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THE CHINESE MUDDLE,
(Daily Press, 10th February.) Mr. GRIFFITH BOBCAWEN, the Unionist candidate in the Tunbridge division, scored neatly at a meeting which the Liberals
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
BRITISH TRADE WITH CROWN COLONIES.
(Daily Press, 12th February.) There has always been the feeling that every other nation takes more active interest
[ February 19, 1906.
have gained a footing are averse, even though they 883 foreign firmis gradually acquiring their profitable knowledge, to let other British firms become as wise. The trade being handicapped very much as it was in South China nearly one hundred
attempted to break up. He was talking | in its own commerce than the British Gov. years ago when the East India Company
ernment does; and this complaint is now being directed especially to the case of the Crown Colonies. It is possible that the grumblers are given to exaggeration in many ways; but we are very glad to see that these not insignificant portions of Empire
are at last to attract their fair share of
about Chinese labour. He read one or two clauses in the Ordinance, and at the end of each asked: "Is that slavery?" Yes," was shouted in chorus I have been reading from the British Guiana Ordinance, sanctioned by a Radical Government," re- plied the speaker, much to the delight of
is supporters. That is a very good story, public interest. If it should lead to the but it is by no means the only one. We re- ceived by yesterday's mail" Further Corres- remodelling or re-organisation of the Crown pondence relating to Labour in the Trans. Agents' Office, the rejoicing would be great. Vaal Mines," [Cd. 2788] in which Lord There have been, as we have previously ELet's message to Lord SELBORNE on remarked, too many cries of "wolf," and Jan. 5th is published. That was the tele. it may well be that the agitators have thus gram in which the new Government, having unwittingly defeated their own ends. At "carefully considered the action to be taken any rate, we read in really representative with regard to the licences for importation journals of recent date that many home. granted under the Labour Importation staying British have felt "surprise" on Ordinance," repudiated all responsibility for discovering that so much of the import and any arrangements of the Labour Importa-xport business and currying trade with the tion Agency, and declaring that from the Crown Colonies has been allowed to pass date on which they assumed office nothing round. The influence of the Crown Agent into foreign hands. The reasons are readily should be done to add to the number of Chinese labourers imported. This was
system is actively noxious on the one hand, regarded as a very momentous action, and and on the other it is notoriously power. certainly not as a laughing matter; but the less for good. Practically no officially opponents and critics of the new adminis-organised effort has been made to stimulate tration may be excused if subsequent developments prompt them to sardonic laughter. The Standard seems entitled to the credit for first pointing out how the new COLONIAL SECRETARY had "put his foot in it." The Ordinance referred by Lord ELGIN rected tire Foyal asscut and became law ofa: she had 1904; and the COLONIA REUSETARY had no legal right to suspend or abrogate it by means of a "simple
communication "the eminent K.C. consulted by the Standard meant no double entendre-forwarded by him to the Transvaal authorities. Mr. MONTAGUE SHEARMAN said: "I know of no power vested in the Secretary of State for the Colonies now' to disallow the Ordinance upon his own initiative. Any further right of the Crown must, in my opinion, be exercised through his Majesty's Privy Council." This opinion, we understand, is now confirmed by Sir RICHARD SOLOMONS, the South African Attorney General. It is an opinion which, after all, seems to need very little additional authority, being of the nature of a self-evident proposition. Either the Law Officers of the Crown made a curious mistake, or they were not even con- sulted. In the latter eveut, Lord ELGIN's claim that the matter had received careful con- sideration must have been made in inadvert- ence. It is a pity that mere electioneering claptrap should have forced HIS MAJESTY'S Government into such an undignified posi- tion. The Colonial Legislature had better be allowed to manage its own affairs, with only formal interference, if such blunders are to be the result of reforming zeal.
€
to
The report of the Shanghai Pulp and Paper Co., Ltd., the paid-up capital of which is Tls 450,000, is a remarkably good one and should convey much solid comfort to the shareholders. The net profit for the year was over Tls. 100,000, and after paying an interim dividend of 6 per cent, writing off Tla. 9,362 for additions and repairs, and 'T'ls. 11,090 for depreciation, placing Tis. 12,000 to reserve, and Tls. 8,000 to equalisation of dividend fund, truly conservative measures, there remains a divisible balance of Tls. 38,753 (including Tis 5,968 brought for ward from 1904). The directors propose now to pay a final dividend of 8 per cent, making 14 per cent. for the year, and carry forward the balance, Tla. 2,753.
was more bitter against British competitors than it was against the foreigners whom it could not oust.
H.M.S. DREADNOUGHT,
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(Daily Press, 13th February.) Bis Majesty the KING had launched the Our telegram of yesterday,announcing that
new battleship Dreadnought at Portsmouth on February 10th, deserves more attention than it is likely to receive just now, when the minds of the community are so full of royalty and racing. It was no ordinary event in British naval history, and it does not depend for its interest upon the mere fact that the new warship happens to be the greatest in the world. The Fleet Annual and Naval Year Book for 1906-a new aud valuable publication, by the way, from the Westminster Press-describes the event as three years since a vessel on similar lines the sensation of the year." It is barely
was discussed as an ideal battleship for the British fleet. It is not often that such JULES VERNE like ideals are realised, but in the case of the Dreadnought, the ideal has been actually surpassed. In 1903 Colonel CUNIBETI dreamed of a seventeen thousand ton ship with twelve 12in. guns, armoured with 12in. plating, and having the speed of a cruiser. He a ked if it were possible to provide these things. If it were, ship
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"such a
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British trade in these directions. The Evening Standard points out that any detail trade report of value to any business man in his works and office deating with these markets has not been issued in Great Britain for several years past, and yet the United States have considered it of
without throwing away a sufficient importance to print and publish single shot, without wasting ammunition, reports of a mest explicit and informing secure in her exuberant protection, with her character from their representatives, des- twelve guns rendy, would swiftly descend cribing the methods of and opportunities on her adversary and pour in a terrible for business prevailing in our Crown codverging fire at the belt. Having disposed Colonies, the system of credit and of her first antagonist, she would at once payment in use, and such other points proceed to attack another, and, almost un- as practically assist business men, We touched, to dispatch yet another have often quoted these reports, show. Given the required speed, he went on to ing how well the American manufacturers say, the battleship of which he dreamed and exporters are kept informed of lucrative would be "absolutely supreme," and able openings for enterprise. "The capacity of to overtake any of the enemy's battleships these tropical markets is not generally and oblige them to fight. With this in realised. They import over £100,000,000 mind, and remembering that the new craft worth of goods annually, and export raw has a thousand tons more, a horse-power of materials and foodstuff to the value of over 23,000, a speed of 21 knots, a crew of 850, £80,000,000; the total population is estima- ten of those terrible 12in, guns, as well as ted at 36,000,000, and the necessities of eighteen of 3in. calibre, great things may be these peoples increase every year as they expected of the appropriately named Dread- come more and more under the influence of nought. "There is little doubt," says the modern civilisation." Yet less than one
Fleet writer, that this ship marks a new era third of those imports (about £30,000,000) in batleship construction, and that second- are sent from the United Kingdom, and only a little over a third of their exports returns to the country under whose direct control these colonies are. It is entirely due to faulty management. There is too much "politics, and too much self-interest at the back of it. In the less easy-going constituencies of America, they would long ago have raised the cry of "graft." It is also stated that the British companies that monopolise, so far as British shipping only is concerned, the carrying trade from and to some of these Colonies charge freight rates out of all proportion to those ruling where British trade really flourishes. It is stated that the rates for certain classes of goods are higher to West Africa than they are to South Africa, which is nearly double the distance. There seems to be another factor, also, a very natural one, but one that would be defeated if there were British officials detailed to collect and forward the sort of information that American and German consuls publish. That is the few firms who
ary batteries will die out." With her battery of ten big guns, she can throw in one broad- side 8,500 lbs. of ammunition, or nearly twice as much as the Formidable. Two such vessels ought, in theory, to be equal to a squadron of average strength. We men- tioned some days ago that the Dreadnought is the first warship to adopt the system of turbine propulsioe, and we understand there is something secrt about her construction to account for her remarkable speed, with has yet, of course, to be tested. Great Britain, it is to be observed, has not been so impressed by the Battle of Tsushima as Germany was. The British naval programme includes, in addition to the big battle. ship, four armoured cruisers, 18 destroyers, and eleven submarines, whereas Germany is greatly increasing the number of her torpedo craft a fleet of eighty is actual y in contemplation. It would be outside the nature of things for America, the land of big things, to be satisfied to see any other country beating her in mere size; and so