Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-11-24
PRESENT TARIFF
ILEV|ES UNJUST,
| CHINESE STATES
Mr.. Koo Outlines His Coun-
] try's Position Before Com
mittee on Far Eastern and
Pacific Problems.
tBy The Associated Press.)

Washington, Nov. 20 (5y the AS
sociated Press) A communiquc
issued today on the meeting of the
committee on Pacific and Far East
ern questions said:
Il 1.-THE committee on Pacific and
Far Eastern questions met at $3.50
%. m. The topic of discussion was
the customs revenues of China. Mr.,
tl<oo on behalf of the Chinese dele
cation made a statement. He en-
.phasized that the Chinese govern
ment had no desire to interfere
with the administration of mari
The proceeds of the customs reve-
Hue TO the liquidation of various
Foreign loans secured thereon.
saorior to 1912, he said, China
enjoyed the fun right OF levy
5ng. customs duties. In 1912,
showever, and in the subsequent
years after having made treaties
with Great Britain. France and the
limited States a limitation on this
tight was imposed. The rule of
per cent advalorem was establish
ed and the rates were based on cur
fent prices then prevailing. In
s1S5S, as prices began to drop and
she per cent actually collected APP
peared somewhat in excess of the
5 per cent prescribed. a revision
was asked by the treaty powers.
Revision Was Made.
"A revision was accordingly
made. Later, however, as prices
amounted, no request for a revision
was forthcoming and the Chinese
government did not press for a re-
vision, seeing that the revenue
then collected from other sources
was not inadequate to meet its
requirements. The customs rate
then prevailing was much less than
the s per cent stipulated for. Itl
was only in 1902 that revision
was made to afford sufficient funds
TO meet the Chinese obligations
arising out of the Boxer protocol.
In that tariff the rate was calcu-
lated on the basis Of the average
prices of 1897 to 1899. In 1912 an
attempt was made by the Chinese
government to have another revi-
sion, but it failed. owing to the
difficulty of securing the unani- !
nous consent of sixteen or seven
teen powers. 1t was only after six
years that in 1918 another revision
was effected. The tariff of 1918
yields only 31a per cent.
"Mr. Koo proposed to restore to
China the right TO fix and to di- !
ferentiate import tariff rates. but !
as it appeared hardly possible to
establish new regime all at once, !
he said, full autonomy should be |
restored China after n period to be |
agreed upon. In the meanwhile, !
China would impose q maximum |
rate and would like to have full |
freedom within that maximum |
such as the right of differentiation |
among the different classes of
commodities. But as the present |
government was such as to require |
some immediate relief, it was pro- /,
posed that on and after January l, |
1922, the Chinese import tariff be |
raised to 1919 per cent, as it was
stipulated for in the treaty with /
the United States, Great Britain
and Japan.
Among reasons he alleged IN
of the Chinese proposals,
the following is the gist:
) 1.-THE existing customs regime In
China constitutes an infringement
of China's sovereign right to fix
tariff rates at their own discretion.
ut deprives China Of the power
TO make reciprocity arrangements
with the foreign powers. While
all foreign goods imported into
China pay only per cent, Chinese
goods exported to foreign countries
have to pay duties of maximum
rate Examples were given to show
this lack of reciprocity.