China Willing if Import Duties Increased Peking, March 9.
The Government have presented a Note to the Legations pointing out that they have long had in mind the abolition of likin, but that it is necessary to find some other reliable form of revenue, as the matter affects the Government's income while the provinces largely rely on likin for administrative expenses.
The Note continues, "The Waichiaopu in May, 1919, received from the Ministers of the Powers, whose representatives signed the tariff revision agreement, a communication stating that the levying of internal duties was having an extremely in-juncus effect on the advancement of trade between China and foreign nations and greatly hoping that some method might be devised for the abolition of such duties. Again in January, 1920, Sir John Jordan handed a Note to the Waichiaopu stating that the British Chambers of Commerce in China at the Shanghai Conference had advocated the carrying out of the various clauses of section 8 of the Commercial Treaty of 1902 with the proviso that before consenting to an increase of import duties the Treaty Powers should obtain from China satisfactory guarantees that China in future would not levy any other form of direct or indirect taxation, and also reminding the Government of the earnest hopes of everyone that China would become united, this question necessarily preceding any discussion of revenue collection, for otherwise there could not be uniformity of revenue collection."
For tais Apvice Mucu Tuayxs.
"China", the Note proceeds, "is deeply grateful for this advice. The question of arranging a method of abolishing likin and increasing the import duties is at present engaging the attention of the various departments concerned. It may be stated clearly that when likin has been actually abolished and the import duties increased, likin will never again be levied directly or indirect-in the interior of China on goods of foreign nations on which increased import duties are already paid. The praiseworthy sentiments expressed by Sir John Jordan that a scheme of uniform collection must be preceded by unified government meets with the hearty concurrence of the Chinese Government.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.