dec. 29. perial decree as far back as 1713.
Gad pack' he) Weiettt mised his subjects that the land tax should remain fixed and im-
A samper of developments are}mutable for all time, no increase taking place in China of which, being permitted in any cir-owing to the greater interest of }cumstances.
According! the war, there is some danger of tax note for each lot of land to-losing sight. One of these is re-day gives the rate of assessment form of the land tax, a subject|arrived at over two centuries by no means new but brought ago. A second difficulty is the for the first time—unless all re jealous regard each provincial cent news has been misleading—government feels for its own ad-into the arena of practical poli-ministrative powers. Reform of ties. Peking is, apparently, for the land tax cannot be done piece-once in earnest in its desire to|meal must be worked out on increase the income it derives}@ co-ordinated plan handled from this neglected source of re-central authority. And in the In addition to other steps, got as far as telegraph-g to the various provincial governments requesting the despatch of experienced officials to a round table conference. The problem to be put before them is capable of the briefest statement. The land tax at present brings in under Tls. 53,000,000 and properly administered could, in the opinion of various competent authorities, produce between s and eight times as_ much.
mongst their names is that of the late Sir Robert Hart whose execution of the plan the Government will have to call in the assistance of foreign experts. The last of the Manchus never felt strong enough to tackle so formidable a programme, and when a scheme attended by some of its difficulties, that, namely, of railway nationalizathey came hopelessly—10 grief. Yuan Shih-kai has the advantage of being, theoretically at all events, the chosen head of yet the obstacles which the Manchus refused to face confront him too, estimate and suggestions have been taken out of their dusty pigeon hole and are to provide the material for the proposed discussions. He calculated that' the whole able land in China might amount to 4,000,000,000 mow, which, on the basis of 200 cash Unquestionably, however, the matter has got to be taken in hand. The source of all China's troubles is bad finance and she 's rapidly coming to an end, if indeed she has not actually done so already, of her ability to borrow. Everything almost is pledged and yet the limits of her per mow, and taking a tael ss|financial requirements are very equivalent to 2,000 cash, should far from being reached. An en-yield a revenue of Tls. 400,000.- ormous amount of work remains 000. So magnificent an access to be done before her house will of financial strength would be be in order and meanwhile events sufficient to make any Govern-have taken place which must ment's mouth water, and the bring her more and more to the surpris g thing is that the Chin-front of world politics. The fall ese Government, always out 1t/of Tsingtao and the elimination elbows, has never yet had the|of Germany from any ''say"' in courage to put itself in a position) the destinies of the Far—Kast to receive it. A European war./have prepared the ground for a with the consequent closure of rearrangement and regroupin, customary money markets, bas} foreign interests at a time en of been_ necessary to screw Peking|the opening of the Panama anal up to the preliminary steps. has given the Pacific an entirely It is true that the proposed re-]new political significance. The form has been and is to-comfortable aloofness behind day faced with very real difficul-which China has sheltered for so ties. Not the least of these is]many centuries has gone for ever the suspicion and sullen opposi-and consequently the necessity tion always aroused by the pros-she is under of making herself pect of increased taxation, in|strong, or pay the usual pend which respect China nolty, has become immeasurably means unique. Special circum greater. Indulgence has been stances, however, have made any ended to her in the past which change in her land system pecul-cannot possibly be as long suf-larly dangerous, one being the fering in future:—opportuni-permanence given to it by Tm-tics have been given her which Original from
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.