108
character after that event and blew a steady barricane, the oscillations of the barometer at same time becoming much smaller and eventually dying away altogether.
I should add that the aneroid barometer from which the above readings were taken is a new one just received from England and is compensated for temperature.
MT. KELLETT. Hongkong, 1st August, 1896.
POSTAL DEFICIENCIES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “DAILY PRE88.”
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
FRÁNCH Designs oN THE CHI-
SIE,-As the question of providing improved accommodation for the existing Post Office is now under discussion, you will perhaps grant me space to note one or two other points about the postal arrangements here which seem un- satisfactory to the casual visitor in these parts. In the first place, why is there not a sub-Post Office at Kowloon? The geographical situa- tion of Kowloon seems to require it, the popu- lation there would fully justify it, and it would further to some extent relieve the congestion
NESE CUSTOMS SERVICE.
We translate the following article from the Courrier d'Haiphong :
August 5, 1896:
these
to serve as an outlet the Protectorate could advantage and that of of China, provided that only sent. What educational qu When the Chinese Imperial Customs Service required of them? A knowled was established the administration was entrusted and Chinese, colloquial Manda to three directors—an Englishman, a French-spoken Mandarin. There is nothing man, and an American. They represented the
these gentlemen acquiring even at countries which had first signed treaties with indispensable qualifications, except to China, and they protected the interests of their themselves by practice. China is at the moment nationals in order to maintain the balance of sympathetic towards Frenchmen. Let us the privileges that these treaties conferred upon Government will baye need of foreigners f by this disposition? Before long the Chine them. Very soon, however, in consequence of numerous incidents, the office of director fell her Customs, Postal, and Telegraph Services into the hands of a single high functionary, the perhaps even for her internal administ
Needless to say, he used all English director.
A large number of Frenchmen could his efforts to secure the preponderance for find there employment for their energies his nationals, who obtained the greatest abilities. Only the will is required. number and the most important of the appointments. Other nations having afterwards | A CHINESE NATIONAL BANK AND opened relations with China, they were also
ANOTHER LOAN, allowed to place a certain number of their sub- jects in the Imperial Customs Service. Germany especially has profitted by this privilege, and at the central office. The convenience to re-
has sent to China men of sterling merit. As sidents of Kowloon would be very great, espe
every one knows, France greatly contributed cially under the present rule, which requires to the opening of China to foreign trade, them to send to the latter place for parcels, nor
and she had a right to preserve a pre- would the extra expense be large. Indeed, as
ponderant position in the Customs Service every extra convenience in the way of posting However, her nationals to-day figure on y letters, &c., tends to increase their number, the in the fourth rank and with rare ex additional cost would probably ere long be conceptions they occupy only inferior positions. siderably discounted by increased revenue
The English, the Americans, the Germans have from postage stamps. Most big towns with any
taken possession of the most important and pretensions to an efficient postal service have
most lucrative appointments. It is only re- sub-post offices in districts far easier of access cently-perhaps on account of the important to the central one than is Kowloon to Hong-part played by France in the events that followed kong. This former place has apparently to put the China-Japan war-that the Inspector- up with a single pillar box, but is fortunate General has seemed to care to appoint a French compared with other places outside Victoria man to an important post, that of Commis- and the Peak District, where there are, it seems,
sioner. It has been known all along that no facilities whatever for either the collection the Inspector-General songht only to favour or delivery of correspondence. Surely places his own countrymen. However, we cannot such as Pokfolum and Aberdeen might at least blame him, himself an Englishman, for having have a pillar box.
systematically overlooked the Frenchmen, France is responsible for her own indifference. What has she done to combat English influence? Has she even tried to maintain her privileges in China? While many young men well educated and energetic, from the best schools in England. America, and Germany, seek to employ their education in the Chinese Customs Service, where they expect some time to attain to magnificent situations which are veritable sinecures, Frenchmen prefer to serve in the administration of their own country with emoluments that are often ridiculously small. The young Frenchman of to-day has a scientific and practical education which com- pares favourably with that of the graduates of Oxford or Harvard. Why does he not try to find, and why does his country pot aid him in finding, lucrative employment abroad, thus contributing to augment the in- fluence which his country wishes to acquire?
Secondly, for what occult reason does the Hongkong Post Office depart from the practice prevailing in most civilised countries and decline to deliver parcels at the addressees' residences The only possible reason one can think of (be yond that of saving the department trouble) is the fear that they might be stolen by the post. man. Obviously the way to guard against this is to employ men on higher pay, giving sub- stantial security for this work, as is done in India. Those of your readers who have lived in that country will probably be able to asanago any fears the Postmaster-General may feel on the subject. The present practice undoubt- edly causes a good deal of delay and incon- venience to many of us.
Perhaps attention might also be directed to the somewhat curious hours-noon and 4 p.m. --for delivery at the Peak. It would be difficult to understand how the convenience of the resi- dents can possibly be served by the selection of such hours as these. I would suggest 7.30 a.m. and 4 p.m. as more suitable, the former delivery being delayed in cases where the mail has ar- rived at or passed Gap Rock by 7 o'clock.
I can hardly close this letter without advert- ing on the very dirty condition of some of the pillar boxes, which would be considered discredit- able in a bankrupt South American republic. Surely an extra coat of paint all round would not ruin the Post Office. Why, also, are not the pillar boxes provided with slips showing the time of next delivery. There may of course be very satisfactory and sufficient reasons for the above deficiencies of the local Post Office, even for the disreputable condition of certain pillar boxes. All I can say is that these reasons, if they exist, do not commend themselves to the, perhaps, somewhat obtuse intelligence of an
OUTLANDER.
· Hongkong, 3rd August, 1896.
The Secretary of the Punjom Mining Co., Limited, advises us that he has received the following telegram from the Mine, being the result of the July clean-up :-" The mill ran 27 days crushing 1,100 tons of ore yielding 515 oz8. of smelted gold, sixty tons of concentrates calcined yielding 84 ozs. of gold."
|
Peking, 17th July, A short time ago an official Chinese National Bank was projected by Dr. Yung Wing, the capital of which was to be ten millions o of taaly provided by the Board of Revenue. This scheme has fallen through. The Russo-Chinese Bank entered the breach and through the Russian Minister a plan of a National Bank under its auspices was presented to the Chinese Govern- ment. The matter was referred to the Board of Revenue. It was intended that the Bank should collect taxes, coin money, issue notes, ‚make loans, and, in short, transact throughout the Empire all Government business. The scheme reminds us somewhat of the celebrated one of Mitkiewicz which Li Hung-chang so foolishly sanctioned a few years ago. It was, of course, doomed to failure. its octopus-like grasp embracing too much. The hand that would grasp too much is in danger of losing all. The idea of starting a non-official Bank met with some encouragement and the idea is not abandoned, only in abeyance at present. The Deutsch-Asiatische Bank next essayed to secure - the concession and a petition to this effect and embracing very much the terms of the Russo- Chinese Bank was presented to the Board of Revenue, but it too was rejected. The last attempt is that of an American Syndicate with the
assistance of the projector of the official Bank, and backed up it is said by the former Chinese Minister to the United States who is one of the Vice-Presidents of the Board of Revenue, and it is reported that it is likely to succeed. It would have foreigners in its employ who would be distributed all over China. Such a scheme. looks favourable. The United States Legation is doing all within its power, as is natural, to assist this Syndicate of its nationals, and they have an able advocate and friend in H.E. Chang Yin-huan, who is both a Minister - in the Foreign Office and an official of the Board of Revenue. Dr. Yung Wing has been his guest during his stay at the capital.
The Government is in such a state of im--
pecuniosity that the Board of Revenue has been casting about to see whether they could negotiate another loan, say of some eight millions sterling, on the security of the remainder of the Customs- revenue, and also some five millions sterling on the internal revenues of the country on the security of the Board of Revenue. The matter was brought before the Russo-Chinese Ban which was willing to negotiate the loans, taking them in the above order. The matter, however, on being referred home was neglected, the contract with the Hongkong and Deutsch Asiatische Banks forbidding the Chinese Government contracting any loan, until mix months after the issue of the last loan. Had that loan been made in one issue, the Chinese
The present Inspector-General of the Chi nese Customs is, it is said, fatigued physically and mentally. He would have left his heavy task long ago had he not feared to be replaced by some one other than a countryman. A rumour is in circulation that M. von Brandt returned to China solely to solicit the succession for M. Huart, but as M. von Brandt is himself in a precarious state of health. conjectures of all kinds are indulged in. Now, France cannot remain either indifferent or inactive in the struggle which is approaching. At present she is hardly represented at all in the Customs service, although that is in China, after the Consular Service, the most important Service for foreigners. China is organising herself and it would not be surprising if she decided to employ a larger number of for-
In would have been free to make another loan in eigners in her divers administrations. return for the services which France has ren- the autumn, but as the Syndicate by No. 2- dered to her it would be easy for our Minister clause of the contract were at liberty to to secure the appointment of a large number of make two issues of the 16-million ster our nationals. In the meantime, let France, as ling loan, the second issue, however, before, have a voice in the direction of the within six months, and as of the fr Customs. If only one man is required at the clause 10 the whole loan must be placed head of the service it would be well to secure. the market before the Chinese Governme that there should be associated with him an can negotiate other loans, it is evident that Administrative Council formed of the Ministers Chinese Government are labouring under of the countries having treaties with China. severe misapprehension if they suppose they In Tonkin complaints are made of the can now contract another loan. The Govern plethora of functionaries; China is at handment has therefore months to wait from the