THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
you make the foreigner contribute | extr
All that
gone
commercial nations now reco that trade is to be attracted by me jures not dissimiliar in kind to those adopted by the landlord of the Red Lion. We would recommend to Mr. SHARP a little closer study of the internal economy of the hostelry,
MR. FRANCIS AND THE CHINA ASSOCIATION.
18 simply a case of taking board of the left pocket instead of the foreigners are interested in pro- on shore as much as they are in pro- afloat. If Hongkong were, a large producing centre the injury to be anticipated the taxation of shipping would be tionately less, but being dependent, as we are, entirely upon the facilities we are
2 offer as
as an entrepôt position
a mere distributing centre, it is suicidal to attempt to lessen those facilities by the imposition of burdensome taxation. Mr. SHARP gave a lecture the other day on Money: How to get and how to keep it." Hongkong has made its money in the past through the freedom of the port; to do away with that freedom is certainly not the way to keep it.
II.
Mr. GRANVILLE SHARP, by adopting in his letter published in another column the simile of the Red Lion, has completely given away his case on behalf of the taxation of shipping in Hongkong. As the landlord of the Red Lion is totally dependent upon his customers for his living so is Hongkong totally dependent upon its shipping. As the landlord of the Red Lion makes no charge for entrance to his inn so ought this colony to make no charge on shipping for en- tering the port. And the landlord of the Red Lion, if he is an up-to-date landlord, as we hope for Mr. SHARP's sake he is, not only admits his customers without payment of any entrance fee, but probably also provides a free lunch and free cigars. Even if he belongs to the old school he provides the "pillars of the bar" with light and warmth without charge. And yet the landlord of the Red Lion waxes fat. In Hongkong the shipping interest does not ask for anything in the nature of an equivalent to the free lunch and free cigars of the Red Lion; it only asks for freedom from taxation beyond what is required for the maintenance of the lights. If Hongkong like the landlord of the Red Lion is to wax fat it had better concede the request. It is some- what peculiar to find Mr. SHARP going to the public house for an illustration, but having done so he must be held bound by it.
There is another point on which we must join issue with Mr. SHARP. At the meeting of the China Association on Thursday he quoted with approval the opinion of the late Hon. A. LISTER, Colonial Treasurer, to the effect that everything possible should be taxed in order to widen the basis and pre- vent our sinking under the weight. That is an antiquated, unsound, and unscientific view which must now be classed as a politico- economical heresy. The tendency of modern thought is towards the simplification of taxation and especially to avoid taxes on trade. In the abstract the "single tax would be scientifically the best system, but in practice, owing to the various interests involved, it is impossible to subvert the exist
>>
and throw the entire burden on with its complicated arrangements and tenant, rent and mortgage. we cannot go to the length of "we can at least avoid im- es that strike at the root of com-
The
idea of taxing elongs to the old and semi- ay when kings and feudal sure of financial necessity the teeth of any likely reference, and if the not promptly forth
to have the teeth
*
THE
DI
[March 31, 189
UNTEERS AN
JUBILE
There has latel colony about lieve, from
- much talk in the
her
We
can
a detachment of the Corps to London mond Jubil much if such Home Govern are right i in matter is being disc Hongkong with a view to suggestion, we should like two remarks upon it. As far as gather the invitations issued by the tary of State for the Colonies apply solely to the visit to England, as state guests, of the premiers of the self-governing colonies and those regular and volunteer forces which are of purely local origin and which have a special interest of their own in the country What does the to which they belong.. Hongkong Volunteer Corps consist of ? Can the officers and men claim that it is a local product" which would fittingly represent a special and unique branch of the British Empire? For the most part the members of the Corps are young men recently out from England, and it would be a useless expenditure of money-no matter who pays
The heavy indictment brought by Mr. J. J. FRANCIS, QC., against the Hongkong Branch of the China Association at the meeting on Thursday is not supported by the evidence. Mr. FRANCIS did not show that the Association had done anything it ought not to have done or that it had left undone anything it ought to have done, unless it be that it has worked quietly instead of noisily. Noise does not always imply effectiveness, and the more quietly such a body as the China Association can work, so long as it does what is required, the better. But Mr. FRANCIS says he wants to see something for his money. He himself has now been placed on the Committee and the general body of members will no doubt be interested in observing to what extent he succeeds in imparting more life to the Association
if a few of them were sent to London on and more animation to its proceedings. But it seems to us that the learned gen- the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee. There tleman has formed an entirely erroneous would be just as much, or just as little, sense conception of the scope and object of in sending a company of the West York- the Association. It was not formed for shire Regiment simply because they happen the purpose of carrying on any popular and to be stationed in the colony during noisy agitation by means of public meetings this memorable year. Suppose, in connec and so forth, but for the purpose of advising tion with the recent exhibition of Colonial the Government as to the protection of products, Hongkong had, amongst the other British interests when such advice seems to things, sent a jar of Crosse and Blackwell's be called for. It is not every day that sub-strawberry jan to England! We should jects arise which call for action on the part have been laughed at. The absurdity is of the Association; indeed, when things are exactly on all fours with the idea of sending - going smoothly, and when the Government to London men attached to the Hongkong. is doing all that is required of it, long inter- Volunteer Corps. Moreover, we have grave. vals may elapse without any occasion arising doubts, even supposing the suggestion were
a good one, whether a thoroughly for it to speak. The real object of the Association, it seems to us, is to serve as a sentative detachment could be sent. bond of union between British subjects know the difficulty there is in getting interested in the Far East in order to gether a cricket team to send to Shanghai
or Singapore, on account of the exig facilitate common and united action when occasion arises, and members who want to of business, and the difficulty of send- see something for their money all the time ing a detachment of volunteers to Eng- tre likely to be disappointed. At present land would be proportionately the Association when it has occasion to speak Again, we want to see in Hongkong is listened to by the Government with muster of the whole Corps when we celebrat spect; if its management fell into the han the sixtieth year of the Queen's reign. of hot-headed agitators who tried to use it a single man should be absent on the festive for party purposes its usefulness would be occasion, for there is bound to be a great destroyed and its utterances would no longer military display in the colony, and nothing command attention of the kind that is will be more impressive and last longer desired. The Committee last year did all, one's memory than the mobilisation of the we think, that the members would have whole fighting forces in the island. Such s wished it to do or could reasonably expect. display could be well given at the Happy If meetings of the whole branch were held Valley and we hope this idea will not be monthly or quarterly instead of annually lost sight of by the sub-Committee who have we are afraid they would be but poorly at- been appointed to frame a general pro- tended. If a member at any time has any gramme of arrangements. The subject he wishes to urge on the attention Corps is not so strong that we can of the Committee he can always address the send any of its members to England Secretary, and if the Committee did not would do no good there, but, endorse his views and the member wished here they will, considerably
the matter further no doubt they to press would call a general meeting in order to take the sense of the whole of the members; but it is to be hoped no such case may arise, for contentiousness in the conduct of the Association should be avoided as far as possible.
About 12.15 on Saturday the ringing of t fire bell alleged that a fire had bro the Central district. The firemen responded to the call, but there was no fire.
1:
lunteer cause in Hongkong
the ranks of either officers or simply throw back the good work which the Corps is now doing
The Mar
the
rily and
repre:
dies
Not
teer
hey.
effective
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