Some months ago, our readers will doubtless recollect, the authorities in'Chékiang Province, with a sublime disregard for all treaties and engagements, resolved to impose their own provincial tax on cigarettes. This was a matter vitally affecting the business of certain foreign firms in the country, and so Diplomatic and Consular protests were registered, and all the moral influence that could be brought to bear was- ex-excised. Chekiang decided to pursue a policy of sublime disregard, and the tax is still being levied. The example to the rest of China has been duly noted and appreciated, and now half-a-dozen provinces propose to follow suit, if some have not already done so. The latest to come within the category is our own Home province of Kiangsu—the place where we have prided ourselves upon foreign influence being strongest. The Commissioner of Finance at Nanking is sending a subordinate to Shanghai to investigate the best methods of imposing the tax, and it seems more than likely that he will meet somebody here from Hangchow and have no difficulty in creating the necessary machinery. So before many weeks are over we may expect the tax to be in operation. All this has happened because one Provincial ruler has thought fit to snap his fingers at all the Chinese and foreign authorities, and is apparently perfectly prepared to go on doing so until the crack doom, for apparently no other event of sufficient moment is likely to occur in the meantime to disturb his repose. It is one more instance of how things are being allowed to drift in China.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.