refer it to the Chambers of Commerce in China, That the question will shortly come up again for consideration is generally recognised, and this Chamber is in agreement with the London Chamber that the trade could only bear an ad dition of 21 per cent. Customs and 24 per cent. transit duty, making 10 per cont, in all, on the olear understanding, properly guaranteed, that it will absolutely cover every exaction, and in the case of imports free them from one end of the empire to the other.
QUARANTINE RESTRICTIONS. Clean bills of health were issued here on the 7th August, the bubonic plague having died out, and quarantine restrictions were quickly abolished in some ports, but it was not until October that free pratique was granted at Manila on vessels arriving from Hongkong and China ports. The outbreak of small-pox in Japan has led to vessels from the ports of Tokyo, Yokohama, and Nagasaki being declared infected at Singapore, Manila, and elsewhere. The question of the sanitary supervision of the port is fully deserving of the most careful consideration.
DELAYS IN POSTAL DELIVERIES AND INADE-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
action, and telegraphed to the various Cham bers in the Far East inviting their co-operation, following the cable messages up with letters, and on the 19th September, at a special general meeting of members, passed resolutions con- demning the action of the Telegraph Companies in raising the rates as unjustifiable, regretting the sanction given by Her Majesty's Govern ment to the convention which conferred an absolute monopoly on the Joint Companies, and pledging the Chamber, in the event of the Companies refusing to reduce these rates, to give its fullest support to any Company that, while providing an efficient service, will agree to charge moderate rates between the Far East and Europe and America. Copies of the report of the proceedings at that meeting were for warded to the local Government, the Foreign Office, the British Minister at Peking, the Telegraph Companies, the China Association, to all the Chambers of Commerce in the Far East, India, Ceylon, the principal Chambers in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australasia, the United States, Germany, France, and other continental countries, ten copies being also sent to each of the Foreign Consuls for distribution. Numerous replies have been received, and co- QUATE POSTAL ACCOMMODATION, Acting on a suggestion made by Messrs. other bodies, and on the 23rd January a reply operation promised from various Chambers and Melchers & Co,, the Committee in June last to the Chamber's letter was received from the addressed the Government on the great incon- venience suffered by the mercantile community Foreign Office, in which, after explaining at through the frequent delays in the delivery of length the reasons which induced Her Majesty's the mails, and, having regard to the impossibi- Government to ratify the Telegraph Conven- lity of effectively carrying on the service in tion, it was shown that, apart from collateral the present inadequate building, urged the advantages, such as large immediate reductions Government to proceed with the construction in local rates (ie., between Hongkong and other of a new Post Office. A reply was received ment, acting in defence of the interests of the stating that the question of the provision of a new Post Office, together with other Govern- commercial community, secured the insertion ment buildings, was under the consideration of in the new convention of provisions binding the Secretary of State, but meantime the Go- the Telegraph Companies to a reduction in the vernment were considering the feasibility of charge from the United Kingdom to China of 1s. 6d. per word. while preventing a large arranging for temporary additional accommo-
increase of the amount to be collected in local dation for the Postal Department. This has since been effected by the conversion of a por-currency in this colony and China. This tion of the ground floor of the Supreme Court with thanks for the careful consideration of the courteous letter has been duly acknowledged House into offices for the Registration and Parcels Departments, much to the convenience question given by the noble lord the Foreign Secretary. Your Committee are still satisfied, however, that, under the circumstances, the action of the Telegraph Companies called for strong protest, and they are confident that that protest will prove not to have been made in
of the public.
THE DEATH OF SIR JOHN PENDER.
The Government, with the approval of your Committee, on the death of the late Sir John Pender, telegraphed to the Eastern Extension Telegraph Co. --" Government, Chamber of Commerce, and community of Hongkong express profound regret at decease of Sir
John Pender."
BRUSSELS INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, 1897.
The London Chamber of Commerce having accepted the invitation to assist in the or ganization of a British section in the above Exhibition, wrote in July last asking this Chamber to co-operate; but your Committee, in view of the paucity of local products and manufactures, replied that while the Chamber would with pleasure make public the proposal, it could not pledge itself to any active co- operation in the work.
LOCAL TELEGRAPH TARIFFS,
The desirability of securing a reduction in the local tariffs for telegrams has not been lost sight of by your Committee, and in June last a letter was addressed to the Joint Telegraph Companies reminding them of an intimation given some time previously of a contemplated concession in rates. To this a reply was given announcing reductions commencing from 1st July in rates to the Straits Settlements. Labuan, Macao, and Netherlands Indies. This was fol- lowed in December by a further reduction in the tariff to the above countries and a sub- stantial concession in rates to India, Burmah, Ceylon Indo-China, Australia, and other coun- tries, and a reduction has also been made in the rate for Press telegrams.
THE INCREASE IN TELEGRAPH RATES TO EUROPE AND AMERICA. While, however, the reductions in local tariffs by the Telegraph Companies were accepted as proof of a desire on their part to meet the wishes of the public, the conduct of the Com- panies in suddenly raising their rates to Europe, America, and Shanghai on the 1st August with only one day's notice naturally aroused strong opposition: Your Committee at once took
Eastern countries, Australia, &c.) the Govern-
vain.
THE LIGHT DUES.
May 6, 1897
East and in the United Kingdom done its utmost to aid in securing the object aimed at, namely, the maintenance intact of the freedom of the port.
THE HARBOUR MASTER'S TRADE STATISTICS, Attention having been directed to certain in- accuracies of imports published in the Harbour Master's report for 1895, a letter was in August last addressed to the Government calling atten tion to the fact, and suggesting the desirability of discontinuing returns which so long as they remain partial or defective are necessarily liable to mislead.
OPENING OF THE WEST RIVER TO FOREIGN.
TRADE.⠀
One great object for which this Chamber has patiently and persistently laboured has at length in part been attained. The great importance of opening up the inland waterways of South China was recognised by this Chamber very early in its history, and, in pursuance of this design, in 1870 it despatched the then Secretary on a Imission of exploration as far as Nanning-fu on the West River. He returned with much valuable information, subsequently embodied in a report, the publication of which greatly stimulated public interest, and since that time vals, and agitated. On his arrival in China the subject has been brought forward at inter-
last year as British Minister, Sir Claude Mac Donald favoured your Committee with an inter- view and discussed this question among others. It is gratifying to now learn, therefore, that an agreement was signed at Peking on the 4th · February, whereby the Chinese Government undertake to open two ports on the West River ing stations whereat passengers and cargo may as Treaty ports, and four other places
ag call- be landed, such agreement to come into force on the 4th June next, the date fixed for its ratification. Most cordial and hearty thanks are due to Sir Claude MacDonald for the im- portant service he has rendered.
PROPOSED OFFICIAL TELEGRAPH CODE VOCABULARY,
Telegraph Code Vocabulary upon the mercantile The proposal to enforce the use of an Official public, and against which your Committee for the present. It will be recollected that, in agitated strenuously last year, has been shelved addition to other action, a joint letter signed addressed to the International Telegraph by all the Chambers in the Far East was
Bureau, Berne, protesting against the code, and was laid before the Telegraph Conference held decided that the Vocabulary is to be enlarged at Buda-Pesth in the summer, when it was
and not to come into effect until after å date to be fixed by the next conference in 1901, Mean- time the assistance of the Chamber was asked to induce owners and compilers of private codes to forward copies of the same to the Inter national Telegraph Office at Berne, PARIS INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, 1900. Exhibition of 1897, have been invited to co- The Committee, as in the case of the Brussels operate to make a local exhibit in the above Exhibition, but, in reply to the letter from the Government forwarding copy of the despatch of the Secretary of State for the Colonies and enclosures on the subject, the Committee felt compelled to decline taking any active part, but suggested publication of the correspondence for the information of intending exhibitors.
TAXATION OF FOREIGN GOODS MADE, IN CHINA.
occupied a good deal of the attention of your The question of the Light Dues has again
Committee. On the 31st July a letter was addressed to the Government, asking whether His Excellency the Governor would redeem the pledge made by his predecessor, and abolish the special Gap Rock Light Tax, the time having arrived for such redemption owing to the amount collected having considerably ex ceeded the cost of the erection of the Light- house, the purpose for which it was imposed. To this inquiry a reply was received in the middle of August,stating that the question was receiving attention. Nothing further was heard of the question until November, when a letter was addressed by the Governor to the Unofficial Members of Council stating that if the Special Rate be abolished, there would be a deficiency in the revenne compared with the expenditure, and asking them, if agreed on the desirability of abolishing the Gap Rock dues, to suggest how the deficit could best be made good. The Unofficial Mem- bers having (with one dissentient, the Hon. T. H. Whitehead) recommended the redemption of the pledge made by Sir William Des Voeux. and the imposition of a tax of 24 cents per ton instead, thus merely altering the name and rendering a temporary tax permanent, a peti- tion signed by all the shipping companies and firm's (with one exception) was presented to the Governor praying His Excellency to revert to the old arrangement under which only the amount charged for the upkeep of the lights,
In December last a communication was re- &c., was collected, namely, one cent per ton, and asking that the matter might be referred to theceived from the Manager of the China, and Secretary of State. To this the Governor has Japan Telephone Co., Limited, laying a case responded by forwarding the petition to Down before the Committee, and asking for an er- ing Street, and meantime the Chamber has by pression of opinion thereon. A reply was sent addressing a letter to the Government in sup- stating that, under its by-laws, the Chamber port of the petition and by circulating the same was debarred from expressing any opinion un- among the principal Chambers both in the Far less the matter was submitted to it for arbitra
In reply to representations from the Shang- hai Chamber stating that Committees had been appointed to report on the above as it affected various branches of trade, and asking the co- operation of this Chamber, an answer was returned expressing readiness to afford aid, but stating that as this colony is in a different position to the Treaty Ports, the Committee desired to know what form they wished such co-operation to take..
REQUEST FOR AN OPINION' FROM THE
CHAMBER,1