[This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Goverment.
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
RECO
5164
January 2017 FEB 0 SECTION 3.
416
Sir C. MacDonald to the Marquess of Salisbury.—(Received January 20, 1990.)
(No. 342.) My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to transmit, for your Lordship's information, copy of a
Peking, December 11, 1899. despatch which I have received from Mr. Fox, Her Majesty's Acting Consul at Samshui, forwarding a very interesting Memorandum on the present state of trade on the West River.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.
Acting Consul Fox to Sir C. MacDonald.
(No. 10.) Sir,
AS the state of foreign trade on the West River is attracting a considerable
Samshui, November 22, 1899. amount of public attention at the present time, I venture to forward a short Memo- randum on the subject based on personal observation.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
H. H. FOX.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Memorandum by Acting Consul Fox on the Trade of the West River.
THE foreign trade on the West River may be conveniently divided into three
branches :-
(
1. Direct trade with Hong Kong and West River Ports.
2. Trade between Canton and West River Ports.
3. The Inland Waters " Trade.
I.-Direct Trade with Hong Kong.
This appears to be flourishing. Samshui
Besides the Joint Companies steam-ships
and "Wuchow," towing four 400-ton lighters, there are running to Samshui, five regular steamers; to Wuchow, two steamers; to Wuchow [sic] and five lorchas towed by launches.
It was expected that the advent of the steam-ships "Samshui" and "Wuchow " would drive the small Chinese steamers and the British-owned lorchas off the river, but up to the present this has not been the case; in fact, two new steamers-one Chinese-owned and one British-owned-have come on the river. Cargo has been plentiful for some months past, and the lorchas, by accepting lower rates of freight, and obtaining full cargoes each trip, are able to compete with their powerful
The Customs authorities allow the "Sainshui" and moon and the other ports of call on condition that no deck cargo is carried. As the Wuchow" to call at Kong- lorchas carry quite half their cargo on deck, the privilege is not extended to them. It doubtless will be when foreign Custom-house officers are stationed at all the ports of call (at present only Kongmoon and Kumchuk possess a Customs station).
rivals.
+
am informed that the stationing of a foreign Customs officer, with power to collect duties, would be a great convenience to the through steamers from Hong Kong
[1718 u-3]
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