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November 11, 1907.]
BRUSSELA INTERNATIONAL SUGAR CONVENTION. The following letter was received from the Government:
Colonial Secretary's Office, 9th August, 19-7. SIE,-Referring to previous correspondence, I am directed to forward for the information of your Chamber & copy of a Despatch addressed by Sir Edward Grey to His Majesty's Minister at Brussels on the subject of the adhesion of His Majesty's Government to the International Sugar Convention of the 5th March, 1909.
I am, &c.,
(8gd.) F. H. May,
Colonial Secretary.
The Secretary,
Chamber of Commerce.
Copy. Despatch to His Majesty's Minister at Brussels respecting the International Sugar Convention of 1902.
SIR EDWARD GREY TO SIR A. HARDINGE.
Foreign Office,
June 1. 1907.
SIB, His Majesty's Government have had under consideration the question of the steps it will be necessary for them to take with regard to the participation of this country in the Sugar Convention when the date arrives on which it will be possible for any of the Contracting States to give a year's notice to retire from the Con. vention under the provision of Article X of that Instrument. In considering this matter, they have naturally felt themselves bound to give the greatest weight to the interests of consumers and producers in the United Kingdon, and the British Colonies, hut, subject to this paramount consideration, they have deeir-d to give proper weight to the circumstances and possible wishes of the other Contracting States.
His Majesty's Government have come to the definite conclusion that the limitation of the sources from which sugar may enter the United Kingdom, whether by prohibition or by the imposition of countervailing duties, is inconsist. ent with their policy, and incompatible with the interests of British consumers and sugar using manufacturers, and that consequently it will be impossible for them to continue to give effect to the provision of the Convention requiring them to penalize sugars declared by the per- manent commission to be bonaty-fed.
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At the same time His Majesty's Government have no desire that there should be a revival of sugar bounties or of sugar trusts or cartels, depe dent on the existence f high protective tariffs, which are now prohibit d under the Conve tion. Nor is there any desire or inten. tion on their own part that any bounties on the production or exportation of sugar shall be given in the United Kingdom or in the Sugar Expor- | tation Crown Colonies or that any preferenca shall be given to Cane as against Bee! sugar, or to Colonia! sugars as against the sugars of the Contracting States on importation into the United Kingdom or the Crown Colonies. The President of the Permaneut Soger Commission at Brussels, having very o urteously tendered to the British Delegates the good office of the Belgian Government in re: a-d to any discussions which might take place concerning the termination or prolongation of the Convention, I have thought it desirable to request you without loss of time to bring the foregoing considerations to the notios of the Belgian Goveri ment, with a view to their communication to the Governments of the Contracting States.
Should these Governments come to the conclusion that the wishes and intentions of his Majesty's Government, as indicated above, can only be realised by the complete withdrawal of this country from the Couvention, His Majesty's Government will be prepared to give the necessary notice of the first possible date.
It is, however, possible that in the special circumstances of the c: se, the other contract- ing States might judge it to be preferable to secord to the United Kingdom, by a Supple. mentary Protocol, a special exemption from the obligation to enforce the penal provisions of the Convention. They might be the more disposed to take this course inasmuch as such an exemption would be unlikely, at all events, for a considerable period to have any material effect of a prejudicial character upon the export trade of sugar from any of the Contracting States.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
309
a copy of your letter to the Hongkong uovern- ment.
I have the honour to be, &o.
(Sgd.) EDBERT A, HEWETT.
Chairman.
You should point out that it has already been found that the special circumstances of a parti- cular contrac'ing State make it desirable that it should be exempted from certain stipulations of the Convention. Thus, to Italy, to Sweden and Switzerland there have been accorded The Secretary, Shanghai Chamber of Commerce. speci lexemptions from the stipulations of the Convention that were not appropriate to the conditions of the trade of those countries,
In the event of the Contracting States agree- ing to take the course indicated above, His Majesty's Government would be prepared to abain for the pre-ent from giving the notice of withdrawal which they would otherwise feel | it their duty to give on the 1st September next. Should the Belgian Government be willing to exert their good offices in this behalf, I have to point out that, in view of the meeting of the Commission fix d to take place on the 6th instant, it would be desirable that communica. tions should be addressed to the Contracting States as soon as possible.
Hongkong Chamber of Commerce,
26th September, 1907. SIR-I have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th ultimo (No 9936.1906) enclosing for the information of the Committe, His Majesty's Minister at
despatch addressed by Siri dward Grey to Brussels on the subject of the adhesion of His Majesty's Government to the International Sagar Cou- vention of 5th March, 1902.
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The Committee of this Chamber desire to convey their thanks to the Government for kindly placing this despatch before them.
I-have &c..
(Sgd.) Er BERT A. HEWETT, Chairman.
The Honourable The Colonial Secretary.
QUARANTINE IMPOSED ON SHANGHAI BY
HONGKONG.
Shangbai Chamber of Commerce,
Shanghai, 6th September, 1907.
The Secretary,
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce Hongkong.
DEAR SIR, My Commi1tee learn through H. B. M. 's Consul that the Hongkeng Govern- ment has enforced quarantine against Shanghai owing to the prevalence of cholera,
I am directed to ask you, on behalf of this Chamber, to prot at against this imposition, and to point out that the action of the Hongkong Government seems premature owing to the endemic nature of the disease.
The number of cases reported to the Health Officer is as follows:-
do. do.
184 cises during the week ending 18th August. 156 cases
do. 144 cases
25th August. do.
1st S-pt. this, out of a population of some 510,000 Chi- nese and 13,700 Non-Chinese.
The Health Officer in his report for the month of August points out that the outbreak was chiefly among the poorer classes of the population and specially marked among the Kompo people in the Li Ionkew district. These people living on the poorest food are par. ticularly noticeable as the occupants of beggar boats and reed hovels beyond the boundary of the Settlement. It is probable that cholera is endemic in these places and only requires the produce an outbreak of the disease. necessary conditions of heat and moisture to
As mentioned above, the outbreak was chiefly Aong the poorer classes who are beyond the Settlement limits; it would therefore seem highly improbable that they would be among the travelling public going Scuth.
I am, &c.,
(Sgd.) J. D. CANNING.
Secretary.
Hongkong Chamber of Commerce, 27th September, 1907. SIR,-I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 6th instant protesting againt the imposition of quarantine against Shanghai by the Hongkong Goverment on the ground that cholera is reported to be prevalent at your Port, The Committee of this Chamber was glad to receive your letter as it supported a protest already made by the Chairman against this quarantine being imposed, and have forwarded
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Hongkong Chamber of Commerce,
27th September, 1907.
Chamber of Commerce has written to this SIR-I beg to inform you that the Shanghai Chamber protesting against the imposition of quarantine against Shanghai on account of the alleged prevalence of cholera at the latter port. I now enclose cop- of the Shanghai letter for the information of His Excellency and would beg to point out that be reasons brought forward by the shanghai Chamber in support of their argoments against the action of the Guvern- ment in declaring Shanghai an infected port appear to this Committee as reasonable and worthy of consideration.
I have now the honour to request that this correspondence be laid before His Excellency who I trust on further consideration of the question will in the interests of trade agree to withdraw the regulations now imposed against steamers arriving from Shanghai.
I have &c.,
(Sgd) EDBERT A. HewETT. Ühairman, The Honourable The Colonial Secretary,
Shanghai Chamber of Commerce.
Shanghai, October 10th 1907.
The Chairman,
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, Hongkong,
SIR, I am instructed by my Committee to acknowledge receipt of your favour of the 27th altimo, and to convey their best thanks for forwarding copy of our letter to the Hongkong Government.
'The total number of deaths from cholera since I wrote last has been as follows.—
For week ending 8th September
Do.
Do.
Do.
Do
15th 22ad 29th
50
41
20
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8th October
7 Nil
From the above figures it would appear that the disease is again stamped out, and I have to ask you to be good enough to further protest against the action of the Hongkong Govern- ment in imposing quaranties restrictions against this Port.
Again thanking you for your sapport in this matter, I am, etc.,
(8gd.) J. D. Canning,
Zecretary. [The remainder of the correspondence relates to the opium business, and is unavoidably held over.]
THE OPIUM MONOPOLY CORRESPONDENCE,
Hongkong,
3rd September, 1907. BIR, I have the honour to inform you that the British firms engaged in the opíum trade in this Colony have addressed a letter to the Committee of the Hongkong Chamber of Com- merce asking for assistance in this matƐer vary closely affecting their Fusiness.
It appears that the Viceroy of Nanling with view to establishing a monopoly in the opium business in this cipital has ordered that all opium shops be closed and converted into “pre- pared opium" shops which are to be conducted under licences issued by t e Viceroy.
The sale of raw opium is to be placed in the hands of an individual or syndicate who will
hold a monopoly from the Viceroy and from whom alone the prepared opium shops will be allowed to purchase their opiam. The result of this will be that all existing raw opium establishments will be forced to suspend business and the while trade will be converted into a close Government monopoly. The intention is to inaugurate the system in Nanking but it is understool that once the monopoly had been started it will be extended to other parts of the province.
This new departure has avowedly been taken by the Viceroy of Nanking for the purpose of raising revenue and we have reason to believe that the experiment is being watched with interest by other Provincial Authorities who will not be slow to adopt the same course, if it be successfully carried out.