324
the dangers young men were likely to encounter when sent out into the world.
The Rev. J. Scott Lidgett moved That the proposals of the hina Emergency Committee ag set forth in the appeal now submitted to this meeting are deserv. ing of the earnest consideration of states- .men and citizens of whatever part or shade of opinion, and that the fund which it is hoped to raise for the carrying out of these objects, should receive the generous support of all who are interested in the peaceful development of China, and the welfare of the world at large." The work, he said should be supported" as an act of national reparation, long due to China, for the intolerable crime of the opium traffic."
Mr. Robert Barclay seconded, and the resolu- tion was carried.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The American Ambassador also alluded to the opium traffic. He said the first thing a diplomat was taught was to mind his own business so that, if that had been an ordinary meeting, he would not have been present. But when he saw the movement supported by the Chinese Minister and such an old. distinguished, and faithful servant of China as Sir Robert Hart it proved that China welcomed educational reforms. Such a matter inevitably brought up the kindred problem of opiunt. For the greater part of the history of America the United States had been neither producers of opium nor sellers. carriers, nor consumers of it. Their one relation to it was the Treaty with China in 188 in which they outlawed the business and made it a misdemeanour, punishable by fine or imprison- ment, for an American citizen to engage in the opium trade in any way in China. Since then the acquisition of the Phillipines had brought the problem to their own doors. They therefore approached the great Powera and particularly Great Britain and China, in relation to it, with a view to arranging things on a commonsense basis, so as to bring about a gradual limitation of production. When on behalf of the Ameri- can government he approached the British Foreign Office, he knew he was dealing with one of the greatest opium producing Powers in the world, with a scheme for destroying its market. It would cost America nothing at all. It might cost Great Britain from three and a half to four million pounds or more in direct Indian re- venue every year, besides deranging an industry over vast stretches of country and causing other indirect losses, which he was not sufficient of an Indian financier to calculate or even to comprehend. In other words he felt he was unpleasantly like those philanthropists who were always most industrious and eager in trying to do the world good by putting their hands into somebody else's pockets. (Laughter) He there- fore had great pleasure in attending that meeting and expressing his high respect, ap- preciation, and admiration for the way the proposal was promptly met. The Foreign Office only wanted one thing made certain- that the shortage in the Chinese supply of opium made by a reduction of Indian exports would not immediately be filled up by an in- oreased Chinese production. He believed the Chinese Minister would agree with him when he said. the Chinese] Government was more anxious than anyone else to reduce the domestic production at least as rapidly as the importation, and to bring the trade as near extinction as possible within a few years. This educational movement must be an enormous aid
FAR EASTERN ŢELEGRAMS.
JAPANESE COMPANY DIREC- TORS ARRESTED.
Tokyo, April 12th. Four directors of the Japan Sugar Company were arrested yesterday at the instance of the shareholders.
SERIOUS EXPLOSION AT OSAKA.
Tokyo, April 12th. Au explosion of scrap-iron shells at Osaka has had disastrous results to property in the immediate neighbourhood, and fifty people were killed or injured.
THE JAPANESE COMMERCIAL
SENSATION.
Tokyo, April 13th. The action of the authorities in arresting the directors of the Japan Sugar Company and impounding documents is being widely endorsed by the press which comments on the British Ambassador's and other British shareholders' alleged representation to the Premier as to the necessity for the legal and social punishment of the defaulters in order to maintain Japanese credit. The press, while criticising the action of the foreign ambassador, hopes the law will be vindicated and the foreign investors re-assured.
[FROM THE "CHUNG NGOI SAN PO."]
CHINA'S NAVY.
|
|
Peking, April 12th.
[April 17, 1909.
JAPAN'S NAVIGATION SUBSIDY.
At the meeting of the committee of the Japanese Lower House on March 19, when the new navigation subsidy contracts were discussed, the Vice-Minister of Communications replying to questions of the members, stated in substance as follows:-
was
Although the termini of the Seattle and Tacoma lines would appear to be too near to gach other, the establishment of a line to the latter place has been deemed advisable on account of the connexions which it will furnish with the new Chicago-Milwaukee Railway. This railway constructed to develop regions here- tofore unopened, and the value of estab- lishing relations with this hopeful territory requires no extended explanation. The Seattle line will of course be continued as in the past. With reference to the length of the terms of the contracts, the companies should be allowed at least the full extent of the 5-year limit, both as a privilege to enable them to improve their equipment and service with a feeling of security, and as a duty to compel them in the public transoceanic lines enjoying government aid. interest to maintain for a definite period regular Furthermore, it is believed that the vessels employed on these lines should be granted the highest rate of subsidy allowable under the new law, because, if the Government is to take any steps at all to maintain regular services, it should at least take steps adequate to the purpose. Under the old law the rate of subsidy was increased in proportion to both tonnage and speed; under the new one it is regulated in accordance with the speed alone. Hence under the new law there will be a total reduction of more than yen 1,000,000 in subsidies, and therefore to reduce the amount still further by making the rate lower than 50 sen would be inexpedient.
The Grand Council propose to adopt the following measures for the organisation of the Navy :-(1) To order the Viceroys and Governors of different provinces to raise special fund; (2) to temporarily increase the land tax; (3) to increase the taxes on tobacco, wine, sugar, and the house tax, which would be devoted to the maintenance of the Navy; (4), to invite subscriptions by offering rewards of official ranks; (5) to float a national loan from the Chinese merchants abroad; (6), to subsidise the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company so as to utilise their ships in case of emergency; (7) to despatchine gunboats and cruisers to protect the fishing
boats.
THE NEXT CARNIVAL AT MANILA.
The following Board of Directors of the next Carnival were elected at a meeting held at Manila last week: Messrs. W. Cameron Forbes, president; J. C. Mehan, Felix M. Roxas, G. A. O'Reilly, Colonel Gonzalez Bingham, E. C. McCullough, Daniel Earnshaw Carlos de las Heras, A. G. Stenhen, J. W. Haussermann.
The Carnival of 1910, it was decided, will be held during Chinese New Year's week.
Many changes of programme are recommended in a report submitted by Mr. O'Reilly and Colonel McCoy. Among these recommenda- tions are a reduction of the hippodrome per- formances to three nights during the Carnival and that the concession for confetti be controlled į¦ by the association.
Colonel McCoy believes that the gratuitous distribution of a package of confetti to every person entering the gates would tend to keep up popular interest and enthusiasm in the big fiesta and his suggestion was received with favour.
t
to this end. The recent Shanghai Conference which had just adjourned after reaching a valuable agreement on a number of important points, should also powerfully contribute. But Vice Governor Forbes, interviewed by a the biggest impulse was that given by the high Cablenews representative, said that the new principle and prompt and disinterested action of
board of directors would meet within a few days, the British government. It put into a reality but that he did not know if a new director the movement when it met the Chinese wish by general would be selected at that meeting or not. a reduction of 3,600 chests in the amount of It was the consensus of opinion of the board, Bengal opium sold in 1907-8, at a loss to the however, that the industrial part of the exposi- Indian government in revenue of over half a tion for next year would be the special feature, million pounds, and ordered a corresponding and that every effort would be made to encourage reduction in the size of the crop for the the provinces to take special pains to send good ensuing year. Now he who actually starts exhibits to Manila. Mr. Forbes also stated that a reform, and at his own cost" concluded the the finances of the Association had been so Ambassador "does a higher work than he arranged that all bills would be settled within who merely exhorts somebody else to start it; the next month, and that, although there was at and so, in this matter and at this time, we must present a cash deficit, the assets of the Associa cheerfully recognise that the names of Great tion, as represented by its guaranteed bonds and Britain and China lead all the rest."
the buildings and other property in its posses- | sion, would enable the directors to start the work
for next year's big show in a proper manner,
4f
Votes of thanks to the Lord Mayor concluded the proceedings.
}
Shoichiro Yoshiue, Baron Goto, Minister of In reply to a question addressed him by Mr. Communications, stated briefly that the aim of the Navigation Subsidy Law was not only to develop commerce but also to make the vessels time of urgent need. of the subsidized companies readily available in
expresses this intention,
article 11, he said, clearly
Bureau, then submitted the following Mr. Uchida, Director of the Mercantile Mar-
statistics :
TERMS OF SUBSIDY CONTRACTS.
Great Britain, P. O. Company Germany, Nord Deutscher Lloyd France, Messageries Maritimes... Austria, Lloyd Company Italy, Mail Steamship Company
VESSELS TO BE EMPLOYED AFTER
EUROPEAN LINE.
7 years.
15 years.
14 years.
15 years.
15 years.
1910.
Speed. 16 knots 15
Type.
Tonnage. Number. Kamo Maru ... 8,600 6 Hitachi Maru 6,600 5
Total tonnage 84,600 Number of trips 26. Mileage per trip 25,048.
DEPRECIATED SUBSIDIARY COIN AT SHANGHAI.
The minutes of the Shanghai General Cham- ber of Commerce recently published contained a letter from a Public Company complaining of the constant depreciation of the subsidiary coinage that is current in the Settlement and asking if something cannot be done to stop it. The letter said
The following table shows the percentage of losses on small silver and copper coins respective- ly sustained by this Company for each of the 12 months during which the Company's services have been in operation
1908. March. April
! May June July August September October November December 1909. January February
Silver. Copper. Total 9.91% 12.80% 10.76 % 11.27 14.67
21.03 ..
12.54
T
33
12.28
11
16.66,,
13.04
18.70
13.95 15.51
"
"
11.99
41
22
12.27 20.79 11.50 20.97
17
17.43,, 18.14
$7
13
11.76 20.77 10.59 21.39
· 18.50 18.60 19.13
31
"
10 21,,
21.83 19.60
17
7.92 10.04 „
22.12 19.78
19
13
23.53 21.86
»
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