Angust 6, 1900.]
that the interest they felt in a matter affecting the honour of France was, so far from being dictated by motives of jealousy, really the result of a friendly feeling in desiring to see a spot removed, began to tell on the better feelings of the nation, and was, there is little doubt, one of the things that led up to a desire for a better understanding. When at last that better understanding came about to the mutual satisfaction of both, whose sole ground of wonderment soon came to be that, in the midst of mutual recriminations continued for many years, not one of which ever gave the slightest foundation for a serious quarrel, there should have been misunder- standings at all; it was but natural that the DREYFUS affair should come up. The manner in which it did arise shows how effec- tually the old feelings have passed. It is satisfactory to find that as between the two peoples the matter has never been for a moment the subject. of discussion of any sort. The French Government has treated it as entirely a matter in which France alone is concerned; and laying the affair before the Chambers not one dissenting voice was raised, and the nation itsel. determined to restore both of the principal actors to their full rank without reflection, and without discussion. For Majer DREYFUS and General PICQUART our feelings are those of sincere congratulation; and for the French people one of undisguised admiration.
OBSTRUCTIVE PERMANENT
OFFICIALS.
(Daily Press. 31st July.) Sometimes grumbling Anglo-Saxon, sharing something of the fractious spirit of the proverbially anti-gubernatorial Celt, and bearing in nind the respect that was paid to him during election time at Home, frels at the idea of being disfranchised in a British Colony. He notes that while the Unofficial Men ber, armed with the whip rf public opinion, has a good deal to do with the spinning of the Government top, it is the Permanent Officials, represented by the inequalities of the ground, who to a great extent influence its, so to speak, siderial progress. Before uttering strong things about bureaucratic administration und. r the British flag, and setting Hongkong down as a sort of Tory tail on a Democratic dog, the free and independent critic should direct his attention to London, where the Permanent Official is to be found in excelsis. Probably we are a long way from realising our debt to these gentlemen, who wust from time to time have saved the nation from many a disastrous experiment by
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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E
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67
were Tls.
case referring to the permanent officials some interesting comparisons, but unfor. who advise the Postmaster General, whose tunately there are omissions for previon. delegates "renresented no country's wishes, years, In 1905, however, it appears that and England's last of all". Addressing Great Britain (exclusive of colonies) was the Right Hon. SYDNEY BUXTON, the Post-still leading, although closely followed master General, he says: "I fully admit by Japan (including Formosa) and the right of your counselors to their America (including Hawaii). The gross opinions in these matters, but I have on imports from G.eat Britain several occasions shown that their country- 86,472.343; Americi co'nes next with men do not agree with them. No question Tls. 76,916,838; and Japan third with of administrative difficulty, or temporary Tls. 61,315,248. A comparison of these and trifling cost, should be allowed to figures with those for Hongkong shows weigh against the vital interests and that the Imperial Maritime Customs declared wishes of our people. You are people have peculiar ways of showing not merely a departmental chief, but a the contributious " from each coun- British Cabinet Minister; and I appeal to try". ongkong's contribution is included you to render, in that capacity, a signal in the gross import of China, with the and inestimable service to the Empire. others which it includes within itself. How-
Mr. HENNIKER HEATON, is hardly ever, ignoring Hongkong, we
get the necessary to remind ourselves, knows comparison already stated, and need mention whereof he speaks. He has been P.M.G. | only that Germany is credited with Tls. himself, and it was he who fought for an i | 14,846,075, and France with Tls. 3,811,634. established the Imperial Penny Post which The rest, as racing men siy, are nowhere. has done so much to improve our relations The smallest contribution of all is Tla. 478 with the Home laud and with other colouies, worth from Spain, and even that includes We may take his word for it, even if it Gibraltar. We find no figures to show the were not so generally admitted, that a German rate of progress, but Great Britain universal renny post would pay financially. has jumped from fifty millions in 1903 to The position of the scheme at present i fifty-seven millions in 1904 and its already favourable, but the permanent officials at quote! eighty-six millions last year. St. Martins-le-Grand are suppose to be Japan's progress has been more consistent, blocking it. America, Egyp, Australia if less in proportion. Its figures for last and New Zealand have definitively spoken year show a jump of over eleven millions. for the universal penny rate; public opinion The Americau contribution has also ad- in Great Britain is for it; and Mr. vanced erratically, the figures being thirty HENNIKER HEATON belves that France, millions in 1902, twenty-five in 1903, Germany, Italy, Canada, South Africa, twenty-nine in 1904, and now nearly Japan, Belgium, Holland, Denmark and seventy-seven, The American jump for Sweden only await the invitation With 1905, it will be noted, is out of all propor characteristic enterprise, New Zealand lastion, which gives rise to soine curious not waited for the rest of the world, but reflections as to the effect of boycotts. The has induced over il hundred postal values of the direct imports (gross) from administrations, including Italy, to accept | British colonies are thus stated: Singapore, letters with only the penny postage. This Tls. 4,061,088; Canada, Tls. 2,357,658; creates the anomaly that a letter posed in Australia and New Zealand, Tls. 1,538,747 London for Rome would travel mord cheaply and South Africa (including Mauritius), via New Zealand than it would direct. But Tls, 13,523. The imports from British there is no valid argument against, so there India have already beeu noted, above. Im- in the less need to repeat the incontrovertible ports from Macao (Tls. 2,921,923) show arguments for, his scheme. It is not little change. In addition to the net argument we have to meet, but bureaucratic imports already totalled, there were re- pigheadedness. We must get the Lou to exports value Tis. 14,093,741, maTing roar at them.
China's gross imports for last year els. 461,194,532. Hongkong's re-exports were Tls 2,746,912, and show a steady growth from Tls. 2,390,310 in 1902. Re-exports to Great Britain were Tls. 263.529; to America. Tls. 2,317,524; to Jap in, Tls. 1,607,566; to Germany, fls. 130,512; to France, Tls. 39,195; and to Spain, Tis. 220. By deducting these from the gross figurest given for the same countries, the net imports from each are obtained. Iu cuse this is desired, we give the exports to the British colonies, as follow: British India, Tls. 47,078; Singapore, Tls. 180,717; Canada, Tis. 9,123; Australia and New Zealand, T.s. 1,243; and South Africa, Tis. 1.300. There is at much interest in
CHINA'S IM PORTS.
(Daily Press, 1st August.) Except from those who mike a systematic study of the foreign trade with Chin, Part One of the recently issued Analysis of Foreign Trade", dealing with imports, will not attract much attention as it stand. because it consists wholly of figures There is not a verb to be found from over to
amateur Tegislators. For the present cover. Nevertheless it is worth looking purpose, however, this just reflection is not to be dwelt upon; we wish, ins'eid, to invite the grumbling Anglo-Saxon to empty the vial of his righteous wrath upon the permanent officials of the General Post Office, who have set their faces, if Mr. HENNIFER BEATON, M.P., is to he believal, against the unanimous wish of their masters, the nat on. This is in the matter of universal penny postage, which the British delegates to the recent postal conference at Rome actually opposed, suggesting instead a ridiculous change from a twopence-halfpenny to a twopenny foreign postage, which the Con- ference very properly scouted as no kind of a reform. Mr. HENNIKER HEATON, who is as devoted to a Universal Penny Post as is Mr. CHAMBERLAIN to tariff reform, leaves no.. doubt as to whom he regards as obstructionists. He speaks of efforts to scuttle the movement", of " andacity cf" malevolent inaction", and so on, iu every
64
11
fls.
into. The first table tells a very interest ug story of consistent expansion. Beginning with a net import in 1896 worth nearly two hundred and three millions of Haikwan taels (ench tel being valued at three shillings and oue tenu of a penny we find that with one single year excepted there has been a steady growth in the Chinese demand for foreign goods, until in 1905 (a decade) it has more than doubled the net figures being 447,100,79). The excepted year was 1900, so that the cause of the temporary halt may be easily remembered. The falling off was more thau replaced in the following year. The value of the direct import from Hongkong has grown steadily from 133 million taels in 1902 to 148 millious in 1905. From British india the imports have fluctuated more, but contrive to show an increase of hout a million taels in the four years-Tls. 34,798,437 in 1905.
This table affords
re-
ning the values as directly imported by each customs district, e-pecially as these are separately not d from time to time. Out of the to:al given, Shanghai, of course, takes more than half (TI-. 258,381,378), Tientsiu coming next with over thirty-one millions, and Canto. and Hankow about level, Canton with Tis. 26,255,221, and Hankow with Tls. 26,411,934. Canton continues to increase roughly about a million a year, while Hankow in the last four years has jumped as follows, five, seven, twelve, and twenty-six millions. interesting perhaps is the table showing the value of the net consumption of forgi imports in each customs district, fro we learn (without kno vùng how thứ are obtained) that Shanghai coneumed 10
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