June 1, 1907.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
HONGK NG CHAMзE OF COMME C.
355
Shangbai and deal direct with abroad, and 1895 the Korean Governm-at had ordained | have had their fair chance, we ancy foreign there was an increase of nearly nine million the introduction of primary schools on the traders will find that it his heen to their taels in the value of direct foreign imports. western plan. Now Japanese teachers are advautage as well as to Kor a's. This el·mination of the profit of the Shang. busy instituting the system so well developed hai importer and of the expenses of laning, in their own country, without attempting to etoring, and reshipment at Shanghai must close the existing old-fashioned pl ces of have enhanced the profits of the Tientsin learning. The reform that Koreans will take importers. The trade of Northern Chibli longest to appreciate, but which may be anid and Manchuria promises to make Chin- to have been the most imperatively need d
(Daily Press, May 30th.) wangtao an important port. At Chefoo, the of all, is the organization of a police system. Commerce, kel the passing of a very That indispensable holy, the Chamber of Cominissioner reports a thoroughly satis. Japan is generally believed, by those who busy year yesterday. The nature of the factory year, and be prophecy that Chefno's have had pportunities for genuine obserwork done, with its great variety of importance ended with the war has been vation, to have nothing now to learn from falsified. The Commissioner at Kiaochow any nation in this respect; and if Korea headings all intimately associated with the has nothing but praise for the German gets as good a service as Japan enjoys, sufficiently indicated in the report, of which commercial progre-s of Hongkong, is arrangement which invited the Chinese evildoers cannot expect to pro per as they Customs to function at Tsingtau, in order to have done in the past
we give a very full abstract in connection At present each of create and promote trade with the hinter- the thirteen provinces has its Police Ad-annual meeting. Currency reform is a with our report of the proceedings at the land as well as a political rapprochement. visory Board, consisting of an Inspector, a It has now become, from a Customs pont Captain, and a number of policemen. In dence pubish d by the Chamber co itens standing dish, of course, and the corre pon- of view, the Hamburg of the Orient, only all these are 21 Insp clors, 54 Captains, liule with which our reulers are not already the harbour area being "free". Foreign 46 Interpreters and 613 constibles, (Jap familiar. trade increased nearly fifty per cent., und the n8-) and 22 I spectors, 65 caprains, and from Messrs A. S. J. DAVID & Co., em- It opens with an unlited l-tter year on the whole was most satisfactory." over 2,000 fa rolmen (Korenus). Part of phasizing the great importuce to th· trade Merchants were satisfied, though exchange this police r. form, in its activity round the
of the port of fluctuation was against them as against Palace,
this matter h18 b. en
and hoping misunderstood. The others elsewhere. Another feature deser-Royal Palace has for long been a "rendez-it coul! on the Chinese Govenment "to the Chimber would bring all the pressure
ving of record in this connection is the influx of Chinese. The new arrangement bas inspired confidence in the stali ity and future of the port, and is attracting artisan, traders, and wealthy Chinese firms, which last, hitherto dealing with Che foo, have until now kept loof from this place During the year seven new Chiese and tive German, English, and Japa ese firms have opened branches at Isi gtau, and its Chinese population is increasing visibly.”
JAPAN IN KOREA.
(Daily Press, 29th May.) Perhaps owing to pers stent misrepre- sentations of conditions in Korea, made by persons whose prejudices are stronger than their sense of justice, the Japanese Residency General has authorized the publication of an official account of te work so far accomplished in the Peninsula. If this account erra ou the optimistic side, it is no worse than the statements made by
vous of adventurers and conspirators."
Divinig, fortune-t-line, and spirit-incant. ing found favour there and knaves and villain. lott d and intrigued within the very gates of the Court, in opera ion with the native and foreign schemers without. By cheating the in their eagerness to fill their pockets never relieved the Imperi I treasury of its funds, and stopped to think of what dangerous se-ds of disorder a d ra, ine bey were scattering broadcast over the beuighted peninsula. In view of this perilous trend of affair, th Resident- General waited on the Emperor and explain. d to His Majesty the imperativeness of henceforth enforcing strict scrutiny on those gaini gaccess to the Imperial ahode. He proposed to place the guarding of the palace in the hands of the Advisory Police, which as a matter of fact cons itated the life of Korea's police administra tion. Hasing obtained Imperil cons at to the proposal, the Resident General forthwith officers at each of the court gates to ke-p igorous watch and shut them against all bose not possessing permits. At the same time the Resident General appointed a Committee to deliberate on grave questions relating to the purification of the Court r measures to clear lace of objectionable elam-n's infesting the Palae Precincts Ordinance' Caused spial pass-s to be issued to persons having legitimate business with the Court. This was a extraordinary step to adopt; but it was unavoidables the only available plan to insure the safety of the Imperial House and the peao- of the country. In Curt circles there were no doubt some who at first felt alarmed at this radical turn of affairs; but the sterling sincerity of the Resident-General's solicitud be ming has since slackene, until no voice is now heard gradually better known, the force of re-eatment in open opposition.”
orderd the Police A. visor to defail polion
the
p
+
37
+
remedy the present unsatisfactory system.” The letter did not suggest a remely, and it was probably quite incorrect in attribu- ting the slackened demand for Indian yara to the deprecation in the value of the Chine silver sub s diary coins. The Cham- reason giv`n for the unsa isfactory state bor in reply was of opini n that the
of the import trade (specially yarn) w23 not the Role or even chief cause of the existing depression. It might have gone further and said it nad noth ng whatever to do with it. Wha has the Inlian yarn impo ter, selling to Chinese dealers who sell to inland consumers, suffer- ed from the depreciation of subsidiary coins? market are quite asily expli ed, but not in Not n cent. The troubles of the yarn
the helples, "something ught-to-l- loa" that way. Me-srs. DAVID's letter w 8 of order, and the Chamber's reply, that it was doing all it could, was correct and sufficient. of the Star Ferry Company, made public as Th. next was the leiter from the secr u
tary In that letter, it will brenem-
the ti-ue.
those who dislike and mistrust the Jupauese, the Imperial surroundings, and by pr mulgatiog bered, the Hon. Mr. OBORNE offered
8
J
theories that were at least intelligible and plausible for the degradatio of British subsidiary cage, and ventured to sugest protected by making them le al tender to that these latter a ould be rehabilitated aud
any amount, to the exclusion of all other coius, and by (as would thus fllow) the Government pl dging itself to rede mill its coins at par.
4
which statements have in some cases gone beyond all reason to blacken the admini-tra- tion. If polically the Japanese have been strengthening their hold ou Korea, suggestion none of Japan's friends is concerned to deny, at least they have been conferriug a good many compensatory benefits on that neglected land and people. Roads are being reconstructed. waterworks
To this the Chamber was legs established, schools organized, hospitals provided, a proper police system organized,
Government svmpthetic. It did not agree that the law and order established, industry en
which issued these coi g couraged and corruption
hal any such duty, but that because worse than A great deal was made of this by persons their intrinsic value Cline-e routed out.
was less than tat Much has been antipathetic to the new égim. They of the dallare, their exchange valu: was accomplished already, in very little over two pointed out with plausibility that the naturally liable to fluctuate according to years. From the first instillment of the Emperor was thus virtually a prisoner in bis aupp y and den in. That the Government lon advanced against Customs securities, own Palace; but then, in just the same way, should sell fiv coins for a dollar (which fifteen hundred thousand you were taken and with perhaps much less reaso1, 80 is for the construction of four high roads the Emperor of Japan or the King of credit, and af erwar is refu e
cost the u less) on the strength of their traversing regions of great promise, and the England. Another re-ult of Jupines dollar for them, may be natural ́and” righ', to give a development likely to ensue is sufficient management is that Korea now has a system but it doesn't seen 90. reason for the taxation of the various of local alministration, a judicry worthy some such suggestio as Mr. OSBORNE'S is In any cse, muless localities for the making of the tributary the name, a more stable curren y, and m re given a trial, it seems litt e us hoping for branch roads. The expenditure on wat-r- equitable revenue methods, an pre-ently it any outce from inirect petition to tie works at Chemulpo and elsewhere means is to have a Civil as well as a Criminal Cumese dovernm at to reform. It would remunerative enterprise, a good example cole. All this tikes t me, however, and if seen that local legislation should be eaver for the various communit es, and the better- the Japanese are unable to effec a state of to start, but the Chamber could not see ment of the public heal h. A foreign perfection all at once, it is not for grum- their way to make any representation for concern holds a concession to provide water-bling foreigners to throw sto es at them. legislation. Meanwhile we are en itled to works for Seoul, which explains why a
Those who have been doing so have ha refuse Chinese coin—a hard thing to start atert was not made at the capital. What their reasous, it is supposed; but fortunately—and the third joint reres ntation vis the education there was - dubbed the the position of the Japanese Government is diplomatic corps at Pek ng is on its way to Confucian system
—was in the hands of too strng to be seriously affected by such the Throne, in terms as published the village dominies, notwithstanding that in flea bites. By aud by, when the reformers' other day.