"5
68
56
"
July 13, 1903.
is sent by the Imperial Maritime Customs to Peking, whereas the lekin and other taxes which it replaces are provincial: Mr. SCOTT sympathises with the provincial attitude, saying:-"It would seem only logical that, if "the provincial authorities are to accord to 'foreign goods the facilities given them under the transit-pass and the half-duty certificate, they should receive the half duty payable thereunder as compensation "for the impoverishment of the provincial "revenue by the loss of lekin. Indeed, so far as the Canton Province is concerned, "the Viceroy has assured me, if this 18 revenue was handed over to the pro- “vincial authorities foreign goods in the "interior would be freed from all further taxation, not only in transitu but also at "destination."
"6
""
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. SOUTH AFRICA AND CHINESE
LABOUR.
ance
""
ES
(Daily Press, 8th July.)
2
"
(f
in
"
pacts agreed to by a British Consul.” Mr. KOPSCH says also: "Sfar the Chinese have "shown no desire for permanent residence "sion to the negro is pronounced, the fear that any white mau's land; and as their aver- they would seek domicile in Africa is imagi- Africa they will not even be tempted to seek nary. It seems possible that in South temporary sojonra; and their own country. men are already warning them that the field KorscH's plea for the introduction of is unsuitable for their immigration. Chinese is strong-as a general argument in favour of the Chinese labour; but it seerus to us that he does not sufficiently in Africa, though he recognises the im take into account the special circumstances possibility of the proposed restrictions on the immigrants from Chiun.
Mr.
H.E. TAK SOW AND THE GAGE
STREET MURDER.
there appears an article by Mr. H. KOPSCH, In the Juse number of the Empire Review late Commissioner and Statistical Secretary of the Imperial Maritime Customs of China, African Labour Question." Mr. Korsch's on the subject of "How to Solve the South attitude is frank. appears to him, is the solution of the Rand Free immigration, it Labour question, and it will be time enough to introduce legislation against an unduly large influx when the tendency in that direction is established. strong defence of the Chinese immigrant, He draws up a protesting against the "appalling ignor The anticipation expressed in the 1901
"of those who regard the Chinese as report that after the transfer of the Canton show that they would be of great advan
a race of undesirables; and endeavours to native customs to the Imperial Maritime tange and contribute to the material strength Customs steamers would suffer less from of the Rand by increasing the opportunities junk competition has been verified, while a somewhat new feature resulting from the of the colonist in a marked degree. He for enterprise and conducing to the comfort transfer is the number of non-steamer craft writes:-"The evidence tends to show that under foreign flag and paying duty to the L.M.C. Lighters under the British flag are
"much of the unskilled labour doue by the "Chinese is of a character distasteful to employed by Messrs. SAMUEL & Co. "white men, whose high wages make it in the importation of oil; and junks under French, German and American flags
Imperatively necessary on the part of running between Canton and Hongkons
capitalists to employ cheap labour where are becoming daily more numerous, ang
negroes, as in the West Indies, fail to this notwithstanding that the Hongkongd
maintain the development of the trade Government regards such junks while in
"and industries of the place. Europeau Hongkong as native craft.
immigrants naturally look for higher "The change in flag is made after they have left British
employment and better pay than can be earned with pickaxe and shovel. They waters, a state of affairs which is obviously "unsatisfactory," continues the report, "both
"do not emigrate to sub-tropical countries "to do cheap labour; but that, however, as regards the Hongkong Government and "the Imperial Maritime Castoms in Canton
"has to be done, or it will stop the progress With regard to trade on the West River,
"aud prosperity of the territory; and it Mr. SCOTT speaks of the encouragement
"has been proved that the labour per- received from the opening of eight new
"formed by Chinese in different lands, ports of call for passenger traffic, namely "actually creates superior employment for "while benefiting the State at large, Do Sing, Luk To, Yuet Sing, Luk Pu, How Lik, Kau Kong, Mah Ning and Yung Ki.
European workmen, a fact which the Cargo and passengers,"
"artisan class, should note with satisfaction." he says, <t are forsaking, in increasing quantities and question of Chinese immigration ethically Mr. KOPSCH confessedly deals with the numbers, native draft for the faster and rather than practically. But it is the safer foreign steamers. Of these, there practical side, after all, which is of most were formerly only the British stern- importance in the matter of South Africa. "wheel vessels Nanning and Sainam; but We have always doubted the sincerity of "the advent of the French steamer Hong those who have attempted to demonstrate SIR ERNEST SATOW AND LORD
kong, has induced lowering of freights, that Chinese immigration is to be dis- resulting in a loss of profits and negativ-couraged on account of the greater vicious-
CURZON. ing, to some extent, the effect of the general development which has taken place." Such a process, however, is inevi table with the extension of the traffic.
"
42
54
"C
"
$6
C
5
44
13
13
and
Into the detailed figures of the various imports we cannot here go. We will conclude by quoting Mr. Scorr's remarks under the heading of "Shipping'
Imperial revenue.'
Shipping," he says, again showed an increase, no less than 2,139,424 tons having entered the port "and approximately the same quantity haying cleared. British vessels accounted "for 1,667,251 tons; Chinese, 189,270 tous; German, 135,962 tous; French, 74,048 tons; and Norwegian, 43,581 tons." On the subject of Imperial revenue he says: "The revenue derived during 1902 by "the Imperial Government from the trade "under the control of the Imperial Maritime Customs at Canton amounted to 2,592,260 Haikwan taels, and is the highest on record, exceeding even those of the years 1891 and 1892, which were assisted by large opium imports. The effective 5
per cent ad valorem tariff is principally responsible for the increased "revenue of the year under review.”
C
"
46
55
36
fc
It is proposed to start a purely Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Penang.
11
44
<<
ness of Chinese than of other peoples; and with Mr. KOPSCH we must agree as to the ignorance of those who would class and treat the Chinese like negroes.
"
The practical questions in South Africa, however, are whether the Chinaman is actually wanted there, whether he will cou- sent to go thither, and whether he will find a suitable environment. It cannot yet be said to have been proved that the negro labour supply is. insufficient, if Central Africa be drawn upon. question, very stringent regulations have As to the second
shall be brought to South Africa. been proposed under which Chinese labourers
Mr. KorSCH says,
But, as no labour association is likely to obtain the sanction of the "Chinese Government to the despatch of contract coolies under conditions proposed "by the Chamber of Mines, that of positive "serfs, even if any British official could be "and in the event of indentured labour "found to suggest this traffic in labourers;
being obtainable, the Colonial or British "Government would have to guarantee that 'the indenture shall not be transferred with "the emigrant to a third party.
The assumption of this responsibility would "raise the question of the power of the Im- perial Government to compel a self-govern- ing colony to observe and abide by com-
56
26
*
Two Kwang provinces and now Director- Daily Press, 11th July. H.E. TAK Sow, late Acting Viceroy of the General Designate of Grain Transport on the Grand Canal, appears to have been affected to a certain extent by British action in connection with the murder of a Chinese reformer in Gage Street, Hongkong, in 1901. He arrived in Shanghai on the 4th instant by the Chiua Merchants' steamer Kwangli, having gone direct from Canton. It was stated in Shanghai that TAK Sow paid two Hongkong and go straight to Shanghai, thousand taels for the Kwangli to avoid being afraid that the Hongkong Govern of his proved complicity in the murder of ment inht do something to him on account YEUNG KU-WAN. It is known here that the Kwangli did not touch a: Hongkong this trip, being compensated for the loss thus in
taels being the price paid by TAK Sow. Of Course, as far as TAK Sow's person is
dreaded, from the British Government at concerned, he would have been safe from any such violence as he seeing least. But it is satisfactory to see that to have
his sense of guilt is impressed on his mind.
curred, but we cannot vouch for two thousand
(Daily Press, 8th July.)
Sir ERNET SATOW, British Minister at Peking, was expected to land in Bombay in the first week of this month, on his way back to China According to an Allahabad despatch, it was anticipated that he would proceed to Simla to confer with Lord CURZON concerning pending questions of common interest to China and India. Taking the report of the meeting of Minister and Viceroy as accurate, we may conclue of the discussion between them, that Tibetan affairs will enter into the scope But whether any attention will be paid to the recent advice of the Times correspondent at Poking, we cannot say. Dr. MORRISON urged that India should not waste time negotiating with the Chinese about the Tibetan boundary question, but should send a mission to Lhassa and treat directly with the Tibetans. At the same time he wrote Boundary Commission had been nominated that the Chinese representatives on the
but that the Amban of Lhassa had no influence either with Chinese or with Tibetans. This month Mr. CLAUDE WHITE and Major YOUNGHUSBAND are expected to meet the Tibetan and Chinese representa tives on the Sikkim frontier to discuss questions of Indo-Tibetan commercial relations. It is impossible that Sir ERNEST