Since the arbitrary action taken by the Viceroy at Nanking in ordering the Huangpu ey Board to dissolve at the end of November, the question of the fatare of the conservancy works has been exercising the minds of the local public associations, such s the Chamber of Commerce and the China Association, so well as the Consular Body. A practical scheme for desiing with this important matter has now been evolved and we publish it below. It has already received the consent of majority of the Chamber of Commerce, and of the committees of the China Association and the American Associa tion, and has been submitted to the kindred Associations, It was intended that asa matter of courtesy—a point that should have appealed to all those into whose hands the draft scheme came—it should not be published until it bad been formally submitted to the Consular Body, whose approval i necessary, if the scheme is to find favour in Peking. The premature publication on Saturday of a rechaujé of the proposals, however, renders it necessary that the fall text of the scheme should be made known. In regard to Clause 4 it will be noted that the expression "having, agreed" pro-supposes the approval of all those concerned. This approval has yet to be obtained.
The proposed scheme is as follows:—Boa of the Conservancy Board, shall con-slat of the Shanghai Taotai, the Customs Commissioner and the Coast Inspector.
2.—The authority with which the Conservancy Board is invested is delegated to it by the Imperial Chinese Government; and consequently the Board la in no way subordinate to the Provincial Authorities. The several members of the Board have, as equal authority, and the opinion of the majority is to be determinative,—The Board shall have entire charge of the finances connected with conservancy matters. In this connexion (a) The original annual Government grant of Tis 460,000 shall periodically, on fixed dates, be paid to the Board's accounts, in whatever bank or banks sach accounts may be kept, and the Board will take charge of the existing conservancy loan account and will provide for the payment of the principal and interest as they fall due, (b) Alli conservancy fands, in whose-ever's bands, shall, within thirty days of the promulgation of this Agreement, be paid to; the, Conservancy Board account.
Any new annual Government grant that may be made shall periodically, on fixed dates, be paid in fall to the Conservancy Board's account.
The conservancy tax on imports and exports referred toin Article 4, shall be collected by the Commissioner of Customs and shall periodically, on fixed dates, be paid to the Conservancy joard's account, The Conservancy Board will dis arse conservancy fands for the execu tion of the necessary works and for maintenance of staff and office at its discretion. Cheques will be cashed on the signatures of any two membera,
merce and Associations representing the 4. The several Chambers of Com-Commercial interests of Shangtaibarjing agreed to the raising of a tax for conservancy purposes, consisting of 3 cent of the Customs Daties and, in the the case of duty-free goods, of one and a half per mille of value, the tax shall be dealt with, as provided for in Article 3 (d), as soon as such formalities as are necessary to regularize it have been completed and notified to the Conservancy Board by the Ministers, 5. For all contracts in connexion with the works, snd for the purchase of material or machinery, ete, public tendors will be invited, and the tender offering the most advantageous conditions accepted.
6. The Conservancy Board shall appoint, at its discretion, and shall control the staff necessary for the work to be effected, including the Secretary and Engineer-in-7. The general jurisdiction of ti Conservancy Board extends over the
tidal limit, that is to say, with-Hosagpa from the Yangtee to its in those limite—betwoen the high water lines—no operation which may possibly affect the regimen of the river shall be undertaken without consent, nor without sach consent shall pontoons or balks connected with the shore be established.
All applications for the Board's consent for works, ete., on the Haangpa below the upper harbour limit, aboli be made to the Harboor Master and be replied to by him as heretofore, The control of the River Police, of sanitary arrangements, of aids to navigation and of pilotage, remain as heretofore in the hands of the Imperial such, Maritime Customs.
8 Under the Conservancy Agroement of 1905 provision that the Conservancy fands benefit by the sale of Crowa lands, in so far as such sales are rendered justifiable by the conservancy scheme, was left undefined. Daring the operation of that agreement large quantities of Crowalands, with the Oonservancy normal Hine as a boundary, have been sold by the Shenko Office, by which the Conservancy fands should have, but have not benefited.
This matter needs settlement, but is too involved to be dealt with herein, It therefore decided that, subsequent to the promulgation of this Agreement, this matter be jointly investigated by the Taotai and the Consular Body, as a preliminary to the addition of a sapplementary article to this agreement.
9.—The duties of the Conservancy are (1) At an early date to come toa conclusion in consultation with the Engineer-in-Charge concerning What should be the ultimate aim of conservancy works,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.