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$10.1808.1
OPENING OF THE NEW PORTS.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
when silver had shown signs of recovery, to be #fain increased to 12.80 from the 1st of Febru- 13754tch addressed by *** 1898, after the subsequent relapse of silve
the United States Minister and when it was becoming evident that no porta
Cancermanent recovery could be hoped for. The coff lection rate would at that time have been still further increased to a figure corresponding with the gold rate in Europe, had it not been for the competition started by the Chinese Telegraph Administration, who on the 1st of March following published a $2.00, rate for telegrams to Europe by their newly completed land lines.
king 23rd August; 1896..
By the 8th article of the between Chins and Japan, Boochow and Hanshow esty ports. A time will ing of, Custom Houses at "trade'may be carried on. and Shashih, regulations will It was, moreover, due to this competition, and not, as you assume in your letter, to any r-General of Customs has been vast increase in the volume of messages trans- the Commissioner at Shang- mitted, that the Companies were compelled to and Hangohow, to draw up regains reduce their rate to Europe to $2.00 a
the governing of trade at Word from the 1st of December, 1895.
the regulations have been considered kmen further communication will be
ar Excellency The Tamen have decided, however, that the ports of Boochow and Hangchow shall be opened on the 29th September nežt.
SHANGHAI AND THE MAIL CONTRACT.
The original gold-rate has, however, remained thattered so that whilt a message from the United Kingdom to China paid: 7 shillings a word, a message from Chins-between the same place-paid less than 4/6 a word,
The rates have now been adjusted, so as to be the same from both ends, by the Companies un- The Vimen- requests that your Excellency
dertaking, at the International Telegraph Con- will instruct American merchants that they must ference lately held at Budapest, to reduce their Hof carry on trade at those ports until the Cus-gold rate from 8 fros. 50 centimes to 7 fres. a toms have been duly established.
word, whilst at the same time collecting the full silver equivalent in China; and it has been simultaneously arranged that from the Ist of July next year, when the ratified international Telegraph Convention comes into force, the number of letters in a single word shall be increased from 10 to 15 and the number of figures from 3 to 5 for extra-European telo- grams a concession which cannot fail very materially to benefit the public at the expense of the Telegraph Companies, as senders of the telegrams will be enabled thereby considerably to improve and augment the present 10 letter telegraph codes.
The following letter from the British Minister to the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce is published:-
Peking, 16th August, 1896. -Having referred to Her Majesty's of Blate your communication of the last, on the subject of the reported top of the British. Postal authorities to Hongkong the terminal point of the new mail contract for China, I have received a raply from his Lordship informing me that the Postmaster General has not recommended #ny such change, and that in advertising for such contracta, tenders-bave been invited for Conveying the mails between Colombo and Shanghai. I shall feel obliged to you if you will make this known to your Chamber and to the public în general-I have the honour to be, your most obedient servant,
CLAUDE M. MacDonald. The Chairman of Shanghai General Chamber
of Commerce.
THE IN GREASE, IN TELEGRAPH
RATES...
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Further correspondence on the increase in -telegraph rates is published by the Shanghai General Chamber of Commerce. The following are the more important letters :—
THE CABLE COMPANIES - TO THE CHAMBER, The Great Northern Telegrash Company
of Copenhagen. ·
The Eastern Exten- sión Australasis and China. Telegraph Company, Limited. Shanghai Station,
Freze 211th August, 1996, begs to noknowledge: receipt of your y's letter, and to express my extreme regret Committee's disapproval of the Companies' Increasing the collection of charge for legrams į more especially so since you very incomplete the explanation of
eUnited
letter of the 4th inst.
to supplement the same by additional remarks::--
I may perhaps here be permitted to express my surprise that the fact of the Telegraph Companies having for a long series of years. and with great loss to themselves, been com- pelled to collect their gold charges at more or less insufficient silver equivalents, should now be advanced as an argument why they should continue to do so ad infinitum, while such is not the case with, for instance, the Steamer Companies and other similar concerns, who bare been compelled to adopt exactly the same measure as now adopted by the Telegraph Com- panies, without, as far as I am aware, baving been called to account by your Committee for so doing.
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your most obed
1974
J. Henningsen, Esq.,
+ Northern Telegraph
A. & C. Telegraph. Co.
THE CABLE COMPANIES TO THE CHAMBER, The Great Northern The Easter Telegraph Company sión Austra
of Copenhagen, i-
China Telegraph Company Limited. Shanghai Station, 44 14
14th August 1896. Sir, note with much regret from your yesterday letter that the reasons given in my former letters for the increase in the collection of charges for certain telegrams have not proved satisfactory to your Committee, and that it would interest the Chamber to know the reason
why the increase on homeward rates was not concurrent with the decrease promised on out. ward rates.
In reply, Lean only repeat the statements made in my letter of the 11th inst that the Companies are no longer prepared to con- tinue the collection of their gold rates atka more or less insufficient equivalent in-silver, whilst the provisions of the Budapest In. ternational Telegraph Convention, including the reduction of the Companies' gold rates; will only come into operation from the 1st of July next year, simultaneously with the other con- cessions made to the public, as mentioned in my said letter.
•
With regard to the concluding paragraph of your letter under reply. I am unable to verify the statements made by the newspapers that the profits of the Chinese Telegraph Ad- ministration are 24 per cent. per annum, but evén assuming this to be correct, - I must be permitted to point out that those profits will have been derived from the revenue of all the Chinese Administration lines and stations (about 200) in China, whilst the Companies do not participate with them in the local traffic farther than between their four cable stations viz., Shanghai, Foochow, Anoy, and Hongkong, so that it appears to me that no comparison can in reason be drawn between the two cases.- I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
J. HENNINGSEN,
Maniger, 2
General Chamber of Commerce.
In conclusion, I beg leave to assure you that To B. F. Alford, Esq Chairman, Shanghai the action of the Companies has been most care- fully considered by the Directors, but I shall nevertheless not fail to lay before them the pro- test and expression of the views recorded in your letter under reply-I have the honour to be,
ir, your most obedient servant
J. HENNINGSEN,
Manager. E. F. Alford, Esq., Chairman, Shanghai Gen-
eral Chamber Commerce.
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THE CHAMBER TO THE CABLE.£OMPANIES,"
General Chamber of Commerce,
Shanghai, 13th August, 1896. Sir,-The Committee thank you for your prompt reply to their letter of the 11th instant, though they regret that you show no further reason for the increase of Tariff than that previously assigned, vis, that you have resolved to adopt the parity of gold charges,
It would no useful purpose to occupy time in discussing the similarity or otherwise, of your position with that of "Steamer Companies and " and the Committee other similar concerns," will therefore not follow you in the many lines
of controversy such arguments might lead to.
THE CABLE COMPANIES TO THE CHAMBER, The Great Northern
Telegraph Company of Copenhagen.
The Eastern Exten- sion Australasia and China Telegraph Company Limited. Shanghai Station; ~
14th August, 1896. Sir-I beg permission to correct a misstate- ment which has inadvertently been made in my letter addressed to yourself and dated the 11th instant; in much as I learn from subsequent information that the increase in the number of letters from 10 to 15 and in figures from-3 to 5 in a single word adopted by the Budapest International Telegraph Conference for ex European telegrams from the 1st 1897, applies only to telegrams written i language, whilst the ten løtter and fiv limit will remain in force for telegrams in or preconcerted language, and apply to Europe as well as to extra-European systems
the stake your obedient servant,
.!
Apologizing for telegrams: between lom and China, which yon mple in your letter, was fixed Int of January, 1876, at 8 fres.50 qual to 7 shillings sterling, sud col- China with 82.00 Mexican, which was the potusl silver equivalent, a
int about one half is collected
J. HENNINGSEN,
Manager,
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General Chamber of Commerce.'.
It would, however, interest the Chamber to To E.-F. Alford, Esq, Chairman, Shanghai know why the increase of 374 per cent. on homeward rates was not concurrent with the decrease of 124 per cent. promised
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other Telegraphy Administra- | on outward rates; the former came into abrupt | THE CHAMBER TO THE BRITISH-MINISTER. lines the telegrams passin operation on 1st August, 1896, whilst the latter to be accounted for by the | is deferred until lat July, 1897.
baliq bus B. & 307 Ass rogarda- local messages, whilst recog menced to decline in value nising the probability that the Chinese lines was added to the $200, enjoy the larger share of support, it seems to the mber, 1876, to cover the Committee that if the newspapers are correct sessing exchangersThis in announcing that the profits of that Admi- till the 1st of July, 1886,-l-nistration are 24 per cent. per annum, an in-
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General Chamber of Commerca
Shanghai, 11th Sir, The Committee of this Chi respectfully call your Excellenc the increase in telegraphio expectedly adopted by the Easter and Great Northern Telegraph Compar the 1st instant,
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