October 24, 1903.]
THE STRAITS IN 1902-3.
The following excerpts are made from H.E. Sir Frank Swettenham's speech in introducing the Estimates in the Legislative Council at Singapore on the 10th inst.:--
TRADE.
The total value of imports in 1902 amounted to about 351 million dollars and of exports to nearly 301 millions, thus making the aggregate value of the trade 653 million dollars an increase of 76 millions, or 13 per cent. over 1901., If, however, specie is excluded, the increase is only 564 million dollars, or, nearly 10 per cent. advance of the previous year. This increase is satisfactory, but owing to the fall in exchange, the equivalent sterling values show a decrease of nearly 3 per cent. in imports and 1 per cent, in exports. The value of the trade for the first half of the current
your shows
an increase of mors than 41 million dollars, or £2,000,000 over the corresponding period of 1902. This increase is mainly due to the enhanced values in the imports of rice, opium, cotton piece goods, &c., and in the exports of sago, tiu. copra, gambier, hides, and rattans. The most important decreases are iu the exports of gutta- percha and white pepper. The shipping of this Port has continued to increase, the total tonuago entered (exclusive of warships and transports) during the first half of this year being 2,925,711 tons as against 2,814,332 ions for the same period of 1902-an pcrease of 109,379 tons. The British tounage has increased by 144,818 tons, while the foreign has decreased by 35,439 tons.
PUBLIC HEALTH,
Owing mainly to the prevalence of zymotic disease the death-rate in the Colony increased from 39-85 in 1901 to 42-96 in 1902. In Singa-
pore 842 cases of cholera were reported, 759, proving fatal. Ninety-two cases, with 67 deaths, occurred in Penang and Province Wellesley. Four sporadic cases of plague occurred in Singapore. Smallpox existed in Malacca constantly throughout the year, but the disease never reached serious proportions. During the prasent year plague was introduced into Singapore by immigrant ships from Chine. Prompt measures ere taksu to check the disease and the outbreak did not spread be yond the Quarantine Station at St. John's Islaud. Provision has been made for a Resident Medical Officer on this Island, and also for the carrying out of certain desirable special services in connection with quarantine. Extensive improvements have already been executed and others are in progress.
IMMIGRATION.
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In 1902 the number of immigrants from Southern India continued to show a large falling off, being 20,242 as against 28,258 in 190ť. This important question of labour has received the careful consilibration of Government, and representatives from the Colony and the Federated Malay Slates visited India at the end of last year to enquire into and report on the matter. Aill dealing with the sub- ject has, as you know, been considered in this Council and has been referred to the Govern- ment of India. It is hoped that the proposed higher rates of wages and the improved system of recruiting, will ditimately bave the effect of introducting a larger and better class of coolies, but at present the supply of indentured labour from Madras has been practically cut off. The Government proposes to give the Madura Com. pany a virtual monopoly of recruiting for this Colony and the Fedtra ed Malay States, but up to the present the old recruiting agents, who made large profits out of the business, have proved sufficiently strong to retard the success of the scheme. The sugar-planters, owing to the failure in the supply from Madras, have been trying to get coolies from Java and Bengal.
The number of Chines, immigrants in 1902 was 207,156 as against. 178,778 in 1901, this large increase being in a measure due to the famine in China. During the present year immigration has been restricted owing to quarantine on account of plague,
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QURRENCY.
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The important question of fixity of exchange has, as you know, been carefully considered by a Committee appointed by the Colonial Office and the printed correspondence on the subject, together with the report of the Committee, has
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. been laid before you. The minting of the new Straits dollars is in progress, and shipments of British dollars are being made to India weekly for re-minting. The first consigamont of the new dollars has already been received and put into circulation. The import of Mexican and British trade dollars, except from the Federated Malay States aud Johore, has been stopp d. as has also the export of Straits dollars. You have already voted a sum of $150,000 to meet the charges to be incur.ed on this account during the current year and the necessary further provision has been made in the Estimates for 1904 The cost, which will be considerable, will be shared by the Federated Malay States. We are only at the commenc ment of oper- atious and it is difficult to prophesy the exact course or length of time which must elapse before we arrive at our goal, but I am conf. dent that we sha'l, without undue delay, attain to that fixity of exchange which legitimate commerce requires.
HONGKONG.
H.G. Sir Henry A. Blake, G.C.M.G., visited Victoria Gaol on Thursday morning.
The funeral took place at Happy Valley on Thursday of Captain Peter Schlyder, of the Norwegian se. Aggi. He died at the Govern ment Civil Hopital.
It will be seen from the announcement under the heading of Marriages" in another column that Mr. A. W. Brewiu, Registrar-General, on the 17th ult. married Miss A, M, Russell, whose father was the late Mr. John Russell, of Lime. rick. Mr. Brewin and bis bride return to the Colouy next month.
Members of the V.R.C. will be unanimous in
their regret at losing the services of their popular Hon. Secretary, Mr. Frank White, who is going to Manila next week There is not time enough before his departure to mark the long and good services that Mr. White has rendered to the Club, but doubtless when he returns opportunity will be taken by the members to get up a testimonial. Mr. H. C. Austen, of Messrs. Gibb, Livingston & Co., suceeeds, Mr. White.
As the mail steamer Bengal did not put in an appearance at her appointed hour-daylight-on Thursday morning, somewhat of uneasiness was beginning to b. telt, and rumours and surmises were rife as tu ber having dipped her nose into a poripatetic typhoon, but her appearance, entering the harbour, shortly before noou, allayed all fears, and a call on board by a ropre sentative of the Daily Press elicited the fact that the Bengal met with nothing worse from the elements than smewhat rough seas between Singapore aud this port, while the
incident. royage altogether had been entirely without
Returning about midnight on Wednesday from a visit to his friends at Yaumati, a Chinese fireman on the Tsinan, which is lying at the Cosmopolitan Dock, was stopped by three Chinese, one of whom, it is alleged, asked him to return some money he had lent him some time previously. The fireman said he did not know the men, and owed them no money. On this he was savagely assaulted, in the course of which he received a slash from a clasp-kuife in the abdomen, inflicting a frightful wouud. His assailarts theu decamped, and the fireman managed to crawl to the Cosmopolitan Dock, where he was found by an Europan and conveyed to hospital in a critical condition.
On the accusation of being c ncerned in the assault and robbery of Miss A. M. Bateman and her amah, où the 16th alt.. Ng Muk carpenter, Chan Chung, carpenter and Lai Ngau, cook, appeared on remand before Mr. T. Sercombe Smith on Tuesday. Mr. P. P. J. Wodehouse, Assistant Superintendent of Police, said he wished formally to withdraw the charge against Ng Muk who was accordingly discharged. Mr Wodehouse then applied to have the charges against Chan Chang and Lui Ngau taken separately. After studying the law on the point, His Worship said he should like to have an authority on the matter, and would grant an adjourament until Friday to permit of arguments being adduced. This was agreed to by the prosecution.
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H.M.8. Glory arrived in the Harbour on Thursday evening from Singapore.
› One fatal Chinese plague ouse was reported during the day ending at noon on the 17th inst., the locality being Caine Road.
The Hongkong oricket team, returning from their triumphant visit to Shanghai, reached Hongkong Harbour yesterday on the Coro mandel, soon after dayligh.
Hongkong will offer hearty congratulations to Lord Donoughmore on his elovation to the post of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of the War Office.
In the match between the V. R. C. Football Club and 'G" Co. Sherwood Forestera at Causeway Bay last Saturday the V. R. C. lost by 4 goals to 1.
W.
Regimental Quartermaster-Sirgeant Higby, R.G.A.. has been appointed Sergeant- Major of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps, on probation, vice Sergeaat-Major Power.
On Thursday the despatch-boat Alacrity arrived from Singapore. H.M. storaahip Humber has arrived from Shanghai, and the Blenheim, first class cruiser, is on the way down from Weihaiwei.
Mr. Aralhoon Seth, Deputy Registrar and Appraiser, has been appointed to act as Registrar of the Supreme Court with effect from the 15th instant and until further notice.
The man Ng Muk, who was discharged, is the person identified by Miss Bateman and her amah. With the arrest of Chan Chang and Lui Ngau evidence has come to light which. clears Ng Muk from the implication.
The official return of communicable diseases in Hongkong, for the week ending the 17th instant, shows 2 cases of plague among the Chinese only, and one case of enteric fover among the Europeans. The total number of cases of plague in Hongkong since the 1st of January last shows 1,416 cases, and 1,243 deaths.
H.E. the Governor has been pleased to approve of the following promotions in the Hongkong Volunteer Corps-Lieut. J. H. W. Armstrong to be Captain, vice Captain Grieva resigned; Lient. T. Skinner to be Captain, vice Captain Underwood resigned; Company Sergt.- Major J. A. T. Plumer to be Lieutenant, vice Lieut. Armstrong promoted; Sergeant J. D. Danby to be Lieutenant, vice Lieut. Skinner promoted
At the Criminal Sessions on Monday, it was stated that two Chinese workmen who bad robbed their master, a jeweller, of some valuables, had been tracked to Canton and brought back here by the wife of the prosecutor. It was more by moral suasion than physical force, no doubt, Henry Berkeley remarked, she would be a that the wife effected her purpose, but, as Sir
valuable acquisition to the Hongkong detective department.
We are pleased to be able to confirm the statement made by O Patriota of the appoint- unent of Senhor J. J. Leiria as Vice Consul for Portugal at Hongkong. This appointment was officially announced in the Government Gazette on Saturday. We understand that this honour was bestowed on Senhor Leiris by the Portugueso Government as a further mark of recognition for gratuitous and invaluable services rendered by him to the Consulate in this Colony for many years. Senhor Leiria has already been decorated with the order of Knight Commander of Christ for similar services.
The Boston Steamship Company's new boat, the Shawmut, arrived in this port on Wednesday morning, and was visited by a representative of the Hongkong Daily Press, as she lay lying majestically at her moorings in the barbour. The Shawmut is one of the largest cargo steamers trading in these waters, being of 18,000 tons, but she has lately undergone extensive alterations, in the course of which a cousiderable amount of accommodation. was added to cope with the ever-increasing- passenger-traffic across the blue waters of the Pacific, and owing to this she has now accom® modation for one hundred first and second saloon passengers, and as she is almost entirely free from that motion which is the cause of mal-de-mer, when travelling over moderate seas, she may be classed as an ideal means of` transit for passengers not too accustomed to- the sea and its vagaries.