The Daily Press.
HongKong, August 19th, 1899.
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE DISTURBED STATE OF KWANGTUNG.
SUGULSTIGNS FOR THE SUPPRESSION
OF PIRACY.
THE EMPLOYMENT OF BRITISH GUNBOATS
RECOMMENDED.
The following correspondence is attached to the minutes of the last monthly meeting of the General Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce:—
Hongkong, 31st July, 1899.
Bir—We beg to enclose copies of letters which our Canton firms have addressed to H.E.M.'s Consul at Canton, and also to the Canton Chamber of Commerce, on the subject of the disorganisation of the silk trade there, caused by the lawlessness now prevalent in the provinces of Kwangtung and Kwangsi, which seriously interferes with the delivery of silk that is under contract to foreign buyers.
The Chinese officials hitherto have shown themselves quite incapable of coping with the situation, which is daily becoming worse, and it requires no stretch of imagination to discern that this state of affairs must seriously interfere with all branches of trade.
The large interests involved impel us to request the Committee of the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce to take up this matter as early as possible, and to make such representations to H.B.M.'s Minister at Peking that steps may be taken for the effective protection of British interests in those provinces.
Trusting that the Committee will be good enough to give their early attention to this important question.—We are, sir, your faithfully,
JARDINE, MATHESON & CO.
REISS & Co.
To the Secretary Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Canton, 25th July, 1899.
R. W. Mansfield Esq., H. B. M.'s Consul, Canton.
Dear Sir—The undersigned British firms beg to bring to your notice that they have received a letter from a number of silk dealers referring to the unsettled state in the chief silk districts near Canton, which renders it impossible to them to duly deliver to us the silk previously sold to us for forward delivery.
We beg to enclose a copy of said letter received by us, giving details of a few of the robberies, piracies, and blackmailing cases committed lately.
Since several weeks our native friends have daily been reporting to us cases and explaining to us why the deliveries of silk should come in so slowly, but instead of diminishing, the danger to the trade in general, and particularly to the silk trade (owing to the great value of silk), has been growing daily, so that the interests of the foreign firms in Canton are now seriously affected.
As is usual in the silk trade, the native merchants have during the last 4/6 months made considerable contracts with the foreign firms, for delivery chiefly in June, July, August. Some considerable deliveries were made in June, but since a few weeks, notwithstanding a good third crop having come forward, deliveries are daily failing off.
As you will see from the information sent to you direct by each of the undersigned, the magnitude of contracts they have on hand is considerable and we would therefore ask you to find some means to protect, as far as possible, our threatened interests.
It is evident that all the silk bought by us from the natives has been sold in Europe and America and that we are responsible for all claims arising from late or non-delivery of these silks.
We are, dear sir, yours most respectfully,
JARDINE, MATHESON & CO.
HERBERT DENT & Co.
ROWE & Co.
T. E. GRIFFITH
REISS & Co.
Canton, 25th July, 1899.
To the Chairman, Canton Chamber of Commerce.
Dear Sir, We have pleasure in handing you herewith press copy of a joint letter, sent by us to-day, as British silk merchants, to H.B.M's. Consul here, with reference to the numerous robberies, piracies, and blackmailing cases committed lately in the chief silk districts.
This matter being one of very great importance to a great many of the members of the Chamber, we beg to suggest that the Committee of the Canton Chamber of Commerce also addresses the Consul on this subject, so as to add more weight to the complaint brought forward by us.
We are, dear sir, yours faithfully,
REISS & Co.,
We the undersigned Silk merchants of Canton having made contracts with fixed delivery with your firm, have to inform you that owing to the present unsettled state in the silk districts, we are afraid of being unable to fulfil the said engagements in due time.
Owing to numerous robberies, piracies, and blackmailing cases occurred within the last few weeks in the chief silk districts, it has become almost impossible for us to get the silk from the country, and our agents there asked us not to forward any more money to them, as the bandits robbing it would likely have to...
As a few instances of the numerous robberies perpetrated lately we may quote:
At 9 a.m. 9-7-99 in Kong Tan creek some pirates abducted a supercargo and his coolies belonging to the cocoon shops of Koon Shan in Namhoi District.
Sheung Fang & Co., Kung Kee & Co., and other cocoon shops in Koon Shau have been threatened and asked for a sum of Tls. 500 from each shop; and as they refused to pay, they are pressed to pay a larger sum of Tls. 800 each.
At 8 a.m. 10-7-99, in Ngao Hu a cocoon dealer was robbed, and lost 30 odd packages of cocoons; one boatman killed and supercargo wounded.
Each of the four cocoon shops in Lok Chung Hu of Shun Tak has been asked to pay a sum of Tls. 700.
At noon, 14-7-99 a cocoon boat was robbed at the entrance of the creek of Kat Yan village; booty worth 1,000 odd taels.
The silk filatures of Sai Shiu and Sai Po have been asked to pay sums up to several thousand taels.
These occurrences do seriously interfere with the whole silk trade and unless your firm in combination with the other foreign silk firms can through your Consul bring some pressure on the Chinese Government to make arrangements to clear the country from the hundreds of robbers and pirates, we fear that by no fault of ours we will not be able to fulfil our engagements punctually.
[Here follow chops]
Canton
21
:
The Daily Press.
HongKong, August 19th, 1899.
*
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE DISTURBED STATE OF KWANGTUNG.
SUGULSTIGNS FOR THE SUPPRESSION
OF PIRACY.
THE EMPLOYMENT OF BRITISH GUNBOATS
RECOMMENDED,
The following correspondence is attached to the minutes of the last monthly meating of the General Comittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce:—
Hongkong, 31st July, 1899. Bir-We beg to close copies of letters which our Canton firms have addressed to H.E.M.'s Cousal at Canton, and also to the Canton Chamber of Uemimerce, or the subjunt of the disorganisation of the silk, trade there, caused by the lawlessness now prevalent in the provinces of Kwangtung and Kwangsi, which seriously interferes with the delivery of silk that is under contract to foreign buyers.
The Chinose officials hitherto have shown themselves quite incapable of coping with the situation, which is daily becoming worse, and it requires no stretch of imagination to discern that this state of affairs must seriously inter- fere with all branches of trude.
The large interests involved impel us to re- quest the Committee of the Hongkong Chamber *of Commerce to take up this matter as early as possible, and to make such representations to H.B.M.'s Minister at Peking that steps may be taken for the effective protection of British interests in those provinces.
Trusting that the Committee will be guod enough to give their early attention to this im- portant question.—We are, sir, your faithfully,
JARDINE, MATHESON & CO. REISS & Co.
To the Secretary Hongkong General Chamber
of Commerce.
Ganton, 25th July, 1899.
R. W. Mansfield Esq., H. B. M.'s Consul,
Canton.
Dear Sir-Theatersigned British firms bag to bring to your notice that they have re- seived a letter from a number of silk dealers referring to the unsettled state in the chief silk districts near Canton, which renders it impossi ble to them to duly deliver to us the silk pre- viously sold to us for forward delivery.
We beg to enclose a copy of said letter re- ceived by us, giving details of a few of the rob- beries, piracies, and blackmailing cases com.. mitted lately.
Since several wooks our native friends have daily been reporting to us eases and explaining to ns why the deliveries of silk should come in so slowly, but instead of diminishing, the dau- ger to the trade in general, and particularly to the silk trade (owing to the great value of silk), has been growing daily, so that the in- terests of the foreign firms in Canton are now seriously affected.
As is usual in the silk trade, the native mar. 'chants have during the last 4/6 months made considerable coutracts with the foreign firms, for delivery chiefly in June, July. August. Some considerable deliveries were made in June, but since a few weeks, notwithstanding a good third crop having come forward, deliveries aro daily failing off.
As
are
As you will see from the information sont to yon direct by each the undersigned, the of contracts they have on hand considerable magnitude and we would therefore Fask you to find some means to protect, as far as
possible, our threatened interests.
Į
It is evident that all the silk bought by us from the natives has been sold in Europe and America and that we are responsible for all claims arising (from late or non-delivery of these silks. We are, dear sir, yours most re- spectfully,
JARDINE, MATHESON & CO HERBERT DENT & Co. ROWE & Co.
T. E. GRIFFITH REISS & Co.
Canton, 25th July, 1899.
To the Chairman, Canton Chamber of Commercs. Dear Sir, We have pleasure in handing you herewith press copy of a joint letter, sent by us to-day, as British silk marchants, to H.B.M's. Consul here, with reference to the numIorous robberies, piracies, and blackmailing cases com- mitted lately in the chief silk districts.
This matter being one of very great impor lance to a great many of the members of the Chamber, we beg to suggest that the Committee of the Canton Chamber of Commerce also ad- drews the Consul on this subject, so as to ackl more weight to the complaint brought forward" by us.We are, dear sir, yours faithfully,
REISS & Co.,
We the undersigned Silk merebants of Can- ton having made coutracts with fixed delivery with your firm, have to inform you that owing to the present unsettled state in the silk dis tricts, we are afraid of being unable to fulfil the said engagements in due time.
down
Owing to numerous robberies, piracies, and blackmailing cases occurred within the last few weeks in the chief silk districts, it has become almost impossible for us to get the silk from the country, and our agents there asked us not to forward any more money them, as the bude sapping it would likely ke
have to
As a few instance of the numerous robberies perpetrated lately we may quote
At 9 a.m. 9-7-99 in Kong Tan creek some pirates abducted a supervargo and his coooons belonging to the cocoon stops of Koon Shan in Namhoi District.
Sheung Fang & Co., Kung. Kee & Co., and other cocoon shops in Koon Shau have been threatened and asked for a sum of Tls. 500 from each shop; and as they refused to pay. they are pressed to pay a larger-sum of Tls. 800 each.
At 8 a.m. 10-7-99, in Ngao Hu a cocoon deal- er was robbed, and lost 30 odd packages of cocoons; one boatman killed and supercargo wounded.
Each of the four cocoon shops in Lok Chung Hu of Shun Tak has been asked to pay a sum of Tls. 700.
At noon. 14-7-92 a cocoon boat was robbed
at the entrance of the creek of Kat Yan village; booty worth 1,000 odd taels. The silk filatures of Sai Shiu and Sai Po have been asked to pay sums up to several thousand taels.
These occurrences do seriously interfere with the whole silk trade and unless your firm in combination with the other foreign silk firms ean through your Consul bring some pressure on the Chinese-Government to make arrange- mants to clear the country from the hundreds of robbers and pirates, we fear that by no fault of ours we will not be able to fulfill our engage- ments punctually.
[Here follow chops]
Canton
21
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