July 29, 1901.]
of restoring confidence and rendering residence in the capital less irksome. Even if the erection of fortifications did imply a want of confidence in Imperial assurance, the Chinese Government have no right to resent the want of that confidence after last year's treachery. They have done every- thing to destroy confidence, always a plant of slow growth, and they must be prepared to sacrifice something in order to regain it. But the old lady of Hsianfu is plainly not iuclined to make any such sacrifice, nor is she willing even to sanction the establish- ment of military posts to protect the railway and keep open the route to Tientsin in case of necessity. This must be done by Chinese troops, forsooth, and so far from the occupants of the Legations being reas- sured by having a means of retreat left in their rear, it is proposed that this be virtually cut off by its being placed in the hands of the very persons who so nearly accomplished the destruction of all foreigners in Peking last year. The Powers are not likely, we imagine, to agree to such a pro- posal. The Chinese Government have got first to earn the right to be trustel. At present they are on their good behaviour: they are tolerated, of necessity, not trusted. Nor will the plea of the Empress against the railway terminus being allowed to enter Peking weigh much with the Powers, who really desire, on account of the moral effect, to see the iron road penetrate the walls of the city and do its part in breaking down the rampar's of prejudice so long and so jealously maintained. The question of dig- nity certainly does not come in; the matter of convenience would be much more to the point. There are many great termini in the British metropolis, and the railways are also permitted to enter all the great continental capitals, although in many cases great difficulties have been encount ered in constructing them, both in the shape of destruction of buildings and in the piercing of costly tunnels for the purpose. There is nothing either very costly or beautiful in Peking which need stop the way, and the question of sentiment is no stronger than was the case in Europe, where the railway was at first a dubious and not altogether welcome innovation. No one will urge probably that the line be carried into the heart of the so-called "Forbidden City," but there is no reason why the terminus should not be erected within the
walls if more convenient for the traffic.
The tenor and terms of the Imperial order on the subject, however, show the disposition of the Imperial Government, and it will be useful to take note thereof, so that no delusion may obtain as to the unchanged view of the Chinese officials and Court.
CANTON IN 1900.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
"-could not but contribute materially to the general shrinkago." H.E. LI HUNG- CHANG's departure was not followed by the disorders which some anticipated. The Wai- chow rebellion was speedily suppressed by Admiral Ho and his assistauts. The anti- Christian movement, starting in Shuntak and spreading thence, was got under by the Chinese authorities, strengthened by the presence of quite a small international fleet off Shameen and the activity of the foreign river gun- boats. The plague never assumed epidemic form, and during the latter half of the year was not heard over in and around Canton. The yield of rice, on the other hand, was abundant, and, given political quiet, Mr. KING says; the indications are distinctly in favour of good trade prospects at Canton in the opening year of this century.
Coming now to details, we find a falling off of Hk. Tls. 177,339 for the revenue figures of 1899, and last year's total was Hk. Tls. 1,838,931, made up thus :-Import duty, Hk. Tls. 49.472; export duty, Hk. Tls. 81,609; coast trade duty, Hk. Tls. 29,029; transit dues, Hk. Tls. 20.394. Against this, opium duty and lekin showed small increases and tonnage dues an appre. ciable gain, being Hk. Tls. 27,100 against the Hk. Tls. 24,135 of 1899.
In the import branch under the heading of Foreign Trade the net figures were within Hk. 11s. 250,000 of those of the previous year, which were some two million taels ahead of the 1889 figures. It will thus be seen, Mr. KING says, that so far as the volume of this branch of trade is concerned. disturbances elsewhere were little felt in Canton. He also reminds us that trade in foreign goods at Canton must not be judged by the published figures alone, for they refer only to imports in foreign bottoms. The competition between native and foreign carriers must be borne in mind, and a de- crease in the Imperial Maritime Customs returns does not necessarily mean a falling off in the actual consumption of any article.
Exports showed the much larger decrease of Hk. Tls. 5,903,315 from 1899 and only reached Hk. Tls. 21,578,767. Silk ex- perienced a great falling off, and business was unprofitable alike to natives and foreigners. The competition of low-grade Indian and Ceylon teas in the London market damaged the prospects of the Canton tea market, and the outlook is declared unpromising.
Const trade in the matter of original shipments coastwise, after a good first half of the year, exhibited a shrinkage of Hk. Tls. 909,340 from the figures of 1899; in coastwise arrivals, on the other hand, the previous year's gain of over four millions was almost maintained and the decrease was but small. The inland transit trade inwards fell off to the extent of over one half of the 1899 figures; while outwards it was in a very healthy condition, and a notable increase was seen in the quantity of brown sugar brought down for re-exporta-
(Daily Press, 23rd July.) The report of the Commissioner of Customs, Mr. PAUL H. KING, on the trade of Canton in the troubled year 1900, will be read with|tion. interest, if only to ascertain what effect the crisis of the year had upon the commercial affairs of our Chinese neighbour. Mr. KING tells us in starting that there is gratifyingly little in the Canton figures to suggest the unrest of the Fouth or the absolute chaos of the North in the latter half of 1900. "It is true," he says, "that the value of the export trade has fallen off very considerably, but, as shown later on, "from cause referable more especially to the condition of foreign markets rather than “to the state of affairs in China; although, of course, the cessation of steamer traffic after June with Tientsin-Cantou's best ** customer for all articles of local provenance
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Shipping in 1900 exhibited an increase in the number of vessels and decrease in ton- nage from the previous year. In spite of the transfer of some of the China Merchants' steamers to foreigu flags, the number of Chinese steamers made an appreciable in- crease, from 2,968 to 3,440 vessels. Mr. KING gives a table showing for the first time the steam-launch traffic under the Inland Steam Navigation Regulations of 1898, and says:
“Since that date 252 steam-vessels have been registered at Canton, of which 84 "are additions--for the most part locally “built-during the year under review. During the first half of the year all these "boats did well; but as launches increased
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"rates fell off, and we are now suffering 'from an overstocked market. The repair- ing shops have been fully occupied. All sorts of engineering work can be done "here at considerably less than Hongkong rates. So far, judging from results and a happy immunity from accidents, the work must be fairly good; but, possibly, foreign expert inspection, of which at present there is none, might tell a different tale. Nearly the whole fleet 18 under the Dragon flag, and those launches which do fly foreign ensigns are hardly to be dis- tinguished, as far as their internal economy
(4
is concerned, from their native sisters.”
With regard to passenger traffic, we find the river steamer figures to and from Hong- kong and Macao fully up to the average half-a-million native passengers each way, Conveyance by inland trading launches and their tows is increasingly popular, owing to its speed and regularity, and the figures of 1898 were improved on, it is estimated, by about 40 per cent. New routes were opened in 1900, and the fares lowered. Steam- launches and their tows are recorded to have made no less than 132,792 trips in inland waters during the year.
Finally, we may conclude this review of Mr. KING's report by noting that he does not, like some others, shut his eyes to the existence of piracy in the Canton neigh- bourhood. Thirty cases were recorded, as against twenty in 1899, and Mr. KING says: The delta affords unrivalled facilities to "the river thief, and has been his happy hunting-ground for centuries. The provincial government maintained A large force, both ashore and afloat, for the suppression of these 'enemies of the people'; how far their efforts have been successful must be judged from the figures now presented." Testimony of this kind is a valuble argument against the suggestions of those who would make out that the tales of piracies are due to the imagination of the | local British Press.
F
FRENCH INDO-CHINESE
RAILWAYS.
(Daily Press, 24th July.)
A correspondent, writing to an Indo- Chinese contemporary, makes some inter- esting remarks on the subject of the Hanoi-Yunnanfu Railway. The writer is obviously acquainted personally with the ground which will be covered by the line when completed, which lends weight to what he says. He commences by admitting the utility and political necessity of the undertaking, but warns shareholders against chimerical hopes of fabulous dividends. Laokay to Yunnanfu is a distance of 450 to 470 kilomètres (320 to 330 miles). The guaranteed interest of 4 per cent, works out at three million francs on a recent estimate of the Public Works Departinent, and at four millions and a half on the amended figures. On one-third of the 450 kilomètres, the section between Laokay and Mengtze, trade can bring but few returns. Foreign trade, both imports and exports, from Yunnan via Mengtze and Lokay reached 8,000 tons in 1898. It may be assumed, says the French writer, that these 8,000 tons can be considered as circulating wholesale from Laʊkay to a point midway between Mengtze and Yunnanfu. Making a liberal allowance of another 8,000 tons for the interior commerce, we get a return of 16,000 for the 300 kilomètres. Again, allowing for an initial tripling of trade by the introduction of the railway, a rough estimate of 50,000 tons carried by the line is arrived at. With the moderate allowance of 10
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