September 21, 1903.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
sane
The
Our onttle-supply is now much circum- | of trade, etc., has decreased, the alarmists ! scribed, with Kwangsi, on which we chiefly have deduced British decadence. The view rely, in its present condition and H.E. is, of course, fundamentally false. Viceroy SHUM doing his best to stop the increasing wealth of our competitors has export altogether. This point by itself enabled them to spend largely on the would make the foining of Kowloon and increase of their commerce, with correspond-in Waichow advisable in the interests of ing results. Britain's wealth has also Hongkong.
greatly, but not to such a gigantic extent The inhabitants of the city of Waichowas to equal the growth of all our competitors have the reputation of being rather tur- combined. How any bulent, but this stigma upon them is imagine that it would, it is hard to see. inan could attached by Canton, where the officials Nevertheless, though the absurdities of the feel no little anxiet about the town. Two prophets of Britishi ruin are only to be years ago Walchow was the centre of a rebel-noted with feelings of astonishment, it lion, which looked serious at one time, but cannot be denied that there is apparent was eventually put down by Admiral Ho. in many quarters of the British commercial It was also supposed to be the headquarters world a distinct excess of conservative of the abortive movement last China New policy. Still worse is the neglect of the Year, which caused so great a scare after British Government to protect its nationals' the capture of rms, etc., at Canton. trade interests as other countries do those Toward foreigners however, the Waichow of theirs. It is not necessary to dwell on people do not appear to feel animosity. In the latter point among British residents in the 1901 rebellion te proclamations were the Far Fast. The facts of recent history directed against Manchus, corrupt officials, are only too painfully familiar. and Wu men (ie., Hunanese troops), while expressly directing that no harm should be done to missionaries and converts. These orders were strictly carried out, it will he remembered.
We think we have said enough to show that in acquiescing in Waichow remaining closed, in defianceof Article VIII., Section 12, of the MACKAY Treaty, the British Govern- ment will be making a gross blunder; and that the Hongkong authorities in not protesting to the Colonial Office will incur the charge of distinct neglect of duty. It is not too late now to make a protest. We earnestly hope that our local Government will shake off its apathy and make the strongest possible representations to the home authorities that, for the sake of Hongkong, it is urgent that. Waichow shall not be dropped out of the list of new treaty ports. Hongkong is threatened (at least) with serious competition. The Kowloon Canton railway scheme still stagnates. Let us not therefore also disregard a possible chance of bringing the Colony into touch with a rich and productive district of great extent, the centre of distribution to which lies only fifty miles away from our frontier on the mainland, and can easily be connected with our suburb of Kowloon. It is not too late now, we repeat, to present matters to the Colonial Office in their real guise. But if the Hongkong Government leaves it until it is too late, then it will inflict a grievous blow on this Colony, for which succeeding genera- tions will not find it easy to forgive those now in control.
BRITISH ENTERPRISE ON THE LOWER YANGTSZE.
even
THE REGISTRATION OF SERVANTS.
207
(Daily Press, 12th September.) Rangoon a certain amount of agitation in There appears to be at the present time favour of the compulsory registration of native servants, owing to the constant complaints as to the badness of domestic service there. The question is one which settlements in the East, though from time bis almost perpetually agitated European to time it sinks out of sight. In Hongkong at present we hear no little outcry against the ordinary class of "boy" himself as
who offers
resident here.
servant of some sort to the
evil is worse at the instant than it has been We do not know that the for some years back; but it seems to us that complaints are exceedingly rife just now that there is a lot to justify most of those and Police Court proceedings have shown which are brought under the eye of the law. There has always been a strong party To return to the new enterprise which here in favour of legislation in the direction we commenced by mentioning. It is gratify-of registration, but it has never been able ing to see attention being paid to the to convince the Government or even the most Yangtsze region, which was once generally influential part of the European community looked upon as an almost exclusive British that its cure for the servant-evil is the right sphere of influence, but the trade in which has now attracted very serious rivalry and consulted on
ole. The Chamber of Commerce when last the point was against a certain countries of hate. It will not be authorities with a most powerful argument a denial of our pre-eminence by registration scheme, thus' furnishing the uninteresting to look at of the shipping on
a few figures against any measure of the kind. Yet we the Lower Yangisze are certain that the general consensus of during the two is years, taken from public opinion among residents is in favour the Imperial Maritime Customs reports. of the only plan which seems to promise a The statistics of the tive ports of Chinking, remedy for a problem which confronts Nanking, Wuhu, Kiukiang and Hankow almost every householder in Hongkong and repay examination. If we take the figures Kowloon. The situation appears to be much of vessels entered and cleared at each port the same in Rangoon, but we sea that the in 1901 and 1902, we find the following | Rangoon Gazette in one of its latest numbers AL Chinking in 1901 British vessels numbered 2,664 out of a total of 5,182; in registration. Our contemporary gives for writes against the introduction of compulsory 1902 they numbered 2,483 out of 4,935. its readers' benefit a summary of the Ceylon But in the spite of the fill both in British Ordinance of 1871, providing for the re- and in total numbers, British touuagegistration of domestic servants of all classes. increased from 2,596,032 to 2,688,035. A great increase in vessels under the United States flag (from 166 to 393) was observable, while the German vessels suffered a large decline (from 1,038 to 718). At Nanking the figures of vessels entered and cleared
names of his servauts, were:-1901, British 1,182, total 2,298; capacity in which employed, and duty of 1902, British 1,182, total 2,465. But British tonnage increased from 1,381,758 to
engagement of each. He must transmit to 1,429,140. A great American advance was
the Registrar a memorandum of the date noticeable here too.
of a servant quitting his employ. He must At Wuhu the figures not engage a servant whose pocket register were:-1901, British 1,883, total 3,469; 1902, is not forthcoming or is not in order. He British: 1,935, total 3,668. British tonnage must enter in the register the date and again a Ivanced from 2,194,892 to 2,295,984. | capacity in which a servant is engaged; Japanese vessels increased in number from and the date and cause of a servant's 272 to 408. At Kiukiang the figures were: discharge. He must give the servant a -1901, British 1,680, total 3,168; 1902, character or, failing this, must supply the British 1,694, total 3,352, British tonnage Registrar with his reasons in writing for advanced from 1,931,934 to 2,021,852. large Japanese increase
so doing. The Gazette thinks that few recorded.
persons in Rangoon would patiently endure At Anukow, sily, the numbers were:
such restrictions. We have heard similar 1902, British 1,033, total 2,691. British ing what most masters have now -1901, British 1,009, total 2,538; objections made in Hongkong. But, see- tonnage rose from 1,162,043 to 1,226,719. endure, more or less patiently, from the Japanese shiping once more showed pro-incompetence. or dishonesty of servants, Thus at the five ports British skip- we take leave to doubt the argument. ping well maintained its position, compris. As for the servants, the Ceylen Ordin- number of vessels entered and cleared; and full details of himself or herself to the ing more than 50 per cent. of the total
ance provides that every one must give British tonnage is every case increased, even Registrar. He must obtain a pocket register when the number of vessels declined or was in which those details are entered and stationary. There seems little ground for produce it whenever called on to do so. despair in these figures. But it must, of Servants are placed under the control of the particularly the United States and Japan work. Finger-impressions of maleregistered course, be recognised that other countries, Registrar, whose office is a branch of police are uaking bold bids for the Lower servants are taken in the pocket register; Yangtsze trade, a fact which renders such this, of course, is a more certain means of energy as Messrs. BUTTER IELD and SWIRE identification than by photograph. As
now exhibiting all the more praise- Hongkong, so in Rangoon it is argued by the opponents of registration that the
|
(Daily Press, 14th September.) As will be seen from the statement appearing in another column, a steamer is to be built in this Colony for the trade of the Lower Yaugtsze. Messrs. BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE, representing the China. Naviga- tion Company, have given the order, and the contract is with the Hongkong aud Whampoa Dock Company. Both firms are to be most heartily cougratulated, and the evidence of the vitality of British enterprise is satisfactory to the highest degres. The note most frequently sounded in connection with British shipping and commercial affairs in recent years has been one of pessimism,
" croak
in fact and this has been heard
a
in the Far East as elsewhere. It has been easy to make out a bad case, for it is impossible to deny that Germany and the United States, aul, out bere, Japan, have made enormous progress; from which, being able to show that Great Britain's percentage
gress.
are
+
worthy.
was
A
From this it appars that the master has imposed on him the following obligations, failure to fulfil which is punishable by a fiue. He has to furnish the Registrar within a specified time with a list in writing of the
to
in
1
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