SUPPLEMENT
TO THE
Hongkong Weekly Press
螽
VOL. LVII
AND
China Overland Trade Report.
HONGKONG, SATURDAY, 23rd MAY, 1903.
No. 21
Annual Report of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
The report of the General Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Com- merce, for the year ending 31st December last, for presentation to the members at the annual meeting fixed for to-morrow, is as follows:-
A great variety of subjects have engaged the attention of your Committee during the past year with satisfactory results in most
cases.
PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE LAW RELATING
TO EMPLOYEES AND SERVANTS, It was brought to the notice of the Com. mittee in June last that under the then existing law there were no effectual regula- tions to stop the increasing practice of Chinese employees leaving their employment without notice thereby causing loss and in- convenience to the employer against whom it was easy for an employee to recover damages for a similar fault on the master's part. Representations were made to the Government with a view to remedial legisla tion being enacted, and the Committee are of opinion that the Employers and Servants Ordinance, No: 45 of 1902, will go far to
meet the evil complained of.
ABSCONDING CHINESE DEBTORS.
and, through their absconding, the judgment of the Hongkong Court was set at defiance. The Committee advised the plaintiffs to represent the matter to the Government and they were informed that His Excellency the Governor could not see his way to take any action in the matter as suggested.
The Committee do not agree with the deci. sion of Mr. Consul-General Scott, and they may decide later to represent the matter to H.M.'s Minister at Peking.
DISINFECTION OF VESSELS AND DESTRUC- TION OF RATS BY CLAYTON'S PROCESS.
Rats Ondinance, 1902. The Government requested the opinion of the Chamber as to the desirability of using Clayton's process of pumping 802 gas into the holds of ships for the destruction of rats. Your Committee were adverse to the em- ployment of this process on the ground that the use of the apparatus would involve the detention of steamers and consequent heavy expense, and also because in most cases vessels calling here usually have large quantities of cargo on board for ports beyond Hongkong, and it would not, therefore, be practicable.
The Government drew the attention of the A case of considerable importance to Hong Chamber to the regulations drawn under kong's trade with China was brought to the section 3 of the Rats Ordinance of 1902 with notice of the Committee by Messrs. Mounsey a view to the shipping interests of the port & Brutton, solicitors. It appears that the Wo being fully informed on the subject. These Shang firm of Canton were in the habit of regulations are to be found on page 334 of the Gazette of the 15th March, 1902, and apply repairing to Hongkong and buying_goods on
to all ships not propelled by oars except credit from Fuk Tai firm of Hongkong junks and lorchas not propelled by steam. amongst others, which debts were not paid, There are also provisions to prevent rats and that the office of the debtors in Hongkong from entering buildings to which the atten- was closed and the person in charge went to Canton after demand for the debt had been tion of property owners is drawn. made, but before the issue of the writ of summons. The debt was admitted and judgment was obtained for $5,353.61 in the Supreme Court here!
The plaintiff's solicitors requested H.B.M.'s Consul General in Canton to act in concert with the Chinese authorities in Canton to enable the judgment debt to be satisfied. The Consul-General was however, of opinion that this was not a case of absconding" as defined by Article of the Tientsin Treaty, and advised an action being taken by plantiffs in person in the Chiness Courts.
Article 23 above referred to reads as follows:
"Should natives of China who may repair to Hongkong to trade incur debts there, the recovery of such debts must be arranged for by the English Court of Justice on the spot but should the Chinese debtor abscond, and be known to have property real or personal within the Chinese territory, it shall be the dúty of the Chinese authorities on application by, and in concert with, the British Consul, to do their utmost to see justice done between the parties." H
The defendants had property in Canton
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REGISTRATION OF JUNKS UNDER FOREIGN PLÁGS TO EVADE PAYMENT OF CHING- FEI LEVIED BY VICEROY OF
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THE TWO KWANG. The attention of the Government was drawn to the fact that junk owners were evading payment of this tax to the Imperial Maritime Customs at the Taishan Custom House at the entrance to the Canton River by resorting to the protection of foreign flags and producing documents stamped with the seal of the Ger- man and American Consuls authorising their respective flags to be used, and in virtue there of evade the tax in question. It was pointed out that British merchants and traders were precluded by the Shipping Regulations from attempting to make use of the British flag for the same purpose, and that it was a scandal that foreign merchants enjoying the hos pitality of the Colony should so abuse it as to use their flag as a means whereby to secure an unlawful advantage over their competitors in business. The Governmen agreed with the opinion expressed by the Committee, and there is reason to believe that means have been adopted to discourage the practice complained of,
INCREASE OF TAXATION ON OPIUM
AT CANTON.
A very serious attempt on the part of the Chinese authorities at Canton and Swatow was made to put a further heavy tax on opium in addition to those already providerl for by the Chefoo Convention. An office for the collection of the new tax of Tls. 115.20 per chest was opened in Canton on 5th July last, the effect of which was to stop shipments in transit and all imports of the foreign drug for some time. A similar state of affairs existed at Swatów.
Your Committee took energetic measures to protest against this exaction, which would have fallen almost entirely on the imported opium as, although the extra duty was to be payable both on the native and imported article, the forrier would escape much of the duty, as at present happens. It was pointed out to H.B.M.'s Minister at Peking that smug- gling would certainly be again resorted to in view of the greatly enhanced cost of the article, and the proposal to double the imports
on foreign opium was a poor return for the consideration shown by the British Govern ment to China in helping her to collect the opium taxes It was suggested that the provincial share of the indemnity due to the Foreign Powers might easily bemet by increas ing the duty on the native product, and, by strictly enforcing the same, a large revenue would be as ured and a vast contraband trade brought under control.
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This matter was referred to the Home
Authorities, and in December last, after negotiations extending over seven months, the final abolition of the new tax was accomplished. The Committee desire to place on record their appreciation of the energetic manner in which Sir Ernest Satów and Mr. Consul-General Scott brought this matter to a satisfactory conclusion,
PROPOSED FAST ATLANTIC SERVICE BY THE C. P. R. CO.
It cam to the knowledge of the Committee in September last that negotiations were pending between the CP. R. Co. and the Imperiat and Dominion Governments, with a view to the inauguration of a fast Atlantic Service which, if successful, would in all probab.lity be followed by a faster train service across Canada and quicker steamers to the Far East. As this proposal: Would have the effect of reducing the delivery of the mail from London, vid Canada, to about 25 days, the following resolution was passed and forwarded to the Government for trans- mission to the proper authorities --
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That this Chamber strongly endorses the necessity for a fast and reliable Atlantic service being inaugurated in connection with the present excellent service between China, Japan and Canada, and being of opinion, judging by the regularity, despatch
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