February 8, 1904.)
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
THE REGISTRATION OF DOMESTIC | ladies addressing their petition to him
SERVANTS.
(Daily Press, 3rd February.) The reply of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government to the peti- tion present d by the ladies of Hongkong in favour of a system of compulsory regis tration of domestic servants proved a great disappointment. We forehore comment at the time for more than one reasa. On such a question it is better to bring to bear a calm and judicial mind rather than to give utterance to the first hasty expression of disgust or disappointment. That the la lies were indignan and disappointed may well be imagined. They had th best of reasons for believing that Mr. May, who as Captain Superintendent of Police was very anxious to see registration introduced, and as Colonial Secretary was equally in favour of the measure, would give the weight of his influence in favour of legislation in this direction, and were naturally taken aback by the uncompromising manner of the rejection of their petition. In His Excel- lancy's reply, as conveyed by the Acting Colonial Secretary, no trace of sympathy with the petit on is to be gathered, nor even the faintest indication that the receiver wa18 at one time at any rate a warm advocate of registration. The Hon. A. M. THOMSON wrote:-"This question was "considered by the Government so recent- very fully "ly as 1902, when, after the fullest investigation by the Commission referred "to in the petition, it was decided not to legislate for the compulsory registration of servants, but instead to give wider powers for dealing with misconduct by the class of servants that formed the subject of the Commission. This was
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"done by the enactment of Ordinance No.
of 1902, which was supplemented by Ordinance 45 of 1902, dealing with ser- "pants of all classes. I have therefore t
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THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY.
(Daily Press, 4th February.)
Until the community of Hongkong have some better evidence of the intention of the
British and Chinese Corporation to push on
ith the construction of the Kowloon- Canton line than mere vague newspaper assurance, we fear they will continue to feel which the Colony is exposed, and which uneasy as to the future. The danger to has been repeatedly pointed out in these columns, of having its trade diverted into another channel, may not be so imminent ns the Chairman of the National Bank of exists, and it will be reassuring to learn, Chi a
seems to think, but it undoutelly from official sources, that arrangements have really been made to actually commence work on this line of railway. We do not
care to know that the concessionaries are
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HONGKONG AND THE FISCAL QUESTION.
(Daily Press 4th February.)
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whilst acting as Administrator, and defer- ring it until the new Governor-Sir MAT- in the saddle. It is here, doubtless, where thew Nathan-had become firmly seated our popular Adıministrator has erred, and cept despatch by the Hongkong branch of the The Kobe Chronicle comments on the re- therein only from want of thought. is never fair to expect too much from the CHAMBERLAIN with regard to his fiscal It China Association of a telegram to Mr. acting official. His bands are very much campaign. That telegram, it inay be re- tied, and however earnest his intentions, membered, ran as follows :-“ Large major- however energetic his actions, his limitations
'ity of members Hongkong Branch China Mr. MAY has the prosperity of the Colony are necessarily pretty well defined. That "Association warmly support your fiscal and the well-being of its residents thorough-solutely necessary, failing which recom- aims. Consider reciprocal treaties ab- ly at heart we are most confident, and, in spite of the limitations above referred to,
"mend. adoption retaliation.” Now the Editor of our Kobe comtemporary is a we fel per-uaded that his term of office strong Free-trader, so that it could not be will not pass without good work being expected that he would approve of our accomplished and projects for its benefit China Association branch's attitude. With initiated or completed.
the manner in which he criticises it, how- ever, we may be permitted to find fault. Speaking of the telegram above, he writes:-
This is remarkable indeed, seeing that it "is generally admitted that Hongkong's position as one of the most important ports in the world is due to the fact that it is a free port. But perhaps the mem- bers of the China Association do not expect that any change will be made in the case "of Hongkong, and therefore can contem- plate with serenity the imposition of food "taxes in England. At any rate, after this "declaration of opinion, that particular "branch of the China Association can no longer protest, as we believe it did not so very loug ago, against the imposition of "additional duties by China under the new Commercial Treaty. What is sauce for "the goose, &c." What can our Kobe plebiscite of the Colony of Ho gk ng by 392 critic say when he reads that a five days'
policy, and that on the 18th January a Tutes to 20 approved of Mr. CHAMBERLAIN'S
telegraru was sent to the late Colonial Secretary announcing this expression of representatives, and others in this Colony, all opinion by the merchants, baukers, shipping
British subjects? Surely nothing more than quoted from the Chronicle. he said in the passage which we have just suggests that Hongkong, in the expectation of remaining a free port, is serenely ready to see food-taxes imposed in England. He says the members of the China Association, but they only represent Hongkong opinion strated. in this matter, as has been amply damnon- He goes on to say that our branch of the China Association has deprived itself of the right of protest in future against China imposing ad litional duties. But we have not go: reciprocal treaties, we have not the chance of retali tion. It is precisely on the principle of "What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander' think we have a right to ask for them. Great Britain is the goose, and the sauce to which the goos is treated is protection and proibitive tariffs of other countries. Pro- test is our only weapon at present, and a very poor weapon it is. Mr. CHAMBERLAIN proposes to put a better one in his country's hand, and it is for this reason Hongkong among others supports him. We stated on the 16th January last the case for Hong- kong, to the best of our ability, and we venture to think that the views expressed are those of a great number of the voters who recorded their names in the late plébiscite. We admit that we trust that Hongkong will remain a free port and that foreigners will always retain their right to come here and trade as freely as now. But, as we wrote last mouth, we also hope that
position to be able to grant British mer- the British Government will be placed in a chants and ships the advantages ungrad. gingly accorded to those of foreign countries-
waking up, or that they are ashamed of inaction, or that they are
hopeful of getting some subsidy, or that they expect to form a company, or express His Excellency's regret that he thinking of making a fresh or final survey; even that they are does not see his way to re-open a question which has been so recently decided,"
we want to see some proof of actual work, or intention to work. Administrator, Mr. MAY very naturally to be told that they are alive to the It is not sufficient feels it a difficult and delicate task to situation; they should have been alive years reverse the policy of the late Governor, ago and ready to proceed with the enter and it was perhaps hardly fair to expect prise for which they had been fortunate him to attempt it, especially after so short a trial of Sir HENRY BLAKE's specific. It is enough to secure the concession. We have true that the legislation adopt a by our late good hopes that the British authorities are Governor was emasculated by his somewhat HENRY BLAKE and Mr. F. H. MAY have been now on the alert, that the efforts of Sir morbid fear of hurting the feelings of the effective, and that Downing Stree will not servants, and that all the evils complained allow the matter to rest any longer. The of remain as r..mpant as ever, if not actually China Association bas als, we understand, accentuated by the failure to deal with them according to the dictates of common-
taken up the question, and the Press both o tuis Colony and of London should ser sen-e. But Mr. MAY could hardly alleg to that the agitation shall go on until the the Secretary of State that a sufficient time first sod is cut, and thereafter watch with had elapsed to prove this, even though aware that no trial of the remedy was either needed work. The public do not of course need to the liveliest interest the progress of the or could be useful. The exigencies of be told that railways cannot be built in a red tape have to be considered, and so rapid night, or that natural obstructions such as an attempt to reverse the arts of the late hills and rivers can be tunnelled or bridged Governor by a locum tenens might not
in a few months. There are, however, such impossibly be regarded in Downing Street things as reasonable progress aud long drawn as savouring of presumption. As we have ut delay. What we want to see is proper indicated, therefore, we are not disposed expedition, the best progress that good and either to charge His Excellency with incon-energetic engineers and sufficient capital are sistency or to believe it probable that his capable of making Anything short of this recent clevation would beget iu him a change will be less than the Colony expec's, and it of views on such a question. Mr. MAY has will be entitled to grumble at any avoidable for the moment been paying the penalties delay. of greatness. He has been compelled to disappoint his admirers-we are confident he had the suffrages of all the fair sex in the Colony in favour of his elevation
-and or the moment considerable soreness and iritation prevailed. Perhaps, bad Mr. MAY given the matter more consideration, he might have found an opportunity for un- officially indicating the inadvisability of the
According to a Cantou despatch, quoted by the N.-C. Daily News, E. Shum sent in his resignation to the Throne recently on the ground of chronic ill-health. The request was month's respite from work, after which he is refused and H.E. ha, b given another expected to leave Canton for Kwaugsi to crush the rebellion in earnest.
The writer
that we
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