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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
In 1896-1897 a fair average Ocean steamer ¡ rise above natural disadvantages, and if we are was 3000 tons register tonnage dues at 1 oent $28 at 21 conta $70.
To-day Ocean steamers are often 5000 tona register tonnage dues at 1 cent $50 at 2 cents $125,
(0) Harbour Police should be, and we believe is, paid out of light dues.
Hospitals,
Markels.
Services under this heading are paid for by Shipping Companies at market rates to the financial benefit of the Colony- there is no favour Water Surply.
-the obligation is mutual. Sailors Home pays for itself, we believe, and it would be interesting to learn what share the Government pays for any advantages derived therefrom by the Shipping,
Wharves and Piers Government have charged Shipping Companies very highly for Crown Rent, &c. and piers and wharves are erected by private enterprise. Shipping pays directly for every service rendered,
Cost of Harbour Department is more than paid for out of Light Dues.
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(f) Free Port. Shipping Companies do not protest against extra taxation altogether on their own account; they can always "even up on rates so that ultimately all additional taxation is met by consumers, but the Government should tread cautiously in the direction of increasing the burdens on shipping, for, if taxation is increased beyond reason, owners will have to protect themselves by increasing rates to the disadvantage of Hongkong vis à-vis other ports. The difference of even half a cent per picul might mean that transhipment of thousands of tons of cargo would be diverted from Hongkong and delivered direct to Manila, Shanghai, Canton and elsewhere. The Shipping Companies can view such a transfer of trade with equanimity, because they can deliver and collect cargo in Manila or Shanghai or elsewhere with equal facility, but the Hougkong Government would realise, when perhaps it was too late, that they had driven trade into the hands of a competing port, willing and anxious to secure the trade.
In the Philippines the American Government bas lately spent large sums in improving their barbours, and the ports are absolutely free-no tonnage dues or light dues and as 8 con- sequence railway material and other home cargo which used to come via Hongkong is now carried direct to the Philippines, while hemp and other exports which previously were tran shipped at this port, are increasingly abipped direct from Manila.
Shanghai are similarly improving the
Whangpoo, not at the expense of Shipping. but in order to attract it. Shanghai is not a free port and does not claim to be, but how is the 14 cents per ton made up? China charges tonnage dues at the rate of four mace per net register ton-61 Mexican cents for four months. For this levy steamers have the privilege of calling at any and all China Ports as many times as they like for a period of four months without extra charge of any kind, and should steamers be laid up during the period an extension is granted. Contrast the services rendered by the Chinese Government with that by the Hongkong Government. There is no comparison. The China Coast is one of the best lighted in the world and the service second to none.
On some of the regular coasting lines the charge of four mace every four mouths actually works ont less than the Hoogkong dues of one cent per net register ton levied every time a steamer calls.
If it is correct that the Colony does not Owe its prosperity to Shipping it will not be disputed, we presume, that it is the tra le which attracts it here. If that trade is driven elsewhere by excessive taxation either direct or indirect it will be lost to the Colony bat not to the shipping which can readily follow it. How easily ship ping followed the trade to Manchester when the Canal was opened, how quickly it let Macao for Hongkong, and Chefoo for Tsingtan, when look of attention to its approaches in the one case and railway development in the other cafried the producs of the hinterlands to the neighbour. ing ports.
Hongkong of itself is not naturally an ndustrial centre. It has risen to be one by the eedom and cheapness of the port that is the advantage that has enabled the Colony to
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to continue to prosper this advantage must not be interfered with; if it is, just as surely as taration is increased and cost of production levelled to other places, will the port decay.
DEATH OF A GERMAN CONSUL.
the
We regret to record the death at the Peak Hospital Hongkong, on Sunday last of Herr H. von Varchmin, German Consul for Pakhoi and Hoihow. The Consol was brought to Hongkong suffering from a severe attack of dysentery, and had been in hospital only three days. His remains were laid to rest on Monday in the Protestant Cemetery at the Happy Valley. The cortège was joined at the Monument by a considerable number of mourners which included the German Consul at Hongkong (Dr. Jur. E. A. Voretzsob), the German Consul at Canton (Dr. E. Heintges), the American Consul at Hongkong (Dr. A. P. Wilder), the Commandant (Korv. Kapt. Gr. v. Posadowsky-Wehner), officers and bluejackets of the S. M. K. "Jaguar several British naval officers, and the leading business men of the German community. The coffin, of polished oak, bore the inscription:
Hans Von Varchmin
Died July 5th, 1908;
Aged 40 years.
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The German fly enveloped the coffin, which was borne to the graveside by six blu-jackets, The Rev. J. Muller conducted the service which was of a very impressive nature. The floral tributes were very beautiful, the chief being from the German Consulates at Hongkong, Canton, Shanghai and from the Deutsob
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A siatische Bank.
PLAGUE IN SAIGON.
We note in Saigon papers that plague, which had numerous victims in the city last year, has re-appeared. The Clayton apparatus is being In one paper we used to disinfect the city. note a comment to the following effect:- Saigon is the one and only port remaining open to Hongkong, which is declared infected by plague by all the ports of the Far East. It is necessary to believe that we have nothing to fear fom Hongkong, the plague being already installed comfortably enough in our own colony." In Ind China great importance is attached to innoculation as a prophylhetic, bat M. Bouheare, the Acting Governor of Indo-Chins, in a circular to the Health Department intimates that following on the considerable use of anti-plague serum during the last two years the Pasteur Institute of Paris has exhausted the reserve which it possessed, and it is not possible In these to count on a new supply for a year. circumstances the quantity which exists in Indo-China will be strictly reserved for the treatment of confirmed cases, but preventive vaccinations will be effected with Haffkine vaccine which the Institute Nha trang is able to produos.
The news of this deficiency has provoked vehement criticism of the Health Department.
A PROMISING BARRISTER-AT-LAW.
Some few months ago a Chinese gentleman who announced that he would be known as Joseph Overbook Anderson was admitted to practice as a barrister of the Supreme Court of Hoogkong. It is interesting to learn that he has just accepted an appointment from H.E- Viceroy Tuen Fang to be legal adviser to His Honour Taotai Tsai Nai-Wang of Shangbai and the Director of Foreign Affairs at Nacking.
Mr. Anderson was educated at the Queen's College at Hongkong. In 1903 he proceeded to Eagland where he studied his profession in Lincoln's Inn and was called to the Bar three years afterwards. He returned to the East quite recently and was duly admitted to practise in both the Supreme Court of Hongkong and that of China and Korea in Shanghai.
He is at present slaying at the Astor House in Shanghai. He called officially on the Viceroy at Naoking last week, Taotai Tsai, socompany- ing him, and was warmly received and enter- tained by His Excellency,
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[July 11, 1908,
SIR WALTER HILLIER'S APPOINTMENT.
Our Tientsin correspondent writes Reater's recent announcement of the appoint- ment of Sir Walter Hillier to be adviser to the Chinese Government has given rise to endless discussion and conjectures. In Tientsin and Peking some who profess to be in the know in such matters gave it out that here was the new Inspector-General of the 1.M.C. in place of Sir Robert Hart. It need not be said that this view or assumption or rumour found a sceptance only among those with whom the wish was father to the thought.
Among the Peking rumours as to Sir Walter Hillier's appointment is one that he has come out temporarily at a very high salary, and that he has come at the invitation of the Chinese Government, or at any rate at the invitation of very high officials, and that he is bei g paid by the Chinese. According to one well informed authority, Sir Walter has come out for one or more specific pieces of work, bat not in con. nexion with the Imperial Maritime Customs, or atany rate notin connexion with any permanent Customs appointment, and certainly not in connexion with the Inspector Generalship.
Another rumour, which has obtained much acceptance, though it emanated from a quite unofficial souros, is that Sir Walter Hillier has come out as a Financial Adviser in anticipation of the Chinese Government undertaking some scheme of financial reform Perhaps the basis of this report may be the fact that Sir Walter's brother is manager of the Peking Branch of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. There is reason for thinking that financial reform is among schemes which may shortly become questions of practical politics,
As a matter of fact, however, there is the very best possible authority for 8sying that Sir Walter Hillier himself kaows nothing more about his appointment than be himself read in enter's telegram. So much then for Peking
rumours.
One of the Hongkong papers has written of Sir Walter Hillier as though he were still in London.
As a matter of fact, Sir Walter and Lady Hillier are already in Peking, and have bean for some time. Their presence in the capital would have been regarded as an ordinary pleasure visit, had it not been for Reuter's bas numerous friends in the capital. I telegram ab ut the appointment, Sir Walter have the best reason possible for reiterating that all reports professing to announce the
object of the appointment are based merely on
guesswork, and that beyond the fact that he has been retain d as adviser, Sir Walter himself is as yet unaware of any special case in which his services are to be employed.
WHOLESALE POISONING OF SOLDIERS IN INDO-CHINA.
Hanoi papers report a dastardly attempt to kill off by poison the men of the Artillery
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and the Ninth Colonial Regiment at Hanoi. After partaking of soup on the night of Saturday the 28th ult. the men, by hundreds, seized with violent colic and other indications of dangerous illness. All who w're not suffering were called out and the defence of Hanoi was rapidly organised. Then inquiries began to be made, and it was recognised that the Doi and the Cai of the Comp1gais d'ouvriers were the authors of this oriminal
attempt. They were all arrested, and 83 men of the artillery and 82 of the Ninth Colonial Regiment were conveyed to hospital.
It was subsequently ascertained that the poison employed was arsenic, but fortunately it was diluted to such an extent that it failed to have the desired effect.
It was also ascertained that on the Saturday evening when the poison was observed to take effect, about a score of natives cycled round to the camp of the tirailleurs, and when the news spread the whole band disappeared. At the same time upon the road to Sentay, a Caï and a native were soon cutting the telegraph lines. Another important detail is that all the officers of the 1st Tonkinois experienced the effects of the poison but not a single tirailleur was indisposed. Altogether sixty men were placed under arrest in connection with the affair and are to be tried by Court Martial.
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