at the place of production, in and at destination is condemned as
the interests of trade, the lations of the Treaty when carefully actually provide for the levying kinds of taxation. Whatever defects of the Agreemeat, the pet seems to us must be a great gain to well as to the cause of reforma in
the Chinese Government can be perform all its obligations. General SHAKEETTS objects to the section of the Treaty which abolishes lekin because it makes no - provision for the vast army of dependents which have grown up under the lekin system, and, therefore, the immediate abolition of the system would lie believes, lend to rebellion, Opening up the country to trade, with resulting railroads, paralleling the waterways, would by peaceful competi- tion eventually sound the death knell of Unjust taxations." So General SHARRÉTTS thinks but the trader thinks otherwise. He perceives that the railroads" would but afford additional opportunities for unjust exactions, unless there are in existence some such protective international agree ment on the subject as the new British Treaty The American Commissioner goes on to say that the development of China's mines and the Luilding of railroads would give employment to those whose occupation is lost by changing conditions. That is a matter for the Chu.ese Government to con- sider. If the Government can be persuaded to recognise this obvious fact and to afford these opportunities, so much greater will be the gain to progress resulting from the Treaty which General SHARRETTS condemns to failure
验
over
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PREES AND··
THE MAIL CONTRACTS.
xperience
trnde
showed - an increa $18,000,000 compa (Daily Press, 26th March.)
the previous year It would appear that the notice which has increase of more than $5,000,000 been given to the Peninsular and Oriental facts like these that induce men Steam Navigation Company to terminate ships, and seeing that there are yet. the mail contracts for India, the East and possibilities of trade with Asia for Australia at the end of January, 1905, was no less than for all other due to pressure from the Australian Colonies. | nations, it is not surprising that the When the Postmaster-General's, declaration | trovertible proof of this which in the House of Commons that the necessary affords, should bave given a filip to It is stated that (during two years' notice had been given to the shipbuilding. P. & O. Company was telegraphed to the present year the America steamers Australia, Sir E BARTON, Minister, was interviewed on the subject, will have a total tonnage¦ ¦
the predicted and he made the remark that “we [the tons and parties interested] thought it would be best trans-Pacific tonnage within two years is to determine the present agreement and let 140,000. That prediction might stand some a new contract." We note that by this chance of realisation if the Isthmian Canal means it is hoped to get a quicker service could become an accomplished fact in that to Australia, "and provision," declares time, but otherwise we are disposed to be the Prime Minister, "will have to be made almost as sceptical concerning it as about the to give effect to clause 16 of our Postal
enormous fortunes which were in the days Act, which says that only white labour of long ago prophesied for the American shall be employed on mail steamers." shipowner. Nevertheless the United States Sir EDMUND thinks this change can be can well look forward to a large develop- effected without any trouble, but if we re- ment of her trade in this part of the world. collect aright, Sir THOMAS SUTHERLAND, the It is the line of least resistance and every Chairman of the P. & O. Company, even mail brings evidence of the strentons efforts now holds the opinion that the mail subsidy is which are being made to induce the Pacifio not large enough, and if the Company has to const States to press their advantage. In replace the large number of Lascars in their point of proximity to the markets of service by white men, a very considerable Asia, they are only excelled by Russia, increase in the subsidy will be required on and the Russians are not born traders, or that account alone: As far as the Far they would have made far greater use East is concerned in this matter, many of of their advantages. Though all com. our readers may remember that more than a mercial peoples are more or less alive to the year ago a question was asked in the House possibilities of trade in Asia, none are more of Commons as to whether the Government insistent than the people of the United would consider the Siberian railway route States. The amount of literature on the when the present contracts expired. No subject obtained from the Consuls, and doubt during the next two years, if the from railway is shown to work satisfactorily and to uniformily come up to expectations as regards accelerated service, the route will not be overlooked. So far as remember, that in effect was the reply given at the time by the Postmaster-General. Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN has now made it known that the Government departments are studying future requirements of the mail services, and will give their decision at the earliest moment.
the Prime to enter
the Pacific
coas M IS of
We can
AMERICAN TRADE WITH CHINA.
(Daily Press, 23rd March.)
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other sources and disseminated throughout the States is not equalled by any other country, and the sweet uses of this advertisement he who runs may read in the returns published by the Bureau of Statistics.
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THE ADMIRALTY DOCK QUESTION.
IMPORTANT MOVEMENT TO SECURE ITS REMOVAL.
A meeting was held at the Hongkong Club on the 24th inst, with reference to the new Admiralty de ck now in course of construction. About eighty members were procent.
Hon P. SHLWAN moved that. Sir Paul Chater, C.M G., be asked to t ke the chair. The motion was seconded and carried unani. monsly.
1
The American Commissioner advocates Gerernment monopoly of opium, a lax on sale at the point of production, an internal system of taxation by the Central Govern- ment instead of by separate provinces. But, he says, the treaties being negotiated separately by the different nations, each striving to gain trade advantages over the other, will never accomplish this. It Ascarcely needs to be remarked in reference to this that these treaties are certain to contain the most-favoured-nation clause, Bo that one nation is not likely to gain trade advantage 8 the other. It is casy enough to say that the Powers shou'd combine and formulate à joint treaty acceptable to all, and which A year before the first overland railway China would adopt and enforce. In the in the United States was completed, a opinion of General SHARRETTS such coin. speaker at a banquet given in New York in *bined action is possible, and he adds the bonour of the Chinese Embassy said:
interesting information that while he was "there is present a werchant who expects acting as the Commissioner for the United "to live thirty years and wishes his son States he was approached by representatives succeeding him to amass a fortune, in of leading Powers with a proposition to comparison with which that of the Modici formulate a treaty in co-operation with were poverty, let him' build ships to run them General SHABRETrs urges timt the "between China and our Pacific coast.' United States Government should endeavour This was alluring advice crtainly to give to bring about a combined treaty between | to New York merel ants, but for some reason China and the Powers "whereby the much- or other the merchants did not show them- needed reforms will be assured to that coun-selves to be in a hurry to accept it. Thirty-suocess. It would re m, however, if rumour be
And impending bankruptcy averted." | five years have since passed, and still we He expresses the opinion that an individual | soo that less than ten per cent. of the between que country and China, foreign commerce of the United States is ver advantageous its terms, will be of carried in American bottoms It is only, quite recent years that owing to the jealousy and opposi- however, in other nations. The settlement of America has learnt the possibilities of the by a Joint Commission, General Asiatic trade, and become a serious come rīs regards as indisputable evidence petitor in the markets. Iu glancing through differences could be harmonised the commercial literature of the States one Treaty convention; but it seeins cannot but be struck by the prominence General SHARRETTS himself by given to Pacific trade interests. Though this tribution to the Press in which he trade is small compared with the trade of the his, disagreement with the main Atlantic and even of the Gulf port, it is one which appears to be groving very rapidly. In the year ending June 1902 the exports of the United States to Pacific ports
of the British Convention goes & towards showing the impossibility
realy
"
"3
Sir Paul CHATER, C.M.G, en taking the chair, said Mr. Ehewan and gentlemen, as it is your wish that I should preside over the proceedings for which we are met, I shall be glad to do so and to promote as far as lies in my power, the object view. which one and all of us have in Doubtless some of you are aware that two years ago I made an attempt to secure for the Colony a contiouens Prays, but nofortunately without
o rreat, that an opportunity for endeavouring to sitain that object appears likely to offer. I shall therefore be glad to hear the views of matter. I anyone present in reference
need not enlarge on the
question.: I am sure it is whole community to s unbroken frontage,
Hon. B. SHuwax then which, he said, had been advisability of making Admiralty Dock Queen's Road, greed, it was
information ho - that even the willing to remove site. He did not
neo of this rdent desire of the
#jess one
the meeting, ider the
the new
and
one