Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-11

rs.
!; Luh Hai-Hnan and sheng Hsuan- huaf, Chinese
ssioners.
daring. We do not dare to mine for fear of
the devils l replied: I have a bigger
devil in my pocket. and showed him a
dollar After some consideration he replied
| and acknowledged that If the people can be
SHOWN more work and wages they will for
get and ignore their superstitions. They
nave now learned from practical examples
that mining means more and new work and
higher wages, and are anxious to develop
their undoubtedly great mineral resources
by and with the aid of modern inventions.
This article of the treaty means much to
China and will mean much to our people
who desire to put time and capital into min
| ing in the orient
Transit Taxation Abolished.
"Article 9. which abolishes transit taxa
| ton appeals more Immediately to those now
! engaged in trade with China. To under
stand the prevailing system of taxation In
China, you must go there and study it, or
must go back in your reading to the depth
| OF the feudal system in Europe, when there
was taxing station a 'robber baron
every few niles. In China, native products
being transported from poi to point in the
empire are subject to taxation such as
| the traffic will bear Foreign goods which
had paid the import tax were nominally
showed that they were so delayed at the
| barriers established to tax native goods that
| they paid blackmail (squeeze) to escape de-
| lay. Native goods to be exported were
squeezed numerically at the whim or ne
| cessity of the official at each barrier An
| example of this fell under my notice last
| summer The crop of Pingney tea is all
| grown in small region; is sent to market
| at one time, and Is consumed in the United
States. To reach the port of shipment 1t
must pass four taxing stations. For many
years the entire transit tax had been paid
| to the first station and the boats loaded
with the tea had passed the other stations
without stopping. In 1903 new man took
charge of the second station and STONED
the boats and demanded re-weighing of
the tea. In the rain then prevailing this
meant ruin to the crop. The merchants Of
fered the official $500 to let the boats pass.
He asked $1,000. After waiting two days the
merchants agreed to pay $1,000 to which
the ofIlc1al replied that the price had gone
up to $1,000.
he. tea had been sold to American mer-
chants When they heard of the attempt
at extoft1on they came to me. | wired the
governor of the province who directed that
the tea be allowed to go forward at once
unfortunately it is probable that where for
eisil interference made it possible for that
product to escape practical confiscation
there are hundreds of cases where the pro-
ducers lose all to the farmers of the right
to tax in transit
Four kinds of taxing stations existed on
the land routes and WATERWAYS of China
4 Likin stations
x Native custom houses
D. Salt taxing stations
Opium taxing stations
All of these had the right to stop goods
for examination. Consequently ali black
mailed all passing traffic.
The English treaty of 1902 abolished the
nkln stations, but expressly recognized the
other varieties of bloodsuckers In conse-
quence one viceroy ordered the likin sta
tions IN MS provinces to change their signs
ana can themselves branch native custom
houses. We We're instructed to agree to an
increase In the import tax, provided the
Chinese government would agree, as they
nave now done, In this treaty, to abolish
all barriers. offices and stations for taxation
of goods in transit. This will not only in
crease the area In which our goods can be
sold, bit by making free trade throughout
the empire of China, will increase her do
mestlc trade. will make for the homosene-
ity of the empire, and in the long run will
increase the purchasing capacity and our
trade.
Opening Of Two Cities.
BY this treaty we secure the opening Of
the cities of Mukden and Antung to for
eign residence and trade. These cities are
in Manchuria, where previously Newchang
was the only open city
"Mukden Is inland, and is great distrib-
uting point, being at the junction of great
caravan routes. 1t Is the capital of Sheng
a
Antung is on the Yalu river about fifteen
miles from the mouth Any coasting
steamer can go up to 1t at any stage of the
tide. and there Is good depth of water up
to the bank. 1t Is opposite Win on the
Corean side of the Yalu, which the for
eigners are endeavoring to have opened to
trade. Antung and VIII are of Importance
In controlling the trade into and out of the
Yalu.
These are the salient features of the
new treaty. They seem to be satisfactory
to those who are in the China trade We
believe they tend not only to develop China
and increasing our trade with her but also
to so strengthen her that she can main
tain her autonomy and take her proper
place among the nations by and with our
aid"
Officials Prepared for the News.
In view of Mr.. Conger's last advices the
officials here were prepared for the news
of the ratification of the treaty. Be-
sides they knew that certain extraneous in
fiuences adverse to the treaty had disap-
peared. or at least had been suspended. The
next step In order is the exchange in rati-
fications of the treaty. Profiting by pase
experience in the deliberate methods of orr
entail diplomacy, Secretary Hay caused the
American commissioners, headed by Consul
General Goodnow, to allow a very liberal
period Of time for this part of the negotia-
tons. so that the date was set a year
ahead, making 1t next October. However.
the department. with the concurrence of
the Chinese authorities. will make every
effort to obtain a speedy exchange The
treaty will be forwarded to the United
States from Picking. and with ordinary dill
gence in its dispatch should be In Washing
ton six weeks hence
Only that portion of the Chinese treaty
which relates to the opening of new ports
at Mukden and Antung and provides in
general terms for privileges of American
shipping Will become effective upon the ex-
change OF ratificatfons of the treaty. There |
is possibility that the Chinese govern
ment will authorize its minister here Sir |
Chentung Liang Cheng, by cable to effect
an earlier exchange. but Mr. Conger has SO |
far not yet made that request
The other features of the treaty abolish
ing the likin taxes and increasing the aver
age customs dues on goods coming from
the United States into China will not be- |
come effective until similar treaties con-
tanning similar provisions have been con-
cluded between China and the other pow