The Chinese General Chamber of Commerce has despatched the following telegram urging the abolition of likin and an increase in the Customs tariff The likin system is extremely detrimental to the interests of the country and the merchants. We merchants have been hoping for a long time to see it abolished. Owing to the fact that the Customs tariff could not be increased immediately there was not another sum of money to cover what would have been brought in by the likin system. Now that the Customs tariff is being increased by five per cent. and will later be increased in all to 25 per cent., there will easily be sufficient to cover what is now being collected in the form of likin. Such was the decision reached at the Washington Conference. This Chamber of Commerce has requested the Central Government to treat such increased Customs tariff as likin, which we suggest should at once be abolished. We hava also telegraphed to the New Consortium and the Director-General of Revenues, urging them not to accept the increased Customs tariff revenues as security for new loans, or any other purpose that will not be recognized by the Chinese people. It is our wish that you should ce-operate with us in advocating this.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.