Chiang Kai-shek has resigned and gone to Ningpo, It is alleged that it was on his instructions that the local Postal Commissioner refused to accept this paper for the mails. But now Chiang Kai-shek has gone and has no further very questionable authority over the foreign postal commis-ioner. Nothing has as yet been done to remove the ban, though an excellent opportunity seems now afforded the Postal Commissioner to reassert the authority he once was believed to have, Ministers, but also directly with the Customs and Chinese Officials and through the National Chambers of Commerce with whom they cooperate.
The attitude of the Chamber respecting the contemplated tax if they are enforced on September 1 is that apart from their illegal lity and contravention of all Jarrangements with Treaty nationals they will have disastrous results and eventually react most seriously on these who have imposed them, The attempt to remove the transit duties, coast trade duties, Native Customs duties, constitutes a direct interference with the, Customs machinery for the aggrandizement of cne particular political party jand this should not be allowed. The above taxes have been eurmarked for foreign and domestic loans and represent Tis, 24,000,000.—in revenue annually* which it is me tended to eliminate by a stroke of the pen with no alternative revenue except exorbitant increases in dues which are not received by the Customs.
With regard to abolishing Likin, the Chamber does not believe its removal can be accomplished by September 1, 1927, even if it could the effect would be comparatively The tonnage surtax besides being, in contravention of the Treaties is, even at its reduced amount, a heavy burden on what is alrendy a very expensive port and should be at once removed.
'The production tax heads for suicide of local industries and it will, at a time when conditions are none too good even without these impositions, cause a very large amount of' unemployment.
The Chamber continues to take all possible measures against the imposition of these various restraints on trade and it feels quite sure the public, both Chinese and Foreign, are equally opposed to all such radical and ill advised creases in the form of surtaxes at a time when trade is in n very uncertain and parlous condition.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.