September 23, 1991.]
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS CENSUS.
The report on the census of the Straits Settlements, taken on the 1st March last, has just been published. It is signed by Mr. J. R. Innes as Superintendent of the Census. The population of Singapore is 228,555 (170,875 males and 57,680 females) against 184.554 in | 1891. Penang and dependencies master a total of 248,207 against 235,618 in 1891. Malacca gives a total of 95,487 against 92,170 in 1891. Christmas Island shows 704 inhabi tants. The Cocos Islands claim 645 inhabitants. The total increase in the Straits Settlements since 1891 is 59,907 or 11.69 per cent. The increase in males is 34,600 or 10 per cent. and in females 25,307 or 15 per cent. The resident population of Europeans and Americans has increased by 669 or 205 per cent. There is a decrease of 1531 in the whole European and American population (including floating popula. tion and British-military) mainly owing to there not being a British regiment stationed here when the census was taken. The increas s in other nationalities are as follows:- Eurasians Chinese
Malays and Islanders Tamils and Indians Other nationalities
606 or 8.6 per cent, 53.944 or 23.7 per cent.
1,985 or 0.9 per cent, 3,223 or 60 per cout. 1,680 or 45.3 per cent.
The proportions of different nationalities in every 10,000 of the population in 1891 and at the Census are :-
Nationality. Europeans and Americans Eurasians
Chinese
Malays and Islanders
Tamils and Indians
Other Nationalities
Total
1891. 1901. 88 34
129 138
4,450 4,927 4,159 3,758 1,652 999 #2 94
10,000 10,000 The increase in the proportion of thiness is noteworthy. The ratio in which the four most numerous sections of the Chinese population have increased since 1891 is as follows:-Hok kien 25.5 per cent, Cantonese 20.4 per cent, Teo-Chiu 1 per cent., and Straits-born" 26.7 per cent.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
NANKING'S TRADE IN 1900.
Mr. P. C. Hansson, Assistant-in-Charge, reports on the trade, etc.. of Nanking in 1900. The past year was the first complete year of Nanking as a Treaty port, the Custom House having only been opened on May 1, 1899. though no actual disturbance occurred at
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Nanking or its environs-thanks to His Ex- cellency the Viceroy's wise policy and the splendid way in which the authorities, acting under his direct orders, kept the populace in hand-yet the upheavals in the North and, perhaps more than anything, the large gather- ing of warships of all nationalities at Woosung. did indeed for some time cause a panic amongst the merchants and brought trade almost to a standstill. This state of affairs, added to the
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closing of Tientsin and Peking, the chief markets for Nanking silk piece goods, caused | an utter stagnation throughout all branches of the silk industry. In fact, no more effective lock-out" ever took plae. To make the year a still worse one for the Nauking traders, says ¦ Mr. Hansson, the provincial examination, which was to be have been held in 1990, had to be | postponed on account of the Boxer rising. This examination occurring triennially, with an extra "a ko“-grace examination in celebration of some great public event-now and then, between them form quite an important commercial factor in this port, Assuming that each student spends $30 it would appear that the population of Nanking is the loser by some $600,00) through the postponement. On the other hand, the year, from au agricultural point of view, has fortunately been a good one, and foodstuffs have consequently been very cheap. | Since the new century promises to be a century of railway building for China, a
new and brilliant era should dawn upon the port of Nanking, on account of its excellent position as a terminus for the railways which will bring down the immense mineral and other wedth of the provinces of Anhwei. Honan, and Shansi. The distance from either Honan or Shansi is about the same to Nanking as to Hankow, and the engineering difficulties of
railway down to the river opposite Nanking are no greater than those of a line to Hankow. The great advantage, then, which should A satisfactory feature in the figures for the seruro to Nanking its position as the outlet for Colony is the increase since 1891 of females of these ich provinces is the fact of its being so over 15 years of age. As a natural result there much nearer the sea than Hankow and acces. has been a considerable increase in the pro- sible to the deepest draught ocean vessels at portion of children to persons over 15 years all seasons of the year. It is, therefore, only of age.
The phenomena advertel to show natural, that a line should have been projecte. that the consituent parts of the population from the mineral fields of hansi to the village of the Colony are undergoing important of Pu-kou, on the other side of the river to changes in their relative proportions, The Nanking as mentioned in the 1899 trade population of the Colony is becoming more report. Yet another ling, from the mineral settled. This tendency is further illustrated, district of Hsin-yang in Honan, through by the fact that Straits-born Chinese have Anhwei, with its terminus at Pu-kon, is increased in greater proportion than any other also in contemplation. Thes two lines, if Chinese race, notwithstanding the constant built, should revolutionis, commercial conditions inaux of late yours of unmarried immigrants.nt Nanking, while the line from Shanghai to There are now 44,022 Straits-born Chinese in Nanking should also give au impetus lq com. the Colouy as against 34,757 in 1891.
mercial life. One needs no prophetic eye to be able to foretell that, when these railways are built, the arrival of the first train will affect the place like the tonch of a magic wand and will be the signal for an activity which in years to come, when China shall have bee me the land of railways as she now is the land of waterways, will place Naning in the foremost rank of the Empire's commercial førte.
The increase of population in the Settlement of Singapore is almost entirely confined to the town. The resident population of the Municipality has increased since 1894 by 37,406 and the extra municipal population by only 1,040. Persons living in sampans on the river and harbour are included in the floating popula.
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dollars-the people disposing of their oum. bersome cash, which, in consequence, fetched therefore speedily reopened and worked at very exceedingly good prices. The mint was high pressure, turning out 20,000 to 40,000 dollars a day until the market got choked with
them
It being impossible any longer to stave off the inevitable end, the mint was finally closed on October 21. and the foreign assayer,
Mr. Wharton, left for home.
SWATOW.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Swatow, 19th September.
THE HOUSE TAX.
I have already drawn attention to this new tax, the levy of which, however, has not as yet begun. On the pretext of having to pay this imposition, owners of houses have combined in raising the rents ranging from 15 to 25 per cent. As the fax to be collected is to amount only to 5 per cent. of the rental, the excessive rents demanded are a gross extortion which may generate dissatisfaction among the people.
PECULATION BY A CHINAMAN.
Information reaches me from Tinghai, where the Ancestral Hall of the people concerned is situated, that, owing to the claim of Kim Sing Lee not being satisfied, the Ancestral Hall was seized and sealed by the local officials, pending settlement of the demand. The procedure has been resented by the whole population of that district, whose putative docility accounts for no disturbances having taken place. Mr. Windsor who intends to leave Swatow shortly, has gone, in company of a French missionary, to Chow- chowfoo to see the Taotsi there.
ABOLITION OF THE FOREIGN BOARD." Owing to the causes set forth in my last communication the Taotai has done away with the Yeng Wa Chah " and thereby ended what might have provod, if managed judiciously and properly, a valuable adjunct to the Taotai's Yamen, in dealing with foreign_affairs. It appears that in establishing the "Foreign Board
the Tastai ommitted to report this to the Viceroy of this province.
י.
TAOTAI'S REJIGÑ¿TION NOT accepted. The Viceroy os refused to accept the local Taotai's resignation of office, and hence the latter will remain at his post
A VIEW OF CAPTAIN SUPERIN- TENDENT MAY.
Under the heading of “Departure of a Per- sonage," the Hongkong correspondent of the N. Daily News, writes: —The Colony has sustained a loss in the departure by German mail steamer on the 5th last, of the Hon F. H. May, C.M.G., Captain-Superintendent of Police, who has gone home on a well-earned leave of absencɔ. Sɔms residents are of #opinion that it wwald by batter that he should not return. The truth is, there has bɔɔn mach friction of late between Mr. May and the community. A capable, industrions, and hard- working official, Mr. May was formerly popular and respected. Ho is still rospected, but trath compels me to say that he is popular no longer. Impatient of opposition, somewhat arbitrary in his methods, and rather too free with his tongue when heated, Mr. May has on more than one occasion come into serious collision with his opponents, and helped to turn the Sanitary Board into a bear-gʻirden. Ho is accused by his opponents of being too off al, and of aspiring to run the Colony. And it must be conceded that the honourable gentleman bås all the qualifications that go to Unfortunately the Colony
make a Dictator
tion as distinct from the resident. The number
An Imperial Commissioner, superintending of these persons has largely increased since 1891. The enormous disproportion between
the making of Court robes, resides at Nading, the numbers of the two sexes of Chinese races
and owing to the somewhat scant wardrobes at Singapore has been somewhat reduced the Court was said to be possessed of on its since 1891. In that year the proportions arrival at Hsianfu, a good deal of silk clothing of Chiness males and females of over 15 made by the Imperial looms has been forwarded years of age in 1,000 persons were:--Males to the Court from here. 857, females 143. The corresponding figures
The year has seen the opening of a British, does not want a Dictator. and is not in a mood for this census are:-Males 831, females an American, and a German Consulate-for | to be run by the Head of the Police Depart
1 169. The proportions between the two sexes of political rather than commercial reasons, mays ment. Mr. May's undoubted talents are being Indian races are about the same as at last Con. Mr Hansson. The greatest importance attach- | wasted in that department, and I am sure his The preponderance of the Chinese race ined itself to the policy of the Viceroy, His fellow-colonists would hail his promotion to the Settlement over other races is more marked Excellency Liu Kang yi, consequent on the turn the prit of Colonial Secretary in another than 10 years ago. In every 10,000 of the of affairs in the North, and numerous high Colony with genuine pleasure. He seems to population there are 7,177 Chinese as against civil and military officials, both foreign and have outgrown his post here, and it is not 6,606 in 1891. Twelve thousand eight hundred Chinese, have at various times visited Nanking | advisable-even in the event of the Colonial and eighty-eight persons were returned at this to consult with His Excellency. The Kiangaan Secretary being transferred-to see another Census as belonging to the Hok-Chiu tribe. Mint, one of the three Yangtze Valley mints, There was no separate classification of riksha shut down in the beginning of June, owing to coolies in Singapore who are recruited from financial difficulties. The taking of the Taku Forts, however, croated a sudden demand for
sus.
this tribe.
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local cadet alvanced to that post. A prophet has no honour in his own country, and we do not want any more experiments in this direc- tion. It is most desirable that the various
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