The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-08-20

which England makes with China are
equally shared in by every other nation.
She seeks no exclusive privileges; nor
as free trade country would they be
of any value to her If she did.
The most important section In the
treaty is that the Chinese government
stands pledged to reform its currency.
Instead Of having as many and varied
systems of currency as they were
provinces and even cities. q uniform
standard will be established throughout
the empire. The tael will be Of the
same exchange value at Pekin, Shang-
hal as 1t will be at any other port or In
terror city. Only the foreign merchants
who have had to keep track of the
fluctuations in Chinese currency as 1t
was affected by the rise or fall In the
price of silver and various other con-
tributory courses local or general can
appreciate the inestlmable advantage
of this step. 1t will unquestionably
have more effect in opening up China
to Western commerce than any other
innovation of national magnitude which
which could be suggested. 1t demand
ed the untiring patience and expertness
and honesty of the Chinese banks to
understand the mysterious vagaries OF
the financial system of the Middle
Kingdom. Only one European had any
conception Of 1t. We need hardly re-
mark that we refer to Sir Robert Hart,
the controller of the imperial customs.
TNt.. t,N1t nf
dues is another sweeping reform to
which the Chinese government stands
committed in this treaty. The likin
dues, were nominally a system of inter-
state tariffs, If we had anything cor
responding to it in the country. The
likin was vicious in principle If it We're
honestly administered, but as 1t was
administered in China it was admitted
and accepted as an unparalleled sys-
TEN OF blackmail. 1t proves to DEM
onstration what a magnificent market
China will in time offer, If the country
Is permitted to develop naturally and
peacefully along her own lines, that
bale of cotton, a box of petroleum or
case of matches was subjected to
valorem likin duty Of perhaps two
hundred per cent. after it passed out
Of the imperial customs, before it reach
ed the hands of the merchant to whom
it was assigned. This tax will not
be abolished, for such a stupenduous
change in taxable resources of the
provinces would lead to anarchy, but If
the stipuations in the treaty are only
fairly carried out, it will mitigate If
not abolish the original system of Of
fetal peculation along the innumerable
canals rivers and roads through which
the foreign trade of the country slug
gishly takes its course.
There are six new treaty ports to be
opened. This means that the seaports
of China so far as they are dominated
by it's government or that of Great
Britain will be opened to the COM
merce of the world. The treaty will
not of course apply to the CLOSED
ports Of Germany or Russia or those in
French China. For trade purposes
these are, however, worthless and will
very probably always remain so. In a
short time, we may expect that there
will be no such thing as treaty port
in the Chinese littoral.
There are twenty-nine sections in the
Chinese treaty. The three which
we have referred to are however the
principle ones. 1t is not unlikely that
the treaty which Mr. Sherrett is said
to have effected is the one to which we
have referred to as having been con-
cluded by Great Britain in conjunction
with the United States. Considering
the identity of policy purused by the
two countries in China, there seems
nothing improbable in the supposition.
Be that as 1t may China is moving.
Japan tumbled into the ocean of
Western civilization with the impetuos-
ity of a mountain torrent. China is
moving toward it with the rigidity Of
glacier. But she will get there in
time. Perhaps in the end too soon for
our occidental peace of mind.