March 29, 1902.]
that only 1.39 in. of rain has fallen during November, December and January, the ex- penditure incurred for watering streets has been unusually heavy."
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
On the motion of the CHAIRMAN, the recom-reaching power of the Chinese Imperial mendation was approved.
This was all the business.
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual meeting of the Hongkong Geueral Chamber of Commerce was held on Monday after- noon, the 24th March, in the Chamber Room, City Hall. Sir Thomas Jackson (Chairman) presided, and others present were-Messrs. C. S. Sharp (Vice-Chairman), A. Haupt, E. A. Hewett, Hon. J. J. Bell Irving, Messrs. W. Poate, R. L. Richardson, N. A. Siebs, H. E. Tomkins, Hon. T. H. Whitehead (ex-officio) (General Committee); Mr. R. C. Wilcox (Secretary), Messrs. H. P. White, D. Moses, Ho Fook, G. W. F. Playfair, Hon. J, Thurburn, Messrs. G. H. Medhurst, E. Osborne, A. J. Raymond, E. W. Rutter, Geo. L. Tomlin, M. Stewart, H. W. | Slade, S. G. Setna, J. R. Micha 1, G. T. Vaitoh, J. Barton, P. Von der Pfordten, T. Hodsumi, C. W. Dickson, A. Ross, J. W. Ross Taylor, E. Goetz, G. H. Dann, and N. G. EvaDS.
The SECRETARY having read the notice calling the meeting,
me
away,
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to be quite sure that lekin will not revive under | after considering the matter decided not to another designation. Á tax by any other name make any change in the existing regulations, would taste as sweet to the Mandario. But, The recommendation of the Chamber for the gentlemen. I have a strong belief in the far- appointment of a second Health Officer, and for →
these officials to devote their whole time to tle Government. That Government has long duties of the post, was met by the Government hands, and cau stretch them out to the remotest with approval, the serious conséquences of province of the Empire when it serves its unnecessary delays to steamers being fully interest to do so. Proof of this is to be found recognised. It is I may say a maxim of the in the fact that no Viceroy however powerful Chamber not to interfere if it can be avoided in has ever dared long to resist an Imperial domestic legislation or any question relating to mandate, and the comparative ease with which, politics. The protection of trade is our pro- since the acquisition of gunboats and arms of vince, and like the cobbler, we should stick to precision, rebellions have been put down. our last. But there are occasions when matters Gentlemen, it will now best serve the purpose connected with the local administration are so of the Chinese Government to keep faith, in bound up with the interests of trade, that it fact it is vital to them. They must pay the becomes our duty as well as our right to draw indemnities, and it will tax their resources to attention to them. The epidemic of plague was the utmost to do so, It is only necessary for last year so serious, and its effect upon trade so to show you how essential it is for the Chin s considerable, that your Committee addressed Government to foster trade to the great benefit the Government urging the adoption of of their res arces. When the indemnities were rigorous measures to stop the ravages of the settled the tael stood in Shanghai at an disease and to safeguard the future, as far as exchange of 2/73 T.T. To-day the quotation is possible. The whole subject of the sanitation of 2/5 and the difference entailed by this alone The Colony was warmly taken up at the time, to the Chinese Government represents a very and still fully engages the attention of the large amount. This money (also their other authorities, let us hope with the very best large requirements for principal and interest results. A proposal to register the names of on former loans) must be raised; but how by the partners in Chinese hongs, which has at increasing the volume of foreign trade, by free various times been strongly advocated, has ing exports of the duties that handicap them, recently been under consideration. The Com- and thus give a needed stimulus to production. mittee appointed by the Governor in March, 1 believe that this result may be arrived at, and 1901, made their report in September last, The minutes of last meeting were confirmed. though I recognise the force of the argument and declared as the result of their enquiry SIE THOMAS JACKSON said-Gentlemen, as that the British nation as the one most largely that registration was impracticable, because the report of the Committee and the Secretary's interested in the China trade would be the of the difficulty of getting the true names accounts for the year 1901 have been in your principal contributor of the increased import of the partners, the expense that would hands for the past week, I propose with your duties, yet in the long run they would be repaid be entailed, and the probability that such tend to drive capital leave and following the usual custom to take by the increase of trade that would follow. It legislation would them as read. The report of the Committee is because I entertain this belief I personally deals pretty fully with the principal subjects am in favour of the principle of Sir James which have engaged our attention during the Mackay's proposal. I am of opinion, the past year, some of which call for little comment more it is considered the more it will com- from me. The year 1901 was rendered com- mend itself to all engaged in commerce here. mercially important by the signing at Peking I do not wish to commit the Chamber to a of the Protocol embodying the terms of peace definite expression of opin'on, I merely give on the 7th of September. The facts are too you my own views. I want to see progress but fresh in your memories to need recapitulation. it must be retarded until you get inland taxes The details of the new tariff are now being on trade removed. It seems to me that a great negotiated, and the special Commissioner (Sir opportunity has now occurred to procure their James Mackay) has made a proposal for the abolition, and that i should be availed of even abolition of lekin which has raised consider- at the cost of a higher direct import du y. able controversy in the north of China. The much vexed question of the preferential It will be remembered that my predecessor duties accorded by the Hoppa or Superinten- in this chair (Mr. R. M. Gray) referring to the dent of Native Customs at Canton to junk settlement of the terms of peace said in the borne cargo has come to an end, their collection course of his remarks at the last annual meet- having been handed over to the Imperial ing" When it comes to actual settlement Maritime Customs. This grievance has been there is reason to hope that the terms will for many years agitated by the Chamber, but Government include the arrangement of all outstanding without success, the Chinese questions, claims and grievances, the removal always demanding proofs which owing to the of all illegal duties on imports, the abolition of timidity of the Chinese shippers were never injurious monopolies, and cessation from the forthcoming. In a circular issued recently continual harassment of trade by squeezing by the Matting Guild at Canton they openly Mandarins. Foremost among these we look to, state
NOW the native Customs are and must press for, the abolition of lekin and collected by the Imperial Maritime Customs the various exactions levied on Foreign goods 10 advantage is to be gained by ship- Sf after leaving the treaty port; what we have ping in junks-the inference is obvious. specially to contend for is the imposition of one
local matters dealt with by the Chamber during duty on landing, which will frank the goods to the past year success has in some cases crowned any portion of the interior. ' Now, gentlemen, the efforts of your Committee to inaugurate what I understand Sir James Mackay changes or resist innovation, but sometimes it to have proposed is this: That in con-
has been otherwise; thus in the matter of the sideration of the Chinese Government amendment of the Merchant Shipping Consolida undertaking to abolish entirely all internal taxation whether imperial, provincial, local or municipal, on all merchandise, foreign or native, whether for import, export, or internal Consumption (salt and native opium aloue excepted) and to remove all lekin and other barriers except those required for the two excepted articles, the import duties be raised to 15 per cent. by a surtax of 10% in lieu of the present half duty which franks imports whilst under transit passes.
The British Government to reserve to itself the right to cancel this arrangenment, and revert to the now existing conditions should the Chinese Government fail to carry
out the stipulations of the Agreement. With the broad principle of this proposal I think most of us will agree; the chief points of divergence likely to arise, I imagine, are as to the amount of the proposed increase of tariff and the guarantees the Chinese Government can give for the faithful performance of the Agreement, and of their actual ability to enforce the abolition of these internal taxes. We ought
that
rather than at ract it to the Colony. The subject had never been so thoroughly threshed out before and the diff. culties in the way had hitherto perhaps not been sufficiently appreciated. During the year no step has been taken by the Telegraph Com- paies to reduce the tariff for messages between the Far East and Europe, though the rate was reduced between Europe and India on the fist of this month to 2s. 6d, per word, and 18. per word for Press messages. This unfair discrimination between India and the Far East is probably due to the influence of the Great Northern Company in the part- nership here. Whatever the cause may be the fact remains that we are being most illiberally dealt with, and it naturally inelines us to favour the scheme put forward by the Ottawa Board of Trade for direct connection throughout the world by State-owned cables under the control of the Post Office. The monopoly enjoyed by the Joint Telegraph Companies will not last much longer, for the projected cables across the Pacific will soon give us a choice of routes. The excuse put forward for the delay in reduc ing rates in the Far East is the postponement of the Telegraph Conference, but, this has not proved an impediment to the reduction of the rate to India, and I fail to see how it should affect us here. The Chinese Imperial Customs report for 1901 shows that the Foreign trade for the year was (with the exception of 1899) larger than for any previous year-s very hopeful feature wha we consider the awful trials the North of China has recently passed through, and an index of the increase of trade we may reasonably expect under ordinary. circumstances, The Statistical Secretary con- cludes his report with the following words, vis.;;
of
tion Ordinance, what we thought a reasonable amendment was at the suggestion of the Committee moved in Council by the Chamber's representative, having for its object to relieve
The principal fact to bear in mind however the steamship owners of the responsibility for expense incurred through the removal and would seem to be that the Chinese in spite treatment ashore of passengers who may be taken their difficulties were able to spend twice as ill on board. A petition has in consequence been much silver on foreign goods as they did in, addressed to the Secretry of State praying that 1891." Coming nearer home I think we can, claim that 1901 was a prosperousTORE, this section of the Ordinance may be disallowed The Government have established a new mono- for Hongkong, tempered probably by a little poly in the Colony, in the shape of a farm to col-over-speculation in land and, stocks. Still fect ashes from the ships, which the Chamber amidst the ups and downs we have had to very strongly disapproved of. The principle is contend with I think I may fairly record the radically unsound and is very likely to lead to word-Progress. I think I have touched upon abuses. The recurrent disuters to steamers the principal items dealt with in the report, entering or leaving the port through the You will readily believe that the Committes has had ample subjects, to occupy its objectionable pr.ctice of junks trying to cross their bows induced the Committee to make a attention during the year. The Committe suggestion to the Government for the better has undergone less change than usual since it was elected; you will have to elect a new Com regulation of such oralt either by laying down new ules or by throwing on the junks the mittee to-day. Our membership has responsibility of keeping out of the way of in- glad to say further increased. We coming or outgoing steamers. The Government regret the death of Messrs. Francia
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