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THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES AND THE TREATY WITH JAPAN
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
advantages. It is now left to the colonies themselves to say whether they will accept these advantages, coupled with reciprocity of treatment as regards right of residence, or will forego the advantages and shut out | Japanese immigration; or whether they can suggest a middle course that will be equally advantageous to themselves and acceptable to Japan. It is improbable that Japan will enter into any agreement by which her subjects would be formally recognised as a proscribed race, but she might possibly be willing to place some restrictions upon emigration which would remove the Austra- lians' fear of a great influx of Japanese into their colonies. It is to be noted, however, that the United States, which are as violently opposed to Chinese in migration as are the Australian colonies, do not extend their objections to Japanese immigration, and in the treaty they have recently concluded with Japan they have agreed to reciprocal rights of residence.
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BRITISH SHIPOWNERS AND ·
FOREIGN TRADE.
[October 10, 1895.
ment and giving it to foreigners. The hostile rates of freight which British ship- owners are imposing on British trade are in fact becoming a more serious item in the calculations of the British manufacturer than the hostile tariffs of foreign countries. For the time being the shipowner may be mak- ing profits by the extraordinary course of action he pursues, but the policy is no more enlightened than that of a farmer who should accept a contract to divert from his own property a stream on which his fields were dependent for irrigation.
COMMERCIAL ATTACHÉS.
New South Wales has its first question of foreign policy on hand, and it
appears not to know very well what to do with it. The question is whether the colony should accept the Japanese treaty or not. By section 19 it is provided that the stipulations of the treaty shall not be applicable to cer- tain enumerated colonies, including the Australian colonies, but may be made applicable to any of them on whose behalf notice to that effect shall have been given to the Japanese Government by Her Britannic Majesty's representative at Tokyo within two years from the date of the exchange of
In the House of Commons on the 30th ratifications, The colonies are therefore
August an interesting debate took place on free to accept or leave the treaty as they
the vote for the Diplomatic and Consular may deem best in their own interests, and
services, in which reference was made to the this is the question that now confronts the
question of appointing commercial attachés. New South Wales Government and Legisla-
At present we have three such attachés ture. One year has already elapsed since the
-Sir JOSEPH CROWE, for Western Europe; ratifications were exchanged and still no de
Mr. LAW, who has charge of Russia, Persia, cision has been arrived at. On the 11th
and Asiatic Turkey; and Mr. WRENCH, at September a question on the subject was
Constantinople. Sir A. ROLLIT suggested asked in the Legislative Council; of the
that one Ministry of Commerce and Industry, colony, and the Attorney-General in his
While British merchants and mann-absorbing the functions of the Board of reply said the matter was still under con-
facturers are eagerly seeking new markets Trade and of the commercial department of sideration, that this was the first occasion on British shipowners are busy transferring old the Foreign Office, would better serve which a question of foreign policy had been established trade connections from British our commercial interests than the pre- brought before the Colonial Government, to foreign ports and giving foreign merchants. sent arrangement, and, with reference that the treaty bristled with advantages, but and manufacturers advantages over their to the question of commercial attachés, on the other hand there were some dan- British rivals. A great outcry is raised if he suggested that there should be a repre- gerous clauses, and what the Government preferential rates of duty are accorded to sentative in the Far East and made re had to do was to get the benefits of the Chinese junks as against foreign shipping ference to the important commercial in- treaty without its disadvantages. The on the Canton River; but British ship-terests of Great Britain in China and Japan. dangerous clauses" are those which secure owners have themselves no hesitation in Sir C. DILKE doubted whether the com- to the subjects of each of the two high con- according foreign shippers preferential mercial attaché system was the best that tracting powers full liberty to enter, travel, rates of freight, which appears no less could be devised.” It tended to make the or reside in' any part of the dominions and inequitable, besides being more short- other members of the Embassies and possessions of the other and immunity from sighted, for the Native. Customs at Canton Legations think it was not their business to any higher imposts or charges than those are at least fighting for what they be prepare commercial reports.. In his opinion imposed on native subjects. If the Auslieve to be their own and their nationals' it would be better to put more prominently tralian colonies accept the treaty they interests, whereas the British shipowner is before the staffs the commercial side of their will be precluded from passing any working for alien interests in return for functions. Mr. Curzo—in replying for the laws in restriction of Japanese immigra- pecuniary advantages which at best can be Government. said the commercial depart- tion. Herein lies the difficulty. A but temporary, for when their policy has ment of the Foreign Office, although un- ready there is an agitation in progress worked itself out and the bulk of the over-sea ostentatious in its operations, was certainly against Japanese immigration, and so strong trade has been transferred from England to a most important one, and those operations is the feeling in the matter that the Sydney the Continent British shipowners will be were capable of bearing most practical Morning Herald declares that the danger of allowed but a small share in the carrying of results. As head of that particular depart- over-immigration from Japan is far from it. It is to British trade that British shipment he looked forward to a period of being a sentimental one and that the dis owners must chiefly look for employment, and activity and energy on behalf of the com- advantage at which such an influx would to assist in throttling British trade for a mercial interests of this country. As to put the colony far outweighs any possible merely temporary advantage is a suicidal commercial attachés he said this question of commercial advantage that might accrue policy to pursue. How the arrangement increasing their number had been discussed from the acceptance of the treaty. If, works from this end may be gathered from more than once, and doubts had been thrown says our contemporary, the Government the following extract from Messrs. WELCH, on the policy of doing so, nine years ago by can get concessions under the treaty without Lewis & Co.'s Shanghai tea trade report:--- the right hon. member for Aberdeen (Mr. accepting the objectionable clauses so much "The Steamer Conference as at present BRYCE) and in 1890 by a Royal Commis- the better; but "on the question of the un- "worked is adverse to the trade with London, sion presided over by the present Home
restricted admission of the Asiatic alien
"In Hankow the steamer Pingsuey was Secretary. It was said that the appoint- "we have no choice."
loading for London at £3 10s. a ton of 40 ment of commercial attachés would be cubic feet, while the Oanfa, belonging to regarded as an excuse for the neglect of “the same line, was loading for Odessa at commercial matters by other members of “about half the money. Steamers are now embassies, and that capable men, unless on the berth for New York at £1 15s., they could command large salaries, would "while the rate to London is maintained at prefer private commercial careers. With "£2 10s. Fifteen shillings a ton on tea these authoritative opinions against the costing Tis. 11 to 15 means 6 to 8 per proposal the Government could not adopt cent. on the lay down cost, besides which it with anything like precipitation. He "the export demand in London is lessened, spoke in high terms of the character of
and the market there loses valuable sup the consular reports and said that port." Similar arrangements prevail at the other end, both in respect to the trade with China and that with Australia. For instance, paper manufactured on the Con- tinent will be carried by British steamers from Continental ports to Australia at lower rates of freight than paper manufactured in England will be carried from English ports to Australia. British paper manufacturers con- sequently find it to their interest to establish manufactories on the Continent, thereby depriving the British workman of employ-
"
C
was
The Sydney Morning Herald is of opinion that "the thoughtfulness of the home Govern- "ment in leaving the colonies a choice in "such a matter is to be commended, and courtesy requires that it be acknowledged by this colony expressing her intentions in the matter before the term of consideration expires. The "thoughtfulness probably as much for the convenience of the Foreign Office as for the susceptibilities of the colonies. Had the treaty been made generally applicable and the colonies had afterwards chosen to prohibit Japanese im- migration the difficulty of settling the matter with Japan would have rested with the Foreign Office, and it would not have been a small one. As it is, the colonies are left to settle the matter for themselves. They are anxious to extend their trade with Japan, for the furtherance of which object both Victoria and South Australia have sent special mis- sions, and the treaty secures great tradal
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doubtedly despatch in the matter was of great importance, but what was also im- portant was that more merchants should "read the reports. Very often suggestions "of the highest value were repeated in them "without receiving the slightest attention. "He did not know what the sale of the "reports was, but he ventured to say it was not what it ought to be, and if his "hon. friend tould increase the reading "capacity of his clients rather than suggest "the imposition of greater work on the