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Newchwang, 6th May. A dispute has arisen beteen the Southern merchants and the Northern firms through whom they buy and sell, import and export goods, which threatens a total cessation of trade. The Northerners say that the present charges and commissions which have been in force for many years are now unremunerative owing to the depreciation of transfer money, and the increased cost of the necessaries of life.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
TRADE DISPUTE AT NEWCHWANG. ting, via Paoting-fa, from there to Shou-
yang, thence to Shi-thie and on to koa. The range of monutsina in this neigh- bourhood, Tan Shan Huang Range was crossed at an altitude of from 2,000 to 3.000 feet and views of lovely scenery were obtained. The party then followed the main road, which they left to follow another road west of Lu-an and got on to the main road again, omitting, how. ever, to call at Thun-liu, but proceeding to Chang-tsu, Tse-chou, and south to Husikhing The lofty Thai Hang Than range of mountains was then crossed at an altitude of 4000, to 5,000 feet and the scenery was magnificent. Very cold weather was here experienced, there being thirteen degrees of frost, and several members of the party were frost-bitten. The mountain roads are described as being very difficult This range is the watershed of the numerous rivers there abouts. From the hills, which are numerous about here, beautiful views of the
The Southerners say the proposed new charges and commissions have been submitted to their principals and rejected by them, on the ground that no change was necessary, that they are excessive, and will increase the cost of loading by about Tls. 50 per steamer, and that it will be impossible for Southern merchants to make a living here, if they agree to any in- crease of the old terms. Both parties have petitioned the Taotai and neither seems inclined to make the slightest conession The Southerners appealed for assistance to the foreign shipping firms, and finally met Messrs. Nesbitt, Bush, and Bandinel, at the office of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire on the 4th instant: when, after much discussion,
they agreed to send a joint letter to the British firms represented by those gentlemen stating their case in fall. On receipt of this, the three firma sent in a joint letter to Mr. Hosie, the British Consul, enclosing tho Chinese letter, and requesting him to communicate with the Taotai, and ask him to take steps to bring the dispute to an end and avert the danger to trade. Meantime we believe that telegrams have been sent away to stop chartering for the present. N. C. Daily News correspondent.
LIQUID FUEL AT SHANGHAI,
The arrival of the steamer Trigonia with a cargo of Petroleum fuel will probably prove of the utmost importance to this already smoke- laden city. This fuel has been tried here with great success already; when ite benefits are more fully appreciated there will be doubtless an enormous demand for it. Its principal merit is that, properly consumed, it is smokeless; that weight for weight it is about the same price as the best Japanese coal at present prices and gives two-thirds more heat. Its other ad. vantages are that it is more easily handled, requires fewer hands at the furnaces, and leaves no residue. The Cotton Mill and Silk Filature Companies have evidently taken the subject in hand, for the Soochow Cotton Mill has already one of its boilers fitted with oil-using furnaces and will soon have the remainder similarly ad- justed, and a number of others likewise iu terested are making arrangements for the con- version their plant. Messrs. S. C. Farnham and Co. are building a steam-launch for the Agents (Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co.) which is also designed for oil consumption-N. C. Daily News!
RETURN OF THE PEKING SYNDI- CALL SURVEYING PÁRTY,
THẤP.
A SUCCESSFUL TRIP.
The members of the surveying party of the Peking Syndicate, of London, have just returned to Shanghai after a very successful trip. It will be remembered that the members left Shanghai at the commencement of this year, being divided into two parties, one of which went north to Peking and the other up the Yangtze as far as Hankow. The northern party was composed of Mr. Glass, C.I.E., Major Brazier-Creagh, Cap tain Twiss, and Mr. Sabioni, and the programme was that on leaving Peking this party should travel sonth and meet the southern party, con- sisting of Captain Purvis, Captain McSwiney, Mr. Nathan, Mr. Patasie, and Mr. Butler, which was to travel in a northerly direction overland after leaving Hankow. This pro- gramme was carried out exactly as planned and both parties are highly pleased with the success of their work. The northern party on leaving Peking reached Chung.
surrounding scenery were obtained, of the plains below clothed in green and dotted over with cities, towns, and hamlets, the latter being invariably surrounded with clumps of trees in blossom. The party then went to Poitaiho on the Yellow River, returning to Huai-king skirting the range of mountains to Wei-hui.
In the mountainous districts the mines were
May 20, 1899.
but every reason why all men should equally share in the engrossing pursuit of untold and unknown wealth in China. No international distinctions need be here made, as we are told doubt it is. that China is big enough for all," and no Still we confess to much sur. prise at the composition of the Syn-licate which is endeavouring to induce the British Government to grant it a monopoly of the rights of gold mining within the ten mile mili- tary zone which England has obtained around the harbour of Weihaiwai, It must be here re- membered that Weihaiwei is simply a naval and military station, a purely strategio posi tion obtained, in the words of the British Minister ("China" Blue Book p. 106/7] because balance of power in the Gulf of Pechili had been "in the view of Her Majesty's Government the
so seriously disturbed by the lease to Russia of Port Arthur as a naval station that it must be
redressed by a lease of Weihaiwel to Great
+
Britain in similar terms." The lease of Wei-hai-wei is therefore in similar terms to that of Port Arthur. That being so, we think it is reasonable ground for surprise, and of the British Government before granting any sufficient reason for intense caution on the part mining charter, to find that the Syndicate, inspected and the country surveyed. No gold become, through what influences we need not which, ostensibly and originally British, has was found, bat iron, coal, and copper in abun- dauce. The party really saw what Baron Rich- here enquire, very largely Russian, and Russian thofen saw, and following in the steps of such
of a type doubly undersible in a place like an extra-ordinary observer -for nothing seemed
Weihaiwei, which was primarily ~ obtained to escape his observation--they have but little
ઘઉં 8 check and B watch upon Port to add to his published report. Frem Wei-hua Arthur, at the other side of the Gulf. they travelled by the Wie-ho river, north to Our first information was surprising) that we the Grand Canal, and then on to Tientsin
could scarcely credit it without confirmation reaching there about the end of April. The from the other members of the Syndicate, southern party on leaving Hankow proceeded which we have got, with the result that it is up the Han River to Siang-yang, and then on fully admitted that Col. Wogack the sometimes to Huai-khing, where both parties joined Governor of Port Arthur and the alway Both parties had a very successful trip and most active Russian Military Agent in the found the people very quiet and law abiding Far East, Mr. Werth, Manager of the particularly in Sheusi province, and the Chin-Russo-Chinese Bank, and Baron Gunsburg. ese officials at the various cities through which Private Agent of the Asiatic Department of they passed assisted them in every possible St. Petersburg, were, all amongst the original manner. They experienced no difficulty with members of the Syndicate, which includes two- the Chinese whatever. The trips have de British bankers, two ditto billbrokers, one mer- monstrated the presence of all things thatthont, however, his usual British fide Achates gbant, two Chinese (including Su Pao-sun, Baron Richthofen reported, and promises a very successful result to the capital which the this time) and the three Russian officials just syndicate may invest in exploiting the provinces named along with another gentleman, a new- in which concessions are granted. If the
comer to Weihaiwei, of whom we know noth- Board in England decide to commence opera-ing except that his name has a strong South tions and the British public support the
African smack and suggests Chartered syndicate sufficiently on the strength of the Company methods that we have little desire reports of the surveying party, railways will be to see emulated in China. The Shanghai built and the mines worked, and other indus- members are all well known gentlemen and tries commenced that present themselves.
the Russians individually above reproach; With regard to the railway the party have but we think it most emphatically our duty made special surveys, selecting the route
to emphasise our strongest possible objection of line from Peking south to the
to any concession or charter being granted Yangtze, probably Hinkow, and suitable
to the Syndicate so long as, it includes the sites for bridging the Yellow River for
names of any Russian officials whatsoever. railway purposes have also been selected.
Colonel Wogack is one of the most person- Everything more or less points to a successful ally popular and finest men in the Far East, issue of the. Peking Syndicate, and the mem
with troops of friends of all nationalities wher- bers of the surveying party, the majority being door" to him in China, but we think he is ever he goes. Every Britisher holds an “oper British officers specially lent for the purpose, will leave shortly for England to draw up and decidly outre in any mining venture that present their report on which the future ao-
may be contemplated or sought within the tion of the Board will rest.—Mercury.
British military and naval zone at Weibaj- wai. Of the other two Russian gentlemen almost as much may he said, but no per-
.
A RUSSIAN MINING VENTURE AT sonal feelings of friendship should be allowed
WEIHAIWEI.
Adversity, we know, is frequently responsible for strangely assorted bed fellows. A mining camp, in the mad rush for gold, when the "mother lede ' has been struck or in trail, brings together all sorts and conditions of men from the ends of the earth, all gathered with one common object-the pursuit of hid- den wealth. In Australia the United States, and South Africa this has been the case and now that there is a "rush on China from all sides, why should it not be also visible here ? The pursuit of happiness being one of the dearest prerogatives of individual liberty-if you do not believe us please read the U.S. Constitution," as religiously read out every glorious 4th of July-and the quest of wealth being so often synonymous with the pursuit of happiness, we see no objection in the world,
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to give them such an important hold on Weihai as membership of a chartered concession would confer. What is there to prevent all three transferring their shares at any moment to the Russian Government? Should occasion for secrecy arise at Weihaiwei, how could seoreoy be maintained with three such important Rus- sians in possession of such rights as the Byndio- ate is seeking to obtain for them? Could such proposition as is now entertained at Weihaiwei, find a counterpart, with three British officers on the board or amongst the original concession- sires, at Port Arthur? Any Russian merchant or other resident of that place who would propose such a thing to the Russian Admiral or Governor would, we suspect, have a very bad half hour. The whole proposition is too absurd to need farther demonstration and write this warning, very reluctantly, to put the British authorities upon their guard at Wei- haiwei. It is not pleasant, or congenial, or we may add profitable, work, but as a public news-
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