Increasing Notice Taken in London of Violation of Treaties British houses trading with the East are seriously concerned at the manner in which the Provinces of China have lately been imposing taxation of their own upon certain foreign imports in defiance of all 'Treaty obligations, says the "Times" City "Editor. For more than' a generation past trade between China and the other Powers has been governed by Treaties "under which importers were entitled, upon payment of a commutation transit tax at the port of loading, to send goods into the interior free' of all further charges. The condition was clearly Inid down in the Treaty of Tientsin, made in 1858 between Great Britain and China, and a similar one appears in the Treaties with the other Powers. It was reaffirmed as recently ds 1896 in the Japan-China Treaty, the transit duty defined in which applies (of course) to all other nations under the most-favoured nation clause. The reason for the disturbance of an arrangement that for so long has worked to the advantage of international trading interests, including those of China herself, lies in the breakdown that has occurred in the central government of the Celestial Empire Need for Remedial Action...
Increased acts of lawlessness on the part of the provinces have developed to an extent amounting to the virtual ignoring of central authority. The province of Chekiang, in her disregard of foreign treaties, has been one of the worst offenders, Attention was drawn in Parliament fa year ago to the action of this province in imposing a 20 per cent. tax on eigarettes—an example which was also adopted by Fukien—but to-day, apparently, matters a told that transit passes are practically ignored in Chekiang and all classes of goods One suggestion, and it comes from China, is that the Lega hould assist the Peking Government to maintain the treaty for which she still professes a respect—by recognizing Chekiang's declaration of independence as the justification for indulging in fiscal retaliation against her. Tt is urged that Chekiang produce (with certain exceptions) leaving the province for other provinces or for Shanghai should be treated as coming from a foreign country and taxed accordingly, and that simultaneously a blockade on all telegrams into and out of Chekiang might be imposed. Action of this sort proved effectual a few years ago in Canton when that province attempted to flout the authority of the central Government, Whatever course is adopted, the need for prompt and effective action will not be gain said. There are more than enough artificial barriers trade already.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.