CO129-273 - Governor Sir Robinson & Others - 1896 [10-12] — Page 9

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Boucein the action of Her Majesty's Govern ment in sanctioning, without reference to the Chambers of Commerce in the Far East, a con Yeution which gives an absolute monopoly to the Eastern Extension and Great Northeru Telegraph Companies." Is an interview which Her Majesty's Minister in China. Sir Nicholas O'Conor, granted this Chamber in November, 1892. their mouthpiece said

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sufficient reason for such action. fairness to those who have to pay for tele- grams, and to whom the Companies are very largely indebted for their financial success hitherto, they were entitled to be heard before any monopoly was conceded, but, doubtless fearing the consequences which might arise from our being heard, Lord Salisbury's sanation would appear to have been previously and stealth-

On the subject of the Telegraphic Convenly obtained. Positively no political purpose tion recently signed by the Russian Minister whatever would appear to have been subserved; and Sheng Tuotai, the Director-General of the Imperial Government has received no qui Chinese Telegraphs, we would like to say a pro quo so far as can be ascertained; while few words to yone Excellency. The mercantile there is reason to believe that other Govern- community, Jong saddled with a $2 per wordments receive privileges from the Companies, rate between China and Europe, a rate imposed | Oar interests have been sacrificed for the benefit and kept up by an agreement between the of the shareholders in the two Telegraph Com- Great Northern and the Eastern Extensiou panies-ons a Danish Company, in which cer- Telegraph Companies, have been waiting tain exalted personages are supposed to be impatiently for the day when the Chinese, pecuniarily interested, and the other au English connecting their lines with the Russian Company. If the Telegraph Companies in late land lines would be able to give us yours had been unable to earn reasonable in- much cheaper word rate. They could do it terest on the capital employed, their seeking easily and profitably. The new Convention to increase the tariff would have been intelligible rirets our fitters for ten years to come. It is a and an incrense would have been agreed to, but term of the Convention, especially introduced very contrary results have been obtained. The into the instrument by Rassis, that no messages English Company has paid adividend of 7 per cent. from the ports for Europe shall be taken by the per anunun for 1893, 1891, and 1835-the gross overland lines ander $2 a word. We hand to receipts in 1995 were £50,259 more than these in your Excellency a copy of a memorial and peti- 1894-and it carried forward at 31st December tion presented by this Chamber in 1890 to Her last £129,999, thus increasing its reserve and bal- Majesty the Queen on this subject, and the re- ance after last dividend, and including insurance ply, in which we are promised that no such Con- funils, to £721,531. The Danish Company vention shall be ratified The memorial embo-paid 8 3-5th per gent. per auomm for 1892, dies our whole case, and we pray you to study it. and to oppose with all your power the rati- fication of this Convention, which is also injurious! to China herself." Clanse 3 of the memorial in question reads ***

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1897, and 1896 and 10 per cent per annum for 1895--the gross receipts in 1895 were £55,935 more than in 1894-and it carried forward at 31st December last £58,055, thus increasing its reserve and balance, after last dividend. to

The Foreign Trade of China and Japan with £98,996. These are immenac profits, and they your Majesty's dominious and with your Maj were earned out of previous rates, thas demon- jesty's subjects is carried on under and is restrating conclusively that the tariff levied up gulated by the provisions of certain Treaties made between Your Most Gracious Majesty and the Emperors of China and Japan respectively, and by these Treaties certain well-defined rights are secured to the subjects of your Majesty trading in and to China and Japan." Claitse 4

reads :--

Of these rights the most valuable are those which secure to your Majesty's subjects all the benefits and advantages of any privilege or con- cession which may be, at any time, granted by China or Japan to the subjects of any other nation, and those which forbid the creation by China or Japan of any monopoly or exclusive privilege in favour either of their own subjects or of any foreign nation to the prejudice of the rights and privileges granted to your Majesty's subjects." Clanse 14 reads:-

Your Petitioners most humbly thank your Majesty for having refused your assent to the Convention and to any modification of it, and for your Majesty's most gracious assurance, through your Ministers in the Commons Hinse of Parliament, that no consent will be given to the Couvention without fall consideration of all the interests involved and withont consultation with the representatives of British commeres;" and Clanse 16 reads:---

to 31st July this year was unnecessarily high and could have been modified, which would up doubt have been followed by a greatly increase traffic, high rates necessarily restricting tele- graphic communication. The competition of the Chinese Telegraph Alanuistration up to the 1st of last month had kept the rate to Europe at $2 per word, but the Chinese Government having been forced into the new Agreement by the European Powers the Telegraph Companies-England having ratified the Convention which gives them HEL ahsolate monopoly-are now thereby enabled. at one day's nolice, to raise the rates from the Far East to Europe 371 per cent. to America 1.20 per cont, and for local telegrams 100 per cent. As the Editor of the North China Herald, in hie isene of the 21st ult., very pertiuently remarks ---

The influence which the Cable Companies can bring to bear has been too much for our Howe Government, and they have approved the new Convention. It is a disgrace in foreign- uors that they should have coerced the Chinese into this retrograde step. In Chius, monopolies are provided against in the treaties made by | Foreign Powers; and here we have two of the same Powers, Great Britain und Russia, forcing a monopoly in China to the disadvantage of the mercantile community. Oar hope lies in

a Pacific cable. That one will be kid before long is certain, and the desire of the existing

"Your Petitiomers beg further most respect fully to represent that the continued existence of the Convention, the subject of this Petition, and of the negotiations for its approval or modification, is an impediment to all improve- | Cable Companies to raise the rates has been ment in telegraphic commnalention between stimulated by the wish to collect large reserve the East and Europe, and in particular prevents funds to help them in fighting this futuro the Chinese Government from completing its competitor. In fact, the merchants in China telegraphic systern and connecting it with the are being squeezed now to enable their general network of telegraphic comunication | telegraphic masters to fight the Company thronghons the world cid Kiachta."

which promises to liberate trade from its That the British Government under the new fetters. If the shareholders in the circumstances should have ratified in July this Cable Companies had been carrying on business year, without consulting those whose inter for years at a loss we might yupathise with sts are keenly and vitally affected thereby, a them; but they have mate. as we showed Convention between the Telegraph Companies recently, very handsome profits. Mr. Alford, and the Chinese Telegraph Administration, Chairman of the Shanghai Chamber of Com which gives the Companies an absolute merce, wrote to the Cable Companies on the monopoly. is incomprehensible, and it is io-11th :— Your directors are apparently ignorant possible to conceive of the existence of any or have ignored the fact that though, the voluine

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of trade may be increasing the margius of proât; service, will agres to charge reasonable rates for have parro fed to an extent which often causes telegrams. I hope we all regard this seriously, telegraphic expenses to check business, and ¦ aud it will become our interest and daty to do our your action therefore means that messages will best to encourage the projectors of these Pacific be restricted in every possible manner both in cables to push their schemes into accomplishment. Brumbed and in length. Thus, whilst your I notice from the proceedings of the third Con- revenus will probably derive little or nogress of Chambers of Commerce hold in London advantage, you will have turned satisfaction in Juan last that a resolution was adopted in into dissatisfaction among those to when you favour of a Canadian-Australian cable as a step are almost entirely indebted for your success in towards a competitive route to India. This if *he East."

carried into effect would be a move forward in The Telegraph Companies have boer mauaged the direction we are aiming at. There is no with consummate ability, and their secret nego doubt that a cable across the Pacific would in tiations with the British Government have been any case in time prove a successful enterprise, conducted with great diplomatic skill. In a and if we could guarantee in the main if not Comunnicated article in the North China Iferuld the entire business of the Far East I think the of 25th August, 1892, the following appeared :-- | inducement to lay such a cable will be very It was the Foreign Ministers åt Peking, of great. I would, moreover, complete the tele- the countries to which the Great Northern graphic girdle round the world, and that is much Telegraph Company and the Eastern Extension to be desired as tending to further economy of Telegraph Company belong, who in 1883 moved time in weans of communication. Of course the Tsong-li Yamien te suretion a working if the Telegraph Companies meantime agree agreement with the English and Danish Cablo¦ to reduce the mates they have recently in- Companies to last for twenty years, without creased so heavily, the Pacific Cable" may Simposing on the Companies any restriction be deferred for some time, though there is whatever as regards their tariffs.”

little doubt that it will be laid before the While appreciating the importance of the next century gets into its teens. Let us hope, Company's telegraphic system, and recognis- however, that the Telegraph Companies will see ing its claim to favourable consideration, the the sweet reasonableness of making a timely Government should have stopped short at concession to those who have been such excellent vatifying any convention which would create constituents to them in the past. With these anything is the shape of a monopoly, or which remarks, gentlemen, I beg to propose the third would prevent the establishment of additional resolution, as follows:- That the members lines or other improvement in the service here- of this Chamber, in the event of the Enstorn Ex- after deemed reassury. What has been done tension and Great Northern Telegraph Com- is a retrograde step of immense magnitude, and janies refusing to reduce to a reasonable lovel must be attended with the most injurious re- the high rates now lovied by them, pledge them- sults. for many years to come, not only to the selves to give their fullest assistance and sup- Chinese Government, bat to the enormous trade | port to any Company that, while providing an carried on between the Eastern and Western efficient service, will agree to charge moderate hemispheres. No one can begin to urge that telegraphic rates between the Far East and the Telegraphic Companies were rendering a Europe and America." (Applause). great public service for which they were in- Mr. ST. C. MICHAELSEN-I have great safficiently remunerated. Let me again repent pleasure in seccuding this resolution. This that by ratifying the Convention the British resolution, in my opinion, is the most in. Government has not in any way subserved any portant one, and I am sure that every one political purpose. The only persons who will in this room will heartily and fully support derive benefit therefrom are the shareholders in it, and thus show the two Cable Companios two Telegraph Companies, one Danish and the how the feeling is running untongst the coma- other English, and both purely private institu- mercial community and their supporters. The tions. The ratification of the Convention has en-Committee of this Chamber, I am quite sure, abled the Companies at one day's notice to raise will do its utmost to make this resolution and exact rates which cannot but be regarded as known as widely as possible all over the world, excessive and injurious to the best interests of so that any parties who may have a special is foreign trade and commerce. This Chamber terest in this question shall become aware of therefore feels fally justified in placing ou re-it. I have also no doubt that not only the cord its earnest and emphatic protest against members of this Chamber but everyone in the Her Majesty's Government baring assented to Far East will heartily welcome and support the recent Convention between the Eastern any competition that may be established which Extension and Great Northern Telegraph has for its purpose opposition to the two cable Companies and the Chinese Telegraph Ad- companies. (Loud applause). ministration, inasmuch as the said Convention gives the Telegraph Companies an absolute monopoly which was immediately utilized by the Companies to the extent of 374 per cent. to Europe, 43.26 per cent. to America." and 100 | tion, of the managers of the United Telegraph per cent. on local messages. (Applause.)

Mr. GRANVILLE SHARP- Mr. Chairman and gentlsen, we shall all feel the truth of the remarks made by Mr. Jackson about the nufailing courtesy, from generation to genera-

Companies. The time having passed, which Mr. D. R. SASSOON-I have much pleasure in has been so felicitously described as the period seconding the motion. Mr. Whitehead has put of profitable seclusion, it seems the only course the case so clearly before as that I do not think | open to the members of the China trade is I can say anything to make matters clearer. I to develop, by every possible means in our think we are all fully persnaled that the action power, and to increase in every possible way, of the Telegraph Companies is not at all right and that they have placed restrictions where restrictions ought to have been taken off. I have much pleasure in seconding. (Applause.)

Carried unanimously.

the volume of basiuces between the Chinese Empire and the home countries in order that those who have in the past profited by the liberal margins which existed in business may in the future do as well as formerly--who knows that The CHAIRMAN-Gentlemen, I have been they may not do better by the increased vo asked to move the third resolution, and do so lume of trade which is done by them. This, with pleasure, believing that, in order to render gentlemen, can only be accomplished in one way, our protest effective, we must make the Tele and that is by the increase in every possible graph Companies understand that we are in manner of cheap and rapid steam and electric barbest. This is not a mere formal protest, consumication between China, not only the and we do not intend, if we can help it, to let | ports of China Int the length and breadth of the matter rest bere, with a mere expression of the Chinese Empire, and Western countries. indignation. The resolution I have to propose | This is essential. And there is no way out of pledges the members of this Chamber to assist it. It caunot be done without. We must have and support any company that may lay a cable constant communication; we must havo rapid hither either from Vancouver or San Francisco, communication; and we must have cheap com- and that, while guaranteeing as an efficient munication. Everyone in the China trado, whe-

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