L
348
to pay its way, it is satisfactory to be able to report that during the year-1901 the revenue collected more than frebled the amount collected in 1900. There are also signs of advancement in other directions. A cracker factory has been erected near Un-lung and a factory for the dis- tilling of native spirits is iu course of erection at Tun-Wan,
Was
A very large establishment for the preparation of Soy for export is in full work at Kowloon City, and, like the other enterprises I have mentioned, is entirely supported by Chinese capital. I understand further that the Land Court finds that the customary mortgages to which mach of the agricultural land formerly subject, are being redeamed on every hand by the landowners, and this I regard as significant of a general advance in the value of property, and of an appreciation of this advance by the villages themselves. It is certain that. when the land settlement is further advanced and titles to land settled, progress will be more rapid. Capitalists are quite prepared to invest their capital in varions onterprises, but refrain from doing so notil they are able to obtain a proper title to the land they wish to puroliasa. It must also be remembered that the New Territory has proved a ralnable acquisition in corlain ways which are not generally remembered, especially by those inclined to decry the extension of the Colony of Hongkong. As regards water- supply, the water for the Kowloon Peninsula is at present obtained from the New Territory; and it is difficult to see how the present and future water requirements of the ever-increasing population of Kowloon could have been met had not the New Territory come under the agis of Great Britain. It is not too much to say that. without the New Territory, the development of Kowloon must have been arrested. whereps, through its aid, the continued progress of Kow loon is assured. It is also not altogether beyond the bounds of probability that some day it may.be recessary to utilise the water from the watershed of Taimo Shan for the supply of the Island of Hongkong. I am also informed, by those competent to express an opinion, that Mirs Bay contains some of the finest harbours in the
|
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND Gompertz, the President of the Land Court, stated that the whole of th New Territory on the main land, exclusive of Sai Kung peninsula and of Ts'in Wan. has been demarcated, while
each owner of land has a number-ticket for
every lot he claims to be Lis property. Over more than two thirds of this area the claims have been already got in, and the balance should be in my hands within the next three months. The disputes in the outlying districts are relatively few in number, and several months of regular sittings will probably dispose of those already in my hands. The total number of claims received over the whole Territory up to
31st December last is 69,253, the total num- ber of lots demarcated being Eleven thousand three hundr. d and fifty (11,350) houses have been unnbered to ›upplement those of the Survey Maps that have been plotted on a 16 in scale. Rent Rolls of the Tai Po District an! again of Tung Chung and Mni Wo, which com prise the greater part of the cultivation in Lan Tao, are now,being made out, and fresh districts will be proceed it with as soon as, to the materials now in my hands, are added the com- pleted lot areas now under computation by the Cadastral Sury J Staff.
[May 5, 1902.
exceptional. When compared with 1'99, the year previous to the disturbance, the inor se is only about two million yen. If te experts to China are destined to increase at the same rate as from 1896 to 1991, th increase of 2,000,000 yen as compared with 1899 can be regarded as rather à retrogression, It is natural that the xport to China this year should increase, if nothing to retard the trade It has been reported that the trade between Japan and China has been interfered with this year by the advance in the rate of exchange; dne to the fall in the price of silver, yet the exports have continued, to increase every month, as will be seen from the following figures:
occurs.
January... February
19.12
19.1 Y2,756,592 Y1770919 3,388,212 2,209,674 Thus the figures show an increase of about a million you each month. It the rate of increase in the two months be maintained throughout, the increase may re.ch some 12,00 1,000 yen at the end of the year.
In conclusion, the Jiji reminds the Japanese merchants and manufacturers that it is doubtful whether the present state of the trade with China can be maintained when the indemni'y THE FOREIGN TRADE OF JAPAN shonld devise menos to reduce the producing is paid off, and suggests that the manufacturers FOR 1901.
expenses, and be prepared to meet with the demands of the time.
The Jiji has an article reviewing the returns [ of the foreign trade of the Empire for last year. published by the R-renne Bureau in the Fi- nance Department. Our Tokyo contemporary regards the result as satisfactory in the main The excess of imports over exports was only 3,000,000 yen. but when the increase in the import of sugar and petroleum is deducted in anticipation of the coming into force of the revised import tariff OB those articles, the exports show an excess of some 1,000,00) yẹn over the imports. It is very gratifying to note that the to al value of exports last year was so large- the largest on record, showing an in- crease of 47,900,00 yen as compared with the preceding year.
yaro
To the increase of the exports, raw silk and silk goods contributed 36.800,000 yen; foods and drinks 5.800 000 yen; minerals and metals | 5,000,000 yen ; ̧ and cotton and colton goods 1,100,000 yen. Besides these, there are some other articles which show an advance, the not increnso being 47,90,000 yen. The success of the export trade this year chiefly depends upon the state of the market in certain principal staples. In expert commodities of the Empire, raw silk is ranked at the head of the list, and its export, regarded as a whole, continues to in rease with powerful strides, but there is occasionally much fluctuation in silk dne to changes in the fashions of dress in Europe and America. Last year's prosperity in the matter of raw silk and silk goods can of be confidently expected to recur this year. The United States is the best customer for raw silk and silk goods, and it
world and that it is not necessary to cross the Kowloon Hills to find an ideal area for exercising troops. I have always held the opinion that the New Territory was not "a white elephant." as I have not infrequently heard unkind critics describe it. Events have already justified the favourable estimate of its future which I formed and embodied in the report I wrote after I had visited it for the first timo It is not pruilent to prophecy unless one is certain, still I venture to predict that before long the inhabitants of this Colony will wonder how even the most arrant pe simist could have beld any but the most favourable views regarding the future of the New Territory. This will be my last report on the New Territory and, in bidding it farewell, I do so with great regret, mingled with pleasant reminiscene s of conflicting work must be remembered that the success of the carried on in the midst of most charming and foreign trade of the Empire last year was beautiful scenery, and lessoned by the recollec-entirely due to the silk market. tion that I have been and still remain a staunch believer in its future.
STAFF.
The Departments concerned in the adminis, tration of the New Territory during the year have been The Land Court, the Magistracy, the Police, Indian Survey-Topographical and Cadastral, the Public Works, and the Medical Department. The Land Court was constituted as follows:-President, H. E. Pollock, K.Q; Member, H. H. J. Gompertz; Registrar, J. R. Wood; Registrar, E. D. C. Wolff; Deppty Registrar, Cheung Tsoi; Land Surveyor, B.W. Grey; Demarcation Officer, S. R. Moore; Demarcation Officer, A. J. Mackie; Chief Clerk in charge of Branch Offices Yam/Chi Kiu Police and Magistracy.-Mr. E R. Hallifax has been in charge of the Police Force with his headquarters at Tái Pó; be has also carried on the duties of Police Magistrate. Indian Survey--Mr. Tate and Mr. Newland up to July 22th, afterwards Mr. Newland in sole charge. Public Works.-Messrs. Gale and Hughes have been in charge of roads and buildings construction. Medical-Dr. Ho Nai Hop has been Resident Medical Officer at Túi Po.
The export of foods, drink ‹ and certain other articles is mostly to the Oriental States, chiefly to China, and the improvement of the trade with China last year increased the shipment of those articles. It may be hop d that this pro- sperity will continue. The value of the exports to China last year showed an increase of some 10,000,000 yen compared with those for the preceding year, but it is very doubtful whether an increase will be shown last year. The trade with China sine the war has, however, con- tinued to show improvement as follows:-
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
Exports. Imports. Y13,823,843 Y21,344,521 21,325065 29.265,845 29,193.175 30,523,860 40.257,034 28,389.225 31,871,576 29,960,740 42,925,578 27,256,986 It will be seen from these figures that the exports to China steadily continue to increase year after year by seven to eight million ye; though the imports fluctuate. From this it is possible to hope that the increase of exports can be maintained in the future. The trade with China considerably fell off in 1990, in con- sequence of the disturbance in North China, so that the increase last year in comparison In an appendix to the report, Mr. H. H. J. with the preceding year cannot be said to be
*
LAND. COURT RESULTS,
SWATOW.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.
Swalow. 25th April.
NAVAL MOVEMENTS.
I was quite a pretty, if not a novel, sight to See H.M.SS Rosario, Rinaldo, Mutine and Vestal steam into the barbour on the 22nd instant. I am assured on good anthority that there have never been four British men-of-war in our port at one, anil the same time. Their appearance therefore caused quite a stir in native circles The men-of-war will very likely be leaving to- morrow. two of them departing for the South and the other two going North.
FOOTBALL.
Au impromptu football match, which at- tracted laige crowds of Chinese, was played by HMS. Rosario v H.M.S, Vestal, resulting by a goal in favour of the former team.
CLANF.GHTS.
1 doubt whether in
Claufights and kindred disturbances my tightly be associated with Swatow and its surrounding districts. any other part of the Chinese Empire there exists so much auimosity between one class or clan and another as is here the case, and it only requires the least spark to inflame the latent ill-feeling of one sect against another with dire aud regrettable results. On the night of the 2 nb instant, at about 10 o'clock, there was a great disturbance close to the Presbyterian Mission compound, and, judging by the thundering noise made, one had reason to imagine that a riot had broken out. It was only the following day that I managed to elicit any information. It appears that the cargo- boat people attacked, without any previous warning, the fishermen who have their bead- quarters in a small bay close to the aforemen- tioned Mission. The fishermen retaliated and in turn attacked the cargo-boat gang at their place the next day. Bamboos, stones, poles, etc, were freely used in the combat. and many with broken heads bemoan d their short- sihted policy. All the trouble occurred because a fisherman b-longing to that particular guild had the audacity 10 put his boat in a place where the cargo-boats-usually lie!
1
ENDOWMENT OF A COLLEGE.
A well-to-do Penang merchant, by name Tai Chan Yung, who is a native of Tai-pu, intends settling $160,000 for the opening and support of a Anglo-Chinese college which is to be erected in his native place.
A RAILWAY SCHEME.
Pe Chu, is the promoter of the latest railway A cert in influential natire, by name Chang enterprise which is to connect Swatow with the He has issued a prefecture of Chowchowfoo prospectus in Chinese, from which I make the following (xtracts:-"The name of the cɔncern to be the Chao-Shan Railway Company, Ld.. with a capital of one million dollars, in $100 shares
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