THE
Hongkong Weekly Press
VOL. XLIII.J
AND
China Overland Trade
CONTENTS.
Epitome of the Week, ž¤................................ Leading Articles :---
The British Minister and British Policy The Democratisation of Diplomacy
Trade Report.
HONGKONG, WEDNESDAY, 29TH APRIL, 1896.
....353
The Armstrong-built Chinese cruiser Nan- shing, which has been ashore above Wuhu since October last, was got off on the 11th April
The N. C. Daily News is informed that the ....354 Japanese Government has advised its national to stop all industrial operations in China for the present.
,354 ...355
..355
The Chinese Customs Revenue......
The Military Contribution
France and Madagascar.
..356
Foreign Trade in Formosa
.356
The Chamber of Commerce and its Foreign
Members
..358
Reviews
.356
Supreme Court...
..358
The Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce
..359
Hongkong Sanitary Board.
.359
Sir W. Robinson's Lecture on Irish Wit and Humour..360
The Stranding of the Eze
..361
Flagrant Case of Incendiarism in Hongkong
..362
Victoria English Schools
..362
..363
The Rifle Brigade Regimental Plate
The Polo Tournament
"Off Side" and "Fouls” at Polo
Duties of Players at Polo
Lawn Tennis Tournament.
Hongkong Volunteer Corps Field Battery
..365
Rifle Matches ....................
365
Royal Hongkong Yacht Club.
..368
The Punjom Mining Co., Limited...
Raub
+
The Yangtare Insurance Co., Limited
Correspondence
Tientsin
Victoria Recreation Club
Hongkong and Port News......
+ Shipping
¿
Commercial
DEATHS.
..384 ..364
Herr von Brandt, ex-German Minister to China, accompanied by Mrs. von Brandt and Baron von der Gottz, arrived at Shanghai on the 19th April from Tientsin.
The Spanish steamer Manila, which arrived at Singapore on the 19th April from Liverpool, had on board 500 tons of railway materials for Labuan, where she was to call in and discharge on her way to Manila.
Famine prevails in Tonkin owing to the prolonged drought and consequent failure of ..364 the rice crop. A pubite subscription has been .365 opened for the relief of the sufferers, which was headed by the Governor-General with a contri- bution of $500.
385
.366 .366
The China Gazette says:-The French cruiser Forfait, which left Shanghai last week for 367 home, is to be relieved by the very formidable .367 new cruiser Descartes, which has just done re- ..368 markably successful trial trips. The other old- fashioned French warships on this station are to be similarly replaced by vessels of high speed, heavy armament, and modern construction.
.368 .369 .372
At Sandakan, on the 21st April, 1896, GEORGE L SHUSTER, aged 22 years, second son of the late J. F. Shuster, of Hongkong.
[1016
At his residence, the German Taveru, Queen's Road Central, at 11 p.m., 24th April, 1896, C. F. W. PETERSON, aged (4 years. (German papers please copy.)
[1032 On Saturday, 18th April, in Hankow, DAVID HILL, aged 55 years.
ARRIVALS OF MAILS.
The American mail of the 30th March arrived, per P. M. steamer Peru, on the 25th April (26 days); and the French mail of the 27th March arrived, per M. M. steamer Natal, on the 26th April (30 days).
EPITOME OF THE WEEK.
A thousand Chinese coolies are being sent from Cochin-China, under voluntary contract, to Madagascar,
Mr. F. B. Aglen has been appointed to succeed Mr. Detring as Commissioner of Cus-
toms at Tientsin.
The annual inspection of the Shanghai Volunteer Corps was made by Major Bottfield on the 18th April.
A factory for the manufacture of the newest kinds of rifles and cannons will be amalgamated with the Hanyang Iron Works, by order of H.E. Chang Chih-tang.—Mercury.
The Chuwo, referring to the future of the match industry in Japan, says:-After sup- planting Europe in the match trade in the East, it is feared that the industry in Japan will soon decay, as the willow and white pine from which sticks are made are becoming scarce. None can be found in the forests in the vicinity of Kyoto, Osaka, and Shizuoka.
A Tokyo telegram of the 28th April to the China Gazette says:--It has been agreed by the Korean Government that it shall
pay 5,000
yen compensation for each Japanese murdered by Koreans during the past couple of months, and that the sum of 120,000 yen shall be paid as com- pensation to the Japanese merchants and traders who had to leave Pingyang on account of the failure of the Korean officials to afford them protection against the mob.
At Shanghai on the 22nd April, we learn from the Mercury, half of a Founders' Langkat Tobacco Co.'s share was sold for Tls. 5,000. This is unparalelled in the history of brokerage in Shanghai. The Founders' shares are valued (par) at Tls, 100 each. According to the China Gazette a telegram from Mr. Geo. McBain states that the long expected concession by the Dutch Government to work the oil and timber on Lankat estate has been signed.
The Japan Herald reports that the village of Miyamura, popularly known as Tokerita, in Miyagi Prefecture, famous for its hot springs, was almost entirely destroyed by fire on the 6th April. The place consists of only fifty-three buildings, of which, however, several were of considerable extent, and of these only seven escaped destruction. There were at the time some 50) invalid soldiers staying at the place, for the benefit of their health," but all these escaped without injury.
No. 18.
The annual meeting of the Yangtase In- surance Association, Limited, was held at Shanghai on the 20th April, when the report and accounts were adopted and passed, and, in view of the favourable results, it was resolved that a bonus of twenty per cent. on their salaries be paid to the Company's employes of over three years' service and a bonus of ten per cent. to employes of shorter service.
From Nanking we (N. C. Daily News) learn that the new railway which will start from that city will commence from the T'angchi gate and connect with the city of Chiyung to the north-east of the former city and then eastwards to Chinkiang. Another line! west- ward starting from the same gate will be built to connect with the city of Wahu, belonging to the neighbouring province of Anhui. It is expected that these two lines will be finished by the spring of 1897, but trains will begin to run before that, going as far as practicable in order to accustom the people to this innovation.
We translate the following from the Courrier d'Haiphong-We learn with much satisfaction that a briquette factory is shortly to be estab lished at Hongay. In view of the magnificent coal seams at Hatou we have never for a single moment doubted the future of the Société Francaise des Charbonnages du Tonkin, but it is none the less true that this great enterprise has had to pass through days of difficulty. Has Deception Point at last been doubled.P Everything tends to that belief, for it was the dust coal in particular that was uncertain of a market. With the briquette factory there will be no more fear on this head and the develop- ment of the mines will henceforth proceed regularly and progressively. Tonkin cannot but gain thereby. The firm of Porchat and Co. will probably be entrusted with the setting up of the factory and almost all the material will come from France. At the same time MesATA. Porchet & Co. are to build a comfortable house for the management on the site of M. Bavier- Chauffour's well-known mat-shed. ́
The increase in prices which has for some time past been going on in Japan seems to be extending to China. At the annual meeting of the Shanghai Horse Bazaar Co., Limited, the Chairman in the course of his speech said-During the past year the business has, you will see, very largely increased in bulk, un- fortunately not with proportionately good results, but there are one or two reasons for that, which I will explain. One is that the price of fodder has gone up very much during the past year. The average price of fodder during 1894 was for bran 99 cents a pioul and for barley 99 cents a picul, while in 1895 the average price of bran has been $1.35 per picul and barley $1.44. This increase means a very large difference in the outgoings of the Com- pany, and we have not yet made any change in the charge for hire and livery, but with the increased demand that arises in Shanghai for fodder and the advance there has been in mafoos' wages, the directors feel that the time has come when we must make some extra charge. There is
very little profit to the Company in livery ponies at Tls. 12; therefore a very small increase in livery and hire would make a more wholesome return to the Company, and the directors think the time has arrived when they must do it.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.