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BUGAR BOUNTIES AND CANE BUGAE. The Committee were not able to see their way to help the West Indies by representa tions to the Home Government with reference fo the sugar industry in those Islands, turther than to express their sympathy in the efforts made by them to maintain the cane sugar industry, Since then, however, the Sugar Conference at Brussels agreed to a Convention suppressing the direct and in- direct bounties by which the production of sugar might be benefited. This Convention | comes into force on 1st September next, and there is no reason to doubt that its beneficial effects will not be felt by the sugar industry in this Colony,|||||||
LEKIN AND BATTERY TAX ON YARNS IMPORTED ENTO CANTON BY
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- BRITISH STEAMERS.
The attempt of the Canton authorities to impose an additional tax of 5% on yarn im- ports by steamer to Canton was happily frustrated, but not without some trouble and disturbance to the trade. Strong representa tions were made against this breach of the Treaties to H. B. M.'s Consul-General at Canton, and through his energetic efforts a new proclamation was issued by the Viceroy cancelling the old oneand stating that steamer imported foreign goods after having paid full import duty v were free from lekin within the Port area irrespective of the nationality of the importer.com
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LICENSING OF PILOTS. Probably in no other port in the world of any magnitude are unlicensed persons allowed to offer themselves as pilota, and when the opportunity is given to form themselves into a recognised body, it is usually eagerly embraced. In this case the Hongkong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Co., Ld., approached the Cham- ber with the object of inducing the Govern- ment to oblige the pilots to register themselves with, and prove their qualifications before, a Board having the requisite authority from the Government to act.
|ledge of the agents and European officers, } the Chinese ..
Fortunately their prosence was discovered family of before the vessel's arrival at Manila and the
fact reported by the captain to the American
Farther
QUESTION OF DATING AND BILLS OF LADING.
Chamber of Commerce under this head
In answer to enquiries from the Melboni
a reply was sent in similar terms to t made to the General Produce Brokers! Almö--“ ciation of London, contained in the 1897 Report,
THE CURRENCY QUESTION.
Authorities, otherwise a very heavy fine | the year objecting would have been imposed. The stowing | tion of the away of so many Chinese had been accomp-Telegraph Administr lished by tho stevedores leaving open spaces to those made in part year in the cargo, thereby constructing, rooms in the between decks which were filled with men in the night time whilst the European officers were asleep. An enormous amount of trouble ensued, besides expense and delay to the steamer, in addition to which a bond for $70,000 (gold) had to be given to secure the re-conveyance of the stowaways back to Hongkong. It * was represented to the Government that the penalties under the law then in force were not sufficient to deter organised attempts, of which that on the as. Kaifong was one of the most daring examples, to smuggle Chinese into the | Philippines and that it was desirable to punish by imprisonment in addition to a fine not only the native crew but the steve- dores, coolie brokers and the bigger, men be- hind the latter who organised this class of business The Government were adverse to increase the penalties imposed by law on stowaways and aiders and abettors until it was shown that the abuse continued after an example had been made of the officers through whose neglect stowaways were carried. It was proved to the Government that all reasonable precautions were taken by the European officers, and that where negligence was suspected dismissal followed, but the Authorities would not move in the matter.
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In September last, the general managers of the Indo-China Steam Navigation Co., Ld., brought to the notice of the Chamber the fact that the compradore of their 8.8. Loong sang had been placed on trial for an attempt to smuggle five Chinese into Manila, but not- withstanding the gravity of the charge, he was allowed bail in $1,500 despite a protest from their solicitors. The profitable value of this illicit trade inay be gathered from the fact that the prisoner preferred to pay this large sum than stand for trial, and the fines imposed on the stowaways were promptly paid. In this case also it was shown that every precaution had been taken to prevent thecarriage of stow aways and that the trouble, expense and loss of time entailed was a very heavy tax on the owners of steamers engaged on the Manila run through this smuggling continually taking place which would not occur if the Hongkong Government made the penalty imposed by law fit the crime.
Representations were made to the Govern- ment to this effect and stress was laid off the fact that the pilots of to-day are of inferior calibre to their predecessors, and that there was a growing tendency amongst them to disregard and wilfully ignoreordinary precautions neces- sary, not only for the safety of the vessels in their charge whilst under way in narrow waters, After negotiations with American Authori- but of others eitherat anchororat the wharves. ties at Manila, which were apparently not At the request of the Government a scheme successful, with a view to measures being for holding Government examinations and adopted there to save shipowners from being granting certificates was drawn up by the Sub- fined for unwillingly carrying stowaways, the Committee appointed (Messrs. E. A. Hewett, Government finally agreed to bring in "The A. Haupt and W. Ponte), endorsed by the Gene- Stowaways Ordinance, 1903" increasing the ral Committee and forwarded to the Govern- penalty to $1,000 and imprisonment with or ment, wh-replied at some length to the effect without hard labour for a period not exceed that it would place the Harbour Master in aning nine months. This may be considered a entirely false position if he had to give certifi- cates for qualification which such officer can- not test. The Committee in a further report, replied that at Home and other Asiatic ports this was satisfactorily managed and that, if necessary, the Licensing Board need not be entirely composed of Government officials but might be supplemented by outside experts.
It was pointed out that, whilst there was a demand for pilotage in the Harbour, the Committee were against the institution of compulsory pilotage, also that the granting or refusing to grant a certificate as suggested by the Government could not be acted on by private individuals without pecuniary res- ponsibility to which the Government would not be liable.
The Committee regret that although the chief shipping firms and agencies in the port were in favour of the scheme the Government were unable to accede to their request,
STOWAWAYS TO THE PHILIPPINES. - A fraud on a large scale was prepetrated on the Chins Navigation On, Ed., last spring when 133 Chinese were shipped to Manila in the ss. Kaifong frou
Dan Hongkong by the con- nivance of the native crew without the know-
reasonable penalty, and if enforced should be sufficient to countervail the exceptional temptations to introduce Chinese into the Philippines,
PIRACY ON THE WEST RIVER.
The brutal murder of an Englishman in November last, during a piratical attack on the junk on which he was travelling between Canton and Hongkong, gave the Committee another opportunity of pressing on the Government the obligation on the part of the Chinese Authorities to institute and keep up a proper patrol of the waters of the Delta. The Government replied that the matter had received attention and arrangements were being made to institute a patrol with two Chinese gunboats under European command. It is hardly likely that this small patrol will be anything like sufficient to cope with the numerous pirate craft infesting so great an ares, and the disturbed condition of the Kwangai Province, which is partly due to the failure of the rice crop, has not tended to help matters since.
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It is satisfactory to note that adequate damages were, through the vigorous action of Mr. Scott, the British Consul, obtained from
The resolution passed at the special general meeting on 18th February, 1903, was för warded to the Government and a communi- cation was received stating that the question would be referred to the Secretary of State for the Colonies for his consideration.
ADDITIONAL FACILITIES FÖR TRÄFFIC
THE WEST RIVER. Chiefly in order to put a stop to the nume- rous piratical attacks on native passenger boats on the West River, the Viceroy of the Two Kwang was influenced to look with more fovour on the benefits which would sccrue in this respect from the increased use of j ger steamers, and the Steamship Companies interested sought the aid of the Chamber in furthering the project. The Government and Sir Ernest Batow were immediately com- municated with in order to obtain the conse of the Chinese Imperial Authorities, and the latter agreeing, has resulted in sever additional ports on the West River being opened to foreign trade for the first time, This may be regarded as a great advance in the attempt to properly open the inland waters of China to steamer traffic.
PREFERENTIAL DUTIES,
The Committee have pleasure in stating that the result of the transfer of the Native Customs at Canton to the Imperial Maritime Customs early in 1902, alluded to in the 1901 Report, has terminated the charging of lower duties on junk-borne cargo, and native ship- pers have accordingly again reverted to shipping their chief articles of commerce by steamer.
Already the benefit to foreign shipping on the Canton River run has been very noticeable and still better results should follow.
TYPHOON WARNINGS.
The question of storm warnings as issued by the Hongkong Observatory was once again brought forward by the shipping community, It was alleged that the warnings issued were meagre, that they were not issued on Sundays and Government holidays and that there was a lack of reciprocity between the officials at Hongkong and those at the admirably conducted Observatory at Sicawei, Shanghai, The Committee addressed the Government on the subject, and a long correspondence ensued. It was pointed out that, in view of "the enormous value of the shipping_passing through this port, it is necessary" that complete code of day and night signal affording every variety of weather informas tion to masters of vessels, should be establish- ed at the local Observatory, which should be second to none in its efficiency.
The Government were not inclined to institute any new flag system on the ground that it would not be suitable but made ar- rangements for the more rand distribution, of the Chine Coast Meteorological Register. This small concession has been much sp- preciated by the shipping community,
Com
That the Committee had some real for dissatisfaction with the present s shown by a letter addressed to the in September last signe vessels using the port mittee of Enquiry might this being communicated His Excellency the Gov sider very carefully the Committee with every fullest information to th safety and that of their ships was primarily established.
Your Committee thereupon asked all shipping firms and agencies in Hongkong
Ob