New-York tribune., 1902-08-10
THE CHINESE TARIFF.
THIS GOVERNMENTS FRIENDLY POLICY
TOWARD THE EMPIRE.
WORKING TO STRENGTHEN THE GOVERN
IENT AT PEKING AND PRESERVE
THE OPEN DOoR-FALsE RE-
PORTS FROM SHANGHAI
PORTS FROM SHANGHAI.
IBv TELEGRAPH To TIE TRIBUNE.

PORTS FROM SEANJf1AI
by TELEGRAPH To TIE TRIBUNE.l
Washington. Aug. 9.-The persistent efforts Oh
the United States TO maintain the open coor IN
China and TO hold the powers 10 the pledges
made 10 Secretary Hay near the close or 1873
and which pressed continually in the last year
prevented the breaking I'D OF the empire, are
still being exerted TO influence practical so!u-
ton of the tariff problem which VIII permit
China to meet the financial obligations imposed
nv her new relations with the nations Ihe
pending negotiations looking 10 the revision OF
commercial treaties not in conflict WIN the lHi-
perative needs Of the country. TO provide reVe-
rues for domestic purposes as well as for DIS
charging the great foreign debt, and at the same
time TO encourage the growth Of trade are pro
ceeding between limits fixed by the United
States for all countries. IN general terms the
instructions OF the State Department to its rep
resentatives Minister Conger, Consul General
Goodnow and Mr. Pearson, charged with these
negotiations. bind them TO subordinate all de-
rnaads 10 the purpose Of strengthening the
hands of the imperial government at Peking
and OF securing equality Of treatment for the
producers Of all countries. TO influence the trend
CT affairs always in the direction Of unifying the
empire and against the entering Of the narrow
est wedge that might some day be driven deeper
and wider.
With these assurances, which are fully recog
rized in China and IN the European capitals. Of
fcials are at loss ascribe motives TO various
! reports emanating from Shanghai which are ap-
parenty intended TO discredit the motives Of this
government. or TO exhibit alleged friction among
the American representatives or their irrecon-
cilable attitude toward other countries whose
representatives are believed 10 be acting for the
most part in complete harmony with those OF
this country. There is considerable divergence
Of opinion as to details among the countries
pressing their own interests. for one reason be-
cause the problem is exceedingly complicated
and each nation looks at ii from different
economic point of view, but many Of the ca bic
dispatch on the subject can only be attributed
TO the return TO Shanghai Of the celebrated liar,
who two years ago so frequently and with such
exquisite nnuteness Of torturtng details butch
cred the members Of the foreign legations. One
Of the latest of these dispatches from Shanghai
tells Of the great surprise expressed there tnat
T S Sharretts, who is only tariff commits
siouer for the United States and not a treaty
commissioner. should have expressed himself on
behalf Of the American Government as opposed
10 the proposals of Sir James Mackay. the Brit
isb commissioner for the abolition OF the Hkin
and an increase in the import tax
THE WORK OF Mr.. sHARRETTs-
General Apraiser Sharretts was sent out to
China as an expert to change the ad valorem
rates Of the Chinese tariff schedules to specific
duties. It was a task that involved a thorough
study and comparison Of Chinese imports Tor
twenty years, and it was finally accomplished
70 the complete satisfaction Of all the nations
which are parties TO the Chinese negotiations
who agreed that probably no other man could
have succeeded we'll On all tarif matters
Nr. Sharretts was recognized on all sides as
the highest authority who has had anything to
do with the Chinese problem If he has advised
the American representatives that the Chinese
tariff on the basis Of per cent, or even 10 per
cent ad vaIorem viii provide sufficient revenue
for the support of the imperial government as
well as meet the international Indebtedness
and Il is not denied in Washington that he has
done so-his dictum viii probably have great
weight with the other representatives, and II
will certainly add notably to the strength of
the A--erican position. For the United States
has taken a strong stand against marked III
crease in the Chinese custom rate, which would
operate directly against growing American
trade and in some instances would result IN
a practical prohibition against staple eX-
ports to China.
OBJECTIONS TO THE LIKIN.
The rate heretofore has averaged per cent
The original British proposition was to ad-
vance it TO 12Iz per cent and abolish the hkin
altogether The British antipathy to the l1kln'
which is shared by most OF the nations. includ-
Ile CullSO states, AS SAp46-I-SO ~ N41- 80
lowing official British explanation Of the obJec-
tionable features OF the likin:
The Chinese Government. while it collects part
OF its from customs relies largely upon the
provinces supply revenue and arbitrarily names
each year the sum which each province must sup
piy leaving 10 the officers of that province the
methods by which this Is obtained The conse-
qenoe Is that each province is permitted TO collect
a tax on goods entering il from the adjacent prov
inces. and this custom has been extended TO the
subdivisions Of he provinces. that goods IN
transit frequently compelled TO pay taxes every
few miles. AS consequence the interior taxes,
known a e'likiR." become not only the terror OF
importers. but sometimes amost prohibitory. So
serious was this system in its effects upon attempts
70 Introduce foreign goods that the insstence
of ministers. the Chinese Government
nounced that addition OF 20 per the rates
paid az custom houses would insure passage Of
rhe goods 10 any point in the Interior without the
exacfion Of nkin taxes This was gladly accepted
nv foreigners desiring TO do business in the in
terror OF China The additional 50 per duties
a-nsfrr raass fnr he