(Specially translated for the Nurth-China Herald.)
27th April.
KALGAN CUSTOMS' RETURNS, P'u Ting, Customs Superintendent at Kalgan, reports that during the year ended the Ist day of the tenth moon of Kuang Hsii XVIIL he collected duty to the extent of Tis, 38,754.86 and 3,349 tivo of cash equal to Tls. 2,233.84, a total of Ts. 40,988. OF this sum Tls. 20,004.21 must be deducted on account of the ordinary regula tion amount of duty that has annually to be collected at this station, which leaves a balance of Tls. 20,983.89 on account of supernumerary duty, or a deficit under this head of Tls. 19,672 90. Memorialist would point out that of this sum'Tls. 5,058.89 was short collected by his predecessor who who remained in charge for some time fore he himself took up his post and that the deficit he has to account for is Ils. 13,914.10. The chief sources of revenue of the Kalgan Customs have been tea from the South, hides from Chiakotu, and cattle imported by merchants in China. Since trade with Russia has been opened up the Bussians do their own tea importation and need not pay duty. The Chinese merchants have likewise gradually decreased in numbers and the result is that the amount of duty annually collected hus greatly fallen off. Memorialist has used every endeavour to maintain the former Pin fey but has found it impossible.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.