Sir William Foot Mitchell's survey of business conditions in Chine at the annual meeting of the Chartered Bank in London on Thursday draws attention to one ominous fact—the decline in Customs and other Government revenues. While there may be adduced several causes contributory to this decline Government circles cannot but be perturbed at the increase in smuggling in North China which is among these causes. Independent evidence of the amazing developments in the smuggling business is furnished by a foreign traveller from Peitaihi quoted in the "North China Star, who reported the fact that there were eight ships anchored off Peitaiho Beach last Sunday and large quantities of goods, including sugar and clothing material, were being unloaded on the beach. He added:
Peltatho beach now resembles 9 booming port." Rickshaw coolles, fishermen, watchmen of foreign and Chinese, beach houses have. become stevedores "and are reaping a. rich harvest. Ships are coming and going and. the traffic In goods, apparently fomiraband, fz in full swing.
Political reasons seriously handicap ction regarding this section of China but as smuggling is continuing in other parts of China where the Customs authorities are unable to exercise freely their full powers of prevention, a situation has developed which must seriously reflect on the revenue situation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.