September 22, 1902.]
SEVERE TYPHOON OFF JAPAN.
*PRINZESS IRENE'8" EXPERIENCE. The Shanghai Times, in its issue of the 13th inst., has the following account of a typhoon experienced on the run between Yokohama and Kobe by the N.D.L. steamer Prinzess Irene, which left Woosung on the 13th at 3.30 p.m. and was moored at Kowloon at 7.30 a m. on the 16th, having arrived in the harbour about 2 o'clock :---
When the Prinzess Irene reached Woosung yesterday her passengers and officers had a rough weather tale all ready for the entertain- ment of their friends. The typhoon of which
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
seven firemen were injured. Huge waves dash- ed over the godowns along Hyogo bay and two belonging to the Hyogo Warehouse Co. were badly damaged.
THE COMMERCIAL TREATY.
A commercial reader with considerable ex-
perience in regard to the Transit Pass system, favours our contemporary, the Peking and Tientsin Times, with the following remarks on the subject of the just concluded treaty :- here in regard to the new Anglo-Chinese The different telegrams that have reached Commercial Treaty will have been read with the utmost interest by all business men con. nected with the China trade. It must be
MACAO,
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
219
Macao, 14th September.
1HE WEATHER. The weather here during the last week has been delightful, and the heat has been tempered by an occasional really cool breeze, each seeming as it were the harbingers of the coming winter. Apropos of this, I may call attention to the
points a damning finger at Canton and Macao, need for adjustment in the temperatures recor- ded by the meteorological office, which daily and presents to the residents of Hongkong the consolation that they are living in the coolest
agree that this month Canton has been the have been to these three ports in turn will
coolest, and that Macao is invariably less trying which is for the most part only seen from afar. than Hongkong-always excepting the Peak,
Shanghai had a recent brush reached the coast surprising to many that the address of Mr. Place in South China: in reality those who
of Japan in season to meet the German ship while en route from Yokohama to Kobe. Every- Lody on board had an experience to be remem- bered, for while the ship stood the blow without injury, only the best-seasoned sailors escaped sea sickness, and incidents both during the storm
and afterward in Kobe harbour were not at all
tame.
vessel or
Leaving Yokohama on Saturday morning, the 6th inst., the ship met the typhoon almost 25 EOOD as she got outside. High seas and blustering wirds heralded it. When quite near the Kii Channel the ship had to put out to sea, not only because of the rough weather, but because of a thick mist, which made remain il g
in the neighbourhood of land highly dengerous. There were no accidents to the passengers during the trip, but naturally the timid of Lerve and stomach sought the seclus cu of their cabins and exchanged telepathic condolences all through the blast. The waiters bad an easy time in the dining saloon. Heavy weather tossed the ship all day Sunday and a good part of Monday, delaying the arrival at Kobe until late Monday afternoon. Several launches and sampens were awaiting the mail when she cast anchor, but the swell was so heavy that there was no getting within board- ing distance, unless at the expense of some damuga to the craft. After hovering in the neighbour hood of the liner for probably an hour, e gangway was hung from the port side, where it was supposed to te a little calmer. Had this course been pursued at first there would have been little difficulty in getting on board, but by this time the Prinzess Irene had turned with the tide, and it was quite as choppy there as on the ther side. A launch went round and tried to lay to at about a yard distant from the gang way. After a while a lull came, and the first man landed from the launch, followed by about half-a-dozen others, these feats being watched by the crew and passengers from the upper decks with considerable interest. It was notice- able that many scores of trunks and boxes were awaiting transhipment, and an attempt was made to get a few of these on board Messrs. Nickel's launch, while a solitary passenger and trunk steamed away in another launch, after an exciting five minutes, during which the trunk, an umbrella, mackintosh, and the passenger himself were successfully thrown over from ship to ship. After a series of these stirring experiments attempts to land passengers and luggage that night were abandoned. Next morning the gale had passed, and fine weather with light breezes attended the trip to Nagasaki and to this port.
The typhoon which treated the Prinzess Irene in so surly a manner was not less unkind to the smaller ve sels, many of which barely escaped be- ing sunk. Sakuki Maru (No. 5), a sailing vessel of about 100 tors burden, which was lying off Wadasaki-cho, near Kobe, with some 27,000 calties of coal on board consigned to the Mi su Bishi Company, sprung a leak and soon afterward sunk. The position of No. 7 Sakaki Maru, which was lying near the sunken vessel, became very dangerous, but the efforts of the water police to rescue her were of little avail on account of the high seas. Ultimately, however, the vessel was secured to the railway pier, and in this way she was probably saved from becom- ing a wreck. The embankment at Odawara, which recently suffered from a tidal wave, was much damaged by high seas, and occasionally the s'reets of the town were threatened. The police and men of the fire brigade endeavoured to repair the damage, and so prevent an inrush of water into the streets, but in the operation
C. J. Dudgeon at the Special General Meeting of the China Association in Shanghai on 31st July last, has not called for more rentilated opini ns. Whoever is responsible for the appointment of Mr. Dudgeon on the discussing and drawing up the proposed (reaty Commisson to assist Sir James Mackay in
with the Chinese Commission, we do not know,
but we accept his qualifications for the psi- tion by the calm manner in which the members of the China Association listened to what he had to say and what has more or less teen agreed to by the Commissioner, especially the abolition of lekin and the substitution of a surtax on all exports and imports to recompense the Chinese Government for the loss. What the amount of the surtax is does not clearly appear, but when we are told by Reuter that there will be a total duty on imports to the extent of 15 per cent. it takes our breath away. We are fully aware of the failure of the Transit Pase system, but it is not generally known why it was a failure. It was the apathy of the representatives of the British Govern ment in not enforcing treaty rights. In the traty of Tientsin it is provided that British goods having paid an import duty of 5 per cent, are entitled to go to any inland market by paying an extra duty of 2 per cent. for which the owners get a Trarsit Pass to take the goods to their destination without any further payment whatever. Transit Passes for exports are arranged for much on the same lines, so that foreign imports which go to an inland market and native goods from the interior destined for a foreign country should pay a total duty of 7 per cent. (say 5 per cent and 24 per cent). The Transit Pass system was perfectly simple and if the British Consuls at the treaty ports bad supported it there would have been no question now about lekin on foreign cargo. The duties on native roduce scarcely come within the considera- ticu of foreign Powers. When the Protocol was accepted over a year ago it was agreed in it that goods for the use of Europeans which had hitherto escaped duty should pay an ad valorem lax of 5 per cent, which was bad enough, but when we see in the distance a further increase of lu per cent. the posi ion is simply appalling, There is little more to add beyond the fact that if the Chinese authorities have ignored the Transit Pass system where there was docu- mentary proof in the shape of a Transit Pass, how much more are they likely to do so without such a document. It is only a few years ago that the West River in South China was opened to foreign trade, and in consequence the lekin stations along this waterway had to be abolished or the staff largely reduced. What was the result? The men from these stations had to find a living elsewhere and became river pirates. We can only conclude that if lekin stations all over China are abolished and no provision is made for the employees or Provincial au.horities who depend upon lekin for a living, a dissatis- faction will arise which may be difficult to cope with and wholesale robbery and violence will result. We are firmly of opinion that the Transit Pass system should be upheld and in the meantime there should be no increase of duty. Mr. H. J. Such's remarks at the China Assc- ciation meeting referred to were much to the point, although they are reported to cause laughter.
ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES.
Macao than there have been before this summer, Last Sunday there were more visitors in
here. The latter boat left for the West River on and also both the Robin and Sandpiper were
Monday, but it is hoped that it will bring back Capt Lockhart for his honeymoon in the middle of next month. The Robin went out for firing practice on Monday and the next morning followed the Sandpiper to Samshui. This week also there are a number of visitors from. Hong- kong, including the Colonial Secretary, who has come over for the shooting.
Prince Taai Chen, the Chinese special envoy to the Coronation, arrived at Tekyo on the 1st and was received the next day by the Emperor and Empress of Japan.
FESTIVITIES.
On Friday evening the Governor gave an evening party at the Flora in honour of Mrs. Lello's birthday; there were a large number of guests and the garden was beautifully lighted up with Japanese lanterns. On September 28th, the King of Portugal's birthday, there will be a service in the Cathedral in the morning, a parade in the afternoon, and in the evening a ball either at the Flora or at Government House. There will probably be the usual illu minations and it is to be hoped that one or two British gunboats will be present. The bazaar which I mentioned in my last latter will take place on October 11 in the Avenida Vagco da Gama; a ladies' committee has been formed to make arrangements and to receive gifts of any kind for the bazaar.
[FROM ANOTHER CORRESPONDENT.]
Macao, 12th September.
MORE TAXATION,
It appears that the Government of this Holy City is not satisfied with the increased revenues derived from monopolies in gambling houses, in opium-farms, and in some of the primary Lecessities of life, and is imposing more taxation on various industries which will render the life of the working-class more arduous and living generally very expensive. By a new Ordinance, all fire-cracker establishments must each pay yearly $1,000. Only one or two establishments will be able to comply with this regulation. The authorities are making a law compelling, under threat of fine and imprisonment, all masters to register their servants; of course, & fee is charged for every registration, but it is said that the fee will be small. Nothing is ever done gratis in this city. The enforcement of the Ordinance will probably meet with great opposition amongst the Chinese, large numbers of whom will leave for other places, and the trade will suffer by it. It is the Chinese who are supporting the Colony. There is no necessity for this legislation. When a com- mittee was appointed in Hongkong not long ago to study this very question in that Colony, Sir Henry Blake and others who have large experience did not approve the registration of
servants.
Hongkong will gain by Macao's blunders. Someone has suggested that the Municipal Council should register all authorities of this Colony, and by imposing on them a regular fee, bring some money to the Municipality, the revenues of which have to a great extent been appropriated by the Government.
DESPOTIC LEGISLATION,
The authorities here are not satisfied that a man could not be imprisoned for more than twenty-four hours without being charged before