Tue total collection by the Imperial Maritime Customs at the nineteen treaty ports in China in the second quarter of 1888 was Tls. 6,182,868 this year in the same quarter it was only "Pls. 5,298,704, a very material decline; on the other hand 1889 is ahead of 1887, when the collection was only Tls. 4,899,097. Here is a falling-off from last year of nearly Ts. 900,000, and the question is, how it has arisen. The first column that we look at is opium, as from that staple so large a part of the revenue is derived. Opium, then, we find accounts for something 3 over Ts. 300,000 of the deficit, the total of the opium duty and likin received in April-June, 1888, having been Tls. 2,257,000, and in the same period 1889, Tls. 1,954,000. The tea ports alone will account for the rest of the deficit, the collection in Foochow having been Ils. 450,000 under last year's; but as to this we shall see more clearly when we come to take the ports separately. Meanwhile it is interesting to refer to the following table, in which the Corean treaty ports—which also shew a decline—and the two preventive ports, Kowloon and Lappa—which shew a slight improvement—are not included.
Report of Dues and Duties, April-June Quarter, 1889: Chinese Treaty Ports. Fase, Newchwang Tientsin Chefoo Tehang Hankow.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.