410
TUE INLAND NAVIGATION JULES AND THE BRITISH MINISTERS RESPONSIBILITY.
in
(Daily
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
|
Government have graus.
November 18 1899.
PIRACY IN THE CANTON WALLES.
| of matters, but let us once and for all haven j dovs not follow that the new taxinisters clear statement of what it that the Chinese | nierchants though they be, would prove less And, in oppressive thun fhe old. They would work order to arrive at that very desirable point, | the collection in their own interests, not in Press, 14th November.)
it would be well for those interested in the the interests of the producer or consumer, The return of the British Minister to China question that they should understand that | and the position of the guilds ns close cor-
favourable opportunity for us to
there are two distinct points at issue. One porations would be materially strengthened, presents a from opports we have ex- is, Is there to be unrestricted freedom for free competition being proportionately res pressed with regard to the opening of the foreign and Chinese reamers to go from tricted. The spirit in which the Form Inland Waters of China, a concession which place to plare in China? The other is, Can would be worked is made evident in clause he is credited with having obtained from that freedom, even if in a mensure restri ted, ↑ 8 of the proposed terms, which provides that " shall make use the Chinese Government. Before Sir be extended to steamers trading to and from { if “any crafty merchant' -Claude MacDONALD le't China for Europe Hongkong? Weare inclined to think that of transit passes to evade the payment we stated that the restrictions of which mier- the Shipping Companies in their communi- of lekm the representative merchants chants and shipowners now complain, and cation to H.M. Chargé d'Affaires dated June | shall be at liberty to petition the Authori which for all practical purposes keep the 17th, 1899, published in the correspondence ties to have the matter investigated. The Inland Waters closed, were introduced with of the Chamber of Commerce, made a mis-principle of the transit pass is recoguised as his knowledge and consent, and we further take in introducing the question of whether having virtue, however, for it is proposed stated that in allowing this he was under a pays to run steamers on the West River that a new pass shall be brought into exist- misconception of the conditions of trade in with the question of whether they have the ence which shall confer equal privileges with China. Mr. DUDGEON, of Shanghai, in a let- | right to run them, that is, right unrestricted the transit pass, but shall be issued by the It is, lekin authorities instead of the Foreigu ter to the N. C. Daily News, while agreeing in the manner we have pointed out. in the main with our statements, defended we take it, not the Minister's duty to say Customs. If this proposal were accepted the British Minister from the charge we whether a certain trade will pay or not; it is the competition of the Native with the made; but, as we pointed out in a subsequent for him to say what rights he has secured. Foreign Customs would be furnished with a article. Mr. DUDGEON apparently did not It will then rest with the public to say new weapon, and one which would be vigor- grasp the nature of the restriction which whether they consider them valuable or not. ously used to the detriment of foreign trad- bad then just been imposed by the ruling With regard to the Inland Waters concesing interests. The Seventy-two Guilds of Canton, it may be noted, appear to have à of the Inspector-General of Customs, sion, this question has not as yet been put namely, that inter-treaty port vessels shall to our Minister. The opportunity presents very poor opinion of foreign merchants, as not also be registered for Inland navigation. itself of doing so and we are quite sure that well as of Native Christians, for they ask If we have done Sir CLAUDE an injustice in taking advantage of it the Chamber of that no Foreigners or Native Christians or we are willing to make ample apology, but Commerce will but give voice to the opinion persons unconnected with the Guilds shall be we must first be convinced, and in no un- of the public. Nor do we think Sir CLAUDE allowed to acquire any share or interest in
We ie-
MACDONALD himself will take exception to
the Lekiu Farm, but "only truly honest certain way, that such is the case.
"and trustworthy merchants." Foreigners peat that the restriction was made with his our merchants following the advice he knowledge. The Committee of the Hong-tendered them in his recent speech in Lon- and Native Christians are evidently not included in the category of honest and trust- kong General Chamber of Commerce, when dou, when he reminded them that they must addressing the Colonial Secretary on the rely to a great extent on their own un-worthy merchants. subject, gave it as their opinion that "the assisted enterprise. It is for him to say British Minister when negotiating for what they are permitted to, and we will "the opening of the inland waterways to
answer for the merchants that they will not foreign trade and navigation had in view be slow to find the ways and means of "the unrestricted freedom of foreign steam doing it. "boats to proceed from port to port along "those waterways, and not for the navi
be divided into separate gation to classes, namely, interport and inland.” We regret that we cannot echo the opinion
The farming out of the collection of taxes of the Committee of the Chamber of Com- merce. Mr. BAX-IRONSIDE Supports with is a familiar arrangement in China, and the whole weight of his authority the from a petition published in another column decision which enforces this distinction. it will be seen that the Native merchants of Now, as he is in possession of the archives Canton have arrived at the conclusion that of the Legation, it is more than likely that it would be to their interest that the in doing this he is supporting the known Seventy-two Guilds into which they are views of his chief, and this contention is organised should acquire the right to collect further confirmed by the report of the the lekin tax in the province of Kwangtung. speech made by Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD For this privilege they offer to pay the at the China Association dinner in London fixed sum of Tls. 4,000,000 per annum. The Viceroy seems, from references to the In an article on that speech we pointed out that it was evidently Sir CLAUDE's idea subject in the native papers, to be diffi dent about accepting the offer, entertaining that the restrictions should be imposed But it is needless to go on speculating as to doubts, apparently, as to whether the pay- what were the intentions of the Minister.ments would be regularly forthcoming when An opportunity is now afforded to the public through their representative body of asking a plain straightforward question of Sir CLAUDE as to whether he did intend it or not? If the reply is in the negative it will then be open to the shipping firms to at once put the question to the test by applying to register one of their inter-treaty port vessels for inland navigation rights. We say rights advisedly. It on the other hand the reply is in the affirmative it will then be the duty of the Chamber to bring to Bir Claude's n notice the effect that the decision will have on the concession. In support of
**
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ติ
46
FINLD,
THE CANTON GUILDS AND THE LEKIN QUESTION.
(Daily Press, 16th November.)
they became due. The doubts entertained
on this head nie not unwarranted, for the terms proposed in the petition leave more than one convenient loophole by which the contract might be evaded. It is set, out, for instance, that the collection of lekin may be greatly interfered with by the issue of transit passes, and it is pro posed therefore that the farmers of the
tax should be entitled to ask that the rent
of the Farm should be adjusted according to the circumstances and the amount of busi ness that is being done. They also ask that they shall be allowed to surrender the Farm
·re-
(Daily Press 13th November.) Mr. E. B. DREW, recently Commissioner of Customs at Canton, in his report ou trade of that port for last year, made ference to the prevalence of piracy on the river-waters. The evil, he said, had become 80 grave that it could be lightly treated no longer. The Viceroy," he continued, "has lately organised a special system of pre- "vention of piracy, based on a detail of
64
14
seven lauuches to definite sections on the "main water routes and supplemented by 'guardboats, all under the control of one 14 man.
61
64
14
The provincial authorities have "become apprehensive that if they do not act, others who are not entitled to do so are likely to interfere to stop the evil. "But it ought to be admitted that the evil "is a most difficult one to cope with, and that a much more vigorous Government than the Chinese would be put to an extreme test of its resources in the "effort to put a stop to it." The detail of seven Inunches does not seem to have had much effect in reducing piracy, and Mr. Daw's successor, Mr. SCHENICKE, has now adopted a further measure, niwed one branch of the evil, particularly at
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the unfortuate steami-launch owner is to be
any out-
ly, the men looting of passenger launches. The proposal is that every launch shall carry its own special police force and pay for it, and, according to the time honoured Chinese custom of vicarious responsibility, held criminally responsible should rage take place où board his craft. It is not surprising to learn that the launch owners object to the new regulations, The
mean a heavy midition to% pouses, and the searching? gers
their Jug delay, will be distasteful Assuming the collection of lekin to be
will dis sengers, and farmed out to the Seventy-two Guilds it. Such extreme measures ought
this they will have the independ. in the event of business being inter ered [pay of four constables for ech Inunch will
ent op and
of Mr. Hoste and Mr. MANs will be their duty to show plainly and clearly that if the re- striction is allowed the whole concession will be, in the words of their Committee,
hopeless sham. Let there be no mincing
a
with by war or rebellior. It is not un- natural therefore that the Viceroy should ask for full security before entertaining the offer.
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