January 5, 1898.
changes, but this will no doubt prove evanescent and cause no material inter- ruption of the country's industrial develop, ment, but rather, by attracting. Eu- ropean capital, promote the establishment of new enterprises and the extension of existing ones. It is true the international relations of Japan are at present of rather a precarious character, owing to Russian encroachments in Korea, but with prudence at the helm collision with the Colossus of the North may perhaps be avoided. In China the movements of the Powers to which reference has already been made, while they may lead to the overthrow of the Government, which is already tottering from its own weakness, tend also to the opening up of the country, the increase of its foreign trade, and the well being of the people. In Hongkong a continuance of prosperity is assured, and whatever the changes that may be impending in the neighbouring empire they can hardly fail to bring with them material advantages to the trade and commerce of this colony. In the hope that all our readers may in- dividually share in the general prosperity of the colony we cordially wish them
A HAPPY NEW YEAR,
ENG LAND'S SPHERE OF
INFLUENCE,
32
6.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
3
porary says further on in his article, " events should receive the Committee's attention. have assuredly shaped themselves so that The system at present in force in Hongkong, England, if confronted with the con- while it may be sufficient for the purpose of "tingency of foreign aggression in the indicating local gales, is, we believe, gener- "districts lying between the mouth of the ally regarded as giving less information than Yangtsze and Hongkong, would be justified is desirable. The public would like, to "in pointing to the history of her relations know something about the movements of "with China since 1840, and in claiming the typhoon before it threatens to give us a "that a sphere has been delimited for her gale locally, and signals at the mast would by a train of incidents not to be miscon- make the information more generally known "strued or
minimized." But, confronted than the printed notices. Flag signals with foreign aggression, something more similar to those of the Zikawei core might practical than pointing at history would be possibly he used for this purpose, the pre- required. Are we to fight in order to main-sent signals being also retained, especially tain a corrupt and incapable Government in for the benefit of the native boat people, for power, or solve the difficulty once and for all the purpose of indicating local gales.
If by taking the rule into our own hands? the latter course were adopted it could not. under the circumstances be described as a plundering project," nor would it be hooted throughout the length and breadth "of the land.”
LC
TYPHOON SIGNALS.
REGISTRATION OF SERVANTS.
There are few residents who have not at some time or other experienced trouble with their Chinese servants, and from time to time the suggestion is advanced that matters might be very greatly improved by a system of compulsory registration. At one From the published minutes of the Com-time a system of registration was in force, mittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of but it fell into disuse because people would Commerce we learn that at the last monthly not take the trouble to comply with the meeting the question of typhoon signals was requirements, and ultimately the law was again discussed, the general opinion being in repealed. The same thing happened at favour of the former systeur of meteorolo- Singapore, and Ceylon is passing through gical signals instead of the system of storm the same experience. A case was brought warnings now.in use, but no decision was before the Police Court at Colombo the The contention put forward by the Japan arrived at, pending further inquiries. The other day in which રી resident WES Mail that the provision with reference to Zikawei Observatory's new code of signals for charged with keeping an unregistered Chusan and its dependencies in the the typhoon and storm warning service on servant. The Magistrate who tried the case Bocca Tigris Convention was intended to the coast of China may possibly prove sug- made the voluntary admission that he insure the whole const betweeu Canton andgestive to the Committee. This code goes
had himself at least three unregistered the mouth of the Yangtsze against foreign into effect at Shanghai and Chefoo on the servants and said he believed everybody in aggression, may be accepted as correct in a 1st January, and it is apparently intended court had unregistered servants. He there- general sense, but seems to us too limited in that it shall be adopted ultimately at all the fore imposed merely a nominal penalty. its scope. In 1846 there was not much Treaty Ports. The requirements of Hong-The failure of the European communities thought of foreign aggression in China, and kong in the matter of storm warnings to fall in with the registration system is Great Britain secured her lien on Chusan are identical with those of the Treaty Ports not surprising, seeing how little protection at that time simply because it was an and it would probably be a convenience it has afforded where it has been tried. It advantageous point from which to protect, to shipping if uniformity in the should occasion arise, her then. existing system of signalling could be secured. interests or any interests that might be ac- Under the system which formerly obtained quired thereafter. There was nothing in in Hongkong the signals-indicated a typhoon the circumstances of the time to into the north, south, east, or west respectively, dicate that it was
intended to prevent foreign aggression south of the Yang- tsze any more than north of that river, except that our tradal interests in the South were greater than in the North. Since that time, however, Tientsin has grown into a place of importance, British interests there being of considerable magnitude and not to be lightly sacrificed. Our interests at Newchwang and Chefoo are also worth con- sideration. If there is to be a partitioning of China, however, or a delimitation of spheres of influence, it may be that Great Britain, while securing by agreement her existing trading privileges in the North as far as possible, may have to confine her attention as regards the territorial question to the South.
is possible that with the spread of socialistic ideas the State may in course of time under- take the control of our domestic affairs for us, including the relations between master and servant, but for the present such matters will be better left to private agree- ment. It is a simple thing to inscribe a man's name in a book, but if no ad- vantage follows the inscription it is not singular that the public should neglect to comply with the formality, small as the trouble may be. To make the system effective power would have to be given to the Registrar to settle disputes between master and servant and to inflict punishment in cases of misconduct; and existing griev- ances, annoying as they may be, are hardly sufficient to justify the establishment of deal with them. a special court to We already have sufficient state-created crime without increasing the amount by the inclusion of all the petty derelictions of household servants. Punishment of dis- honesty and disobedience is already provided for under the existing law, but it is seldom that employers will take servant for the trouble to prosecute a the latter offence, and even in cases of dis- honesty there is considerable laxness in in- voking the aid of the police unless the value of the stolen property is considerable. In such cases people for the most part content themselves with changing their servants and grumbling at the Government for not making things easier and more pleasant for the longsuffering employer. A little consideration, however, will show the absurdity of supposing that simple registration would make dishonest servants honest or impertinent and disobedient ser-
and a change in the colour indicated whe- ther the centre was more or less than three hundred miles distant. In the early part of this year the system was altered. Under the few system information as to the exis- tence and direction of typhoons at a distance can be found only in the printed notices issued from the Observatory, the signals hoisted at the must merely indicating the probabili of a gale being experienced locally, with an additional signal when it is anticipated that the gale may reach typhoon force. The Zikawei code, on the other hand, contains about a hundred siguals, indicated by flag numbers and letters, the interna tional code being used for the letters and Marryat's code for the numbers. By this code the locality of the typhoon and Our Yokohama contemporary says:-- the places where and directions from which "The idea of England's entering into gales may be expected can be readily in an agreement, or accepting even thedicated. On paper the system seems an ex- bare suggestion of an understanding, with cellent one, but it might possibly be found any European Power to map out mutual rather complicated in practice. "spheres of influence' or lines of partition also be doubted whether meteorological "in China is not to be entertained for science has arrived at such a point of perfec- an instant. Without pretending to claim tion as to enable the observer to fix with such any high standard of international mora- exactness the locality of a distant typhoon, lity for the British nation, we do allege and, moreover, experts are divided in opinion "that a plundering project of that nature as to the suitability of flags as signals instorm "would be hooted throughout the length and warnings., The fact that the code emanates "breadth of the land." Whether the pro- from Zikawei will, however, be taken as a ject can be properly described as a plundering strong prima facie recommendation in it: one depends on the circumstances. Empire favour, and as the Committee of the Cham- has been forceil on us in other parts of the ber of Commerce has the subject of storm warn world, often against our will, and it may beings at present under consideration the sys- forced on us in China. As our contem tem about to be adopted at the Treaty Portsvants polite and docile.
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