98
Xcess of emigration to immigration only amounted to 19,783 persons."
:
Mr. Hurst concludes his report with the following General Remarks "There has been a good deal of building going on dur ing the year to meet the requirements of trade expansion, including 12 new warehouses erected by a British firm on the Swatow side of the harbour. Attention has been paid to the improvement of the sanitary condition of the locality. The main street skirting the harbour on the Kialat (Swatow) side has been cleared of hawkers' stalls and accumulating filth; and now there is an excellent fairly clean road free from obstructions on that side of the estuary. This improvement is due chiefly to the efforts of the British and German Consuls."
FOOCHOW.
Mr. Consul Playfair in his report on the trade of Foochow for 1899 records an increase of £323,724 over 1898, the total value of trade being £2,593,033. With regard to shipping he says: "The great bulk of the steam traffic remains as before in British hands and shows, both in its entirety and in the British predominance, an appreciable increase over 1898. It will be ob- served that the number of sailing vessels is notably more. The increase is attributable to Japanese craft, and for this the neighbourhood of Formosa is chiefly accountable. Japan is gradually enlarging her share in the shipping trade. A line of steamers now plies regularly between Shanghai, Foochow, Formosa, and Hongkong. The vessels belong to the Japanese Red Cross Society and in time of war would act as hospital ships, but in peace are being used for cargo and passengers. I hear them highly spoken of in point of comfort." He goes in to say: -"The privileges accorded by the Inland Na- vigation Regulations are sparsely taken advan- tage of at Foochow by Europeans. On the Hin River the limit of navigation is soon reach- ed, it does not extend 100 miles. On the Yung fu River the distance navigable is still less. Upwards, between Foochow and Shui-K'ou, the head of navigation on the Min River, and downwards towards the sea, a number of native- owned steam launches ply, and in view of the in- evitable competition probably the enterprise does not attract Europeans. As Mr. Fraser pointed out in his trade report for 1838, there remain places on the sea-coast in considerable numbers to which the concession applies, but these do not seem to tempt Western energies."
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
a great boon to foreign commerce; but it| Appended are the scores:- will be unattained and unattainable unless the claims of the provinces are fairly taken into account. If lekin and its con- geners are to be successfully done away with, each province must receive its specified quota of the tariff duties. One difficulty connected with the abolition of lekin and the like is the fact that an immense number of subordinate officials will be thrown out of work, and will lose their meana of livelihood. It is a problem which will demand much thought for its solution."
The only important export from. Foochow is tea, and in the tea-trade an advance was made, the figures reaching 48,164,500 lbs., worth £1,034,060 against 41,832,896, worth £970,974, in 1898. The decline of taste in the matter of tea (which is shown by the growing preference for Ceylon and Indian teas) has seriously affect- ed the higher grade teas of Foochow, but the United States and Canada still stand out against the British-grown product.
Mr. Playfair says:-"Foochow has hitherto not been the hunting ground of European con. cessionaires. No railways have been surveyed, nor any attempt been made to open mines of coal or metal. I hear that some prospect- ing has been done, but I have not heard of any practical result. This may be owing to a lack of capital. I believe coal of good quality and quantity is to be found in the neighbour- hood of Foochow."
With regard to the proposed lekin-free area, he says: "The question of what portion of this port is to be held a lekin free area has not yet been decided. The night of the British merchant to convey foreign goods across the Long Bridge into the southern suburb of the city exempt from lekin has, however, been established as a tem- porary arrangement until the lekin free area has been officially determined. The sole con- dition insisted on by the local authorities is that such goods shall be accompanied by the Consul's card, certifying their nature and ownership. This arrangement, negotiated by Mr. Fraser last spring, has worked smoothly since it was started."
"
From
We will conclude with Mr. Playfair's ac count of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs." "Till early in the present year there was in Foochow a department called the Board of Foreign Trade, which was presided over by two officials, with the rank of Taotai, and which was supposed to serve as a channel of comunication between the Viceroy and the Consuls. The increase of foreign imports since the these it obtained scant recognition, for though previous year is £177,825, the import of opium convenient inasmuch as it acted as a sort of in particular having risen over 50 per cent. in buffer between the Viceroy and the foreign of value, the trade being chiefly in native hands. ficials, and no doubt saved him considerable la The importation of the native article fell off bour, still it was defective inasmuch as its heads during the year. Piece-goods remained fairly were not endowed with sufficient authority, and stationary but English drills fell off. Piece- there was no assurance that their orders would goods, Mr. Playfair remarks, illustrate be obeyed by the local authorities. Moreover, ow- what is becoming a normal feature of ing to the fact that there were two chiefs, the foreign trade in China, except at the dis-responsibility was divided, to the detriment of tributing centres, Hongkong and Shanghai, the trade is entirely in the hands of the (hinese, who go to these distributing centres to purchase the stock they require. hina still needs the foreigner for exports, but for imports he is not essential. This feature of modern trade in Chins, which is gradually becoming a constant factor at all outports, does not affect the volume of trade nor the profits of the manufacturer. The volume of trade increases at a regular rate every year in almost all places; Birmingham and Manchester thrive though the middleman's occupation is nearly gone.' Under the same head of imports Mr. Playfair notes the establish- ment of a British firm for match manufacture at Foochow on favourable terms.
•
Going on to speak of the lekin and transit- pass systems Mr. Playfair says: "I believe that at present a portion of the sums ac- quired from transit half-duty is handed over to the provincial treasury, but more than this is required. Such funds should be handed over altogether; Peking has no claim to them. It is understood that when the tariff revision is carried out for which China is clamouring, foreign nations will not be averse to an increase of the duties, but will require as a quid pro quo the abolition of extra tariff dues altogether. On foreign goods there will be then only one pay. ment of duty throughout the Empire, that will be paid to the Imperial Maritime Customs and will clear the goods throughout the
itntry. If such finality can be attained
will be
business. In the spring this Board was finally abolished, by orders of the Tsung-li-Yamên a new department took its place. This is called the Bureau of Foreign Affairs, and has the advantage of having only one supreme head. The division of responsibility has ceased, but I am by no means convinced that the Bureau is more competent to enforce its authority thap the Board was.'
17
HONGKONG VOLUNTEER
FIELD BATTERY V.
MACHINE GUN CO.
Sergeant Lammert Gunner Cox Sergt.-Major Smyth. 26 Gunner Holmes Gunner Wodehouse. Bomb. Plummer Corporal Barrett
[August 4, 1900.
COMPANY 200. 400
500 Total
32 35
28
95
33
£33
26
35
80
01
31
29
27
90
28
26 20 22
20 33 10
Grand total
582
DOCK DETACHMENT..
Gunner Stewart Gunner Lapsley Gunner Baldwin Sergeant Rutter Gunner Rattey Bomb. Deas Lient. Armstrong
200 400 500. Total.
31
31
30
29
29 21 18
94
94
88
68
62 49
Grand total 539
THE PHILIPPINE COMMISSION.
The Philippine Civil Commission will as sume the form of a legislative body on the 1st day of September next. General MacArthur will continue to act as Governor of the islands and will carry out the laws made by the Civil Commission. In political status the Commis- sion will be paramount and the Military Go- vernor will act under its authority and enforce its enactments.
The position which Judge Taft will occupy as President of the Commission will be similar to that of a speaker of the U. S. House of Re- presentatives or a President of the Senate. The Commission will make such laws and discuss and formulate such a system of enactments as will appear to them to be most just and equitable for The various members of the Commission are mak- the good government and welfare of the islands. ing enquiries and preparing reports respect- ing the various department of the ocal govern ments. The entire confidence of President McKinley has been placed in the Commission and they will act with practically a free hand, the administrative ability of the President, Judge Taft and the intelligence of the individual members being relied on to formulate a system of government which shall meet with the approv- al and fulfill all the reasonable aspirations of the Filipinos.
General MacArthur will continue to act as Governor of the islands until such time as the President of the Commission reports to the President of the United States that the islands are in a fit condition to be wholly entrusted with civil government.
HONGKONG.
A woman residing at No. 37. D'A
'Aguilar Street died on the 31st ult. from opium poisoning. The case is being enquired into by the police.
The Haiching, which arrived here on the 27th ult., having left Amoy on the 25th inst., reports that the U.S. S. Princeton was still at that port.
Last week's return of visitors to the City Hall Library and Museum shows that 336 non- (hinese and 92 Chinese visited the former CORPS.institution, 145 non-Chinese and 1,717 Chinese
the latter.
On the 30th ult. the French gun-vessel Vipère An interesting Carbine Match was fired on arrived from Saigon. Her fincipal figures the Kowloon Ranges on Sunday morning be-are-displacement 486 tons; i. h. p. 441; guns, tween teams representing the Dock detachment two 5.5 in., two 3.9 in.; speed 12.3 knota; com-
A" Machine plement 80. of the. Field Battery and the
wife were among the Mr. Ho Tung and h Gun Co. The conditions were 7 shots and a
sighter" at the 200, 400, and 500 yards dis- departures by the American mail steamer China on the 31st ult. They proceed to San Francisco tances, 8 men aside, best seven scores to count.
and then across the American continent, whence they will go on a visit to England. Mr. Ho Tung takes the Colony's best wishes with him.
64
The Dock detachment was unfortunate in being deprived of the services of one of its best men, and this circumstance, coupled with the good shooting of some of the younger mem- bors of "A" Company-Gunners Cox and Holmes in particular contributed largely to the result, which was a somewhat easy win for the
A" Company men by 43 points.
4
At the conclusion of the shooting welcome refreshments were dispensed by the Dock de tachment men and cheers given for the winners. A return match will be fired as soon as a suitable date can be arranged.
The Italian Admiral Canoliani, who arrived by the Fieramosc on Sunday, cameashore on the 30th ult., being received by a guard of honour com- posed of Welsh Fusiliers, with band, colours, and goat,aptain Bancroft was in command and Lieut. Guither had charge of the colours. Con- sul Volpicelli welcomed the Admiral as he step- ped ashore. The Admiral subsequently paid his respects to the Governor and Major-General Gascoigne.
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