474.
CONSULAR REPORTS.
NANNING.
From a Report on the Treaty Port of Nan- ning by Mr. G. W. W. Pearson, acting British Consul at Pakhoi, we make the following extracts:
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
reference to any foreign expert, with the result that the ground behind it was not properly filled in or drained and portions of the wall have from time to time collapsed. It has at last become so dangerous that the floating customs-house anchored at its foot has been towed to the op- posite side of the river
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The prime mover in the reservation scheme was Ting, Salt Commissioner at Canton. Three short roads have been macadamised and laid oat, but two buildings only (one being the settlement office), with some pouds and waste land, now occupy the site.
The regulations governing the settlement are as follows:-
1. A special board shall administer the affairs of the settlement, presided over by the customs taotai, the other members to be Consuls of the foreign Powers and two representative mer- chants, one Chinese the other foreign. to be elected by the householders.
2. The Board will have the following depart- ments:-(a) Public works department; (b) police department; (c) judicial department; (d) financial department..
The commercial importance of Nanning as a trade centre had become so evident that on April 1, 1907, the Imperial Maritime Customs sent a staff to establish a custom-house at the port. Native merchants were, however, slow to avail themselves of the advantages which it offered; the old system of covering goods by inward and outward transit passes taken out at Wuchow for places above Nanning being still followed to a large extent. It follows that much of the cargo passing through Nanning does not appear in the customs returns. The total value of the exports and imports passing through the customs-house during the last three quarters of 1907 was estimated at 6.000,000 or 7,000,000 taols (1,000,000l.), but, as nearly all the exports are either covered by these Wuchow transit passes, or else pass through the native customs, this figure does not give an accurate idea of the large trade of this natural commercial centre, which attracts about 60 per cent. of the trade of The yearly rent for land so leased is to be:-- Kuangsi. The actual customs revenue collected 60 dol. per mow for land on the river front, 50 during nine months was but 24,092 taels (3,9157.), | dol. per mow between frontage and back and 49 No statistics are available to show the proportion | dol. for land behind. of exports to or imports from foreign countries, Further, in addition to such rent, 2 dol per but Nanning shows very distinct signs of pro- mow per annum land tax is to be paid. Appli- gress, and all foreign goods are rapidly growing|cation by foreigners for sites is to be made to in popular favour.
the customs taotai through their Consuls.
Shipping-Most of the traffic to and from Nanning is carried on by native junk. Between Nanning and Wuchow one motor boat runs uninterruptedly all the year round This draws 18 inches of water. with 5 tons of cargo on board, and is owned by Messrs. Bauker and Co., Wuchow. There are also Chinese-owned launches, which are of deeper draught, but can at most states of the river tow a houseboat or junk alongside. During the first half of 1908, 24 foreign launches entered with a tonnage of 766 tons; 179 junks chartered by foreign firms entered during 1907. These are tenders to their West River steamers which reach Wuchow, The junks vary from 15 to 50 tons and, under ordinary circumstances, lake 25 days up and 10 to 12 days down, according to the state of the
river.
3. Land may not be purchased outright, but is to be leased for periods of 30 years, which lease may be further extended for a further period of 3 years.
No applications for sites have yet been made by foreigners. The building of a customs house, a market place and the laying out of public buildings are also projected, the cost to be defrayed from Government funds.
For some time the idea of transferring the capital of Kuangsi from Kaeilin has been seriously entertained, and seems about to be- come an accomplished fact. Estimates have been called for and the cost put down at 1,000,000 dol., a sum which will no doubt well cover actual expenses. The Governor of the province has been lately residing for six months alternately in the two cities.
It will be necessary to repair and build yamens and quarters for the official retinue. As half of the actual inhabitants of Kueilin are said to be. dependents on various yamens, There is also a small fleet of stern-wheel boats the transfer of the official capital would entail of shallow draught which enables them to ply an immigration of many thousands into Nau- when launches cannot run up stream. Theyning. Kueilin would shrink to the unimportance retire to the higher reaches when quicker boats of a mere market town competing make their business dull.
General notes on Nanning. The population of Nanning is said to be 100.000, and is a very mixed community. The richer merchants are mainly Cantonese: the labouring classes are natives of Kuangsi, apathetic and unenterpris- ing, but not often anti-foreign. Four dialects are heard in the streets, Cantonese, Hakka, Kuan Hua and an aboriginal tongue somewhat resembling Siamese. The Knan Hua is re- markably pure, and has been retained by the descendants of the military colonists sent here in the eleventh century A.D. The brigands," of whom much is heard, are mainly impoverished and discontented peasants and disbanded sol. diers, armed with smuggled weapons, of which there would seem to be no dearth. The charac- ter of the country surrounding Nanning pro- vides natural strongholds for these.
The officials of the Nanning district are at present & young and progressive set. There are resident in the city the Governor Ch'ang Ming Chi, for six months in the year, a taotai, prefect. district magistrate and a military provincial commander. Although certain minor officials have raised objections to the operations of the Imperial Maritime Customs, they have been firmly opposed by the taotai and governor. Police with uniforms and batons are stationed throughout the city and a fire brigade exists with serviceable manual engines.
An attempt has been made to boom Nanning as a port. A reservation has been set apart on the right bank of the Tso Chiong, partly situat ed on the old site of the former city. It is fronted by a banding about 30 feet high and 1,300 feet long. The cost of this wall was about 30,000 dol., that of the land forming the reserva- tion 36,000 dol. The wall was erected without
A military training school is projected for on the following lines:-A commodation is to be furnished for four divisions (8,000) troops to be recruited from other provinces. During their three years training they are to receive 5 taels per mensem; after three years they are to return to their homes and to draw a retainer of 3 taels per mensem. The initial expenses of this scheme are estimated at 1.000.000 dol. Land has already been acquired to the south-east of the city for this purpose. The chief mover in the project is ex-Taotai Ch'uang
Timber for the barracks is already being brought to the spot in junks and unloaded, while matsheds are erected on the bund and labelled barracks, in preparation for the arrival of troops, probably engineers from Kueilin, who are being transferred to Nanning.
Waterways. The Governor, Chang Ming Chi, is discussing schemes for the improvement of the waterways throughout the province. As, however, little inclination is shown to obtain a competent survey or estimate for the cost necessary for the improvement of the West River from Wuchow to Nanning, in which stretch alone exist 22 rapids, it seems unlikely that anything practical will be attempted in the near future.
Banks and Currency.-There are a large num ber of banks established at Nanning, which advance money on cargo at exorbitant interest. They thrive on the discount and exchange between Nauning and Canton. Freight, in- surance and interest are so high that goods sent from Canton to Nauning cost 30 to 40 per cent. more at the latter port. The Currency in use is the subsidiary silver coinage of Canton and Hongkong, the various dollars current in South China and French piastres; 100 Yung
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(June 7, 1909.
Ping local taels are worth 138 055 clean, unchopped dollars.
Chief trade routes.-Nanning is the natural distributing centre of Kuangsi, and to a large extent drains the provinces of Yünnan and Kueichou.
Kueilin is reached in 12 days vià Pin Chou, Liu Chou and the Yung Fu Eiver.
The road to Ch'ing Yuan is also vià Pin Chou and the Hung Shui Kiver, taking about 15 days. Yunnan is reached via Posć, Pa Ai and Hsi Lin, thence to Kuang Nan Fu; or by land við Lu Hsu, Pin Chou and Tu Shan Chou in Kucichow.
The road to Mengtze branches off from the above at Pa Ai, and goʊs viâ K'ai Hua Fu.
All the above routes pass Posé. There exist many other routes radiating from various towns on the West River and its branches above Nauning, but these hardly fall within the scope of this report.
The less important connections are :---- 1. From Nanning by the West River to Teng Hsien, down the Ch'ien Chiang to Fu Mien and Yu Lin Chou, and thence to Pakhoi.
2. Nanning by the West, River to Kuei Hsien, to Fu Wang, Hsiao Chiang and Chiao Chou.
3. Nanning to Lang Ching via Hsiao Tung to Ch'in Chu, thence to Na Lai and Lionchow. This route is mountainous, difficult and almost abandoned owing to the presence of banditti.
In conclusion, there is little doubt that Nan- ning will continue to maintain the commercial prosperity which its natural position assures it. The greater facilities for traffic offered by the constant launch connection with Wuchow are being fully made use of. The local mer. chants are rapidly losing their conservatism, and the present progressive set of officials are anxious to further the commercial interest of the city by radical improvements.
OPIUM AND CIGARETTES AT
FOOCHOW.
Stern measures are being taken to stop opium cultivation in Foochow, says the correspondent of the N.-C. Daily News, the Viceroy even send- ing out soldiers to a few places where the people were particularly determined to continue the cultivation of the plant. In one or two inst- auces the officials are said to have taken bribes to allow the opium to be grown, but generally speaking it was cleaned out of the vicinity of Foochow, pretty thoroughly, before the soldiers went out, that is to say, after the crop had been gathered.
At Kucheng the people by private subscrip- tion raised the amount of the government tax which would have been derived from the sale of opium and received permission to close the business at once, so that within the month, according to the promise of the magistrate, there will not be a place licensed for the sale of the drug in Kucheng.
There is much excitement in Foochow just now over the cigarette. Some days ago Bishop Wilson Lewis of the Methodist Episcopal Church was asked to address the reform societies and in the course of his address he spoke strongly against cigarettes. The reform societies took the matter up and began to circulate literature against the use of the article. Much feeling was created. It is said that blows have been struck and some timid folk predicted a riot. Representatives of the tobacco interest took the matter to the consuls, but would not seem, hitherto, to have got much relief.
A monster mass meeting is called for the 13th instant to discuss the question, and it is expected that the government schools and all the leading reform societies will be represented.
In an article on Chinese Banking in the Peking Daily News the following paragraphi occurs-An incident which is more than illu. minative occurred a few weeks ago when a certain Chinese went to the Post Office to pur- chase some stamps. He tendered a bank note of the Ta Ching Bank, but was requested to pay with a note of a foreign bank, which he also had in his possession at the time. The foreign note was thus preferred to a currency of its own Bank. This is a state of affairs which for the credit of Chinese Banking, institutions should not be permitted, and no effort to inspire con- fidence, at any rate in the Goverment Bank, should be spared.
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