AN EMBARGO ON KEROSENE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2558, 1 December 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN EMBARGO ON KEROSENE.

The Chinese Retaliating.

A short time ago the news was telegraphed that the Chinese authorities centemplated the exclusion of kerosene oil from their ports as an act of retaliation for the American exclusion of Chinese immigrants. We have now some fuller information on this head furnished to Tho Times by its Canton correspondent. It appears that the Viceroy of Canton, the famous Chang Chihtung, addressed a memorial to the Emperor containing a terrible indictment of kerosene oil. He

brings a long series of charges against it. Not long ago, he says, it caused the destruction of 400 houses in Swatow ; just

before that it burnt a steamer to the water's edge, taking the lives of about SOO persons ; shortly afterwards it burnt out lOOOfamilies in Canton and destroyed 10,000,000 dollar's worth of property. It is responsible, according to tiie Viceroy, for niue-teuths of the tires occurring every winter in the city of Canton, and therefore he denounces it. He declares that it has clone incalculable injury to life and property ; that it is worse than opium, being more swift and terrible in its deadlines* ; and that it has almost destroyed and native industry in peanut, colza and bean oil. On account of these evil deeds the Viceroy did his beat last year to kill the trade in kerosene by raising the inland transit dues, but in vain. The vitality of the destroyer was too much even for him, so he now approaches the throne to seek for aid in the struggle with the fnrewu trader, who, under the guise of friendship insists on profiting himself by introducing an article highly injurious to the welfare of China. There is no difficulty, pursues his Excellency, in the way of putting a stop to the baneful traffic iu this illuminant, because by a treaty of ISSI with America provision was made to limit Chinese immigration to that country and prevent its increase, as the competition of Chinese labour was fonndto be objeotioniable, and " if they can prohibit our going there because Chinese labour is injurious to their interests, we have an equal right to prohibit the importation of kerosene when it is injurious to us. The law that nations have a right to protect.their own interests and prevent injury being done to their people, applies to both countries alike, if there be any justice ; and when either Government act on this principle no objection can be raised by the other." On this priuciple, therefore, tho Viceroy would iimtantly have a stop put to the import of the most important article of American trade with China. It must be confessed that this is put with a great deal of logical cogency, and it is not ea»y to see on what ground the Viceroy's reasoning can be challenged. If the proposal be carried out, it will be a very nasty blow to American trade. The Chinese evidently mean to make it very plain that they know how to take their own part. This move is a very astute stroke of diplomacy.—N. 'A, Times.