Decennial Reports on the Trade, Navigation, Industries, etc., of the Ports Open to Foreign Commerce in China, and on the Condition and Development of the Treaty Port Provinces, 1812-21 (fourth issue).

2vols. Large 4to. 13, 8 lithographed plates, tables, and maps (many large folding), complete. Original printed wrappers (minor damage to spine). Occasional minor wear, staples rusty, but overall still a very good set. vi, 398; vi, 460 pp. Shanghai, Statistical Department of the Inspectorate General of Customs, 

The China Maritime Customs Service (aka. Imperial Maritime Customs Service) was founded in 1854 in order to administer the collection of taxes after this became impossible during the Taiping rebellion. It was notionally controlled by the Imperial Qing government, but was in fact largely staffed by foreigners (in the higher ranks) who reported to an Inspector General (Nelson Lay & Sir Robert Hart). All foreigners had to be fluent in Chinese, and the Service prided itself on its efficiency, and the unbiased enforcement of the tax collecting regime on foreigners and Chinese alike. By 1900 they were collecting about a third of the total tax revenue available to the Qing government. They were also involved in the postal administration, harbour and waterway management, lighthouse construction, weather reporting, and the policing of coastal areas and the Yangtze.  

The present fourth issue covers the years from 1912 to 1921. Vol. 1 deals with the Northern and Yangtze Ports (incl. Harbin, Mukden, Tianjin, Hankou, Wuhu and Nanjing), while vol. 2 describes the Southern and Frontier Ports (incl. Shanghai, Fuzhou, Canton, Kowloon, and Lappa) together with an appendix of trade statistics. “In compiling the fourth issue of our Decennial Reports… the format of the last issue should be again adhered to. While recognising that much has been written in previous reports and that repetition is to be avoided as far as possible, the coming volumes should be replete with events of historical interest: revolution and fall of the Manchus, European War and its effects on local conditions, unprecedented rise (and fall) in the price of silver, , trade depressions and trade booms, the Japanese boycott, civil strife, extraterritoriality withdrawn from some and refused to others, are a few of the items which have been suggested by the Statistical Secretary as providing useful material. Furthermore, the growth of native industries and China’s evolution, during the decade, on the road to industrial independence will also make interesting reading.” (Circular no. 3082, p. viii).

Stock Code: 252569