July 21, 1897.]
CORRESPONDENCE,
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
LEKIN CHARGES AT WUCHOW.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS."
or,
im- of
Dear Sir,-After perusal of the leading article in your issue of the 10th instant I had an interview with the agents of the Company which has been formed to farm the collection of Ti-shui (lit: local tax) on kerosine and matches in Kwangsi, and as the information I have gleaned from them may be of interest to the general public, I shall feel obliged by your finding space for it in your valuable columns. The agent of the Company assures me that there is no intention whatever on the part of the Company to extend its operations to piece goods and other articles of import, with the privileges it is supposed to enjoy,
and matches to undersell kerosine
itself with the object ported by ultimately having a monopoly of these two articles in the province of Kwangsi. In fact the Company is prepared to give up the right to import kerosine and matches and to confine itself to the collection of the tax fair and square to all parties similar to what is being done in Canton. According to the statistics collected by the Chinese officials for the last few years the yearly import of kerosine is under 100,000 cases, as against 200,000 cases estimated by you, and that of matches is under 10,000 cases, as against 20,000 cases estimated by you. The Company charges 30 cents per case on kerosine and $2 per case on matches. After payment of the import duty and the above charge, kerosine and matches can be sent to any part of Kwangsi without further taxation, and no transit passes are required. Therefore it is incorrect to say that the foreigners will have to pay 45 cents per case on kerosine. If the Chinese Govern- ment can be induced to abolish likin and local taxes altogether, well and good, but if this can- not be done, do you not think it would be better to have a uniform and fixed charge at the port of importation instead of all the irregular charges one has to pay en route, as has been done hitherto ? In taking out transit passes, one has to declare where the goods are intended for, and when the goods reach the place of destination, he has to dispose of them there, even when there is a better market elsewhere, whereas if he pays 30 cents per case on kerosine at Wuchow, he will be free to send the kerosine to one place and then to another without any further payment. The Foreign Powers have all along agitated for one uniform charge. Now they have got it at Kwangsi as far as kerosine and matches are concerned, and yet there seems to be some objection on the part of the foreigners. I do not know whether the Chamber of Commerce or the representatives of Foreign Powers will take up the matter referred to in the article under review or not, but I hope that no steps will be taken by them until they see whether the trade at Wuchow will be injuriously or advantageously affected by the creation of the kerosine and matches farm, as it will not do for us to cry before we are hurt. There is a kerosine farm at Canton too, and although the Chinese and foreigners receive the same treatment from the farmer there, no kerosine oil has been imported into Canton by foreigners for many years past. The principal argument in your article referred to is that foreigners will be ousted from all direct share in the business of distribution ow- ing to the preferential privilege this Company is supposed to enjoy. I am, however, of opinion that no matter whether this Company exists or not, and allowing that all foreigners and natives are treated alike, in course of time no kerosine oil or matches will be imported in to Wuchow by foreigners, as Wuchow is în every way similar to Canton. Hongkong and Shanghai are the places for foreigners as far as import goes, but in all the Yangtsze or West River ports, they could never be able to com- pete with the natives, on account of the natural advantages the latter possess, as correctly stated by you. Are there any foreign firms in the Yangtsze river ports which do any imports worth mentioning? Their business is entirely confined to shipping
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
and-or exports to Foreign countries. The sole question is whether the import trade will suffer in the hands of natives, and it will not do to study the interest of private individuals. The Company will buy all kinds of oil and with big capital will be able to push on the trade much quicker than if the trade is left in the hands of small people who naturally want Another point we larger margin for profits. must not forget is that the Chinese have no kerosine of their own and whatever goes to Wuchow comes from the foreign countries and I fail to see what difference it will make whe- ther the foreigners sell kerosine in Hongkong for Wuchow or sell it at Wuchow.-Yours truly,
B. F.-S. R.
Hongkong, 19th July, 1897.
|
DEATH BY DROWNING OF
GENERAL DE BADENS.
75
The Saigon papers publish a telegram from the Resident Superior of Tonkin to the Lieutenant- Governor at Saigon, dated Hanoi, 10th July, notifying that General de Badens had been drowned on the Upper Claire River. A Havas, telegram dated Paris, 12th July, states that the General had been appointed a Commander of the Legion of Honour. Presumably the
news of his death had not reached Paris when the appointment was made.
HORRIBLE OUTRAGE IN ACHEEN. de Badens, commanding the third and fourth
THE
£4
PEGU RAIDED. CAPTAIN ROSS KILLED AND MANY WOUNDED.
The Straits Times publishes the following special telegrams:
Penang, 12th July.
The Achinese have raided the steamer Pegu on the coast between Edie and Teluk Semawe.
The chief officer and fourteen of the crew are in the hospital at Teluk Semawe, from wounds received during the attack.
Captain Ross, the master of the Pegu, and others were killed.
Eighteen thousand dollars, besid s property, were carried off by the Achinese
a
The Pegu, says our contemporary, is Penang coaster, which left that port on the 7th The ports of call were instant for Acheen, Edie, Telok Semawe, Segli, and Olebleh. The latter is the capital of the Dutch territory in Acheen Proper. Garrisons are stationed on the coast at Edie, Telok Semawe, and Seğli, but the Dutch have hardly any power outside the forts. Insecurity prevails ashore. The pepper trade draws ships to these places especially to Edie. The Achinese there are lawless and notorious for piracy.
Captain Ross, who has met his death in this affray, has for many years been a trader with the Achinese, and, at the time that he was murdered, was, probably, the largest dealer in Achinese pepper. Although on two previous occasions he had been attacked and seriously wounded by the Achinese, once almost, to the point of death, he seemed to have the greatest confidence in himself and in the treacherous natives with whom he was dealing. Frequently he has been warned by the Dutch authorities of the risks that he ran in going practically unarmed into the midst of the native country, and it is probable that on this occasion the Achinese knew well that there was a large sum of money on board, and that the Pegu was not equipped for an effective resistance against con- siderable numbers of Achinese pirates.
-
It is very improbable that the attack on the Pegu was made from outside, and that this was a piracy on the old fashioned lines. What is most likely is that at one of the ports of call a number of desperadoes took passage in some innocent guise, and that, on a given signal, they rose and attacked the crew. Unprepared as the officers would probably be, their task would not be a difficult one, and, after taking away all the bullion and portable property, it is likely that they left the vessel to take its chance. This was the case with the piracy of the steamer Namoa on the China coast some years ago. The fact, however, that there was much blood shed indicates that, though probably surprised, the Captain, officers, and crew made a desperate resistance.
The Free Press recalls the fact that in July 1893, four years ago, between the same ports, the Achinese aboard of Rajah Kongsi Atjeh rose and seized the vessel, murdering Captain J. Woods, and the Chief Officer, Mr. H. Alexander, and killing passengers and crew indiscriminately
to the number of 24 killed and 15 wounded.
Subject to audit the Directors of the Hong kong and Shanghai Bank intend to declare a dividend of £1 58. for the last half-year, placing five lacs to the reserve fund, and carrying for- ward about three lacs.
!
Tonkin papers received later contain the following general order issued by the Com. mander-in-Chief in Tonkin in reference to the death of general de Badens —A shocking mis- fortune has thrown into mourning the corps of occupation in Indo-China. Brigadier General territories, on a tour of inspection was return- ing from Thanthuy to Hagiang by water, with embarked The boat in which he Commandant Nouvel, of the Hagiang circle, was caught General de Badens capsized. by a strong current, caused by a freshet. A tirailleur who was pushing a bamboo towards him was also caught and both disappeared. Bearch is Commandant Nouvel was saved. being made on both banks for the recovery of the bodies. General de Badens possessed a fine spirit, large intelligence, and a love of work which led him to acquire on every subject the most accurate knowledge. Of a benevolent character, occupying himself unceasingly in promoting the well-being of those who served under him, General de Badens was a man of mark with a great future before him. He died in the discharge of his duty. His sudden death, occurring under such sad The corps of occupation will unreservedly as- circumstances, is a cruel blow to hig family.
corps loses a tried chief of great value and the sociate themselves in their mourning. The Marine Infantry one of its most brilliant officers.
THE BELGIẨN SYNDICATE AND 118 CONTRACT,
We have been able after some little trouble to secure a summary of the important Con- vention recently signed in Peking between the Belgian Syndicate and the Chinese for the construction of the Hankow-Peking Railway and for the financing of that undertaking. The original is in French and Chinese. Our Special Correspondent in the Chinese capital, whom we deputed to unearth the secret, which has been most successfully accomplished, trans- lates from the Chinese text :-
1.-The Chinese Company having the con- cession for the construction of the railway from Peking to Hankow has a capital of Tls, 13,000,000, and in addition to this capital has the permission of the Imperial Chinese Gov- ernment to raise a loan of £4,500,000.
2.-The Belgian Syndicate is to contract for. this loan at a discount of 10 per cent., i.e. £4,050,000 in four instalments. Each instal- ment is to consist of 21,012,50.
4th 3rd
37
31
"
+1
71
59
""
"1
19
"
$1
73
Ist instalment to be paid on 3rd Jan., 1898. 2nd
3rd July, 3rd Jan., 1899; 3rd July, The delivery of this loan to be made in a bank in Peking, the bank to be selected by the Chinese Company. (The Russo-Chinese Bank has been selected.-ED).
3. The interest, at 4 per cent., to be paid on 7th Jan., 1899, and on the same date each year. thereafter.
4.-The Chinese Company will commence to repay the capital only in the year 1908, and the repayments to be completed in 20 years in equal instalments of £225,000, and the bank to receive these repayments is to be selected by the Belgian Syndicate.
5.-The guarantee of capital and interest will be on the following conditions: that the Chinese Company will apply through the Chinese Government for permission to mortgage [to the Syndicate the property of the railway from Peking and Hankow, and such property cannot be given in any other mortgage.
6.-The construction of the railway shall be finished in 1903. Shonid the Company wish to extend the time the Belgian Syndicate must
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