142
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient | 43,614, while foreign goods show an increase of servant,
:
J. HENNINGSEN,
Manager in China and Japan. To C. J. Dudgeon, Esq.,
Vice-Chairman, Shanghai General Chamber
of Commerce. Present.
General Chamber of Commerco,
Shanghai, 11th August, 1896. Sir,.-Whilst thanking you for your letter of 4th inst. in reply to that of the same date from this Chamber, I am asked to express the disap- pointment of the Committee at your very in complete response to their enquiry as to the reasons for the recent sudden and enormous in. crease in your tariff of charges.
on your revenue.
In face of this, and notwithstanding the fact that the course of silver exchange has not proved disadvantageous to your Companies, you now without a word of warning or regret raise "your rates from $2.00 to 82.75 per word, i... 371 per cent., or over 20 per cent. more than you charged prior to the reduction in Dec.. 1895, and your only reply to our enquiry as to your reasons is, that you intend to place local rates on a parity with gold charges else- where, regulated at your pleasure.
14,237 kilogrammes, having risen from 50,578 to 64,815. For the first four months of the year French unbleached goods rose from 87,961 kilogrammes in 1895 to 302,526 in 1896, while foreign goods fell from 288,397 to 3,112. In bleached goods the share of France rose from 100,034 kilogramines in 1895 to 275,757 in 1896, while that of foreign countries fell from 429,583 kilogrammes in 1895 to 322,156 in 1896. To sum up, France's share of the trade during the first four months, which was 21 per cent. in 1895, was 64 per cent. in 1896. It is the efforts of our cotton industry that have realised this happy result and there is no doubt that they will succeed in completely commanding the Cochin-China market, French being sub- stituted for foreign goods.
QUARANTINE AT MANILA,
con-
Dealing with rates to the United Kingdom, as an example of your charges, it appears that in December, 1895, you reduced the same from $2.30 per word (which had long prevailed) to $2.00 per word, a reduction welcomed by all,
A meeting of the "Junta Superior de though not unexpected or uncalled for in view
Sanidad was held at Manila on the 10th of the vast increase which had undoubtedly Angust, which lasted from half-past nine in the taken place in the volume of messages trans-morning until two in the afternoon. We trans- mitted and the corresponding beneficial effect | late from the Comercio the following report:-
The meeting was held for, the purpose of arriving at a decision with reference to the quarantiuing of vessels from China in sequence of the information which the Consul for Spain at Hongkong has telegraphed with reference to the propagation of bubonic plague in the ports of the neighbouring empire. The quarantine decree of the 27th June last, establishing a quarantine of to seven days on vessels arriving from China, had to be amended almost immedi- ately, greater rigour in the observation and quarantine having been established, which has been maintained to the present time. These alterations and the manner in which they have been carried out were the subject of a long and animated debate, in which all the members of the Junta took part, and more especially Senor Torres y Perona (an elected member) and Senor Pareja (Naval Sanitary Inspector(. The first named, while recognising the importance of the epidemic in its bearing
Your revenue is derived in the main from mercantile firms, many of whom pay several thousands of pounds sterling towards your support every year, and it is inexplicable that an addition of 37 per cent. to your tariff should be considered justifiable at a few days' notice, and presumingly treated as a matter of trifling importance. Your Directors in taking such a course are apparently ignorant or have ignored the fact that though the volume of trade may be increasing, the margins of profit have narrowed to an extent which often causes telegraphic expenses to check business, and your action therefore means that messages will be restricted in every possible manner both in number and in length. Thus, whilst your revenue will probably dorive little or no advant- age, you will have turned satisfaction into dissatisfaction amongst these to whom you are almost entirely indebted for your success in the East.
In addressing you thus plainly the Committee have no desire to depart from the friendly and mutually advantageous relations of the past, for they feel assured that the results of your action cannot have been duly considered, and they will therefore be obliged by your transmit ting by wire to your Head Office the protest and expression of views which they now record.
E. F. ALFORD,
Chairman.
To J. Henningsen, Esq.,
On behalf of the Great Northern Telegraph Co., Eastern Ext. A. & C. Telegraph Co.
THE SAIGON PIECE GOODS TRADE.
|
The Courrier de Saigon says: We have already remarked on the change which is taking place, as shown by the Customs returns, in the piece goods trade of Cochin-China. This change is entirely to the advantage of France and the import statistics for the month of April show that it is becoming more accentuated. During that month the import of unbleached cottons from France was 75,216 kilogrammes as against 38,702 in April, 1895, while the import from foreign countries. fell from 189,235 kilogrammes in April, 1895, to 25 kilogrammes in April, 1896. Similar results are seen in bleached goods. The importation of these was 144,095 kilogrammes in April, 1896, as against 86,244 kilogrammes in April, 1895, and this increase was almost entirely in favour of French goods, which rose from 35,666 kilogrammes to 79,280, showing an increase of
on
from three
August
THE HANYANG IRONWORKS.
Fon
In a recent report the Boar favouring the memorial of thổ - Chih-tung recommending the giving Director-Generalship of the Hanyan Works, the various coal and iron mines railway connecting these mines with Works to Shêng Taotai, formerly Customs Taotai of Tientsin, as the head of a syndicate wealthy native merchants, gentry, and notables, it is recommended that his Majesty Kuang Hsu should issue an edict commanding the Imperial High Commissioners at Tientsin and Nanking and the various Viceroys and Governors of the Empire to send all their orders for iron and steel to the Hanyang Iron Works, and asking that no one amongst them shall be allowed to order, these things from foreign countries: F production of this commodity will in the future be a source of great revenue to the country ---- and China is determined to keep her wealth within her own boundaries. Further, as the syndicate of merchants expect to sink an enor mous sum to bring the said Iron Works, eto te to a high state of perfection so as to be able to. compete successfully with the iron and steel- foundries of foreign countries, it is but right i that they should be given the prospective on-s couragement of having the sole monopoly. (native competitors not included) of supplying iron and steel made after the foreign style in China. The productions of the Iron Works will also be exempted from taxes for ten years.
---N. C. Daily News.
ATTACK ON A FOREIGNER AT YOKOHAMA,
The Japan Mail of the 8th August says :--- A cowardly assault was committed by some Japanese firemen about 9 o'clock on Thursday evening, upon Mr. William Barrie, Superin- tending Engineer of the Nippon Yusen Kaishar Dissatisfaction had been engendered among the fireman in the employ of the N.Y.K. through, some of their number being threatened with dismissal, and Chinese taken on in their stead, ing the case of one of the foreign bound steamers A party of these men proceeded to Mr. Barrie's these islands, contended
that very extreme measures of quarantine should not house on the Bluff armed with iron hammers be enforced; while the second was of opinion and crowbars, and demanded to see him. Upon that all possible rigour should be exercised in Mr. Barrie's appearing they at once struck him on the head, inflicting two wounds, one over the imposition of quarantine. Seeing that the
the eye, the other upon the scalp. Mr. Barrie, Junta was not unanimous a vote was taken on certain propositions, for which all voted (in- bleeding profusely, managed to escape, and then cluding Senor Torres y Perona) except Senor the ruffians proceeded to break every pane of Pareja, who recorded his dissent. The deci glass aud piece of furniture they could reach, and to jostle and insult Mrs. Barrie. Mean- sion was to the effect that vessels of war arriving from infected ports
in China while, neighbours hearing the noise of the dis- shall be subjected to three days obser- turbance, came out to Mr. Barrie's assistance, vation in the bay and merchant vessels to and the police were sent for. Dr. Wheeler was fifteen days' quarantine at Mariveles if they also called in and he dressed the wounds. Two of the ring-leaders in the cowardly attack were have Chinese on board and. if there are no Chinese on board, to fifteen days less the time arrested that night, and by four o'clock next afternoon twenty more were captured and held occupied by the voyage if in the opinion of the officers charged with the inspection the sanitary for examination. Meanwhile, police are guard- condition and cleanliness of the vessel justifies ing the house. Mr. Barrie, we understand, is the remission of the time occupied by the progressing favourably, and hopes to get out of voyage. It was resolved that the Junta should the house next week. We trust that an example meet again shortly if there were any new deve-will be made of these insubordinate ruffians. |lopments to consider.
J
THE MAHOMMEDAN REBELLION.
HONGKONG
The detailed
The weather has been intensely hot during. the past week and some cooling rain would be Peking advices report that despatches under very welcome. On Thursday the Sanitary date June last have been received at the Board Board held its fortnightly meeting. On Satur- of War from General Tung Fuhsiang, Com- day the half-yearly meeting of the shareholders. mander-in-Chief of the forces operating against of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Cor the Mahommedan rebels in Kansu, announcing poration was held. On the same day inform that all the important places formerly captured tion reached Hongkong of the destruc by the rebels in that province have been retaken, fire at sea of the ship Flora P. Staff and that the country is practically quieted, of the crew came to the colony in the l except in certain out-of-the-way hill districts and their experiences were of a very exciti towards the Great Desert or Shamu. Mahom- character. On Monday it was decided to medan villages which had remained loyal up H, G. Brown & Co., Limited, throughout the rebellion have been rewarded report on the loss of the gunboat his arrived and guaranteed protection by General Tang, on Monday, and it gives a graphic account while others which surrendered have been am the splendid bravery of the officers and nestied. It was only those refusing to sur-when they knew that most of them were door ronder which were cut down to a mau by the to die. Imperial Commanders. The disturbed districts having been occupied by the troops, General Tang states that he intends to send picked corps of mountaineers composed of Chinese, Tibetans, and Mongols against the rebels who have fled into the hills.-N. C. Daily News.
A telegram from Yokohama, Shanghai, says that the sky the eclipse on the 9th August Yokohama, and that in where the scientific expeditions had gone sky was cloudy, and no observati
were made
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