twe
MMITTEE.
requently work etter
less th whether the
ittee of appointed by His Excellency the Governor to arrange for the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee in Hongkong sufficiently representative to cause its de- sions to be unreservedly accepted by the
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
ty or strong enough to carry its into effect supposing them to be oted. The members are for the most part gentlemen whom one would wish to n the committee for the purpose of giving it assistance in the way of advice,... and some of them will no doubt prove active members in carrying out the details, but on the whole the committee seems some
have on
what lacking in
ng in actual working strength. Possibly it may be in contemplation that the Committee, although it does not appear to be authorised to add to its number, may request other gentlemen to serve on sub committees, but it would have been better to appoint a reasonably large committee to begin with. -
There seems, moreover, to have been some extraordinary carelessness in the selection of a committee which in cludes the names of the Hon. F. A. COOPER, who is leaving the colony some time before the date for t the celebration, and the Hon. Ho KAL, who has already left, for good it is believed and certainly for many months. If it was deemed desirable to have a very small committee only members who could render assistance either in the way of advice
or active work should have been selected,
MÁCAO AND THE WEST RIVER TRADE.
ting,
he sta
fot when the bi
effects
the people teng of the lower orders
placed in the in their eyes, iltaneously, an giver nterprise of mands were made upon
ilitary necessitie spec fever heat. That rices, cumstances, should bounds was perfectly the war had its influence prices, but it does not appear sole factor, for we find prices China, where the war
of affairs in kong, at Macao, since 1880, every been charged 50 reis, or 71 cents, a ton, the result set out as follows in the recent consus report In 1880 there entered Macao 43 occasional sailing vessels and steamers, and in 1895 the entries re 20 showing a diminution of 23 vessels, or 53 "per cent. There was an equal diminution in the number of clearances. The evident cause of this falling off is the heavy "tonnage dues, which were fixed by the decree of the 21st October, 1880, at .50 reis, or 71 dollar cents. Amongst the open ports of the Far East" already depleted by Macao imposes the heaviest tonnage dues."" Having made this quotation our contem- porary goes on to say that it is this tax that has driven away the steamers that formerly traded to Macao from Pakhoi and Hoihow with swine and other food stock, which Macao now has to import via Hong- kong. The same tax, if it be not abolished, will also, the Echo fears, keep away the West River steamers. Our contemporary then refers to Hongkong as an example which should be followed at Macao as regards the lightness of the burdens imposed upon teresting to speculate upon the shipping. Reversing the example, we would whatever these may be, the plain urge those who favour light dues as a source mains that silver in the Far East
revenue in Hongkong to look at Macao| be declining in purchasing and note what the taxation of shipping has and commodities are prop done for that colony. It is true we are still so great is the uncertainty a long way from being in so bad a plight that even Hongkong contr as the neighbouring Portuguese colony, but not usually averse to taking large once admit that shipping forms a legitimate are found reluctant to send in tenders subject of taxation beyond the amount reworks that in former years they would hay quired for the up-keep of the lights, and the eagerly competed for. thin end of the wedge is introduced that may lead to disastrous consequences.
of
DECLINE IN THE PURCHASING POWER OF SILVER IN THE FAR EAST.
The opening of the West River ought to prove of great benefit not only to this colony, but also to the neighbouring
Unfor Portuguese colony of Macao. tunately, however, the latter is hardly in a position to take advantage of its opportuni- The reasons put forward for the adoption ties, owing to the silting up of its harbour of gold monometallism by Japan are that and the heavy dues imposed on shipping. by recourse to a gold standard fluctuations The latter point may be noted with ad- in the prices of commodities and in inter- vantage by those who favour the suicidal national exchange will be prevented and policy of raising revenue in this colony by that by joining the comity of geld monome- subjecting shipping to taxation. The Echo tallic states Japan will gain access to their Macaense in its last number, after mention- accumulations of cheap capital. The latter ing the prospective opening, goes on to say must be acknowledged as an unmistakeable that the shortest route to the West River is advantage. The experience of India should by Macao, entering by the Broadway, and act as a warning to countries with a silver that as the river is navigable only for vessels standard against borrowing in gold, and of light draft Macao should be the entrepôt if it is necessary for Japan to have where the light draft vessels would tranship recourse to the accumulations of cheap their cargoes to or from large vessels from capital in Europe the adoption of the Hongkong and other ports. "We fear, how- European standard seems the safest course ever, continues our contemporary, " that to pursue, though it may possibly entail “Macao cannot offer this advantage, not only loss in other directions by lowering on account of the silting up of the harbour, prices and so causing commercial depres which prevents the entrance of deep sion. Whether it will have this effect or not draught steamers, but also on account of depends upon whether gold further appre the heavy tonnage dues imposed on vessels ciates. Certainly there is nothing in the "using the port. By a decree of the 21st past history of the gold standard to justify October, 1880, an impost of 50 reis (7+ | the belief that it will conduce to steadiness cents) a ton was imposed on all vessels of prices, for under it prices have fluctu entering Portuguese colonial ports, the law ated much more than under the silver being applied to all ports alike without restandard, prices in silver using countries gard to the special circumstances of each. having remained comparatively stable while
● Echo then refers to the fact of Macao in gold using countries they were tending forty miles of Hongkong with steadily downwards. At present prices both
harbour where, it says, in gold and silver are tending upwar
is used to attract shipping, for his reason no dues.
vessels on
the Macao ering the port by day. acent ton on the same runs entering by ocean going vessels the only 2 cents per ton, and oven
being more marked in silver, Japan since the war with China
inted to between twenty and Count MATSUKATA in ucing his gold monometallic pro the House of Representativ buted this rise in prices to the deprecia
of silver, but, as pointed out by the Japan
t
distributio of great sums of the people. This rise in price as expressed in silver the appreciation of
EDUCATION FOR EURASIANS AND EUROPEANS AT SHANGHAI AND HONGKONG.
king of the
such adess
At the recent annual meeting of the Shanghai ratepayers the most b question discussed was that of the ndi of Eurasian children to the Public Sch an institution which receives a su grant from the Municipal funds and is managed by a Committee appointed by the Council. In February last the head ma by direction of the Educational Comm issued a notice to the effect that the Committee regretted that the arrange made by them for the future school rendered it impossible for continue to receive scholars as are of Western parentage The notification naturally indignation on the mediately affected and, amount of newspaper taken place, the subje discussion at the ratepayers nection with the passing of the grant, and it was decided by a considerable majority that Eurasian children should itted to the school as heretofore
seems consisten with would be wr
Chinese
himself accordii inclinations. If contra
ttended with any
mwise for the S
of owedla remarks made at the: 9!
and
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.