December 3, 1904.}
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
419
AN ALPHABET FOR MANDARIN.! too, and if the Board decides favourably upon | A REFUSAL TO CONVEY AMERICAN
FROM THE TIENTSIN OFFICIAL ORGAN.
The following is the report mide by the Board of Education to H.E. the Vicary on the proposed alphabet for maudariu compiled by Wang Chiu-show, a Government graduate of Feng Juan district, who p-titions for its universal adoption. Th: Board reports :-
We find that there are two g eat advantages in this alphabet, first, that it promises to be the means by which education may be extended to all classes: 8-condly, that it will prove of
material assistance in the ultiu ate adoption of a quiform language.
Education in Japan has reached a very advanced stige, an upwards of 0 per ent. of the people know how to read. Fren the small
tradesmen an i domestic serrints can real books
and newspapers, This has doabtless been brought about very much under, Government compulsion, bat it is also large y du to the simp.fication of the written language into a species of alphabet, and all the ordinary news. papers and many books have these simplifi d sigus printed by the side of the Chinese character. Those of higher education read the latter and those of lesser education read the former.
In all the primary school books this simpli. fied language is used, and the Chiues, characters are introduce in the mor, advanced readers. Even the better educated do not dis lain to sometimes refer to the Kaua characters, while others are altogether dependent on it. and it makes ordinary reading and c rresponding a pleasure instead of a task.
Now the alphabet. or simplified phonetic signs, compiled by the said graduate are somewhat similar to the Japanese Kana. The signs are even more convenient as they comprise words of only one syllable, and in the opinion of the official Wa Jú-la4 of Tangchéng in three weeks any woman or chid ought to be able to frame words and sentences with these characters. } In the 24th Article of the educational regulations it is mentioned that the languages
of all other countries are uniform, and the
people of any one country are thereby kept in harmony. This is ac fered by a uniform alphabet being the found ton of study for all cl 18598. In China each province has its own dialect, and even the people in one large province can hardly hold converse, as various districts have dialects that differ. Embarrass-
meats therefore continually occur in business trans ctions. It is now prop sed to make man- darin the universal dialect of the mpire, and all the high provincial colleges and primary schools hare special maudirin classes. The introduction of these phonetic & gas would greatly facilitate the study of mandarin.
The Government graduare Wang Yi-hsing does not really understand this syst w, and at one time he strongly prot sted against it in a book called Teng Yün, Pi-n Meng, or book on rhyming tones. It was well written, but it is a special work on rhymin and has really no connection with this method. He alludes to the varying tones of different provinces as a hindrance to this system, wherein he is at fault, as the system is only intended to be applied to
the Peking tone and not to apply to all the varions dialects of the Empire. It is the duty of the provinces to make their tones coincide
with that of Peking and then we can get uni- formity
The adoption of this method is earnestly recommended in the primary schools, and the points to which the petitioners especially beg to call attention are the desir. bility of 1-Extablishing sp cial public schools. 2.-To appoint speial officials, 3.-To grant official funds.
4. To provid funds for rewards.
All the above proposals are practicable and should be given a trial. Funds will be required for the publication of books and papers trans- Inted into this simplifiel type for the benefit of
the poor.
it, then the question of funds can be considered. The real inventor of this simplified language or the phonefic tones was Waug Chao, not the man who is at present bringing it forward. Wang Chan was the reformer who in 1898 had the temerity to send in a memorial suggesting that His Majesty the Emperor ought to travel. and the Emperor, who just then had been roused into a display of independence, dismissed the President aud four offici Is of the Board of Rites for daring to suppress this document.
Two or three students have since devotel
their attention to this phonetic printing, and the assistant editor of L Impartial has publishe a book which has also been reported on; but though said to be very complete his system was found emplicated in regard to pronunciation if read quickly. The contention that foreign sounds too can be phonetically represented in Chinese is disputed, and it is Leld that foreign or even Japanese wo ds cannot be properly reproduced in this way. The system originally drafted by Wang Chio and now presented by Wang Yi-hsing is the only one being approved.
Tientsin Times.
MAILS.
Dodwell and C. have refused, reports the Manila Caltracies, to allow ships of which they are agents to carry the United States mails during the remainder of the Russo-Japanese war on account of the seizure of the mails on the steamer Calchas, which sailed from Tacoma early in July. The telegraphic notification protested against the seizure as an outrage against America and asked what action probably would be taken by the government. The with- drawal of the steam rs operated by the company will not cause any material difference in the despatch of the mails to the Orient. Mails were despatched by them once a month, and such mail as would have been forwarded by them will be diverted to other Knes.
Following is the telegram to the Stale d-partment at Washington:
Following cable just received from Alfred Holt and Co. of Liverpool, owners of the British steamer Calchas, which vessel was seized by Russian Vladivostock squadron off the Japanese- coast about July 26:
** Galchas release appealed against by Russian crown advocate because among mail matter was
PHILIPPINE TRADE OUTLOOK financial information addressed to Japan officials
The pessimistic press of Manila is regaining hope. The election of Roosevelt thus inspires | the Cablenews :
The man who claims to see light ahead for the man who has cast his lot in the Philippines will not be so suddenly relegated to the optimis tic class as formerly. Careful, conservative business men are not looking to the coming of a fabulous boom, but for an opportunity to realize encouraging profits on capital and exertion.
The basis of prosperity in the Philippines must remain the agricultural resources for a considerable time. Business activity in the islands has been throttled for the reason that the staple resources of thẻ country have been so hopelessly demoralized. There has been no appreciable market for the products of the islands. The farms that had been so long idle or negligently cultivated are in much better condition than under the old regime. And with
the present certainty that a home market will soon be opened to the products of the islands there will be every incentive to replace the necessary boasts of burden and to reclaim the fertile lands, as is now being done so extensively.
Bayond supplying the demand of the people of the islands and a comparatively insignificant market for tobacco, hemp. sugar and copra, there has been nothing to induce the cultivation of the vastareas of productive land.
The main desideratum at the present time is a moral certainty of a market for the surplus prodacts of the islands, when there is any such overplus for sal→.
The next all-important question is to induce the people of the islands to produce an amoun: beyond their actual needs. To do this - we believe that every encouragement should be given those who would undertake to exploit the ive grants for a term of years t. large com- gricultural res.urces of the islands. Exten- panies would not only furnish products to be seat abroad for sale, but would furnish the native worker an opportunity to earn compara-
tively good wages and teach bim the science of agriculture along modern lines,
There must be a transformation in agricul-
tural methods here before the land of the
Philippines is a source of great income to its owner. This, now well under way, can best be effected by utilizing more vile acres of the public domain to the best avantage.
Looking Gispassionately at the future for the Philippines there is every reason to predict a more healthful commercial and financial con- dition. Congress will not violate its pledges to In reply to the above proposals H E. the the Islands. If there shall be a tariff maintain Viceroy has stated that according to this reported it will be only nominal. It will not be the new alphabet appears to be of great value to education, and the matter had better be laid before the Board of Education in Peking for full consideration and for the Imperial sanction. The original copy of the book with the regala. I tions and the sample paper should be sent up
burdensome or tend to exclude the staple pro- ducts of tue islands from the markets of the
Uuite States. It may be regarded as a settled fact that the trusts will not triumph over the pledges that have been given by the party that is now flushed with vistory,
containing information of value to the enemy. We give definite instructions to notify post- office department that we refuse to carry any mail for Japan during the duration of the war.
The Calchas is one of the regular liners operating between Puget Sound, London_and Liverpool, via Japanese waters and the Suez Canal. She was on her regular voyage and
her carzo contained no contraband. Under- stand the Russian crown advocate bases his appeal against release on the fact that the United States mail carried by Calchas contained information for Japanese authorities. Hope United States will take immediate action against detention and confiscation of the Calchas This is certainly an outrage against the United on account of carrying United States mails.
States that should not be allowed to pass. Please be notified that during the duration of the war we must decline to carry United States mils for Japan. Kindly advise what action will probably be taken by department."
Postmaster General Wynne later consulted with the President regarding the matter. The matter was referred to the state department, which may enter into correspondence with the Russian government to ascertain the facts in the latter's possession.
C
'SILLY MIMICRY."
Professor H. J. Davenport, of the University of Chicago, has communicated the following striking words to the Press: All ostentation is waste, excepting so far as it brings with it the unworthy gratification of being admired or envied for one's possessions; just so the Indian carried his take of scalps at his belt. But socially the outlay is more than waste, for in wasting our own share of product we at. the same t me make our neighbour's share poor and mean and insufficient. We robe ourselves and filch from him. The wealth of the rich casts shadows on the smaller store of the poor.
Because the rich in silly show waste what
they can spare the poor in silly mimicry waste what they cannot spare.
SUGAR EXPORT.
The Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G., the Colonial Secretary, has issued the following notification: It is hereby notified that for the purposes of regulation No. III in this Majesty's Order in Council of the 11th day of August, 1903, made under the Imperial Sugar Convention Act of 1903, (3 Edw. 7), the superintendent of imports and exports of Hongkong for the time being is the "Fiscal Authority" for this Colony, and that all certificates of origin relating to sugar to be exported must accordingly be declared before him and must be in the form of which copies can be had on application at the harbour office.
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In accordanc with the regulations made on the 17th day of November, under section 3 of
the Sugar Convention Ordinance, 1904, a fee of 85 will be payable at the time of making
each declaration.