320
HONGKONG GENEKAL CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE,
At the monthly meeting of the General Com- mittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, beld at Sp m. on Tuesday, the 12th April. Present: Messrs. R. M. Gray (Chair. man), G. B. Dodwell. A Hanpt, J. J. Bell. Irving, T. Jackson, N. A. Siebs, T. H. White- head, and R. C. Wilcox (Secretary).
J
MINUTES.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
On the 18th March a further letter was received from the Postmaster-General inquiring whether, in the opinion of the Chamber, the establishment of branch Post Offices near Bonham Strand, at Wanchai, and at Kowloon would be desirable. A reply was, on the 25th idem. returned to the effect that, before endorsing the experiment, the Committee would be glad to have an estimate of the approximate cost of maintenance of branch offices. Bear Boubam Strand and at Kowloon, and with
The minutes of the previous meeting (held reference to Wanchai, were of opinion it would 16th March) were read and coufirmed,
MR. N. J. EDE.
The CHAIRMAN said-Before proceeding to business I should like to mention that at the general request of the committee. Mr. Ede was invited to give us the benefit of his advice and assistance at this meeting; but, unfortunately, his presence is claimed by the Sanitary Board. I am sure that you all agree with me that we cannot allow his name to be disassociated from the committee without expressing oar high opinion of the valuable assistance he has been to us during the six years since be first joined the committee, and I now propose that the Secretary be instructed to write him in the name of the committee a letter of acknowledg;
ment of his valnable services with our heartiest
good wishes for his future health and happiness. am sure that we shall greatly miss his sound opinion and liberal views.
Mr. JACKSON-I have great pleasure in seconding that resolution. I can fully endorse all that the Chairman has said about Mr. Ede, and I am sure we all greatly regret his loss. Per- sonally I have always considered Mr. Ede a pillar of strength in the committee.
The resolution was adopted unanimously.
APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES.
be better to first await result of trial of the first named proposed brauches,
head reply, dated 28th March, from the Postmaster-General stati, g that "as the Com- mittes is not in a position to ascertain the requirements of the localities in question, it is unnecessary to trouble them further in the
matter."
This letter was regarded by the Committee as hardly courteous.
P
MR. WATTS'S CASE.
Read letter, dated 26th March, from H.B.M.'s at length in receipt of the Su Chuen Magistrate's Consui at Canton announcing that he was explanation of his action in placing an embargo in Kwangsi, namely, that the coal was not the on the coal purchased by Mr. Watts at Saiwan, property of the vendor.
[April 23, 1898.
THE TRANSIT PASS TRADE AND THE TAXATION OF FOREIGN GOODS.
The following correspondence is attached to the minutes of the last meeting of the committee of the Chamber of Commerce :---
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 22nd March. Sir. I beg leave to acknowledge receipt of letter (No. 29) of the 18th inst. in reply to the Chairman's letter of the 17th, making cer- tain inquires, namely, with regard to the re- ported new regulations for the sale en route of foreign goods under transit pass, and whether any progress had been made in the case of Mr. Watts.
your
+
I bave to thank you for the promptitude of your reply, and to express, on behalf of my Com- mittee, their satisfaction with the announcement in reference to the modification of the transit pass regulations. They trust. however, that with the endorsement of the quantity of goods sold en route on the transit pass the names of tion would go far to nullify the value of the con- the buyers will not be required, as such a condi- cession.
With regard to the sale of coal to Mr. Watts the Committee trust that the Viceroy will ac- cept no further delays on the part of the Fu Chuen Magistrate in forwarding an explanation of his conduct.-I am, sir, your obedient servant,
HERB. SMITH.
Vice-Chairman.
Also read letter from Mr. Watts, dated 4th April. enclosing copy of despatch from Mr. Brenan to similar effect as above, and copy of his reply thereto reasserting his claim.
Decided to await resuit of Mr. Watts's further Byron Breman, Esq., C.M.G., H.B.M.'s Consul, application.
QUARANTINE,
A letter was on the 17th March addressed to the Government trausmitting copy of the letter of the shipping firms protesting against the action of the Straits Government in de-
The CHAIRMAN proposed that the Arbitra-claring Hongkong an infected port. tion Committee should remain as last year, with the substitution of Mr. Haupt's name for that of Mr. Michaelsen, viz., Messrs. J. d. Bell- Irving, G. B. Dodwell, A. Haupt, N. A. Siebs, and T. H. Whitehead.
This was agreed to.
It was further agreed that the Corresponding
Committee should consist of Messrs R. M. Gray, Herbert Smith, T. Jackson, aud H. A. Ritchie.
INTERNAL TAXATION OF FOREIGN MER-
Read letter from the Acting Colonial Secretary, dated 22nd March, in reply, in which it was stated that HE. the Acting Governor had already used bis best efforts to induce the Straits Government to modify the restrictions imposed, and enclosing copies of the telegrams which had passed on the subject.
Also read letters from the Singapore Cham- ber of Commerce dated 17th and 28th March, the first confirming their telegram of the !... idem, and the latter acknowledging receipt of this Chamber's letter of the 15th.
Letters from the Government, dated 21st, 23, 29th March, and 1st April announcing the imposition of quarantine on vessels arriving from Hongkong at Saigon. ports of Indo- China, Shanghai and ports of Egypt were laid
on the table.
The CHAIRMAN read a letter just received from the Government enclosing copy of tele- gram from the British Minister at Bangkok to following effect: Bubonic plague all vessels from Hongkong shall call at Koh Phao and complete nine days from date of sailing before receiving pratique.
CHANDISE IN THE TWO KWANG, The CHAIRMAN stated that in accordance with the decision come to at last meeting, a letter was, on the 17th March, despatched to H.B.M.'s Consul at Canton, asking whether the report that the Tsung-li Yamen had agreed to modify the regulations governing the Transit Pass trade by permitting sale of goods en route, whether the Chinese officials had yet supplied any information as to tso-li taxes, and whether any satisfactory explanation of Mr. Watts's case had been received. On the 19th March replies were received from Mr. Brenan, in which he stated (1) that it was correct that a modification in the regulations permitting sale of goods ADULTERATION OF ANISEED OIL. under transit pass while en route had been The SECRETARY reported that the correspond- agreed to; (2) that with regard to Mr. Watts's ence on this subject had been circulated among complaint, although he had several times applied the firms interested in the trade with a cover to the Viceroy for an explanation, it was stilling letter asking their opinion as to whether not forthcoming; and (3) that the Viceroy had abolished the syndicate which formed the collec- tion of tso-li on kerosine, and that in future the duty was to be collected by Government officials. Replies to these letters were on the 22nd March despatched to the Consul.
Read further letter, received 23rd March, from Mr. Brenan, in which he states that he had been supplied with a list of all existing lekin stations and with a tariff of the lekin charges. From the Consul's statement it is clear that most articles of foreigu import are liable to pay a terminal tax of about 2 per cent, ad valorem, but there is no guarantee against the indefinite multiplica- tion of this impost.
The Chairman then read a reply to above, which it was proposed to despatch that afternoon.
POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS,
Agreeably to instructions, a letter had, on the 17th March, been addressed to the Post- master-General in reply to his despatch of the 14th idem stating that in the opinion of the Committee the delivery of the letters by French mail in advance, of other matter would be a ́decided improvement.
concerted action was possible or whether it should be left to individual effort.
As the replies showed a great division of opinion, the Committee decided that it must be left to individual effort to provide a remedy, and the Secretary was instructed to reply to Mr. Hillier stating what had been done and thanking Mr. Morse for the trouble he had taken in the matter.
THE PINNACLE ROCK FUND.
Read letter from Mr. Edgar, Commissioner of Customs, Foochow, dated 6th April, an- nouncing the discovery of the sunken rock on which the steamer Ñamoa was wrecked, and enclosing copy of a notice to mariners about to be issued.
Resolved to publish the letter and notice in the Press.
Commander Hastings had two more trades men before him yesterday for being in posses- sion of measures not according to the standard measures of the colony, Cheung Ho, of 204, Queen's roud East, being fined $7 and Cheung Chung, of li, Cross Street, $10.
Canton.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 22nd March. Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge, with thanks, receipt of your despatch of the 18th instant, announcing that the Viceroy of the Two Kwang has abolished the syndicate which farmed the collection of tso-li tax on kerosine oil, and my Committee note, with much satis- faction, that directions have been given by the Tsung-li Yamen that the practice of farming taxes is not to be repeated.--I am, sir, your obedient servant,
HERB. SMITH,
Vice-Chairman,
To Byron Brenan, Esq., C.M.G., H.B.M.'s
Consul, Canton.
H.B.M's Consulate, Canton, 21st March, 1898. Sir-In my letter of the 18th inst. I promised to write separately on the subject of the tso-li (destination) tax.
I have been supplied by the Canton Authori ties with a list of all existing likin stations and with a tariff of the likin charges. In this pro- vince there are forty-nine likin stations; the tariff contains seven hundred articles on which aspecific tax is levied; in all unenumerated goods the tax is two per cent. ad valorem. The im- ports in which foreigners are interested nearly all come in the unenumerated class.
The principle on which likin is collected is this. At the first barrier encountered goods pay one likin; at the next barrier ou route again one likin, and then no more until the last barrier before the destination, when a final likin called tso-li (destination tax) is levied. Thus in the one province goods should not be called upon to pay more than three likins, or about 6 per cent. This is the established rule, but I need hardly say that it is not followed in practice.
On ordinary merchandise, by which I mean such as is not under transit pass, the three likins are collected from the person in charge of the boat, and the receiver of the goods at des- tination has nothing to pay. In order, how- ever, to meet the case of transit pass goods, the officials now explain that the tso-li or destina- tion tax is properly leviable from the consignee, and that it is voluntarily paid by the boatman on account of the consignee as a matter of convenience.
In reply to my application for a list of goods that pay tso-li, and of the places where stations for its collection are established, the Viceroy stated that all goods of every kind pay tso-li. In important markets like "Canton, Fatshan,
hênts'un, efc., special offices exist for the collection of the tso-li tax from the dealers; and these offices also receive the tso-li tax from
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