So much for General Feng' efforts to encourage the industry and agriculture of Honan; let us now have a look at the import side of the story. It must be empl sized that the picture as drawn is not peculiar to the province of Honan, but is true in a greater or less degree of the whole country at the present time and explains why foreign merchants in Shanghai have reason to complain of indifferent business.
Goods shipped from Shanghai and destined for Honan, mostly travel by steamer to Tapt, the terminus of the Lung-Hai near Haichow, and thence along the line. At Taptt there are 4wo taxes to be paid (1); military tax, (2) Likin, There is a regular tari for these taxes, but in.
case do they total less than 5 per cent.. ad valorem. As' they pass through Kueitehfu, the goods will have to pay (1) military tax (2) famine relief tax, totalling not less than 3 per cent." If the final destination of the goods Kaifeng, the following taxes are payable on arrival (1) military tax, (2) forwarding tax (3) loti. Hence goods shipped from Shahighai to Kaifeng, have to pay a total in minimum, of 11 per cent, quite apart from Chinese Maritime Customs duty and surtax in Shanghai transit passes and conveyance ecru tiffeates are quite useless. continue, if the destination of the foods is Chengchow, they pay no further taxation, but if they are shipped beyond ' there to Loyang they pay a likin of not less than 4 per cent. at Chengchow and a minimum of 2 per cqat. loti at destination, making " total of 1H per cent. in taxation for the trip from Tapu.
Bribes onthe Railway So much for taxation, but we have not finished with extortion yots There has been a great shortage of cars on the Ing-Hai for some time and it is not likely that the railway officials would let slip such a Heaven-sent opportunity for "squeeze; it is accordingly necessary, at Tapu, in order to secure eat, to pay $150/200 in bribes and a" further $100 or so to various flagman and ling-coolies," ete enroute, During the past year, there is doubt but that enormous sums fof money have been raised in Honan by taxation, although signs are now not wanting that the carly demise of the golden eggs' mother may be looked for soon: what has happened to all the money collect~ ed? Has it been spent on Famine Relief? Nothing at all—not even any part of the $120,000 that wai taken from the Famine Relief Committee at the bayonet Qn Pablic Works? Nothing at all, except one or two parks. and chile dren's" playgrounds. To pay soldiers? According to their own, account they Kaye received no pay for three months. What has become of it?
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.