'April 13, 1908.]
year,
The seamen, coxswaine, engineers and stokers had 228 reports as compared with 300 for last For dunkenness there was no report (same as last year), 12 for absence from Station &lato for duty as against 193 in the previous year.
Two seamen
were convicted by the Police Magistrate, one for Bghting and one for lar- cony; and one engineer for assault.
63 had no report rec rded against them. Two European sergeants were granted medals for smart and energetic detective work and one Chinese coustable was granted a medal for long and faithful service; two Chinese cons- tables were granted rewards for zeal displayed in the discharge of their duty and one Chiness constable was c mmended by His Excellency the Governor and granted a reward for placky conduct in arresting a soldier for robbery. A European lanos sergeant and a European cons. table were commended for rescuing two Chines from drowning..
→
DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW TERRITORIES.
The report of the District Officer and Collector on the New Territories (Mr. E. R. Hallifax) for 19 17 is printed as an appendix to the report of the Captain Superintendent of Police for last year.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
and the opening of the new Ping Shan to Castle Peak Road is very keenly looked forward to as the beginning of s.proper road system. long as there is no internal communication in the Territories, local enterprise has little opportunity; when the opportunity offers, there is not a little capital ready to take advantage
of it to the fall.
COMMERCIAL.
RICE.
advices, is quiet.
The Saigon Rice Market according to latest Messrs. Wm. G. Hale & Co. in their Circular dated 3rd inst., quote for May and June delivery:
No. 2 White siftéd (trié) steam milled
round
No. 2 White unsifted (ordinaire) steam
milled round
6% Cargo steam milled round 10% Cargo steam milled round 20% Cargo steam milled round
I The change of most importance during the year has of course been the beginning of the Ningpo Railway. A great number of New Territories Manila natives have found employment in connection | Iloilo.. with it, and they have done well out of it-80 well in fact that the minimum monthly rate of wages has gone up from $7.30 to $9 for any kind rate as high as that
of unskilled work: a
obtaining in Hongkong. In spite of this however the construction work has not been an unmixed blessing even to the natives themselve; the kind of adventurer that is attracted to any spit newly busy has been quite suffi ciently evidence all along the ine, and seems unfortunately to have done fairly well. And this in spite of a marked absence of serius crime; his profits have been made by methode which laid him open only to civil action. A great number of cases of this kind have been brought to Tai Po during the year, and while a number have been more or less successfully settled, the task is getting a more and more difficult one.
Cebu
$3.72 3,22 3.18 3.12
163,100
111,300
Japan Singapore
45,100
115,600
37,200
Total
pes. 1,311,500 45,300 115.500 279,300 57,000 57,000 116,600 227,900 299,2:0 344,300 155,800
Batavia...
85,500
85,503
74,200
74,200
$1,000
31,000
:
448,100 33,000
481,100
Samarang Passoeran Sourabaya Noumea. Europe
24,000 809,600
24,000 98,500 711,100
Total...... 2,068,200 1,865,300 3,926,50) Same period of last year..
5,349,600 Tonnage. Quotations stand as follows: 1314 cents to Hongkong; 22/23 cents to Java; 25/26 cents to the Philippines; 22/23 cents to Japan and 14/15 cents to Singapore.
PIECE GOODS.
247
Messrs. Noel, Murray & Co. of Shanghai, in their Piece Goods Report, for 2nd Apríl, state There is no improvement to report, the market being in state of absolate collapse! Hope defer- red is telling the same old tale, and many im- porters are verging on despair. The long-looked- for improvement in the demand this spring has utterly failed, and the offtake so far shows a large decrease in most items as compared with last year, this being especially so in the case of American goods. It is noticeable, however, with regard to these latter goods that got a single piece of either Drills, Jeans or Sheetings have been imported this year so far at this port, though according to the official returns 1,298,319 yards Domestics were exported to the Chinese Empire during December 1907, possibly to Tien- tsin direct. It is difficult to understand the apathy with which this trade is now being treat- ed by the country at large. It is certainly beyond question that the stocks in the consuming districts are abnormally light as a rule, and yet there is some influence at work that is seriously curtail- ing the consumption. The prices importers have had to accept are not extravagantly high, and
Un-
The
* Prices according to terms and conditions.
ports of White Rice, Cargo Rice and Paddy from
The following is a statement of this year's Ex-yet even with the improving means of communica- tion the trade shows no development. We' fear Saigon:-
the unsatisfactory state of the currency of the country is at the bottom of it all, and until some Since the Destination. Previously
6th March.
homogeneous system is adopted, and the iniqui- Hongkong..
tous indirect taxation in the shape of likin is 839,800 471,700
abolished foreign trade must languish. It is 45,300
worthy of note that during the interval a further progressive step has been advanced, Nanking being now within seven hours of Shanghai by the completion of the railway to that city. fortunately its value as a means of transportation is being completely nullified by the exorbitant likin squeezes that are being levied at every available point, The reaction in Cotton fore- shadowed in our last, has caused a slightly steadier feeling in Manchester, but no confidence is placed in it here as yet, and generally speaking forward transactions are being avoided." effect of the new Mills is being seriously felt, and although the older concerns, are inclined to demand they do not wish to encourage their new curtail supplies more in accordance with the competitors by giving them a exploit, the consequence being that prices are down to bed rock. The Liverpool daily quota- tions for Mid American Cotton have steadily advanced until 5.77d. was received this morning, "Futures" were quoted yesterday 5.29d. against 5.70d. for "Spot." Egyptian is steady at 7,4d. The export of Plain Cottons last month to Hongkong and China was 29,000,000 yards, Dyed Cottons, 7,900,000 yards and prints 700,000 yards. There is no particular news from New York, except that Cotton has recovered to 9.77 cents for July option. The Yarn market bas been active again in both Indian and Local Spin- nings, and clearances of both continue excellent, which is the most pleasing feature of the market. Cotton has kept steady owing to buying by the Local Mills, The current business in Piece Goods has been very quiet, Native buyers being fully impressed with the idea that prices here must decline in sympathy with Manchester. The Auctions have shown a much weaker tendency throughout, particularly noticeable in Turkey Reds and Fast Black Cotton Italians,
Charters. The followingjare the settlements:-
ots. per picul
picula
11
Br.s.s. Lennox PartCgaro50,000 to H.K. at 14 Rice Br.ss. Chatham50,000, Ger.8.8. Landrat Scheiff 36,000 Ger.8.8.Ithaka ...: of
Hr. 8.8. Pheum-penh Ger.s.8. Sexta
Debtors are beginning to see the advantages of being obdurate, for the Summary Court in Hongkong, has more terror for their redito-8 than for them. Partly due perhaps to a number of caɛON this kind, and paitly also to the closer inter- course with imported coolies and outside traders is the rather regrettable fact that the natives on this sid, of the country are shewing signs of bec ming civilised-of losing, that is, their owa proper simplicity.
|---
2. As compared with the Railway, nothing of any great note has occurred during the year. The readiness with which the Crown Rent was paid - it coull hardly be taken fast enough- a pleasing sign of a growing pr sperity and of content with things as ti ey are. Other signs are not wanting that the condi'iou of the population is improving; the making of several roads by private village enterprise, of a kind much saperior to anything here existing before 1898: the erection of a number of new houses, though any advance in this is perhaps counterbalanced 1.y the fact that quite a number have also been vacated. As far as can be seen however the reasons for this desertion are mostly particular the houses are inferior ones which would not pay for repair, something has occurred to ruin their Fung Shui, or the owners have died without heirs; they contain nothing to disconut the idea of a generally increasing prosperity. The markets are busy-those at a distance from the line as well as the nearer ones; and local capitalists seem to have been studying the railway methods with a view of starting works of their own-preferably brick-making. Best of all, there has been very marked rednotion in the cases of serious crime reported--and this in | spite of the fact that the state of things over the border seems to be no better than it eve was. S. The one great want of the country is pro- per roads. Quite a few of the local business men are waiting to put into practice the lesson they have learnt from the railway bullock carts,
J7
13
14
•
15
Y7
>>
"}
.38,000 .30,000 .36,000
15
""
24
**
+3
14
军事
29
}] 11
131
OPIUM.
11
HONGKONG, 2nd April, 1908. Since the 19th ultimo. the movements in the various Opium markets have been as follows:-
Malwa, Patna, Benares, Peri's: Stocks on the 19th March, 1908 .. 331 1,199 603 741 Mar. 20th, Imports per Malla
y
191 100
20th
11
*1
11
24th
"1
J
**
31st
t
Japan Lightning. Namiang..
375
690 360
350 225
522 2,714 1,138 01 514 234
750
146 667 141
15
Less Exports to Shanghai
Exports to East and West Coast Ports including Local Consumption for the fortnight..
t
813 735
315 1,533 Estimated Stocks this day.
Bengal.-Prices have moved up owing to good consumption. Patna at $1050 and Benares at $1015.
MalwaThe market has advanced $20 to $30 and quotations are as follows:
2 years old 3/4 oldest.... Persian.-Unchanged.
Quotations are→ Malwa New Malwa Old
.$980
1,020/30 1,070/80
HONGKONG, April 10th.
.$970 to $99.) to Malwa Oldor ..$1000/20 to Malwa Very Old .$1060 to Persian Fine Quality ..$800 to Persian Extra Fine .$880 to Patna New
.$1050 to to Patna Old
.$1012) to to
Benares New Benares Ola
www.
per picul.
do. do.
do,
do.
do. per chest.
do.
do.
do.
clear field to
MISCELLANEOUS EXPORTS.
Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co. of Shanghai in their Fortnightly Produce Circular, dated 2nd April, say:-Gallnuts.-Little business is being done,* dealers asking exaggerated figures. Cowhides. Dealers anxious to realize and are A good business is the reducing their prices. result. Feathers,-Considerable stocks; demand absence of orders from Japan, Tallow.-Market poor.
Cotton.-Market weak owing to total
Strawbraid.-There has been a very quiet. brisk demand from Europe for White Braids, and the market has been nearly cleared of same, Shansi and Laichow Mottled are also stillin good demand, but very little comes forward, and only in pror quality. America is again asking for Fine Shingkee White, the only article wanted by that market at present, and there are no stocks left in good quality. Wool.-Sheeps.- Considerable stocks; demand poor. Sesamum Seed.-White seed supplies are getting scarce. Fair business is done in the yellow seed. Wood Oil. Good supplies are coming in. As the home markets have bought largely of late and are apt to pause we believe in somewhat lower prices in the near future. Antimony.-A fair busineeS. Sellers. are making concessions to transactions.
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