The great common menace is Tariff Autonomy. If Tarif? Autonomy but meant a tant, while generously conceived yet justly maintained, on economically sound principles; if it meant, too, tariffs centrally adminis tered by the State for the State, we traders would surely recognize that autonomy had been merited. Shame con us if we did not! But autonomy to-day means, if it means anything Li, that the military incubus of is to be given its own sweet to what taxation or impositions can be imposed—that, whenever. this or that war chest is exhausted, a decree will go forth for-money, more money and yet more money, to finance civil war and yet more civil We know it is not so. Not only do the mournful records that we have just read over, but also the almost daily evidence, available as I write, at our very doors here in Hankow, of high-handed arbitrary militarism, drive it home to us that the Military incubus is still a law unto itself.
Private property is still being occupied without compensation, pri-Yate clubs are still liable to ex-tortious without notice, private cars are still being stolen at the pistol point. Civil administration is the favourite target of Military inscience and incompetency.
All this despite the fact that we Merchants have done our utmost to war.
Your Chairman when reviewing the year of 1925 then sai quite prepared. for tard' autonomy Speaking quite frankly, we were from the beginning for it is the fi vious "conclusion "to. which round Feasoning. brings one:" naturally it Mould have. to" be. accompanied by Mequate' safeguards "which intact mom. Gentlemen, and that very imminent is that Tariff Autonomy is coming, but without the condite sine que non.
The advice that your out-going Committee ventures to leave behind them is that this Chamber sees to it. that it does share, and_ that quickly, towards giving the fullest possible support to the Hankow
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.