468
THE LIGHT DUES. The Incorporated Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool.
Liverpool, 3rd April, 1897. Dear Sir, I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of January 28th with enclosures which have been considered by the General Trade Committee of the Council, and I have pleasure in transmitting copy of letter in sup. port of the action of your Chamber which has been sent to-day to Mr. Chamberlain.—I am, yours faithfully,"
THOMAS H. Barker, Secretary. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Hong-
kong.
The Incorporated Chamber of Commerce
of Liverpool.
Liverpool, 3rd April, 1897. The Hongkong Chamber of Commerce have sent to this Chamber copies of a petition ad- dressed to the Governor of Hongkong by the agents and representatives of Companies and firms owning steamers trading to and in the Far East, protesting against the raising of the General Light Dues from 1 cent to 2 cents per ton on vessels entering the port of Hong- kong, and also of a letter in support thereof, addressed by that Chamber to the Governor.
The General Trade Committee of the Council have carefully considered the case, as laid be fore them by the Hongkong Chamber, and are of opinion that in the interests of the shipping trade frequenting the port of Hongkong the general Light Dues should not be raised; and I am respectfully to ask that your careful and favourable considerations may be given to the subject of the memorial. I have. the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. Hongkong, 21st May, 1897. Sir,-By direction of my Committee, I have the honour to hand you duplicate copies of a letter addressed to the Government of the Straits Settlements on the proposal to levy a capitation tax on immigrants for the purpose of raising funds wherewith to defray the cost of building Examination Sheds, and to ask His Excellency the Governor to kindly cause such letter to be transmitted to Singapore. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient ser- vant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart,
Colonial Secretary.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 21st May.
been called to a Bill to be introduced in the Sir, The attention of my Committee has Legislative Council of the Straits Settlements to provide funds for the erection of Immigrants' levy a tax of one dollar on every male adult Examination Depots, whereby it is proposed to Chinese immigrant, such tax to be paid by the he arrives. owner, agent, or master of the vessel by- which
measure,
I am instructed to point out that this tually a tax upon shipping; that it would if passed into law, would be vir- deprive the ports of the Straits Settlements of their status as free ports; and that it would be an injustice to shipowners in this Colony, because a portion of the cost of the depôts will thus have to be borne by them and not by those in whose interests the sheds are to be erected. Excellency the Governor will reconsider the My Committee trust, therefore, that His proposal to levy a capitation tax on immigrants and endeavour to find some other means, fairer Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for vision of the proposed examination depôts.-I in its incidence, of raising funds for the pro- the Colonies, London.
have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary,
THOMAS H. BARKER, Secretary.
Hongkong Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 18th May, 1897. · The Secretary, Liverpool Chamber of Com.
merce.
Dear Sir, I have to acknowledge receipt of your favour of the 3rd ult. transmitting copy of a letter addressed by the Trade Committee of of your Chamber to the Secretary of State for the Colonies in support of this Chamber's protest against the proposed permanent in- crease of the Light Dues at this port, to the detriment of its status as a free port.
I am instructed by my Committee to offer the cordial thanks of this Chamber to your Committee for their prompt and timely action, and to convey to them the gratifying intima- tion that Mr. Chamberlain has acceded to the prayer of the memorial addressed to him on the subject.-I am, dear sir, yours faithfully, R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
PROPOSED TAX ON IMMIGRANTS IN THE
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
Hongkong, 8th May, 1897. The Secretary, Hongkong General Chamber
of Commerce. - Dear Sir,--We desire to draw the attention of the Chamber to a Bill to be introduced into the Singapore Legislative Council entitled "An Ordinance to provide Funds for the Building of Immigrant's Examination Depôts." It is proposed to make the owners or master of any vessel landing Chinese responsible for a tax of one dollar per head. This is a most objectionable proposal, and is being strongly opposed, we understand, by the Singapore Chamber of Commerce. It would be virtually a tax upon shipping, besides being a direct attack upon the free port status of the neigh bouring colony. For these reasons, we think the subject has only to be brought to the notice of the Chamber here for a prompt and vigorous protest to be made in the proper quarter.
We send you herewith copy of the Straits Settlements Government Gazelle of 15th April, 1897, from which particulars can be gathered,
-We are, Dear sir, Yours faithfully,
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE.
To Hon. J. A. Swettenham, C.M.G.
Colonial Secretary, Straits Settlements,
PROPOSED REGISTRATION OF TRADE MARKS IN THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS,
Chamber of Commerce, Singapore, 21st May, 1897. R. Chatterton Wilcox, Esq., Secretary, Hong- kong General Chamber of Commerce, Honkong,
[June 17, 1897.
THE GREENOCK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ON THE HONG- KONG LIGHT DUES QUESTION.
The Secretary of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce writes us as follows:-
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
12th June, 1897.
Dear Sir,-Enclosed I beg to forward for publication copy of a letter just received from Greenock Chamber of Commerce on the ques- tion of Light Dues.-Yours faithfully,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
(Enclosure.)
Chamber of Commerce, 2, Watt Place.
Greenock, 11th May, 1897.
••
R. C. Wilcox, Esq.. Hongkong. ledge receipt of your favour of 28th January Dear Sir, This Chamber have to acknow. last, enclosing copies of the memorials presented to his Excellency the Governor by the repre- your Chamber to the Colonial Secretary, and sentatives of your shipping interest, and from they cordially approve of the protest made, and trust on reconsideration the executive Govern- shipping visiting Hongkong. ment will not impose any further charges on
the charges on shipping, and all the newer ports The tendency of the present day is to cheapen in this country have made considerable reduc- tions with the view of encouraging owners to accept charters on most favourable conditions, knowing that these merchants will be recouped by the preference given.
Freights all over the world have within recent years suffered a considerable decline, and in reduction, we feel satisfied, exceeds 50 per cent. many cases, including your own local traffic, the This itself should cause the Government to ping. pause before inflicting greater burdens on ship-
As you state, the Home Government havO had our light dues question under their con- sideration for some time, and it is expected they will very shortly reduce the charge to a rate more in accordance with the actual outlay.
It is mainly owing to the fact that your mer- chants and the shipping visiting your port are free from all dues, that Hongkong has gained the position it now occupies, being the principal shipping emporium of the Far East, and we feel satisfied, if your Government wish to retain that position for the port, they will either do away entirely with the charge now existing for light dues, or at the very utmost Dear Sir, I have to acknowledge the re-bring the revenue from this source down, and ceipt of your letter of 8th instant on the sub. ject of Trade Marks Registration in your colony and am directed by the Committee to thank you for the valuable information you have been good enough to afford on the various points indicated in my letter of 3rd instant.-I am, Dear Sir, Yours faithfully,
ALEX, F. GUNN, Secretary.
OFFICIAL VOCABULARY OF CODE WORDS.
General Post Office, London, 15th April, 1897. Sir,-With reference to my letter of the 20th January last, respecting the Official Vocabulary for Code Telegrams, I beg leave to inform you that the Director of the International Tele- graph Office at Berne has consented to further extend the date for the reception of codes to the 30th of June next.-I am, Sir, Your obedient servant,
1.
J. P. MACGREGOR, The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Hong
kong.
The China Gazette of the 5th June says :-- The attempt to raise the Birkhall wreck has resulted somewhat similarly to that of the dredger Anding, which, as our readers are aware, after much time, labour, and money had been speat, sank and had to be partially blown up. After a number of attempts, those working on the Birkhall succeeded in raising her a few feet, but a few days ago a couple of cables parted again, causing the two pontoons to list to a side, and last night one pontoon sank. Now we have been informed that no more attempts will be made, and the work will be given up.
more into line with the actual expenditure. We observe that the cost of the whole light- house establishments, including maintenance and repairs, amounts to $16,870 per annum and that the estimated revenue at 24 cents per ton, the burden your Government propose to inflict on shipping, would realise $113,000, showing that, after allowing an ample margin for variation in tonnage, the expenditure for maintenance and repairs would be covered by a charge of cent per ton, which would yield about $22,600.
We shall watch with interest your further efforts, and trust you will be able to get your Government to make Hongkong, not only in name, but in fact, a free port.-Yours truly,
W. HARDIE,
Secretary.
THE WUCHOW CONSULATE.
L
Mr. R. C. Wilcox, Secretary of the Hong- kong General Chamber of Commerce, forwards for publication copy of the following letter received from H.B.M.'s Consul at Canton in reference to the opening of a Consular Office at Wuchow:-
H.B.M.'s Consulate, Canton,
12th June, 1897. Sir, I have the honour to inform you that Mr. J. W. Jamieson has proceeded to Wuchow for the purpose of establishing a British Con- sular office at that port.-I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant.
BYEON BRENAN,
Consul, The Chairman of the Hongkong Chamber of
Commerce, Hongkong.