January 17, 1903.]
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. arrangements must be made on the assumption cables connecting Hongkong with £ingapore or that a considerable propor ion of cables will be Labuan, and, so far as would appear from the cut The Com Litlee thus arrive at two information at our disposal, to only quid pro priuciples leading to diametrically opposite cou- quo for the virtual monopoly thus granted is clusions. The more probable it is that cibles that Goverment messages are to be sent over will not be cnt, the greater the value of an the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company's | all-British oible. The mare probable it is that lines at half rates, the protection of the thy can be cnt, the greater value of a cable touch-pablic in the matter of charges apparently ing on foreign territory." In view of these cou-being entirely ignored. To this undesirable flicting considerations the Committee have not stat of affairs, it is thought you may well con- found it easy to formulata a goperal ruls, but sider it necessary in the interesis of commerc? the report goes on to say that we think, te call the attention of H.M. Government, and bowever, that appreciable but not param nut it is to ba hoped that, even if the agreement and value must be attachel to All-British rontes; its binding effects on the public cannot by got and we regard it as desirable that every rid of for the present, strict instructious may important Colony or Naval base should possess | be i sned that a renewal of it is not to bo per one cable to this country which touches only mitted without a radical change in the condi- on British territory or on the territory of soma tions thereof. Ind-ed, this Chamber is unable | friondly neutral. Wo think that after this to see the necessity for debarring any other there should be is many alternative cables ns British Cable Companies from applying for, and possible, but that these should be allowed to' being granted, lauding rights in Hongkong follow the normal routes suggested by com. and its dependencies, ou any reasonable condi- mercial considerations."
tins, and certainly there should be nothing in the a.ture of a monopoly such as appears to be conferred by the agreement in question.
in cables this Committco feel it unnece sary to further labour this most vital point.
A long list of cable lines that have been suggested to the Committee is ennumerated in the report, and there is something to be said In view of the Inter-Departmental Commit for the construction of any or all of these liuos,” teo's recommendation and conclusións (8) advo but, the report says, "we do not think that incating the necessi'y of encouraging “free trade the majority of cises the advantage is such as to justify the State either in constructing them itself or in aiding their coustruction from public funds." Exceptions are made, however, in favour, of the three cub'es mentioned in paragraph (3) of the summarisal recommen/la- tions of the Committee (quoted above), on purely strategic grounds.
As to rates the Committeo " are not prepared to say that any of the existing rates are ex- cessive, with the exception of those to the Gold Coast and Nigeria," and they recommend that an attempt should be made to reduce these in connection with the renewal of the Eastern Telegraph Companies' landing rights in Corn. wall next year. The report also states that we would welcome the introduction of deferred rates in certain specified case 1.'
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I should by glad to receive any expression of opinion which your Chamber may think it desirable to make upon these ponclusions, and whether you think any such opinion should be expressed in the form of a further resolution to be brought forward at the next Cougress. — Yours faithfully,
KENRIC B. MURRAY,
Becretary.
The SECRETARY,
Chamber of Commerce, Hongkong.
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The other principal conditious of the af re- named agreement appear to show that nothing therein is to prevent the Great Northern Telograph Co. from repairing anl replacing any submarine cable alrealy counes'ed with Hoagkong, or to projulie. the rights of that Company. What thesa righ's may be this Committee havo no information, but it is to be noted in regard to this that the Company in question is not a Betish Company; also that the agreement is not to affect the right of H.M. Government to grant the Canadian or Australiau Governments permission to lay a cable conureting Hongkong with Canada or Austra'i provided that such connection be completed within five years from date of the agreement, It will be observed that this period (to 1959) has already lapsed, and this Chamber has no information whether arrange. ments have been made for its renewal, which in view of the projected Facific Cables it is most desirable shon'd bз brought about, and it is to ba hoped that the Caualian and Australian Government my ba moved to open this question with H.,'s Government.
The only coalitions of the agreement of any moment appear to be the reservation to H.M.'s Government of a right of purchass of the cable from Hongkong to Singapore and the focing of the Cabls Co.'s repairing vossols from port and light due; as Hougkong, and other poris,
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recompense him for conduoting the business on efficient lines.)
The result of this attempt is seen in the attached atvertisement, which puts a successful- boycoft on the project, which accordingly had to be aband ned. It is tus that the Imperial Chinese Telegraph Adminis ration is put for-- ward in the advertisement as the author of the boycott, but the publio can hardly serionsly baliers that the other Companies (which enjoy from H.M. Government the protection monopoly as far as Hongkong is concerned) sre not also concerned in the manœuvre, und, if this surmise be correct, it is hardly to their credit, and may be mitter for further representations It is certainly reversing the usual cours when a through rate is much higher than two local rates combined.
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It may also be of interest to mention that - another non-British Co., the Imperial Chinese Telegraph Administration, also has an office in this Colony for the receipt and despatch of telegrams, but under what rights or agreements that Administration has been enabled to connect its Hongkong Office with the mainland, is not within the knowledge of this Committeo.
This Committeo, in placing their views; and the aforementioned statements before you, trust that they may have the benefit of the strongest, representations of your Committed with a view to bringing about some remedy of the position of affairs disclosed.-Yours faithfully,
The SECRETARY,
A. R. Lowe,
Secretary.
London Chamber of Commeros.
THE NAVY LEAGUE (HONG- KONG BRANCH).
ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual meeting of the Hongkong Branch of the Navy League was held on Thursday afternoon in the City Hall, Mr. H. E. Pollock, K.C., presided, and the members of the Com- mittee who were present were Messrs. B. Layton, R. C. Wilcox, Gershom Stewart, M. W. Slade. D. R. Law, W. A. Cruickshank, and Captain G. C. Anderson (Hon. Fecretary). The attendance of membe:s was not large.
The HON. SECRETARY read the n∙tics calling the meeting and the minutes of the last annual meeting of the Branch.
AN
The CHAIRMAN in moving the adoption of the report, which was held as read, having been circu'ated, said it showed that the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerc1,
Branch had done active and energetic work Hongkong, 23th August, 1902.
sin e they last met. The meeting this year had DEAR SIR.-I am directed to acknowledge
been fixed rather earlier, as they hoped to be the recept, with thanks, of your communica. The commercial communities in Chios an! able by that means to get a fairly large attend- tion dated 28th May list, on the subject of Hongkong have long felt themselves seriously ance. But it would seem that in Hongkong Imperial Cable Communications, and to state handicappel by the heavy tariff of charges nothing less exoi îng thay a new dock saheme that the Committee of this Chamber consider, enforced by the Cable Companies in consequenos or the malaris mosquito was able to bring to- after the expression of opinion by the Inter- of the virtual monopoly enjoyed by these com gother a large audience. From the report it Departmental Committee to the effc tuat,panies and several attempts have at times boen would be seen that the committee had effere i with the exception of those to the Gull Coast made to gain some measure of relief. It may a prize of £50 to the Commander-in-Chief for and Nigeria, existing rates are not excessive, it perhaps interest you to heir of the latest, and of the encouragement of guunery in the ships on is useless to continus the discussion for the its fate. As may be known to you. the rates this station. That prise was offorol absolutely present. In view, however, of the fact that the from Hongkong and China to Russia are on a nucouditionally and without restrictions what- rates between India and Great Britain, and low preferential basis, not exceeding, viz., ever, and it had b.en a source of sonte between the Straits Settlements and Great $1.20 per word. This, with the rate of not regret to the committee that the author- Britain had been reduced after the issue of the exceeding $9.45 per word from Rus is to the|ilies had not seen their way to accept Inter-Departmental Committee's Report, the Unite! Kingdom, gives a through cost of not the prize. After a delay of sɔmo months Committee of this Chamber will shortly oucs over $1.65 per word, as against the through in answering their letter, which he presum more press for a reduction of the Hongkong tariff rate of $2.80 per word Hongkong to the ed was due to the fact that the Admiral rates.
United Kingdom charged by the Cable Com-desired to communi ate with the home authori- I am also requested to point out that accord. ganies. It was th ught that, if any agency ties, they were informed that the on r was It seemed regretable ing to the agreement for landing rights granted were established in Russia, through which | declined "with thanks. by the Hongkong Governmen to the Cable messages to and from the United Kingdom that the anthorities could not have seen their Companies the public are practically in the might be passed at the above reduced way to accept the offer, because there was no hands of these Companies in the matter of charge, such pressure might thereby be brought doubt that in the case of a naval struggle charges, and to express the hope that in view to bear on the Cable Companies as would in- accurate marksmanship would count for a very of the special reference (recommendati n andduce them to lower their tariff rate for great deal. In Great Britain recently a great conclusion 7) by the Inter-Departmental Com-through messages, and with this object in view deal of enthusiasm had been witnessed on be- mittee to the question of landing rights your a Mr Nielsen, till recently an employee of half of so-olled rifle clubs, and the nation_hid assistance may be relied upon to bring a superior raak in the service of the Great undoubtedly realized that on land it was of the termination of this state of affairs at the Northern Telegraph Company, made arrange utmost importance that men should not merely earliest possible opportunity.
ments to proceed to Riga, and to open an office be provided with gans but should be able to use there for the receipt and forwarding of all them with precision and good effect. Hear, | messages from his constituents and for which bear.) Well, if that rule held go
purposs he received the support of a large laad how much more was? number of firms here, and in Ühins. (We may every encouragement possible should here mention that the above stated charge of to gunnery practica and accurate $1.65 per word, would have given Mr. Nielsen, board ship, where the difference according to his calculations, sufficient profit to and a miss might possibly have
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From the information at the disposal of this Chamber, it appears that in 1894 the Govern- ment entered into an agrement with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, binding for 25 years, whereby the Government ingaged not to grant or permit to be granted any conces sion or anthority for laying any new sub marine
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