92
SHIPPING NOTES.
steamer
Kitano-maru
was
The N.Y.K. launched from the Mistsn Bishi yard, Nagasaki, at 9 am, on the 24th instant. Her gross tonnage is 8,600, and her speed 16 knots. The launch of the O. .K. steamer Tacoma-maru (6,000 tons gross; 14 knots) will take place at the Kawasaki Yard, Kobe, on Feb. 4th. She is the largest cargo-boat ever built in Japan.
The French Mail steamers have had some unfortunate experiences this month, what with the Polynesien cutting a Dutch steamer in two at Singapore and the Sydney running down a Japanese steamer at Yokohama. In both cases the French steamers themselves appear to have sustained very little damage. The latest news from Singapore is to the effect that several Chinese and Filipino divers have been engaged in removing the cargo of the Djambi, which consisted of about 150 tons of tin plate and rails. It was believed that the missing coolies were buried under the tin plates when the ship canted ( over, as no trace of them could be seen in the first examination by the divers. The private inquiry of the Pilot Board into the circumstances of the disaster was to take place last week.
a cargo
*
*
The Anglo-American Oil Company's steel bargue Comet has been successfully salved and is now at the quarantine anchorage at Singa- pore, after a week spent on top of a coral reef at Pulo Tujoj, near Sanka. The Comet brought case oil from San Francisco for Japan and loaded a miscellaneous cargo in the latter county for New York. She was on the way there when on a dark night, heavy winds contrary currents and a rough sea drove her on the reef. She was pulled off by the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company's tug, and having been found to have sustained no serious damages, will shortly continue her voyage to the Atlantic
coast.
The strike of the sailors and firemen of the launches and cascoes at Manila, as a result of the shipowners' non-compliance with a demand for increased pay and rations for these men, is stated by the latest papers to be showing signs of collapse, a local shipping master having signified his willingness to supply the owners of the craft affected with all the help needed. and on short notice. Mr. Beck's office on calle San Fernando was besieged by large crowds of men looking for employment on the 22nd inst. and, unless all signs fail, the backbone of what threatened to be a serious affair is broken, and things will be running smoothly within a few days, the ridiculous and exorbitant demands of the native labour agitators notwithstanding.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
an
be compulsory or optional It is recommended that pilotage for coastwise vessels at Manila shall continue compulsory while foreign pilotage shall be optional, as heretofore. The Board's recommendations are based on the general principle that where conditions of navigation are of such a dangerous character as to render exceptional skill and special knowledge of local waters essential to the safety of vessels imme- diately concerned and to other shipping, pilotage should be compulsory. The Board, however, recommends that masters and patrons of vessels be permitted to pass examination and qualify for licenses authorizing them to act as pilots on their own vessels, whereupon such vessels will be exempted from compulsory pilotage fees. This provision will make it optional with owners of vessels as to whether their vessels shall be subject to compulsory pilotage or not. The Board recommends that this privilege be extended to coastwise shipping in the Pasig River and in the Iloilo River. Heretofore, particularly at the port of Manila, the burden of pilotage has been born by coast- wise shipping. By providing a nominal fee for berthing and other services rendered to foreign vessels, the Board has been enabled to recommend a lower schedule of pilotage fees for coastwise vessels, The Board has recommended that all pilotage be optional, except at Aparri and at Dagupan.
The charter of the Chino-Siamese Mail Boat
Co. Ltd. has been published in the Siam Official Gazette. The head office of the Company is at Bangkok, and it is formed to run merchant steamers between Siam and Singapore, Hongkong, China, and other foreign countries. There is, of course, the usual extensive list of other objects of the company. The capital is Tcs. 3,000,000 divided into 300,000 shares of Tes. 10 each.
THE KOREAN EMPEROR'S TOUR.
INTERESTING IMPERIAL RESCRIPT
After having completed his tour in the Southern provinces the Emperor of Korea, our has now Tokyo correspondent informs us,
a tour on the North. The Seoul started on Press gives the following translation of the Imperial Rescript relating to the Emperor's progress through the southern provinces."
We think the people the very foundation of a State, and if the base be hot solid, a State cannot be in security and peace. Having inherited the Throne with humble virtue from Our father Emperor, We have day and night cherished the wish that Our country be secure from all perilous conditions and its people from misery. We decided to improve Our ad- ministration, and swore it in the Imperial Mausoleum in the first year of Our reign. If we may accept the statements published in We have since been always scrupulous not the San Francisco papers, we are to see shortly to violate the oath, nor have We ever been a new Trans-Pacific line of steamships. It is negligent in Our endeavours to be true to this unofficially reported that the Western Pacific determination. But nevertheless We regret Railway Co., has entered into an agreement with to note that the suppression of provincial dis- the Norddeutscher Lloyd to maintain a service turbances is slow, and it is still causing great from San Francisco to the Orient in connection distress to Our children. We can not help with the new trans-continental railway. It has feeling dismay and sorrow at this grievous plight been known for some time, one of the San of Our country, specially when We reflect that Francisco papers says, that the North German in these days of sevree cold, the people's sufferings Lloyd had been making preliminary prepara- must be enormous, How, then, can We alone tions to place a line of its operation from even for a moment bear to indulge in the European ports to San Francisco on the opening comforts of Our Throne ? We have come of the Panama canal, and it was commented that to a decision that We accompanied by our with the line from here to the Orient, in con- Government should begin the New Year with a junction with the Western Pacific freight journey in the interior, in order personally to in- traffic, the German company would be in a par-spect the actual state of Our land and enquire of ticularly strong position with a complete service Our beloved people as to what life they are circling the globe. The entry of this company living. The Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince, into the Pacific would be of great significance in Resident-General Prince Ito is highly faithful the development of the commerce betweeen the in working for Our country, as well as in helping Orient and the Pacific Coast. A similar con- and guiding Ourselves. We remember always nection is to be made in the north, according to with a feeling of deep gratitude toward the the recent announcement of the Cunard Com- Resident-General that in the burning heat of pany that on the completion of the Grand the last summer Prince Ito, in spite of his age Trunk to the Pacific Coast it would establish a and ill-health, made an extensive journey in line of its steamers from the Western terminal Japan in company with Our Prince Imperial of the road to China ports.
solely for the latter's sake. Now We ask him to accompany Us in Our journey hereby announced and help Us in discharging Our urgent duties. We thus hope to insure the foundation of this country and rescue Our people from a distressful condition. Let Our subjects, great and small, be aware of Our purpose."
A Board has for some time past been sitting at Manila considering the pilotage question. The result of the inquiry has just been presented in a lengthy report. One of the first and most important questions considered by the Board was as to whether pilotage should
[February 1, 1969
FAR EASTERN TELEGRAMS.
THE JAPANESE DIET.
Tokyo, January 21st. The Diet resumed its sittings to-day and the Budget was introduced.
In the House of Peers Count Katsura, the premier, outlined his policy.
STEAMER WRECK ON THE. JAPAN COAST.
Tokyo, January 21st. The steamer Adato for which Messrs. Dodwell and Co. are the agents, stranded at Oshima on Tuesday night in a snowstorm.
Her position is reported to be hopeless. The steamer was bound from Yokohama for
Hongkong.
t
[The Adato, which belongs to the Ocean Navigation Company, Glasgow, is a steel screw steamer of 3347 tons. She was built at Port Glasgow in 1899.]
*
*Tokyo, January 26th. The steamer Adato, wrecked at Oshima on the 19th inst. in a snowstorm, has been abandoned by the insurance companies.
THE TOKYO TRAMWAY AFFAIR.
Tokyo, January 21st. The petition presented to the Home Office by the Tokyo Tramway Co, has been rejected on the ground that the figures given in the petition are inaccurate.
THE COLLISION AT YOKOH › MA.
Tokyo, January 25th." The Japanese steamer İburimaru had just left the dry dook at Uragn when the collision (reported yesterday) occurred. She sank in fifteen minutes.
The owners place their loss at Yon 150,000. The damage sustained by the French mail steamer Sydney was very slight.
KOREAN EMPEROR'S TOUR.
ANTI-JAPANESE MANIFESTATIONS.
Tokyo, January 27th. The Korean Emperor started on his tour in the North to-day. He returns on the 3rd proximo.
Tokyo, January 28th.
The Korean Emperor's tour to the north is not being characterised with the harmony which was displayed in the south."
On Wednesday at Pingyang the Aid-de-camp of the Imperial suite attacked the Home Minister.
On the previous night explosives were thrown into the Welcome Building, and other mani- festations of dissatifaction with the Imperial House of Korea have been shown.
Strong anti-Japanese sentiment has been displayed, and the itinerary has been partially abandoned.
CANTON FLOWER BOATS BURNT.
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
Canton, January 31st. All the flower boats at Taishatau were des- troyed by fire last night, and about 300 lives are reported to have been lost.
APPOINTMENTS.
H. E. the Governor has been pleased to re- appoint under the Medical Registration Or- dinance, 1884, (Ordinance No. 1 of 1884), Dr. F. O. Stedman, to be a Member of the Medical Board and to serve as Secretary of the Board with effect from the 7th December last.
Acting Inspector George Sim has been ap pointed a Sanitary Inspector for Aberdeen.
H. E. the Governor has been pleased to appoint Mr. A. G. M. Fletcher to be Deputy Receiver with effect from the Official
inst.; also to act as Assistant 25th Colonial Secretary and Clerk of Councils during the absence on leave of Mr. C. Clementi or until further notice, with effect from the 25th instant.
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