Chang Chih-wan refers to the report by the Director-General of the Yellow River regarding proposed reforms in connection with the river works, and the Imperial Rescript thereon, directing the Board eon-cerned to take note, which was issued on the Sth of October.
The original report stated inter alia that the most important thing to consider in river works was the safeguarding of the dangerous points and only after that had been done should regard be had to economy.
ne funds devoted to works on the river have a variety of names, and applications for these have to be made to the Provincial Treasury, which after Long delay issues the necessary money, amounting every year to over Is, 600,000: so that when there is need of the money no preparation can be jo to meet the sudden demand, and n there is no need for it it is simply keted. It is therefore proposed to make a change in the regulations and apply for a yearly fixed sum of Tis, 600,000 to be called of which the coat of all ordinary repair will fixed allowance per year for repairs" out
have to be met; no increase to be applied for and all previous names for the various monies to be done away with. Of this amount Tls. 480,000 shall go to the seven Tings, who shall make four quarterly applications tothe Provincial Trensury for the same, and Ts, 120,000 to the Ho Fang Chi, who will send a deputy to receive the money. Thus it is hoped that every cash will be devoted to the original purpose, and should any further abuses arise the Director-General will take the responsibility on himself. Tt also states that regarding the memorial presented by the Supervising Censor Chang T'ing-lino calling for the abolition of the many abuses connected withthe river works and asking thata special sum be appropriated. to defray' the office expenses of the various offices connected therewith, memorialist. would observe that there are eleven yamens connected with the river works, the expenses of which taken all in allure not under Tls. 75,000, and would ask that this be taken as the fixed allowance. With reference to the foregoing memorialist would submit thatin enquiry he finds that in 1864 the then Director of the Yellow River applied for a yearly fixed allowance of Tls. 20,000 but that ina very short time he applied for sums varying in amount to supplement this allowance. In 1884 two Imperial Commissioners sent to report on the'Yellow River gave a sum ranging from Tls. 40,500 per annum as quite sufficient for all ordinary purposes; in extreme cases it might be extended to Tls. 60,000. The sum now
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.