386
there would be some chance of its being completed in something less than a decade, the shortest period generally consumed here in arranging for the construction of a much- nceded work.
KWANG YU WEI,
(Daily Press, 28th May.) Some days ago we quoted from an Indian contemporary the statement that the well- known Chinese Reformer, KWANG YU WEI, who has recently been living at Darjiling, had been called back to Peking by the EMPEROR and that he left Calcutta for Hongkong on or about the 5th inst. Consequently he has had time to arrive, though we are unable to learn anything of his presence in Hongkong. We note that some of our Indian contempor aries have made much of the news of his recall, and regard the Reformer as being sufficiently well acquainted with Palace politics at Peking to enable him to brush nside the saggestion of
some of his friends that the Telegram wight be a forgery and that a rap was being laid for him. Upon the death of Yung Lu the EMPEROR stufed to have
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE NEW TELEGRAPH CODE.
(Daily Press, 29th May.)
A matter of considerable importance toʻ the commercial world was to come before the International Telegraphic Conference convened to meet in London this month. We refer to the question of the Vocabulary Code compiled by the International Bureau | of Telegraphic Administrations at Berne, which the Conference was expected to make compulsory. No information has yet come to hand as to whether the question has been decided, but the latest mail papers show that the proposal meets with strenu ous opposition from the leading Chambers of Commerce, including those of London, New York and Birmingham. The protest of the London Chamber was made at a largely attended meeting held last month under the presidency of Mr. KESWICK, M.P., a reso- Postmaster-General to decline on behalf of lution being passed urgently requesting the His Majesty's Government to accept the compulsory adoption of the proposed official vocabulary of code words. The resolution! further urged His Majesty's Government to decline to acquiesce in any other than a permissive use of the present vocabulary, other Governments which do not use or and if its official adoption be pressed by possess cables and telegraphic lines to the same extent as those in the hands of the British Government and companies, His Majesty's Government was urged to with draw, as far as this matter was concerned, from the International Telegraphic Union, Mr. KESWICK pointed out that all users of codes as at present constructed would be put to an immense amount of trouble and expense if the official vocabulary were mande compulsory. He urged that the "new vocabulary should be allowed to stand on its merits solely, and if it were better than be speedily recognised and its general atop of the existing codes its worth would tion would follow as a matter of course. Since this is precisely the claim made by the Berne International Convention, namely that it is better than the existing codes, surely there is no need to force it upon a public which would readily adopt it if it served the purpose better than the codes now in general use. But the manager of one of the Cable Companies "let the cat out of the bag when he set up a wail at the meeting that his Company had only been able to pay a dividend of 21 per cent. for the last 15 years, and that the compulsory
any
[June 1, 1903.
HARBOUR MASTER'S REPORT
¡ FOR 1902.
The report of the Harbour master (Hon. R. Murray Rumsey) for the year 1902 has been issued, and from it we make the following, ex- tracts :-
SHIPPING.
The total tonnage entering and clearing daring the year 1902 amounted to 21,528,780 tons, being an increase, compared with 1901, of 2,203,395 tons, and the same number in excess of any previous year. There were 51,542 arrivals of 10,783,502 tons, and 51,547 departures tonnage, 3,010,442 tons entered, and 3,005,143 of 10,754278 tons. Of British ocean-going
1,775,960 tons entered, and 1,780,238 tons tons cleared. Of British river steamers
cleared. Of foreign ocean-going tonnage, 3.273,317 tous entered, and 3.238,719 tons cleared, Of foreign river steamers, 95,766 tons entered, 95,909 tons cleared. Of steam launches trading to porte outside the Colony, 97.607 tons cleared.
trade, 916,016 tons entered, and 903,313 tons Of junks in foreign trade, 1,623,805 tons entered, and 1,624,344 tons cleared. Of junks in local cleared. Thus
per cent. British ocean-going tonuage represented 27.94
river
16.52
river
"
Foreign ocean-going
+
+1
Steam launches in local foreign trade
Juoks
11
30.25
0.89
0.91
... 15.04
8.45
100.0)
6,192 steamers, 47 sailing vessels, 1.820 steam launches, and 17,978 junks in foreign trade, entered during the year, giving a daily average. of 71.2, as against 67.6 in 1901. For European, constructed ressels, the daily average would between the years 1901 and 19 2 for vessels be 17.1, as against 14.8 in 1901. A comparison under the British flag shows an increase of 387 ships of 358,148 tons. These figures are, however, misleading, for river steamers are responsible for an increase of 397 ships of 157,39 tons. This leaves a net decrease of 10
steamers is due to the fact that the one vessel ocean-going ships with an increase in tonnage of 200,609 tons. The above increase in river
telegraphed to KWANG YU WEI asking him to return immediately to Peking and pro mising the Reformer personal protection Our readers will remember the circum stances of KWANG WEI's connection with Hongkong, When the EMPRESS DOWAGER Teen usumped the reins of Go- vernment in order to put an end to the EMPEROR'S reforming zeal, KWANG YU WEI, who had been the EMPEROR's chief tutor in this connection, had to fly for his life. He was accorded protection by the British authorities, the steamer on which he travelled from Shanghai to Hongkong being escorted by British ships of war. Here the Reform Leader lived for some time with his family, but the constant fear that his life was in dat ger at the bauds of hired assassins from Canton, constrained him to leave the Colony and travel in other and safer parts of Asia and in Europe. He ap- pears to have been living quietly in Darjiling since last summer, pud he is now said to welcome the prospect of returning to active participation in the public affairs of his native laud. Living in exile has not been to his liking, and the papers describe hin as being delighted at the receipt of the EMPEROR'S telegram. There is nothing in the situation in China that adoption of the new code was advocated The remainder, 966 ships of 1,265,082 tons, is
we can discover justifying any anticipa- tions of the early restoration of the Reform party to power. The EMPRESS DOWAGER has shown no desire to leave the direction of affairs to KWANG HSU, and on the other hand the supposition that the EMPEROR KWANG HSU would ever have the courage to attempt the supplanting of his august relative is, as one Indian paper remarks, too absurd to be worth a moment's con-
#1
with a view to preventing the use of made-up words. This gentleman boldly stated that the Cable Companies were "the dragon at the bottom of the case." They had provided the capital to unite the ends of the earth, he said, and they had a right to live. That is not an unanswerable argument in a question of this sort, and carried no weight with the Chamber of Comir erce which pas- sideration. If KwaNO YU WEI has returned, the interests of the commercial communities sed its resolution unanimously. We note that or is returning to China, with any such of the Far East were being watched in this notions as are attributed to him in the matter by the China Association from Calcutta papers, we fear he has been grossly whose committee a letter was read embody- deceived; but he would scarcely need to going objections to the vocabulary; and one of beyond Hongkong to discover that.
:
A combination of Manila e-pitalists is trying to secure the uncompleted structure of the Hospital Association in Calle Bagumbayan on the Luneta Drive. ||his was re ̈ently sold to the Municipal Board for 50, 0 pesos, and an offer of 11,000 pesos increase on the purchase price has been offered to the Board by the com- bination above referred to, whose object is to turn the place into a five hotel, surrounded by numerous cottages on the plan of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel at Honolulu.
the principal speakers at the meeting was Mr. GWYTHER, the Chairman of the Char- tered Bank of India, China and Australia. MR. KESWICK mentioned that an examina- tion of the official vocabulary by an expert showed that its deficiencies were more numerous than its advantages. If that be so, the terms of the Chamber's resolution though strong and emphatic are amply justified and will no doubt be endorsed by the British commercial communities throughout the world,
which ran in 1901 and not in 1902 is more than
counterbalanced by two which started to run at the end of 1901, and two which started to run at the beginning of 1902. The fall of 10 ocean-going vessels is a genuine decrease which loses a portion of its significance when evidenced by the increase in tonnage. laror vessels under foreign flags, we find a increase, viz., 1,267 ships of 1,358,709 tons, of which 301 ships of 93,627 tons are due to river steamers, one new French vessel having started to run in 1902, and another Frenchman having un more often in 1902 than in 1901.
we consider the increased size of vessels as
due to
1. An increase of 453 Norwegian ships of
372,021 tons;
2. An increase of 186 German ships of
221,619 ton;
3. An increase of 169 Chinese ships of
307,897 tons;
4. An increase of 150 Japanese ships of and smaller increases in other nationalities.
342,668 tons,
A sailing ship under Sarawak colours visited in the waters of the Colony. the port during the year; their firs'
appearance
The actual number of ships of European construction (exclusive of river steamers and steam launches) entering the port during 1902 as 718, of which 350 were British, and 363 giving a total tonnage entered of 6,284,258 tops. foreign. These 718 ships entered 4.047 times, Thus, compared with 1901, 37 more ships entered 477 more times, and gave a total tonnage increased by 728,926 four,
The 350 British vessels carried 2,659 British officers and 21 foreign officers, as follows:-Brit- ish, 2,659; German, 2; Norwegian, 2; Swedish, 2; United States, 15. Total 2.680. Thus the proportion of foreign officers in British ships was 0.78 per cent. comprising four nationalities. a decrease of 0.29 per cent. with an increase of ships.
The 368 foreign ships carried 2,787 officers of
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