The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-18
COMING OUT OF
THEIR SHELLS
Chinese Will Exhibit at st. Louis
Exposition.
A TARIFF TREATY ARRANGED
NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN IN
PROGRESS MANY MONTHS.

HANGHAI Aug. 17.-Liu Kun vi,
Chang Chin Fung and Yuan Shat
Kai, vicerOys. respectively, of Nan
kin, Hankow and governor OF Pc Chi
Lii, in separate conferences with T. S.
Sharretts, tariff commissioner for the
United States. and with John Barrett,
commissioner general for Asia for the
st. Louis exposition, have concurred
in making two significant and unequiv
ocal declarations. The first is that the
critical time has arrived when China
must make q supreme effort for the
promotion OF commerce and friendly
intercourse with America and Europe;
the second declaration is that as an
evidence Of her good faith in this in
tention and her appreciation of the
generous policy of the United States
toward her, China will make an unpre-
cedented exhibit at the st. Louis expo
sition.
The announcement contained in Mr..
Sharretts' brief statement TO the state
department brings to a successful con-
clusion negotiations which have been
in progress for many months for a tar
In treaty between China and this coun-
try. 1t was stipulated as one of the
features OF the peace agreement be-
tween China and the foreign powers at
the close of the Boxer outbreak that
an entirely new fabric to trade trea-
ties should be made. This carried out
the purpose Secretary Hay had main
tained throughout the preceding nego-
tiations for an open door," the desire
being to open up foreign communica-
tons with the interior Of China, and
thus gain access to the vast markets
OF the empire Following the concur
sion OF the peace arrangements, Mr..
Shsrretts was selected to carry on the
tariff negotiations in behalf Of the
United States This selection was due
70 his long familiarity with tariff af-
fairs, as he had assisted in the framing
Of recent tariff legislation before con-
gress, and had also served as one OF
the general appraisers OF New York.
He went TO China about a year ago,
and has since been engaged in working
out the details of a tariff agreement.
IL was announced about a month ago
that the British commissioners had
concluded a tariff treaty with China.
and II was understood at that time that
the British treaty would serve as q
basis for similar treaties with the
United States and other foreign coun-
tries The state department was adj
viSed at the time that the rates of inn
ports entering China were 121s per cent.
and the export duties ~ per cent. One
OF the most important provisions of
the British-Cbina treaty was that abol-
1Shing the nkin tax. II is presumed
that similar rates are made in the
American treaty, and that the likin
tax is abolished. as far as it relates to
American goods in transit. The Hkin
tax has been one Of the most BURDEN
some eXactiors Of the antiquated Chi
nese systems, as it was levied by the
ofhcials at various points through the
interior without uniformity, and often
with less regard for commercial ends
than for the enrichment of unscrupu-
ious local officials. The abolition of the
llkin tax Will go far toward encourage
ing foreign trade and traffic in the in
terror of China.
Mr.. Sharretts' dispatch is dated at
ohangnat, and does not go into details
regarding the treaty he has signed