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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND the fact that two fires had occurred on board vessels in port in consequence of spontaneous combustion of so-called Japanese "safety matches" among the cargo, these matches should, when the New Merchant Shipping Con. solidation Ordinance comes into force, be classed, under its › provisions, as dangerous goods.
clare No. 2 health district infected with plague now proposed that No. 1 health district be declared infected. At the previous meeting a sub-committes, consisting of Dr. Lowson and himself, was appointed to make arrangements with regard to house visitation in No. 2 district. They asked for six constables, and these constables commenced work on the 20th inst. They had discovered seven cases of plague during the past week, and he proposed that if the Board declared No. 1 health district | infected the same constables visit No. 1 district as well as No. 2.
Dr. LowEON seconded, and the motion was carried.
'This was all the business.
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE,
At the monthly meeting of the General Com- mittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, held at 3.15 p.m. on Wednesday, the 18th April, 1930.-Présent: Messrs. R. M. Gray (Chairman) A. Haupt, Hon. J. J. Kes- wick, N. A. Siebe, Herbert Smith, and R. C. Wilcox (Secretary).
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous monthly meeting (held 12th March) were read and confirmed.
RESIGNATIONS FROM THE COMMITTER.
The Secretary reported that Messrs. H. Rit. chie and A. McConachie resigned their seats on the 28th and 29th March respectively and Hon. T. H. Whitehead on the 13th April, and that Sir Thomas Jackson had gone home on six
months' leave.
The imminence of the annual meeting rendered annecessary any consideration of these vacancies on the committee.
REDUCTION OF CABLE RATES,
Read latter from Tientsin Chamber of Com.
merce, dated 23rd February, acknowledging receipt of Chamber's circular letters of 10th August and 6th October, and enclosing copy of a resolution passed at their last committee meet. ing bu the subject of cable rates.
Also read letters from Manager in London and the Manager in China of the E. E. A. &c. Telegraph Co., transmitting copy of the letter addressed by the Eastern Telegraph Co., Ld., to the General Post Office, setting out the basis on which the Associated Com., panies are prepared. to negotiate with the British government for a general reduction of tariffs to all British Colonies and Dependencies. A letter of acknowledgment and thanks for the latter had been addressed to Mr Von der Pfordten by the acting Secretary.
The Chairman said he thought, there was nothing further to be done. in the matter for the present; it would come up at the Congress of Chambers."
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· TARIFF REVISION IN CHINA. -Road letter from H.E. Sir Claude Mac- donald, B.M.'s Minister in China, in reply to the Chamber's letter of 22nd February, státing that there was no truth in the rumour that negotiations with the Chinese Government in reference to a revision of the Tariff were being pushed on rapidly.
This letter had, the Secretary reported, already been published in the local Press for general information.
: :
PIRACIES ON THE WEST RIVER.
In connection with the above subject, a letter had been received from the Acting Colonial ecretary, enclosing extract from a letter from Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Seymour suggesting that merchant vessels should take only one route from Samshui to sea, along which they would have the protection of gunboats, and asking the
amber's opinion on the route named.
After some discussion, in which it was stated
that the master of the steamers plying on the river were being, consulted, it was decided reply to the effect that so soon as the opinions of those concerned had been obtained an answer - would be sent to the enquiry, sec
TELUJAPANESE *
Read letter from the Gove on the 6th April, t
TCH
Considerable discussion ensued on this pro- posal, which it was thought was calculated, if carried into effect, to divert an important trade from the port, and it was decided to write to the Government deprecating immediate action in the direction indicated. It was also resolved to bring the matter to the attention of the Chambers of Commerce at Kobe and Yoko- hama, with a view to get them to urge upon the manufacturers the desirability of making the matches genuine " safety matches."
THE CANADIAN MAIL CONTRACT, A letter, dated 12th April, from the acting agent of the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. Royal Mail S. S. Line, was read, which an. nounced that the contract for the carriage of the mails from Vancouver to Hongkong will expire in May, 1901, and asked the Chamber to support the Company's application for a re- newal thereof.
The subject was discussed at. some length, and eventually the following resolution was proposed by the CHAIRMAN:
That in the opinion of this chamber it is de- sirable that the contract between Her Majesty's Government and the Canadian Pacific Railway Company for the carriage of mails from Hong kong. via the Pacific and Vancouver, which will expire in May, 1901, should be renewed, if possible with an accelerated and fortnightly
service.
Hon. J. J. KESWICK seconded, and it was carried unanimously.
POSTAL COMPLAINT FROM MANILA, Read letter from the Manila Chamber of Commerce complaining of the late receipt at that port of European mails from Hongkong, and pointing out that this arose from in- judicious selection of steamers proceeding vid
Amoy.
THE VACANT SEAT ON THE LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
Read letter from H.E. the Acting Governor, dated 17th April, and received that morning stating that Mr. Whitehead had been granted nine months' leave of absence and requesting the Chamber to submit the name of some gentleman for appointment to the vacancy.
It was decided to include this nomination at
the annual general meeting of members shortly to be held.
THE ANNUAL MEETING,
This was fixed for Monday, the 30th April, at
3 o'clock p m,
THE DRAFT REPORT
20
The Eastern Extension, China Telegraph Co., Limited.
Dear Sir,
April 28, 1900,
Hongkong, 16th March, 1900.
For the information of the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce I have now the pleasure of enclosing a copy of the letter referred to in my communication to yon of 13th February last.
When the above copy of the letter was posted to me from London ( 6th ultimo) no reply had been received by the Companies from the Secretary of the General Post Office.
· I am, dear sir.
Yours faithfully. F. von der PFORDTEN.
Manager in China. -- i
R. C. WILCOX, Esq.,
Secretary,
Chamber of Commerce, Hongkong,
The Eastern Telegraph Co., Limited. ⠀ng
Winchester House. E.C.
2nd August, 1899.
gir,
I have the honour to refer to my inter view with you of the 21st nltimo, and confirm the proposals I then made, that the Associated Companies are prepared to negotiate with the British Goverment for a general reduction of tariffs to all British Colonies and Dependencies served by their lines.
I would suggest that the basis of these ne- gotiations should be:
1st-A fixed minium of revenue for each class of traffic.
2nd-A gradual reduction of tariffs when such revenue averages over the fixed mininium
for 3 years.
3rd-When the traffic increases so as to ne- cessitate the laying of extra cables, the minimum revenue to be increased sufficiently to pay for the service of the extra capital, maintenance and working of the required new cables.“
4th-All negotiations with Foreign Admis- trations for reduction of tariff to be undertaken by the British Government, the companies giving all the assistance in their power.
An arrangement of this character would give the public fhe benefit of reductions whenever any special traffic showed development, and would enable the Government to assist in all alterations of tariffs. The arrangement is on the same lines as that offered to South Africa and Australis, and practically accepted by the former.
The companies would, however, ask that they should be given a guarantee that they should have landing rights through all British Posses- sions for any additional cables that they might consider necessary for carrying traffic; that
they should be able to rent subterranean lines in Graat Britait at the same prices per mile ag they at present pay for o overhead wires, and that in all parts of the British Empire, they should
Was then considered, paragraph by paragraph, be placed on terms of equality with any other and passed.
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The following is the correspondence which was read at the meeting
REDUCTION OF CABLE RATES.
The Eastern Extension, Australasia, and China Telegraph Co., Limited.
Winchester House, 50, Old Broad Street,/!
London, E.C. 1950/1.
9th March, 1900.
Sir,
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Telegraph Administration that might be com- peting against them.
I whould suggest that the a approaching Tele- graph Conference would be a favourable oppor- tunity completing any negotiations that might be necessary with Foreign Administra- tions, so as to bring any réductions of tariffs into operation as soon as possible.
I should be please 1 to have an interview with you to discuss any point upon which you might wish further information; Perlips some time after thủ holidays might be arranged, so as to give time for the proposed arrangements to carefully considered. ****
**Your obedient servant,
J. DENISON PENDER,
Vice-Chairman.
In reply to your letter of the 19th Jan. uary last, I have to inform you that on receipt of a telegram from our Manager at Hongkong, giving the purport of your letter under acknow. ledgement, we requested Her Majesty's Govern ment to be good enough to inform us if they had any objection to our furnishing the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce with a copy of our The Secretary, communication to the Government embodying General Post Office, London. the proposal for a general reduction of tariffs.
Ou receipt of a reply from Her Majesty's · Hongkong General Chamber of Commeros. Government intimating that they had
****** Hongkon *19th March, 1900. objection to this being done, we at once posted a copy to our Manager in China with a that he would forward it to you, z SAKOM Mave the honor to be, sir,
*ond. Your obedient närv
Sir
s suggestion by | R. CHATTERTON WILCOX, Esq m lite
Secretary, Hongkong Chamber of Commerce.· formation con
the Acting Harbour Master that, in view of
to acknowledge
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