22nd September.
We have already mentioned that in silver the collection by the Imperial Maritime Customs shows a slight falling-off as compared with the same quarter of last year, though owing to the rise in exchange, it is an actual improvement when converted into vold. Compared with 1902, a remarkably good year, there was a decline of Tls. 600,000 for the quarter; but notwithstanding the war, the collection was considerably larger than in any year before 1902 and the revision of the tariff. Of the twenty-nine Chinese ports—there were thirty, bus Kumehuk seems to have been absorbed by Kongmoon—nineteen did better this year than Jast, while ten gave a smaller return, these ten being divided into three northern ports, Newchwang, Chinwangtao, and Lientsin, which are directly affected by the war; four river ports, Shasi, Hankow, Wahu, and Chinkiang; Shanghai; and two southern ports, Wenchow and Foochow. As the decline at Shanghai alone was considerably larger than the whole decline for the quarter, it will be seen that the total result is fairly satisfactory. Kiaochou, as the Customs persists in calling Tsingtao, shows a satisfactory progress; and the same may be said of Yochou. and the West River ports. The following comparative table shows. the revenue collected at each of the twenty-nine regular ports in the last three years Report of Dues and Duties, April-June Quarter, 1904: Chinese Ports.
(Un Haikuan taels.) 1903. 1908. 271,970 383,585 be Chinwangtao 11,007
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.