years. The little gunboats
often biackmail the merchants. aud they
make all sorts OF Edneezes
No one knows how much mor>- is coi-
lected under the plea OF ilkin taxes. Mr..
Jameson. q former English consul at
Shanghai. estimates that abou, si0.0o0eo
OF liktn taxes annually goes into thcspub-
lie revenues. The amount actually COLI
lected probably IL several times that
which comes from the imperial mar1time
customs. or several times 22.eoo.eoo taslS
annually
China has all sorts ~ queer taxes. The
jinriksha men IN Shanghai are taxed. That
wheeibarrow coolies pay licenses. and
there are licenses for pawnbroking. bank
Ing and goods selling There are pawu-
shops in every town, whid have 20 pay
not only for the privilege Of engaging in
business, but an annual tax thereafter
In some cities the license costs as much
as 5000 and the yearly taxes are sfrom
$50 to 500.
There are taxes on all land saleN. the
legal charge Is per cent. on thatnoney
value or the transfer. Less than thia y
usually paid. because the parties 20 thu
contract put a less consideration IN tho
deed than Is received There is iesAr
tax on mines. now amounting to nothing
but which may yield n large revenue
when the country IA opened up There
are taxes on silk cocoons. and. lin fact,
little taxes on many things
There Is tax on opium imports which
brings IN about sl.eoo.ooo a year. ana one
on the reeds and rushos which grow In
tho iswlands OF the rivers This STUN
belongs 20 tho government. and those who
gather 81 must pay 80 many cash per
bundle. There are quantities of r~eda In
Manchuria. and also along the lowIandx
OF the yangise valley ana otherwheyrs
They are soid Tor shatch and for fuel
The reorganization % the empire win
nccesssate the employment on forcixn-
crr IN nearly an places ~ trust China
cannot pay Is debts unless Europeans
manage It's tax collections Tho only
honest collectors In the empire today are
the foreigners ia the customs and the
natives under them. For some years thu
Imperial maritime customs havs been
managed by SIR Robert Hart. who wess
salary twice a. big a. that 81 our pre~-
ident. lie coiiectA al the import duties.
turning into the imperial treasury some,
where between e8us.0o9 and 3p.oip.o,o faasn
q year. He has large corpa u officislsl
and HIS foreign clerks arn the best paid
men 10 Asia. TheF get big salaries, and
every few years arr allowed 20 60 20 Fu-1
rope for vacetinn. with their saAxfsa
paid The nembsrs gf the indoor stan
can have two years iei4ve AZ thu eicse "a
every seven. and those ~ tho ou;faoR
one year after every ten. Even tho cue =
ferns s. managed along civil service
lines. and although sir Robert Hart II
IT. autgcFaf. sveFS thing Rp~s hy pranno<
ileu and general -fiicience
FRANK q. CARPENTER.