THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE TRADE IN CHINESE Opium.
84 THE CANTON, MINT AND COUNTER-\
FEIT COINS.
番露
18
"
In the course of his Report on the trade of Canton for the year 1896 Mr. BREDON, Commissioner of the Imperial Maritime Customs at that port, makes some interesting remarks on the working of the Canton Mint. He says :--" The Mint is continuing "to work and is now turning out cash as "well as silver coin. In 1896 it produced more dollars and less subsidiary coin. "The dollars are chopped, defaced, and 'deformed, and are simply accepted at "bullion value.' This is the case certainly in Hongkong, where the Kwangtung dollars have met with scant respect and are regarded with less favour than the Japanese yen, but in the absence of the Mexican dollar and the scarcity of the British trade dollar they" find a limited circulation, as does the dollar of Indo-China for the same reason. The Kwangtung dollar in not so well minted as the Japanese yen, but that is not the reason for its unpopularity; it has not yet won confidence, probably. There is evidently a considerable shortage of dollars; otherwise neither this coin nor the rather showy looking Indo-China dollar would have been accepted as generally as they are. The import of Mexicans has wholly censerl, and it may be doubted whether it will long pay
(C
66
66
[July 29, 1897 MACAO AND THE WEST RIVER TRADE.
Steamer traffic from Macao to the West River ports is at present suspended, owing to no facilities having been provided for the payment of duty on goods destined for Kongmun. Samshui and the ports higher up the River are served from Hongkong and Canton, and there was little prospect of Macao successfully competing in that section of the traffic, but the ports on the lower reach of the river, Kongmun and Komchuk, are natural commercial dependencies of Macao, and as they serve very rich districts the prospects of a large trade being established appeared bright, Unfortunately, however, Kongmun was not made an open port, but, like Komchuk, a mere landing station, where only duty-paid goods can be landed. There is no branch of the Foreign Customs at the port for the collection of duty, and as Lappa will not collect it, the goods if shipped by steamer have to be conveyed first to Sam- shui to pay the duty, and then be brought back to Kongmun. The result is that Chinese shippers find it more convenient to continue to ship by junk and pass their goods through the native Customs, and the advantages of the opening of the river to steam navigation are neutralised on this section. The most acceptable remedy for this unfortunate state of affairs would be to make Kongmun an open port with a Customis establishment of its own, at which duty could be paid on all goods landed there and also on cargo destined for Konchuk, a little higher up the river. Fail- ing this it is to be hoped that arrangements may speedily be made by which the duty on goods for these points may be passed by the Lappa Customs, and under conditions that will be convenient both to the shipper and the carrier. From a mercantile point of view it would be an advantage if the goods could be passed before they are placed on board the steamer at Macao, but to that political and sentimental objections might possibly be raised, for the Government and community of Macao are naturally as sensitive with regard to any actual or constructive violation of Portuguese jurisdiction as are we in Hongkong with regard to British jurisdiction. The existence of an office of the Kowloon Customs in Hongkong and of an office of the Lappa Cus- toms at Macao has, however, some what clarified the ideas of the public as to what really constitutes a violation of
That the import of foreign opium into China is steadily and continuously declining Mr. Commissioner BREDON adds his testi- mony. He says the import of foreign opium at Canton decreases every year and the use of the native drug grows. "I have little doubt," he adds, "that the decline in the foreign drug is permanent, and that it is "the improved quality, cheaper price, and "therefore increased use, of the native article "which is driving the Indian out of the "market. All native opium here is called "Yun-tu, because it comes down the West "River from the Yunnan direction. It pays "about Tls. 6 a picul in Kwangsi and about "Tls. 14 in Kwangtung. The Kwangtung opium lekin receipts are variously stated at Tls. 50,000 to Tls. 80,000 per annum, and I believe the latter figure is not above "the mark; that would mean 6,000 piculs a year used in the towns, villages, and country in this province, most of it about "Canton." This gives some idea of the enormous trade in opium done in a single one of the eighteen provinces. The import of foreign opium into the province, through Canton, was only 5,329 piculs in 1896, as compared with 5,999 piculs in 1895, 7,632 piculs in 1894, and 9,214 piculs in 1893, showing how surely the native drug has been gradually ousting the foreign product. the Canton Mint to issue a dollar unless as
The Chinese drug (whether Yuonan or a corollary to the issue of a large subsidiary Szecbuen we are unable to say) has, more- coinage. As Mr. BREDON points out, too, the
over, made its appearance for the first time latter issue was much smaller in 1896, and at in the Hongkong market this year. In May the present moment, there is at any rate no and June some 200 piculs were im- glut of it in this Colony, as there was about
ported, and it was soon taken off the a year ago. Whether this fact is due to a
market. In all probability this con- larger supply of Hongkong subsidiay coins at the present time or to the persistent and signment is only the precurser of further arrivals. Native opium with not suit politic refusal of the Banks and Govern- the taste of old smokers accustomed to ment Offices to accept the Chinese coins as
the Indian drug, which is still-notwith- payment, it is hard to say. Possibly the standing the improvement effected both number of counterfeits put into circulation in cultivation and make of the Chinese drug may have prejudiced the Chinese against
-far superior in purity and flavour to its them, but if this cause has operated it is native rival, Mr. BREDON says, however, singular that it should not have proved that the Chinese drug is reported to be as equally detrimental to the Hongkong sub-rich in the narcotic alkaloids as Turkish or siliary coins, which also cleverly Indian opium and may therefore, owing to counterfeited at Canton. Perhaps, however, its low price, be exported for morphia manu- their turn is to come, for Mr. BREDON facture. Here is a turning of the tables remarks:-" Unfortunately there are many with a vengeance. Ceylan and Indian tea "unofficial silver coins in circulation, but is imported into Hongkong-in small quan- "the law against counterfeiters has been' tities, it is true-and Chinese opium is also "made very rigid, and, I hear, in some
beginning to find a market here. The causes cases has been enforced." The crime is that have led to these changes are certainly probably less rigorously punished if the dissimilar. The practical cessation of the subject of the counterfeit is a foreign coin; tea export from China is due more than anyhow there has of late been an extensive anything else to the refusal of the Chinese issue of base coins of various values, cleverly Government to meet opposition by a reduc- imitating the Hongkong currency. It has tion of taxation; the decline of the import consisted chiefly of ten and twenty cent of foreign opium into China is clearly the pieces, but is not confined to those coins. result of encouragement given to the cul- There are many light half-dollars in cir- tivation of the poppy in China and the culation, which consist of a skin of silver lighter duty imposed on the home grown over base metal. The manufacture
article. The Chinese mandarins have not undoubtedly carried on at Canton or in its been able to see much beyond their noses vicinity, and it would be well worth the
In both instances they will while of the Hongkong Government, we
be the ultimate losers by a diminished should imagine, to make representations to the authorities of Kwangtung asking them revenue, while the people will suffer at the same time by the diminished area given to to put a stop to it. If the Viceroy can stop the grain crops. The poppy requires a large the issue of counterfeits of the Kwangtung area and exhausts the soil, and if it be cul- currency, he can, if so disposed, find means
tivated on a large scale the people will to make it an unprofitable occupation to require to import a portion of their food manufacture base coins of any denomination. supply. It would surely be a sounder policy to import the luxuries of life and remain as far as possible independent of outside supplies for the staple food of the nation.
are
The steamers Morven and Devonshire, both from New York, grounded on the Woosung Bar on Saturday morning, 17th July. After lightening the Morven got off on Sunday morning and proceeded up to Shanghai, but the Devonshire remained fast until the morning of Monday, the 19th, when she was successfully
floated.
in either case.
Swarms of locusts are reported to have been seen below Hankow, on the north bank of the Yangtze, devouring all vegetation in their
course.
national jurisdiction, and it is possible that under the existing circumstances the Macao Government might see no reason to object to the examination of cargo within the limits of the colony, by voluntary arrange ment on the part of the shippers, any more than it objects to the transaction of merely clerical business with the Customs within the same limits. Such an arrangement would A traveller from not be unprecedented. Montreal to New York by the night train can, if he is so disposed, have his luggage examined by an agent of the United States Customs service in the railway station at Montreal, that is, on Canadian territory, but there is no power on the part of the agent to compel the passenger to submit to the search, and if the passenger has any qualma on the subject of territorial jurisdiction he can wait until the train reaches United States territory and then be roused from his sleep to open his boxes in the middle of the night. Passengers naturally prefer that the examination should take place before start- ing, which is an arrangement made entirely for their convenience and not at all with
འ ་
1