To the Editor of the "Nouwrn Cura Datey New Sin,—Tae Committee of the China As-o-referring tw the provision of the Peace Protocol, by which all import duties ys to anettee ive d per cent., "all the goods on the frre list, the net gain o China's revenue Ts. 3,000,008. Mr. Taylor in his Statistical Report, p. 2, estimates the gai this year, 1902, ab Ts.
0,000.
For the purpose of this communication lo: us take the lower figure, namely Tls. 3,000,009. This represents the not gain 1 China's revenue ax allowed by the Peace Protocol. The whole of this sum derived from the imports from foreign countries, The revenue from the imports wmonnted la 1901 to Tis, 7,000,000, throwing off o Id figures, the exact amouib Tis 7,007,617; sve p. 6, Ststistical Rep An ordinary income of seven million taels has been suddenly increase by three million fuels to a total of ten million taols. It is amore matter of arithmetic to ascertain that this means an increase of 43 per cent. (forty-three per c-ut.) on the amount of revenue from the imports from foreign countries. The magnitude of this free sift has evidently escaped the notice of the General public, Mr. Ddgeon, in one of his public speeches, very properly observes, To suddenly grant un increase in the Tariff" without obtaining in return any compensatory commercial facilities, is to sirupy throw away the only available lever by which redress of trade grievances can be obtained, besides seriously throstening trade expansion." This remark should command the approval of all.
What has been done? China has been allowed to extort an inervase of 43% of the import revenue, oe in other words an increase of Tls. 30 for every is. 70 previously paid, and has given nothing in return. No amelioration of present commercial conditions has been obtained, not a reform of any nature! Chiva has coully appropriated the entire gift, and shows its gratitude by now demanding a treble duty, oF a further Tls. 20,000,000.
Some of our officials retort "this is nob true! The Chinese Government have agreed to the Whangpoo Conservancy Scheme." Is not this "adding insult to injury"? Every civilised motion on the earth in its own interest looks after its harbors and wat-tways, and China should be no exception. Notice the irony of the concession. Permission is given, forsooth, to the Whangpoo Conservancy Scheme, on the condition that Shanghai pays half the expenses! The Government will contribute a paltry two or three hundred thousand taels. China has been quietly pocketing two hundred and fifty thousand taels a month since last November, and only engages to sp-ud such a sum during ayeer. That isto say we pay China taels 3,000,000 annually and an additional say quarter million for the conservancy scheme
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.