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HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
HONGKONG, 3rd May, 1892.
SIR,I have the bonour to acknowledge the receipt of a telegram from Your Excellency, addressed to the Chamber of Commerce, Hongkong, bearing date Peking, 29th April, 1892, which reads as under:--
"Please state whether the action of the Hoppo in the matter of "duties referred to in your letter of 23rd September is still "prejudicial to Foreigu commeren.”
WALSHAM.
By direction of my Committee the following reply was at once des- patched :-
"There is no change from the position defined in the Chamber's
"letter 23rd September last."
In confirming this answer I am instructed to point out to Your Excellency that, although it may be represented that the Hoppo of Canton has reverted to Treaty Tariffs for goods shipped to Treaty Ports or Hougkong by native Junks, there is reason to believe that the natural result of such action on shipments by Foreign steamers has been nullified, most probably by underlings granting concessions, either by a return of the Tariff duty that is levied or by under-assessing the value or weight of the articles which are passed through the native Customs.
That some such evasion must be practised is notably the case as regards Tea, which finds its way to this port by Junk only to the entire exclusion of Foreign steamer carriage, thereby clearly showing that reduced duty charges, in some form, render it advantageous for the Chinese Traders to confine their shipments to the Junk service.
Freight considerations viewed apart are entirely in favour of the Steamer traffic; but from this the Chinese Merchant is debarred by having to pass his goods through the Imperial Maritime Customs and pay the regular rates prescribed by Treaty.
British interests in these waters continue to be most seriously com- promised by the breach of Treaty provisions that has so long prevailed.-- I have, &c.,
Sir JOHN WALSHAM, Bart.,
ADAM LIND, Acting Secretary.
Her Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary in China, Peking.
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HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
HONGKONG, 5th August, 1892.
DEAR SIR,My Committee is desirous of ascertaining what has been the practical result of the representations, addressed to the Foreign Office by this Chamber with a view of patting a stop to the practice, established by the Hoppo of Canton, of levying differential duties in favour of native juuks to the serious detriment of Foreign steamer trade.
I shall therefore be glad of any information you can afford as to whether the traffic diverted to junks through the irregularities complained of is returning to Foreign steamers, and, if so, to what extent.-I am, &c.,
ADAM LIND, Acting Secretary.
THOS. ARNOLD, Esq., Secretary,
HONGKONG, CANTON & MACAO STEAM-BOAT Co., L».
OFFICE OF TUE HONGKONG, CANTON & MACAO STEAM-BOAT COMPANY, LIMITED.
HONGKONG, 15th August, 1892.
DEAR SIR,-In reply to your letter of the 5th instant, asking whether the traffic diverted to janks, through the action of the Hoppo of Canton, in levying differential duties in favour of native craft, is returning to Foreign steamers, and, if so, to what extent, I beg to say that as far as Tea is concerned, the representations made by your Chamber to the Foreign Office have had the desired effect, the carriage of that article, during the present season, having, so far, been done principally by River Steamers.
Other exports, such as Cassia, (Broken Cassia excepted) Rattans, Feathers, Bristles, &e, remain much as before, so it is only reasonable to suppose that concessions are still made in regard to those articles.
It is the opinion of well-informed natives in Canton that, in a few months, when the excitement caused by the action of the Foreign Office shall have blown over, the carriage of Tea will again be diverted to junks.-I remain, &C.,
ADAM LIND, Esq.,
THOS. ARNOLD, Secretary.
Acting Secretary, HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
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