The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-08

an automobile. in company with mem
Der of the grand council, from the city TO
the summer palace. or that Chinese news
papers, printed in the capital, would
freely discuss the necessity for constitu-
tional government, his friends might rea-
sonably have called in medical advice;
yet these things, and others equally re-
markable, have come to pass. To pres
sure of public opinion in the provinces
the change is primarily due; the actual
inception of reformed administration in
Picking Cranky modelled on the example
of the foreign settlements at Shanghai
and Tien-tsin) must be credited in great
measure to the wisdom and courageous
initiative of Yuan Shih-kai, Prince Su,
and other prominent progressives.
Nevertheless, and while these evidences
of reform are entirely hopeful and re-
assuring, there remains inevitably in the
mind of the close observer a sense of
peril in the very suddenness and feverish
haste of the changes that confront him on
all sides, a feeling justified by all the
history of the east. The flower of reform
is certainly in full bloom, but what of
the roots? Some millions OF taels have
been, and are being, spent on proving to
the civilized world that modern munich
pal administration is not beyond the pow
ers of Chinese ofhcialdom at its foun-
that the strain of this unusual expendi-
ture is beginning to tell heavily on the
boards concerned.
Financial Policy.
When looking beyond the immediate
present, 1t is, therefore. natural that one
should seek to find in the financial policy
of the central government some proof
that these reforms are the result of a def
nite and deliberate plan of reorganization
and are not merely due to the spasmodic
activities of transient influence of a few
progressives. Considering only what meets
the eye in Picking itself, it is evident that
for the permanent ad satisfactory main
tenance of police, public lighting and 9TH
er things hitherto undreamt of in Chin
nese philosophy, there must first be a
devised system of municipal taxation
sanctioned by law with definite alloca-
tons of revenue, and there must also be
public service composed of officials
specially trained and permanently en-
ployed for this class of work. In other
words, the old hand to- mouth, happy-go-
lucky methods (methods which find the
solution of every financial problem in y
new loan from foreign bank, and by
virtue of which every mandarin leaves
maintenance and repairs to his sue
cessoD must be replaced by an efficient
and business-like system. if the begin
nings of reform are not to lead to worse
chaos than before.
The metropolis boards themselves re-
quire to be recognized in fact as well as
in name (of which there is as yet no
sign, and the central government could,
therefore, give no better earnest of its
intentions than by disbanding forthwith
its army of inefficient and sinecure off
Gals, that locust hords whose immediate
interests have hitherto been stronger than
all the counsels of progress. 1t is too
much to hope that the mandarin of China
will follow the example of the daimios
of Japan in a general and patriotic sur
render OF his class privileges, but in the
absence of any such altruism it may safe
~ be said that, unless the government Is
prepared to face the thorough reorgani-
cation of the country's civil service and
finances, other reforms, however out
wardly impressive. can be, at best, but
face-saving makeshifts.