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October 28, 1896.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT:
stent, I am directed to acquaint you, for the in- this colony but by the foreign communities in formation of the Chamber, that His Excellency China that Her Majesty's Government should the Governor will have great pleasure in appoint- have sanctioned the ratification of this Tele- ing, provisionally and subject to Her Majesty's graph Convention after the assurance given to pleasure, Mr. T. H. Whitehead to be an Un-this Chamber in 1890 that such Convention official Member of the Legislative Council.--I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient
ervant,
+
J. H. STEWART Lockhart, Colonial Secretary. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce.
THE INCREASE IN TELEGRAPH RATES.
*Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
29th September, 1896. J. M. Beck, Esq., Acting Manager in China, Eastern Extension and Great Northern Telegraph Companies.
Dear Sir, I am desired by my Committee to hand you enclosed copy of report of the proceedings at a special general meeting of the members of this Chamber, held on the 19th inst, for the purpose of protesting against the recent increase by your Companies of their charges for telegrams, and to ask you to kindly forward samo to your directors.—I am, dear sir, yours faithfully,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
29th September, 1896. Sir, I am directed by my Committee to for- ward, for your Excellency's information, copies of the report of a special general meeting of the members of this Chamber, held on the 19th inst., to protest against the action of the Joint Telegraph Companies in raising their rates, immediately on the conclusion of the Convention with the Chinese Telegraph Administration.
I would specially call your Excellency's at tention to the second resolution, regretting the action of Her Majesty's Government in having assented to the Convention without any notice to those chiefly concerned, more specially after this Chamber had been led to understand that, if negotiations on the subject were renewed, some reference would be made to it before the Convention received sanction.-I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant, R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary. To His Excellency Sir Claude M. MacDonald, -K.C.M.G., H.B.M.'s Minister in China. Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
29th September, 1896.
Sir, I have the honour to forward to you, for the information of His Excellency the Governor, copies of the report of the proceed- ings at the special general meeting of the mem. Sbers of this Chamber, held on the 19th inst., to protest against the action of the joint Tele- graph Companies in suddenly, on the 1st August, raising their rates 37 per cent. to Europe, 43.26 per cent. to America, and 100
per cent. to Shanghai.
Copies of the report bave also been forwarded
*
to Her Majesty's Minister at Peking. I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient ser- vant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary. To Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart, Colonial
Secretary.
would not be ratified without previous reference to those interested. The rates charged prior to the 1st August had enabled the Telegraph Companies to pay handsome dividends and to amass enormous reserve funds; any change in the tariff therefore should rather have taken the opposite direction with a view to encourage the traffic. With the addition to the rates now
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
29th September, 1896. My lord Marquess,-I have the honour to enclose herewith, for your lordship's informa- tion, copies of the report of a special general *meeting of the members of this Chamber, held on the 19th inst., to protest against the action of the joint Telegraph Companies (viz., the LE E, A. & C. Telegraph Company and the Great Northern Telegraph Company) in raising their charges 37 per cent. for Europe, 43 per cant, for America, and 100 per cent. between Hongkong and Shanghai-almost simulta. neously with the ratification of the Convention with the Chinese Telegraph Administration on the S1st July, without notice to their constituents.
I beg respectfully to call your lordship's attention to the second resolution passed at the above named meeting, and at the same time to express the profound regret felt not only in
imposed, business will be considerably handi. capped and probably greatly restricted.
The hope of this Chamber now lies in the establishment of direct telegraphic communica- tion to America, by means of a cable across the Pacific, via Honolulu, to Vancouver or to San Francisco. In the event of a Canadian line to East Asia being definitely projected, the British communities in the Far East earnestly trust that Her Majesty's Government will afford to such enterprise every possible support and assistance, not merely out of the natural desire to see healthy competition, but also because thereby would be secured the completion of the electric belt around the world. I have the honour to be, my Lord, your most obedient humble servant,
A. MCCONACHIE,
Chairman.
To the Most Noble The Marquess of Salisbury, K.G., &c., Her Majesty's Principal Secre- tary of State for Foreign Affairs.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 3rd October, 1896. · Sir, I am directed by my Committee to for- ward, for the information of your Government, copy of the report of a special general meeting of the members of this Chamber, held on the 19th September./to protest against the action of the Eastern Extension and Great Northern Telegraph Companies in having, immediately upon the ratific ticn. cn the 31st July last, of a Convention between them and the Chinese Telegraph Administration, raised their rates, without notice to their constituents, to the ex- tent of 87 per cent. to Europe, 43 per cent. to America, and 100 per cent. between Hongkong and Shanghai.-I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretory. To the Hon. the Secretary of State for Finance
and Commerce, India.
Also to fourteen other Governments.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 3rd October, 1896. Dear Sir, I beg to forward herewith copy of the report of the proceedings at the special general meeting of the members of the Cham ber, held on the 19th September. to protest against the action of the Eastern Extension and Great Northern Telegraph Companies, in having, indiately on the ratification of a Convention between them and the Chinese Telegraph Administration, raised their rates to Europe 37 per cent., to America 43 per cent., and between this colony and Shanghai 100 per cent., without notice to their constituents.
take up the question of telegraphic rates and My Committee hope that your Chamber will
lend all the assistance in your power to any scheme for laying a cable across ti o Facific either from some point in (anada or the United States, via Honolulu and Japan, to China and this colony, in order that the cost of means of communication may, by the influence of a healthy competition, be reduced to a point that will promote trade between Europe and America and the Far East instead of its being restricted, as at present, by needlessly high rates.-I am, dear sir, yours faithfully,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
Hongkong Station; Fra 2nd Octobe
3965 R. Chatterton Wilcox, Esq Secretary, Hong kong General Chamber of Commerce.. Dear Sir, I have to thank you for letter of the 29th ult. enclosing a copy of report of the meeting of your Chamber on the 19th ult. which I will forward by next mail to my directors in London, as desired. dear sir, your faithfully,
To the Secretary, Shanghai Chamber of Com-
merce.
Also to 129 other Chambers and to the various Branches of China Association and Straits Settlements Association.
The Eastern Extension, The Great Northern Australasia and China Telegraph Company Telegraph Company, of Copenhagen. Limited.
-
The Eastern Extension Australia & China Telegraph Company, Limited.
R.
ཡ
J. M. BECK, Acting Manager. The Great Northern Telegraph Company of Copenhagen.
Hongkong Station,
7th October, 1896. Chatterton Wilcox, Esq., Secretary, Hong-
kong General Chamber of Commerce. Dear Sir,-With further reference to the question of balf rate telegrams in the Chinese figure code and to the correspondence published in the Shanghai papers of 1st instant, 1 think it will be convenient to again point out that
1st. Such telegrams are only permitted as far as the Chinese Telegraph system extends.
2nd. That they should be compiled from the authorised Vocabularies, which provide ten thousand characters only, available for trans- mission.
3rd. That these Vocabularies are intended to be used for plain language only, and
4th. That the use of these Vocabularies is open to all senders, irrespective of nationality.
I am, dear air, yours faithfully,
J. M. BECK, · Acting Manager.
7th October..
J. M. Beck, Esq., Acting Manager Eastern
Extension Co., Great Northern Telegraph-- Co.
Dear Sir, I beg to acknowledge receipt of your favour of this date making further re- ference to the question of half rate telegrams in the Chinese figure code and the correspond- ence in the Shanghai papers of the 1st inst., and will lay same before my Committee.-Icam, dear sir, yours faithfully,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
Chamber of Commerce, Singapore, 30th Sept., 1896. Telegraph Rates.
Dear Sir-Referring to my letters of 12th and 28th ultimo, I have now to inform you that your letters therein acknowledged were consi- dered by the Committee at their monthly meeting on 26th instant.
the part of the
Recognizing the severe tax imposed on all Eastern trade by the present tariff, they con- sider that co-operation on Indian, China, and Straits Chambers with a view to a general reduction of the tariff is urgently called for, and have addressed the London Chamber to that effect. Copy letter enclosed.—I am, dear sir, yours faithfully.
ALEX. JA8. GUNN,
Secretary. The Secretary, Hongkong General Chamber of
Commerce, Hongkong.
Chamber of Commerce, Singapore, 30th Sept., 1896. Telegraph Rates to the East. Sir,-This question has again been raised by a recent increase in the tariff for China
The Hongkong Chamber has protested against the change in rates, particulars of which you will learn from the enclosed copies of their letters and protest, and is seeking for the co-operation of the Singapore and Penang Chambers.
My Committee would take this opportunity of again referring to the excessive rates (see letter of 14th Oct. last) paid by this colony higher, as you will observe, than even enhanced rates of which Hongkong as "most excessive and quite out of all tion to any reductions ever made.
a general
They are strongly in favour redpotion of the Tariff, and ex-parte demands for special concession 1 retard that desirable issue. They fore venture to suggest that the matter
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