144 ·
CANTON.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.]
THE JAPANESE BOYCOTT,
February 13th. The following is the translation of a dispatch sent by the Viceroy to the Chief Superintendent of Police :-
"On the 11th day of the 1st moon of the Emperor Shenn Tung I received a letter from the Japanese Consul as follows -
"The boycott feeling in Canton which was so vigorous last year is now considerably abated. This is entirely due to your efforts. I am exceedingly grateful to you for your kindness. Recently I heard that the Chinese merchants abroad in the Straits Settlement and United States are still keeping up the boycott with unabated vigour and the feeling of the Chinese towards the Japanese merchants in those places is still very unpleasant. This state of affairs is really most regrettable. I recollect the boycott first started in Canton, thence it gradually spread abroad; therefore Canton forms the well, and the different cities and towns abroad are places to which the waters of the well have flowed. If the well is properly washed
out then the water which flows from it to all these places will naturally become pure and clear. At present the ('anton Press all refrain from publishing the dates of arrival and departure of Japanese steamers, and I have often heard that they have been publishing international matters on which the Japanese and Chinese Governments happen to disagree. I feel greatly rexed whenever I see such unpleasant matters published in the local newspapers. Ever since the boycott started both Japanese and Chinese merchants have been suffering from its effects and if the boycott continues the injury on both sides will be con- siderably increased.
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Page
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
15th February.
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INCREASE OF REVENUE ON REGISTRATION
OF LEASEHOLD PROPERTIES. The total sum of revenue collected in the former years by the Provincial Government of Kwangtang for the registration of Assignments of leasehold properties amounted to about 11,397, Hongkong Taels annually. But during Pro- vincial Treaurer Woo's tenuere of office he has caused Registration Bureaux to be established in all the Districts throughout the Province, and this has resulted in a vast increase of this line of revenue. Treasurer Woo's recent report shows that 438,200 taels was collected in the 31st year of Kwang Su, and over 1,300,000 tuels were paid into the Provincial Treasury for the registration of assignments during the 32nd and 33rd years of Kwang St. NOTORIOUS PIRATE CHIEFS STILL AT LARGE. Sometime ago it was reported that the Tam Yee had been captured by the police in notorious pirate chiefs Luk Lan Ching and Singapore and that the Chinese Authorities here were asked to dispatch officers to Singapore to apply for their rendition. It subsequently turned out however that it was a case of mistaken identity. The men bore the same surnames as the pirate chiefs. Yesterday the Groundnut Oil Guild here received a letter signed by Luk Lan Ching and Tam Yee demanding payment of 1,500 taels from each of the oil-shops in Yau Lan Moon and threatening to burn their shop and kidnap the proprietors if they should refuse to pay the money. This proves that Luk and Tam are still at large. The mattor has been reported to the Chief of Police.
THE NEW WOODEN OPIUM LICENSE-
TROUBLEB REWING.
Although notification was issued sometime ago by the Chief of Police here requesting all opium smokers to call at the various police statious for the new wooden ones, I am informed that up to exchange their licence
applied for them and these are people of the to the present moment only a few persons have
coolie class.
เ
That a circular be issued limiting the time to the end of the 1st moon for all applications for the new wooden licenses and from the 1st day of the 2nd moon all persons without a wooden license will not be permitted to purchase opium from any of the opium shops."
The Superintendent of Police does not know Moreover the Press acts as the mouthpiece of quite what to do in the matter. He is afraid the different societies. It is your duty at the that the "
upper ten"
might give him trouble present time to undertake investigation into
if he should enforce the law too strictly. The the matter. The first and most important step Association for the Suppression of Opium to take is to have the well thoroughly washed Smoking held a meeting yesterday presided over out so that the water which flows out from it by Mr. Chan Chuk Kwan. The following reso- shall be clear. You have a humane spirit:lution was proposed and passed :- you have the interests of the two countries at heart and naturally wish them to prosper. I sincerely hope that you will see that the well pours forth nothing but clear water, so that the merchants and people of both countries may enjoy that prosperity which is the source of happiness.' The above is what the Japanese Consul says. I now as Viceroy hereby instruct you to carry out this desire. I further instruct you to notify the Press in the whole Province to refrain from publishing any thing unpleasant regarding the international questions between the two countries as it might mislead the public who listen and idly discuss such matters. This is a most important matter. You will also report to me your action and what steps you have taken with the above effect in view. Do not to disobey my instructions."
THE 8.8. FATSHAN AFFAIR.
31
MACAO BOUNDARY QUESTION. This matter has been occupying the atten- tion of the Viceroy for sometime and inany dis- patches have passed between Viceroy Chang and the Central Government. His Excellency insists upon appointing is a native
a delegate who of the Kwangtung Province and one who has been a Minister in foreign countries. But the Portuguese Minister in Peking is reported to have flatly refused to accept as a delegate any official who is a native of Kwangtung. It is reported that the Wai-Wu-
Ko Yee Him, who was formerly deputy in the foreign bureau here, to be delegate and the Portuguese Minister has accepted that official.
PETITIONERS PUNISHED.
The prominent Chinese residents of Hong-pu has since given in, and has proposed Taotai kong who are now here with a view to negotiat- ing a settlement in the Fatshan incidents have been again approached on behalf of a relative of the man who died on the steamer. Unfortunately this relative is seriously ill in the village and will not be able to come to Canton for sometime, yet. It is believed that the matter will be amicably arranged this time.
Fung Cheuk Sun, one of the witnesses for the prosecution in the Fatshan case, has pre- sented a petition to the Viceroy since the open- ing of the official seals praying that investiga.
tion be made with a view to clear the witnessss of the allegations made by the Portuguese Consul of having received bribes from the Self Government Society.
In China whenever a subject institutes an action against a fellow subject it is customary to send a servant or engage some one to present the petition at the Court. On the 12th instant Magistracy. Magistrate Chang, who received 19 petitions were presented at the Namhoi them personally, questioned all the petitioners. The result was that nine of the petitioners who were unable to explain the contents of their petitions were ordered to receive 20 strokes of the birch each.
[February 20, 1909.
CHINESE IN CANADA.
HOW THEY TRY TO EVADE THE HEADTAX,
We have received the following from Winnipeg correspondent:-There is nothing uncertain about the way the Canadian Govern- ment collects the head tax of $500 on Chinamon entering the Dominion. Suppose the son of a Chinese merchant arrives in British Columbia. He will most likely claim to be the son of a Vancouver or Victoria merchant and as such is exempt from the head tax of $500. Before he is allowed the slightest freedom he is examined thoroughly as to his family history, how many brothers and sisters he has, what their names are, where they live and a thousand other things. Then the father is sent for and before they can possibly communicate he is asked the same questions. In this way it is very difficult for to invent a story which will hang together, the incoming Chinaman and his supposed father and
until the young man satisfies the authorities he is not allowed to land. Some- times, of course, an evasion is attempted and when he finds himself getting enmeshed sweetly and admit the fraud, promptly paying in a web of lies John hinaman will smile. the tax. But oftentimes situations arise which may rightly be called Chinese puzzles, for no Chinaman considers it a fraud to evade the poll tax. He looks upon it exactly as white people look upon the evasion of Customs duties. They rather consider it a game of hide and seek with the government, with a stake of $500 to make it more exciting. All sorts of difficult questions arise daily at the Canadian ports along the Pacific Coast. A merchant's wife is also allow- ed to land free, but before doing so she must prove conclusively that she is really married to à resident of Canada. Many Chinamen take for the space of one year and return without advantage of the fact that they may leave Canada
having to pay another poll tax. The old sys- tem of doing things was to give each Chinaman a ticket of leave on which a careful description of him was written, but in time it was found that Mr. Chinaman was forging this "stiff- ticket"
as he called, making very clever dupli- and after the description is carefully entered in. cates. In consequence this system was changed a book the Chinaman is given a number which he is allowed to forge as he likes, but unless the description and the Chinaman tally he does not get into Canada.
Before this new system came into effect one of the controllers swore that names on certificates they had been forged. The whole scheme of were written by him, but it transpired later that
wholesale forgery was unearthed by an office boy who chanced to notice "Honk Kong" (sic) and some Chinese characters in the watermark· scheme, for it was known that none of the of the certificates, This exposed the whole
Canadian Government paper is made in Hong- kong. After that the certificates were given up and numbers substituted and the new way is proving eminently successful. At the present time there are less than ten thousand Chinese in Canada, and the number decreases rather than increases on account of the large number who annually sell out their possessions and leave to spend the evening of their days in the Flowery Kingdom. Students were formerly exempt from the poll tax, but under the Act recently passed they are no longer exempt. However, if after paying their head tax they study for a year or more at one of the higher colleges or universities, they get the $500 re- turned to them on their return to China. All steamships having Chinese crews are placed any escape, and not only must the full crew under bonds of $500 for each Chinaman in case sail but each member of it must be identified to prevent substitution.
Vice Admiral the Hon. Sir Hedworth Lambton, C.B., K.C.V.O., C.V.O., A.D.C. to the King, with his flagship the King Alfred, and other vessels of the China Squadron, is expected The Yuchuanpu (Ministry of Posts and Com- shortly, at Bangkok, says the Siam Observer, considers that as railways One or more of the smaller warships will come are increasing in number in China, there will up the river to Bangkok. A stay of a week or be a great demand for all kinds of materials, ten days will be made. "As some considerable which, if purchased from abroad will deprive time has elapsed since a British squadron has China of minch profit. The Ministry has, there-visited these parts, there will no doubt be an fore, decided to open a workshop in Tientsin this spring, in order to meet requirements!
CHINESE NAVAL CHANGES. News from official circles states that Admiral|munications) Lat Chan Ping of the Southern Fleet will be promoted Admiral of the Northern Squadron and Acting Admiral Li Tsun will be promoted to full Admiral in command of the Southern Fleet. It is said that this change will take *place in the 3rd moon.
effort made by British residents to suitably entertain the officers and men during their stay