January 4, 1909.J
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airs in this country. First of all, by the agreement itself, nothing can be done without the consent of the city authorities, and through those officials, the central Government authori ties. These operations involve an amount of negotiation inconceivable to a more practical mind, suggesting in fact that a matter of vital international importance was on the board instead of a paltry increase of fare. Then there is the opposition of a more or less corrupt Press and the more feared opposition of the lower classes, which might take the form of car smashing under the smallest incitement. These are forces the authorities have been unpleasantly reminded of on previous occasions when the people have shown their displeasure at official acts. But still, the people are not blind to what is just. The company shows by its accounts that the present 4 sen fare is unremunerative and perhaps this unanswerable argument will be more effective than have been the arguments on the subject pro and con hitherto, as the public have simply refused to be convinced while the company was paying the ordinary dividend.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
A TRIP NORTH.
A HONGKONG GENTLEMAN'S IMPRESSIONS.
more than ordinary attention has been directed Since the momentous events of last month to Peking and the North of China and the impressions of such an acute observer as Mr. Lau Chu Pak, who has just returned from a trip in the North, will no doubt be read with interest, especially as they indicate that the rumoured unrest in that part expression. His conclusions are entirely differ. the country has not found ent. He found the country peaceful, the people contented, and, though trade everywhere was bad, the outlook was not without hope. But it is perhaps better to give his own words:--
will become an important trading centre. British settlement is very large and appears to me to be the best kept of all,
In Peking you see well made roads, and what work. is more, you will see steam rollers constantly at
the variety of animals used in ploughing the One feature of rural life which struck me was fields. In one place I saw a donkey, a bullock and a horse harnessed to- the one plough. In another place I saw a more primitive arrange": soil. The man dug a spade in the ground and ment. A man and his wife were tilling the the woman pulled it by means of the rope attached to the spede. In this way they laboriously turned up the soil.
Altogether my trip was most interesting and Yes, it certainly was an interesting trip. I instructive. It gave me an opportunity - of passed through 105 towns and villages, and, of seeing what the Chinese are doing in the North course, I saw a great deal of my fellow country-and it showed beyond doubt that the state of the doubt that the introduction of railways has place, looking out for suspicious characters. men. Speaking generally, there can be no country is peaceful. Detectives are all over the effected a great improvement in the country. Chinese dressed in European clotshing receive The people have perhaps unconsciously under-much attention from these men. gone a change, but a change that is nevertheless apparent. be
They have grown accustomed to foreigners, they are not so shy of them as they once were. Of course, they have much to learn yet, but the enlightenment which has been effected is undoubtedly a tribute to the educational influence of the locomotive.
POSITION OF THE SHAREHOLDERS. The Tokyo Railway Company may described as one of the largest Japanese and the largest foreign concern in this country. The subscribed capital is 60,000,000 yen of which 37,000,000 yen is paid up. Over 20,000 shares are held by foreigners, representing a million and a quarter yen paid up and foreigners are more largely interested in this than in any other concern, foreign or Japanese. A peculiar situa- tion has arisen with regard to the new shares of the company. When the last call was made some months ago, owing to the stringency then prevailing, shareholders were given the option of paying in or paying the company interest at the rate of 7.3 per cent on their unpaid share. Therefore if the coming sharoholders meeting adopts the present dividend of 4 per cent., holders of new shares who have not paid in will be debtors to the company to the extent of 3.3 per cent on their holding. Whereas it was universally anticipated that the company would' declare the usual dividend as it is able to do leaying the unpaid new-share holders debtors to the extent of 3 per cent, they are to be made debtors to the extent of 3.3 per cent. Thus one irregularity leads to another. The whole situation of the company is full of interest, and the coming meeting of shareholders will most likely be an exciting one.
QUEENS OF THE PACIFIC. On the other side of the Pacific they are lamenting the decay of their mercantile marine, while Japanese owners are continuously ex. panding. These are thoughts as one looks at such a vessel as the new Chiyo Maru, which has just left for Hongkong on her maiden voyage. The T.K.K. fleet is now worthy of the Atlantic, and if American legislators continue in the same conservative attitude regarding the principle of marine subsidies the time will soon come when the T.K.K., N.Y.K., and C.P.R. will share the Pacific passenger trade between them. The two former companies are mak ing undisguised efforts in this direction and already almost monopolise the trade out of San Francisco and Seattle. We are on the eve, too, of developments further south, in Columbia and Chile, both of which countries are now "opened" to Japan by treaty of commerce, and the attrac tions of both are being more or less advertised in this country as fields for Japanese emigrants and commerce. In Tokyo there is established what is known as the Chilean Propaganda, which seems to be doing useful work in con- nection with industry here, especially agri- cultural industry. At a dinner given the other evening to Mr. Hioki, the newly appointed Minister to Chile, the conditions in the South American States and the prospects of Japan in that region and in mutual trade were discussed. Mr. Asano, head of the Toyo Kisen Kaisha, was present and announced an arrangement between the Japanese Government and his company to open a service to Chile next year. In this way does the Government foster commerce with other countries, at the same time helping infant industry. There can be no question that this policy is the right one at such a stage of development as Japan is now in, and that the result with be the ultimate domination of the trade of the Pacific of vessels under the Japanese flag.
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The line from Hanków to Peking passes through 73 stations. Candidly I was not im- pressed by the line. There is plenty of room for improvement in the direction of comforts for travellers. General supervision, seems to be lacking, and things are left too much to the boys or caretakers of the different carriages. If you don't tip thema sufficiently you cannot even get water. You are expected to pay a dollar or more for a pot of tea and a few melon seeds. The coolies who carry the luggage are also a nuisance like those elsewhere they ask more than they are entitled to but as you are practically at their mercy you have to accede to their demands: On the Shanghai to Nanking Railway and on the Tientsin to Peking railway the conditions are much better, both as regards service and com- forts. Shanghai is, of course, the best. There you can get what you want, and you are not put to all sorts of inconveniences if you do not|| comply with extortionate demands. At Peking after you pay the coolie hire to the head men you are met with a request for an extra payment which, it is explained, is intended as a contribution to a certain hospital but whether it exists or not you have no means of knowing. The traveller is also subjected to most vexations delays in the capital. I was detained fully two hours on account of the difficulties with coolies and also the strict search of the luggage made by the underlings.
Peking itself is perfectly calm, both in the commercial and political worlds, there being no sucht occurrences as were rumoured in the South. Everybody is in his old position and the Regent seems fair and reasonable. In matters of State he yields to Prince Ching on account of his seniority.
THE RAILWAY TRAGEDY.
Before Mr. J. H. Kemp at the Magistracy. on Deo. 30, Lau Fang, a water carrier on the Kowloon-Canton Railway, was charged with robbing and murdering an Indian named Jowar Singh at Shatin..
Mr. Leo d'Almada e Castro, from the office of Messrs. Goldring, Barlow and Morrell, said - he had just been instructed for the defence, and asked for a remand.
His Worship intimated that he would first hear the evidence of the medical officer attached to the railway.
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Dr. J. W. Hartley deposed to being called Shatin on the 19th instant. When he arrived the Indian was dead, and there were numerous wounds and bruises on his body. The abdomen was very much swollen, which suggested that deceased had received some heavy blows in that vicinity. Witness was of opinion that death was due to the injuries to the abdomen and the result of the shock. Deceased had for a ong time been in a delicate state of-health.
The case was adjourned until Wednesday, January 6th.
THE MARRIAGE OF MISS MASTER.
There was an interesting and pretty wedding on 4th Nov. at Thornbury Parish Church, Gloucestershire, Miss Mary Master, daughter of Mr. Godfrey Chester Master, of Kyneton, Thornbury, and late of Hongkong, marrying Lieutenant the Hon. Arthur Stopford, R.N., second son of Viscount Stopford. The Rev.
Alan Cornwall officiated.
The bridesmaids were. Miss Joan Master, sister of the bride, the Hon. Sybil Stopford and the Hon. Eileen Stopford, sisters of the bride- groom, and Miss Betty Stewart Lockhart.
The Hon. Marjorie Stopford, the bride- groom's sister, and Master Phil Crips, were trainbearers. The brother of the bridegroofu, Lieutenant the Hon. Guy Stopford, R.N., was best man.
The management of the Tientsin-Peking railway has satisfactory results. The carriages are better than on the other railways an i|| The bride will be recognised, of course; the attention greater. There are also good com- as the daughter of the well-known solicitor portable waiting rooms. The Hakow Railway of Hongkong, while the bridegroom served seems to be entirely under the control on the King Alfred on the China station of the Chinese clerical staff. The country and on the same ship was & son of Sir crossed by the line fat, but the soil is rich and every bit of ground is under cultivation. The appearance of the people is not very bright but
still they Beom contented. The traffic on the Yangtsze is tremendous. The boats are always full of passengers, and, no doubt, competition is very keen. As far as I could see perfect peace reigns throughout the country. Business is bad every where and Hongkong is no worse than the sister ports.
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What impressed me with regard to Tientsin was that the Chinese part was quite Europeanis- ed. The roads are well made well policed, and trams, carriages and ricshas run everywhere. Houses in the European style are being rapidly run up, mostly for the Cantonese holding official positions or trading there. The shops owned by Chinese seem to be leaving the foreign settlement and grouping together in the Chinese city. There can be no doubt that Tientsin is progressive and that it
J. H. Stewart Lockhart, as a midshipman. The daughter of the new Knight of Wei-hai- wei, it will be seen, was a bridesmaid. I under- stand that the romance began in Hongkong.
The bride was given away by her father She wore only one article of jewellery, a diamond brooch, given to her by her mother. She looked charming in a Directoire gown of ivory satin charmeuse, the corsage being embroidered in silver; and the train was of Shanghai brocade, trimmed with chiffon and orange blossoms.
The birdesmaids wore Empire dresses of pale blue, and mole-coloured satin hats, trimmed with shaded dahlias. The train-bearers were attired in Georgian picture costumes.
After the reception at Kyneton the newly married couple left for the honeymoon in Ireland, the bride's going away dress being of Nattier blue cloth.
Among the guests were many members of the Anglo China colony now resident in England or home on vacation.