December 17, 1898.j
#REAT BRITAIN'S EXPORT TRADE. (Daily Press, 16th December.)
"CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
of prosperity. This optimistic view of the case
must not, however, be allowed to blind us to
195
The slow progress of the British export of the competition to whining nature Committes, but a number offered further obser-
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our
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夺得
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· The large majority of members simply "en- dorsed" or "agreed with the action of the
vations, and these were read by the Chairman, in the Legislative Council by General Black, in It was decided, in view of the assurance given the course of his farewell address, that he had forwarded recommendations to the Secretary of State which he believed would result in a great improvement of the Postal Service, to await events for the present.
THE PROPOSED WESTERN HARBOUR OF REFUGE,
After communication with Mr. Leigh, a letter was, on the 9th Nov., addressed to the Govern ment in reply to the Colonial Secretary's des therein contained categorically, and on the 1st patch of the 22nd Oct., answering the questions Dec. an acknowledgement had been received in which His Excellency the Governor expresses regret that, "owing to the heavy expenditure which the work would involve he is unable for the present to recommend to the Secretary of State for the Colonies that such an undertaking should be entered upon."
The Chairman said they could do no more at present in the matter they had made the sug- gestion, and the work, which was a necessary one, would probably hive to be undertaken sooner or later, when funds permitted. THE CASE OF THE BANK of china, &0. (IN LIQUIDATION) v. OERTAIN OHINESE SHAREHOLDERS.
Read letter from the Shanghai Chamber re- ferring to the judgement, recently delivered by the Taotai of Shangbai, in this case, on which they had addressed the British Minister at Peking, and hoped the Hongkong Chamber would suport their action.
Resolved to address a letter to Sir Claude Macdonald bespeaking his influence in inducing the Teungli Yamen to disallow the ruling of
weare exposed. tra le has for some years past excite l'atten- It is not by bounties and subsidies alone tion, and much discussion has taken place that the trade of foreign nations has been 18 to the true explanation thereof, The built up, but by the introduction of in Consuls blame the manufacturer, but, as the proved methods and higher standards. As British Trade Journal suggests, to argue that Professor MARSHALL Says at the close of his a manufacturer will not, out of sheer letter, though the broad figures of our for- obstiancy, supply the goods ordered, is to
"eign trade may give no just cause for al- place him on a level little above that
arm, there are many details which seem of idiocy. Some other explanation must be looked for, and our contemporary
disquieting. That nation leads in trade, not which has the largest exports, but finils it in foreign subsidies and bounties
"which puts into them the greatest amount And t the oppressive nature of "of mind and energy and the least amount Trade Union regulations. This explana
"proportionately of crude labour. Our tion, however, is almost as hackneved as that
"exports, no doubt, carry with them more of the Consuls, and, if it may be accepted as "mind than they ever did. But some other 'adequately accounting for the greater
countries have been working their minds growth shown by the trade of various
perhaps harder than we have; and it foreign nations as compared with that of
may be that, in comparison with them, Great Britain it stops short of showing that Trade conducted on such lines is profitable
our exports contain relatively less mind 'than they did earlier in the century." or in itself a thing to be desired. The This point has for some time past been hanty-fel sagar trade of Germany, for making itself felt in Great Britain and var- instance, instead of bringing wealth to ious schemes for the improvement of the exporting country means that the commercial and technical education have German people have to pay taxes in been set on foot. As another step oriler to make a gift of so much per in the same direction it is now proposed to 'aunum to the foreign consumers, the establish a National Physical Laboratory, gift being represented by the difference which, it is suggested, might render the between the sum for which the sugar is
same services to British industry as the sold and its real value. Another explana- Physikalische-technische Reichsanstalt at tion of the slow progress of ur esports | Charlottenburg does to that of Germany or is advanced in a letter to the Times the Paris Bureau Internationale des Poids et by Professor A. MARSHALL, which is Mesures to that of France. of a refreshingly novel and optimistic character. The object of sending ex- ports ab.ond is to get a return in im- ports, and Professor MARSHALL suggests that we already import from abroad nearly as much tropical and other produce, which we cannot raise ourselves, as we want; and that, as our real income increases, we pre- fer to spend its growing surplus largely on such personal services as conduce to domestic comfort: recreation, education, &c. "I£" he says,
Four
gross imports are £450,000,000, The minutes of the last monthly meeting "of which we re-export some £60,000,000 | (held 1st November) were read and confirmed.
directly, aud perhaps rather more than as “much concealed in the form of textile and “metal manufactures, &c., that leaves a good £330,000,000 of foreign goods for our own use-say, something between a fifth “and a fourth of our total income. I sub- "mit that it remains to be proved that it would be to our advantage to increase "our consumption of foreign goods, at "the expense as that needs must be of “goo∙ls of our own making, or of the ser-
vices of our own countrymen.
If, for fustance, the working classe; have nearly “ns much bread and sugar and tea and to- “bacco as thay want very urgently, and pre- "fer to expend their growing real income in larger proportions on better sanitation, more holidays at the seaside, better and larger education, more sports, and sport- ing news, their choice is their own. A **sage might suggest a little improvement and there, but on the balance there Bee's no great matter for regret." This is cheerful, certainly, and, bappily, the argu- ment may to some extent be supported by ascertained facts. A country, like a merchant, must appraise the value of its business, not on the gross turn-over, hut on
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER | the Shanghai Taotai.
OF COMMERO :
December.
At the mouthly meeting of the General Com- mittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, held at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, the 6th (Chairman). T. Jackson, A. McConachie, H. A. Present: Messrs. R. M. Gray,
Ritchie, N. A. Siebs, and R. C. Wilcox (Secre- tary).
MINUTES.
RESIGNATION OF MEMBER.
Read letter from Mr. Ho Amei handing in the resignation of the On Tai insurance Company,
Limited.
The Chairman said he understood the Company was being voluntarily wound up.
THE WORKING OP THE POST OFFICE.
Since the despatch of the Chamber's reply to the offer of the Government to appoint three members of the Chamber to conduct an inquiry as to the working of the Post Office, further complaints had reached the Chamber, from
Messrs. Melchers & Co., 3rd and 19th Nov. Mr. H. G. Knight. R. E., 3rd Nov. Messrs. Dodwell, Carlill & Co., 9th Nov. Messrs. W. G. Humphreys & Co., 9th Nov. Rev. R. F. Cobbold, 22nd Nov, which were read.
ELECTION OF NEW MEMBER OF THE
COMMITTEE.
The Chairman proposed that Mr. Walter Poate (of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire) be in- vited to fill the vacancy ou the committee Smith. caused by the resignation of Mr. Herbert
R.
Mr. Jackson seconded. Carried unanimoulsy. This concluded the business.
(Correspondence.)
THE POST OFFICE.
Chatterton Wilcox, Esq., Secretary, The
Hongkong, 14th November, 1898.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. Dear Sir,-As the representative here of my firm, who are members of the Chamber of Com-
reconsider the decision arrived at by their last meeting held on the 1st instant (á report of which appeared in the Daily Press of 9th instant); with regard to the offer of the Government, as contained in the acting Col onial Secretary's letters to you of the 21st ul- timo, to apoint a Commission of three members of and nominated by the Chamber of Commerce to conduct the suggested enquiry into the work- ing of the Post Office with reference to the recent complaints concerning missing corres- pondence.
merce, I shall be glad if your Commem at
A letter had been received from Mr. G. C. C. Master (Messrs. Johnson. Stokes, Committee to reconsider their decision with tee to the fact that the offer made was not con- and Master), dated 4th Nov., asking the I wish to draw the attention of the Commit- regard to the offer of the Government, and fur-fined to the appointment of three members from ther requesting them to call a meeting of the amongst the Committee of the Chamber of members to discuss the question.
Commerce but three from amongst the general body of members (including, of course, mem- sber of the Committee), to ve nominated, not by
To this a reply was returned on the 18th idem, stating that the Committee adhered to their decision, and did not see the necessity for calling a general meeting of members, but they would issue à circular asking each member to
cord his individual opinion, and if it should prove that the majority were in favour of an the profit
remaining at the annual stock investigation by the Chamber they would then taking, and the British Budget compares ask the Government to kindly renew their offer, favourably with those of the Continental The Secretary reported that the result of the nations. The steady reduction in the issue of the circular had been that seventy of aniʊunt of our national debt is not indicative the members had recorded their opinions, as of commercial decadence
nor can the in- Con
crease in the debts of several or oth tinental nations be taken exactly as a sign
follows:
Endorsement of action of Committee-49 In favour
favour of Mr. Master's suggestion—19 Two were neutral.
the Committee alone, but by the members of the Chamber of Commerce generally.
Having regard to the fact that the short-
comings of the local Post Office affect the pu blic generally and members of the Chamber particularly the duty of the Committee, on the offer oeing inade, was clearly to call a general meeting of the members of the Chamber and place such offer before them, leaving it to them to accept or reject it. This the Committee have not attempted to do..
I wish to record my protest against the action of the Committee and now request the.a
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