•
422
Hangchow too, the import of native opium was 320 piculs during the quarter as com- pared with 96 piouls in the same period last year; and excepting at Nanking and Han- kow the increase in the import of native opium is the feature of the trade in the Yangtse district. Viewing the opium returns as a whole, we note that very few places indeed show a reduction in the import of opium. Nanking is the most conspicuous place in that respect, for the import there of opium of all kinds fell from 346 piculs to 66, but Amoy is the only other place of importance where the import shows a reduction. There it declined from 1,831 piculs to 1,139. Here are the figures for a few other ports
1907 1908 Piculs. Piculs.
3,142
654 456
Shanghai
1,628
Hangchov
469
Niugpo
387
Foochow
893
1,153
Swatow..
1,436
2,865
3,294
102 52
Canton Kowloon Lappa
1,796
236 278
At every one of these places substantial increase in the import is shown. Wht, then, can be the authority for the repeated state. ments that the Opium Fdict is, being increasingly obeyed throughout the length and breadth of China ? The Chinese Government is, according to the Imperial regulations, supposed to be supplied with annual re'urns showing the area under poppy cultivation in each district, but these statistics, are never published. When the Opium Conference mees at Shanghai in February the Government of China may reasonably be asked to furnish a true abstract of these returns for the guidance of the Conference. Possibly it would be wrong to conclude that there has been little or no restriction of poppy cultivation in China because the imports for a quart-r at the principal trading marts for the drug show a surprising increase; but that explanation, if it exists, is not obvious, and in view of the coming Conference the facts we have extracted from the July-September Customs returns stand in need of explanation when we are told that the an i-opium movement is becoming increasingly popular in China.
ASIATIC IMMIGRATION.
(Daily Press, December 11th.)
The Crown Colonies have not much reason to bless the preseut Government in Eng- land, but the self-governing Colonies have at least the satisfaction of knowing that the
perial Government is in sympathy with their efforts to solve one of the gravest problems which have for years been con- fronting them all-we mean the problem of Asiatic immigration. Au-tralia, New Zealand and Canada have deemed it neces- sary to adopt drastic measures to stop the influx of Chinese and Japanese immigrants while the South African Colonies have awoke to the grave peril of immigration from India and have sought relief in the ame way that it is obtained in Australia and the United States. Speaking as a guest of the Liberal Colonial Club in London re- cently Colonel SEELY expressed his entire agreement with the principle of the objection of the people of Natal and the Transvaal, and he agreed also that Australia should be reserved for the white races provided they proved themselves sufficiently prolific. So long " he said, "as Australian states- men, barked by the unanimous opinion of the people of Australia said that their
|
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND | country could only be well governed if the exclusion of Asiatics were maintained, the Government at home must endorse that proposal."
8
re-
The problem of finding the solution so far as the Indians are concerned is a much more difficult one than that which lates to Chinese or Japanese immigration. Japan has been able to a Ive the difficulty of accommodating an expanding population by the acquisition of territories large enough to absorb her overflow for many years to come. India, on the other hand, sands in great need of an outlet for her surplus. British East Africa has been suggested for colonisation by Indians. The auggestion hrs had the support of Mr. WINSTON CHURCHILL, if it was not he, in fact, who originated the idea. Men who have spent their lives in Africa, who have watched the present problems forming have pronounced against the idea aud pointed out that it would simply mean recreating in another part of Africa the vexed problem now awaiting solution in Natal.
It was probably with some knowledge of the case against the proposal that Colonel SEELY expressed in the speech to which we have alluded the opinion that " we should do wrong to adopt that plan unless we are co- vinced that the country would not attract and support a great white r.cc. Whetber it would do so or not could only be tested by time, and we must wait and see.” This enables us to understand that the Under- Secretary meant when he said earlier in his speech that the immigration problem involves a lesson in patience. It is a lesson which will outlast the lifetime of the present generation of politicians.
But what of China? In Australia and on the Pacific Slope of America "the real difficulty" is with China, and it is not an uncommon thing to see the statement glibly made that China cannot support her present popul tion. "Her 450 millions," says one writer " are at present enfined to a country not capable of supporting 300 millions in accordance with civilised ideas." Now, if we take the opinion of Sir ALEXANDER House who has travelled in nearly every province in China, the estimate of 450 millions must be reduced by at least one hundred millions, and in many of the provinces there are vast areas but sparsely populated. It does not follow that "as civilised ideas come in, an overflow of population is inevitable. Rather ought those ideas to serve in keep. ing the population at home, for the applica- tion of civilised ideas in the promotion of industry and trade and the exploitation of the mineral wealth of China should provide employment enough to render emigration find the unnecessary on account of any inability to means of lifelihood. China is evidently not anxious to encourage emigra
tion
"J
on any large scale and if there is unemployed problem in China it does not seem to force itself into prominence.
an
own
We have received from the Editor of the Minpoa Magazine, which has been suppressed by the Japanese Judicial Authorities, for advo- cating revolution in China, a printed statement setting forth his grievances against the that while political refugees find protection in Japanese Government. The writer complains
the United States, France and Germany from the tyranny and oppression of their governments, Japan is crushing the Chinese revolutionists, and the manifesto alleges that the Japanese Government has been bribed to do so by the grant of certain railway and mining rights in Manchuria. We doubt the statement, and in any case, we should regard Japan as being perfectly justified in stopping any abuse of the right of asylum she accords to Chinese political refugees.
[December 12, 1908
RANDOM REFLECTIONS.
Aye, man, there were one or two gey sair heeds on Tuesday mornin'. It wasna whusky, did it. Na, na. It was that finy stuff. It looks like leemonade an' ye drink an' ye drink an' ye drink, an' michty me before ye ken and ye get foosled at the reel, an whaur ye are ye're not able to see yer partner weel, ye ken the rest. Naothin for it but to -an ---ah
gang hame as straucht as
doon.
•
yo
can and lie
Aye, Monday was a great day for Bootland. Old St. Andrew must have felt honoured when he realised that so many people remembered him began to think that Scotland was fairly import- after he had been dead so long, and doubtless ho
ant after all. And why shouldn't he? Any country would be proud of so many braw lads and bonnie lasses, and those who could not claim Scottish blood must have felt on Monday night that they were sadly lacking. It was good to see the folks enjoying themselves so heartily. The strathspey was a sight for the gods, even though the music was supplied by dusky pipers, and the hoochs that went up at the reels made one conscious of the wild joy of living. Aye it was a great day-and a grand_nicht.
Why, oh why, do the public demand encores so unresaonably? The A.D.C. have done ex- tremely well in their production of A Country
44
Girl but apparently the public for whose entertainment it is designed do not realise the amount of work involved and thoughtlessly de- mand encores in a performance which ordinarily extends over three hours. It is quite possible we know to have too much of a good thing, and thoughtless auditors might remember that in time, and not prolong the production to a wearisome length.
The topical allusions at the A.D.C.'s per formance are very clever. There is the expected reference to the Sanitary Board and its dealings with cats, but the remark which brings down the house is when Barry in his political address warehouse where applicants and customers are describes the governing machine as like a big referred to certain counters. The opium busi- ness is mentioned by a customer and he is directed to proceed to a certain floor and at the same time the attendent calls out "Sir Frederick, step forward please!"
to-night and to-morrow--and then on Thursday The A. D. C. give two more performances-
boards for a season. They have a fine range of the Bandmann Comedy Company occupy the comedies, as the reader will see on reference to the advertisement in the Daily Press. I noticed that the Burma papers, when the company was at Rangoon, recently spoke very highly of them and the fact that every night they drew big houses is good evidence of public appreciation. Notwithstanding that they are following here so closely on the ing and I have no doubt that the Company A.D.C. the booking to date are very promis- will be as well supported on this occasion as they have always been in Hongkong. Our season for indoor amusements is short, and there are several comedies in the list which are new to most people in the Colony.
I hear that a serious attempt is to be made to effect economies in the colonial administra- tion. A Retrenchment Committee has been appointed by the Government and though its already got to business. Heads of departments constitution has not yet become public it has
have been invited to suggest possible reductions not merely in small monetary affairs but in the staffs as well, and it looks as if indicates that we are to cut our coat according a few changes are impending. At any rate it
to our cloth.
*
American courts are now being called upon to decide in matters of domestic hygiene as well as of ethics. A woman in San Francisco has just secured a divorce, her principal grievance being that her husband had taken only two baths since their marriage last March. This is cer- tainly interesting. By and bye, I suppose, we may expect to have judicially laid down a code
i.