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The PRESIDENT supported Dr. Bell in his objection to the proposal, and said that they already had an admirable hospital at Kennedy Town, where patients would have to be carried under any circumstances.
Mr. OSBORNE-We recommended the same thing last year.
Dr. CLARK-Yes, but last year saw the Wan- chai epidemic.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Ultimately it was left to the Fscretary to find out the extent to which it was proposed to increase the number of words telegraphed and the amount of increase in the monthly subscrip- tion required by Reuter.
(May 11, 1901.
The Committes generally were of opinion | hurry to get their money out of China, are that an augmented service was worth paying urging that the question of the payment of the for even if it became necessary to raise the indemnity should be settled by a loan collectively terms at which the messages were supplied to guaranteed by the Powers, and secured on a subscribers.
drastic increase of the Customs' Tarif. They are urging, I understand, that such questions as Tariff revision, abolition of lek n, the crea tion of new sources of revenue, &c., are all too complicated for discussion in the present situs- tion; that to enter on such discussion will cause the negotiations to drag on indefinitely, correspondence was sub and that the concert will not be able to endure the prolonged strain. It is also stated that the British Government shows signs of being in- clined to agree-the solution of the difficulty being an easy one, as following the line of least resistance.
Dr. BELL again spoke, and referred to the difficulty that would be experienced in getting servants. An ordinary coolie was now getting The following for work at the hospitals $15 where he should | mitted:--- only be getting $5, and washermen and coóks were getting $20.
On a show of hands, five voted against Mr. Fung Wa Chan's proposal and four in favour
of it.
In reference to the proposed hospital at Yau- mati, Mr. MAY asked how the supervision would be conducted.
Dr. BELL said the supervision would be simi- lar to that in the Tung Wa branch, and would bo conducted by a European doctor.
This was all the business.
HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
At a special meeting of the General Com- mittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, held at the Chamber Room, City Hall, at noon on the 27th April.-Present. Sir Thomas Jackson (Chairman), Mr. C. S. Sharp (Vice-Chairman), Hon. J. J. Keswick, Messrs. W. Poste, R. L. Richardson, N. A. Siebs, H. E. Tomkins, Hon. J. Thurburn (ex officio) and R. C. Wilcox (Secretary).
THE CHINESE TARIFF AND THE PAYMENT OF THE INDEMNITIES.
THE CHINESE TARIFF.
Hongkong, 25th April, 1901. To the SECRETARY,
Hongkong Chamber of Commerce. SIR,
I am directed by my Committee to forward to you enclosed copies of certain letters and telegrams which have passed between the Hongkong and Shanghai Branches of the China Association and the London Branch of relative to the question of Tariff Revision. It is hoped that your chamber may see fit to co-operate with the China Association in en- deavouring to prevent any settlement of the question calculated to prove detrimental to
British interests in China.
It will be esteeined a favour if you will be good enough to communicate to my Committee the views of the Chamber of Commerce on this most important subject, and to let thers know what, if any, action it is proposed to take.
I am, Sir, yours obediently,
(sd.) M, STEWART. Hon. Sec., China Association.
China Association, Shanghai Branch, 3rd April 1901. J. J. FRANCIS, Esq. K. C. Chairman, Hongkong. DEAR SIR,
I am instructed by the Committee of this Branch to forward to you the enclosed copy of a Memorandum for the consideration of which a meeting is called for to-morrow after- noon; the decision of the Committee as to the action to be taken will in due course be com- municated to you.
The Memorandum explains itself, and I need not occupy time in enlarging upon it. The subject dealt with is of such importance that it is trusted that your Committee will co-operate in wiring to London urging that the strongest pos- sible protest be entered against any basty action in dealing with the Tariff in the manner which seems to be proposed; such notion would be absolutely fatal to commercial interests, and would entirely give away the only lover which we possess for obtaining redress of existing grievances.
It is no doubt within the recollection of the Committee, that at the time of China's fin- aucial difficulties after the Chino-Japanese war, a similar proposition was put forward and was urged by Li Hung-chang during his European tour in 1896. The plausible argu- ment put forward was-Double the Tariff, and there is the money. It will be remembered also that the Chambers of Commerce here and in Hongkong, as well as the Committees of the Association in both places and in London, vigorously protested against this "
easy solu. tion," the standpoint being that, whilst mer- chants in China were quite willing that the Tariff should be revised in China's favour, yet that a quid pro quo was necessary on thina's part, securing her more honest fulfilment of the Treaties and redress of existing grievances of irregular inland taxation-that, in fact, the concession of an increased Tariff should be used as a lever for relieving trade from its present hampered conditions.
The point was considered to be of such im portance that the Chamber of Commerce and the Association combined in sending a special delegate to Peking to urge the views of the Shanghai community upon the Ministers, and I had the honour of undertaking_the_work. From interviews that I had with Sir. Robart Hart I am certain that the “
easy solution was of his fathering, and Li Hung-chang was of course keenly urging it. It is very pro bable that the reported present inclination of the British Government to agree to the " easy solution" is not unconnected with the repre- sentations of Sir Robert Hart.
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The Chairman said that the meeting had been called to discuss a very important matter. He supposed they had all read the letters from the China Association which had been circulated. There was no doubt that some of the Powers were very anxious to get their indemnity, and several of them would not object to a sacrifice of commercial interests so long as they got hold of the hard cash. One Power not much interested in sea-berne traffic would be rather glad to see an increase of the tariff, as it would help to divert some of the China trade overland. This would give her a great advantage and
On the other hand, my information is that would work to the detriment of those Powers
the British Minister is completely opposed engaged in the maritime trade. He thought
(personally) to the "easy solution." His desire they should set their faces steadily against any
is altogether to separate the commercial nego- increase of the tariff until there was a clear
tiations proper from the present peace guarantee that all abuses in the levy of
negotiations; for this purpose he desires that taxation on trade would be permanently
China be asked to provide the revenues for the done away with. After discussion, it was
indemnities by handing over the proceeds of eventually decided to send the following
certain existing revenues, vis: Balt, Native telegram to the agent of the Hongkong Though until our meeting is held, I am un- Customs, Rice Tribute, &c., up to the amount and Shanghai Banking Corporation at Peking able to say what will be the action taken here, required for the service of the indemnity; this before addressing one to ondon :-" Before our telegram to London will probably be on the need not involve, in the first instance at any wiring Chamber of Commerce, London, Cham- lines of the following draft, which will be rate, direct foreign control over the administra- ber Commerce Hongkong would like to know submitted to the meeting:-"With reference tion of these revenues, though such control might if it is true that some of the Powers are advo-to the indemnities we have good reason to believe be held in terrorem over the heads of the Chinese, cating immediate increase Chinese Customs that certain. Powers propose international should they fail to make the requid payments. Tariff with a view to facilitating raising of guaranteed loan secured by the simple process The idea is, in fact, that under the stimulus of indemnity loan, leaving all other outstanding of raising the tariff to 10 per cent. Strongest necessity the Chinese would themselves extract mercantile grievances unsettled in the mean possible protest should be raade against any a sufficiency of revenue from these sources, in time."
hasty action in the treatment of the tariff the same way as, under Sir Robert Hart's thereby endangering development of trade and advice, they have extracted a sufficient inrease The Secretary said that Reuter's agent here destroying only available lever for procuring from lekin revenue in certain provinces (in had shown him a letter from their Shanghai redress of existing grievances. It should be wich provinces, and at whose expense, we agent, in which the following passage oo urged that China be pressed to provide the needn't go into at present), in order to elude curred:-"I shall also be glad to have a copy service for the indemnity out of existing native the control which was contemplated when cer- of the agreement with the Chamber at Hong sources of revenue, which are known to be captain provincial lekins were included in the Sir Ernest kong and to know if you think it would payable of adequate expansion under honest ad-guarantees for the 1898 Loan. more than it does if we increased the service ministration. Present conference of Ministers Satow, I am told, is opposed to the raising from Bombay, as we may shortly do, for the is enimently unsuited for the settlement of of a "collectively guaranteed loan," his view Daily News and Mercury here." He had complex commercial questions in which several being that the indemnity due to each State looked through the records, but could find have no interest. England should use every should f..m a debt due to it by China, on no agreement, if any existed. It was made, effort to reserve such settlement by leading which she would pay interest and amortization if made at all, in 1877, but some of the Commercial Iowers later."
until complete redemption; possibly this may annual reports in the sixties and seventies were This of course will require a good deal of be going too far as a representation of Sir mirsing. Did the Committee think that an pruning and adaptation to code exigencies, but Ernest's views, but any way his main point is increase could be given for a better service? it represents the general sense of the message to provide, if only temporarily, for the services of the indemnities without touching the big Would subscribers be prepared to pay a slightly | which the Committee will probably adopt. enhanced subscription?
I am, Dear Sir,
questiors affecting foreign trade, so as to leave b Yours faithfully, `
them to be dealt with carefully and deliberately Leonard KerE,
on their own merits after the "peace” negotia- Lecretary.
tions are over.
REUTER'S POLITICAL TELEGRAMS.
The Chairman said he thought that to secure an improved service they should certainly be ready to pay an increased subscription. It was one of the objects of the Chamber to secure good and early intelligence, and they should be
MEMORANDUM.
I have information from Paking that some prepared to pay an increase for a better service, of the Powers, either because they have no even if the service was again run at a slight loss." commercial interests, or because they are in a
Plainly, I think we must all agree that this policy of the British Minister is one which the Association should strenuously support. To settle the indemnity question by a stroke of the
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