46
"
"
July 21, 1900.]
THE CABLE QUESTION.
"
in-
ing to the prefectural city of Lienchow. As regards piece-goods England not merely "holds her own, but is ousting competitors.
This is notably the case with cotton flan- "nel, last year almost entirely Japanese, "but at the close of the year coming in "from Manchester, of superior. quality and "with only a slight advance in price. Cot- "ton crape is entirely. Japanese, though it "is hard to see why it should be the Japanese get up this article in all kinds of fancy colours attractive to the Chinese, "who use it for jackets, shirts, and miscel "laneous clothing. There is room for a "British attack on socks, which at present
46
"
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. selves. Notwithstanding that complaints THE TRADE OF PAKHOI, deep and loud have been made of the ex- treme injury done to trade by the present
(Daily Press, 18th July.) (Daily Press, 20th July.)
scale of tariffs to India and the East
gen-
Among the Consular Reports recently pub Sir EDWARD SASSOON is to becongratulated erally, the prayers of their constituents were lished by the Foreign Office is Mr. Acting. on the persistence with which he keeps be treated with silent contempt, or if an an- Consul NEVILL-PERKINS'S report on the fore the British public the very important swer were vouchsafed it was to the effect trade of Pakhoi for 1899. It is satisfactory subject of the unsatisfactory tariff still that the Companies could not afford the to notice that the lowest ebb is considered maintained by the Cable Companies between proposed reduction without loss. The argu- to have been reached, and that 1899 saw a Europe and the Far East. If, he suggested, ment, if the premises were correct, was a slight improvement, the total amounting regularity of intercourse and rapidity and comclusive one, as an inefficient service to £621,280 as against the £616,230 of security in the exchange of wants and views would in many respects be more unsatisfac-1898. The improvement is due to an were some of the chief links that drew to- tory than a trustworthy one, even with crease of imports, the figures for 1899 being gether the home country and her depen-high tariffs. This argument has however £371,837 against the £351,910 --- an 11- dencies, then those aims could not be better been shown to be untenable by the action provement of nearly 6 per cent. Hongkong advanced than by binding the whole to- of the Companies themselves; these very Imports rose from £350.814 to £366,504, gether by a well conceived scheme of tele- Companies, that could not afford to carry and Chinese ports from £1,596 to £5,333 graphic communication. This had been done messages to India at lower rates than the Exports, it is true, fell about £15,000, but so far as was possible at the time by the present, are now, they tell us, prepared to there was a phenomenal rise of 17 per cent. Companies, who at a critical period came carry messages to Australia at half the rates in 1898, which could not reasonably be ex- forward to help the Government, and who now charged to India; but they actually pected to be maintained. The position of had succesfully solved the difficult problem. forward each of these messages to Bombay English trade at Pakhoi can be gathered "It did not seem to have been foreseen by in the first instance, whence they have to best from some remarks quoted by Mr. the department specially concerned in find their way to Australia by a long and NEVILL-PERKINS from a gentleman well ac- granting the landing concessions material devious route. But they have, as we men- quainted with Pakhoi import trade. He assistance, that a demand would inevitably tioned above, done far more, for they have says: During the year there have been a "arise for gradually cheapened tariffs. A discovered that they can actually afford to "few trial shipments of Sheffield cutlery, go-
reduction of all necessary charges incident lay down for the benefit of their Australian "to modern developments of commercial constituents a deep-sea cable all the way "methods had become a vital necessity, and from Mauritius to Western Australia. It cable charges entered very largely into the is evident, even if we did not have the fur- laying down costs of commodities." The ther light thrown on the subject by their Eastern Companies had entirely failed to published annual accounts, that the whole see this side of the question and had been story was a mere subterfuge, and in addition concerned in raising rather then reducing to the arguments raised ineffectively hitherto, the cost of telegraphing. In judging of the the Chambers of Commerce are now in pos- morality of this policy it should however session of arguments, which, did not we not be forgotten that in the first instance know of the unfriendly feelings displayed the Companies were guaranteed a subsidy towards China by the Home Government, sufficient to secure them against loss, and it must be sufficient to obtain an alleviation of might reasonably have been anticipated that the unconscionable burden to which for so in framing their tariffs from time to time long we have had to submit. Under these this fact would have been taken into consi- circumstances it is satisfactory to read the deration. It was true that the departments confirmatory remarks of Sir HENRY FOWLER entrusted with the framing of the in summing up the discussion. "On the cessions had, in the first instance, failed "lowest ground, on the highest ground, and to attach a proviso securing a gradual re-
duction in rates as profits increased; and that was a proviso that in future was unlikely to be omitted. Still, he thought that experience had pointed out that a re- duction in rates was likely to prove advan- tageous to the Companies; and, as a share- holder in them as well as the spokesman of the Imperial, Telegraph Committee in the House of Commons, he held that no reduc- tion of less than 75 per cent. on present rates should be considered satisfactory, even if the Governments concerned had to guar- antee a portion. We drew attention not long ago to the present financial position of the Companies, which indicated that even in their own interests a considerable reduc- tion in rates was feasible, and this position is now supplemented by the action of the Companies with regard to the Australian lines. Sir Edward Sassoon points out, as evidence of this, that not only did the Companies benefit largely by the reductions that took place in 1886, but that the very hint of a Pacific Cable had a salutary effect, in addition to reducing the tariff to Australia, of inducing the Companies at their own risk to undertake the com- pletion of another great link in the "all-the-world-round British system of cables, by the construction of a length across the Indian Ocean. Still Sir EDWARD SASSOON from a close consideration of all the conditions had come to the deliberate convic-obliged to resign. tion that for the future, from a political, no less than commercial point of view, the time had arrived that it was advisable that all sub- marine cables should be the property of the Government. One of the strongest argu- ments in favour of this view is afforded by the conduct of the Eastern Companies them
con-
"f
on every ground that could be suggested, "it was of supreme importance to the in- "terests of this country that our communi- "cations with India in every way, whether
C
#4
**
16
带着
by the transit of goods, the transit of pas- sengers, or by the facilities and economy "of telegraphic communication, should be
in daily touch with the home country. "A great Empire like ours, with colonies in every part of the globe, with our great pos- sessions in Asia, America, and Australia, ought to have a communication of its own, "under the control of its own Government, "independent of all private companies, in- dependent of all foreign nations. To have "that would be a powerful element in its equipment for the defence of the Empire against whatever might happen." Sir HENRY FOWLER has earned for himself a reputation as an administrator, which is far above any party considerations, and his straightforward defence of the policy recommended by Sir EDWARD SASSOON cannot but be in the long run of extreme importance in the uphill struggle in which all British residents in China are engaged
46
#4
Chamber of Commerce on the 13th ult, it was At a general meeting of the Singapore unanimously agreed to ask Mr. T. E. Earle, the present chairman of the Chamber, to allow him- self to be nominated for the seat in Legislative Council which Mr. W. H. Frizell has been
The ceremonies accompanying the admission of Hawaii to the "sisterhood of States and Territories" on the 14th ult. are reported to have been very magnificent. The inauguration of President Sanford B. Dole as first Governor of the Territory, however, was a simple affair. In the afternoon races were held and in the evening a great ball.
|
come from Germany, Lace, of which only. "very small quantities come in, is freely "used by Chinese females of the better
26
class, when within their means, there is a "distinct opening for a machine-made ar-
ticle, white or coloured. Many of the "needles are of bad quality; they are not of British manufacture. The import is con- siderable. Fine needles are in especial 'request for embroidery and fine Chinese work, and there is no reason why they "should not come from England.”
**
"
14
"
46
(4
*
*
•
Mr. NEVILL-PERKINS himself makes some suggestive remarks on trade methods at Pakhoi. He says:-"Japan and Germany are the two countries that supply most of the miscellaneous foreign commodities, but the trade is insignificant and unlikely "to expand under existing conditions. "cannot therefore hold out any hopes to the very numerous merchants who send cir "culars to this office on every conceivable subject, with the expectation of extending their business, frequently accompanying the circular with a statement that the ar- ticle in which they are interested is just the thing for this market, an opinion un- fortunately not held by the inhabitants.” He goes on to suggest that the most likely plans for introducing business in the neigh- bourhood are:-(1) The employment of a traveller with samples to visit the chief marts of the interior, qualified either himself or by his native assistant, or both, to push his wares, and able to quote a price for them laid down on the spot. He must be willing to supply special goods in quite small lots. The Germans already employ this method. (2) By suitable advertisement. "Advertising foreign goods extensively in "the Chinese fashion is a method that is "bound to attract attention, near tea-houses “and the like, and along thoroughfares;
flaming and artistic posters, with illustra- "tions that explain themselves for the illi-
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.