THE MAIL CONTRACT.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND and the colonies, with the prospect in view of a connection of all important parts of the Empire by entirely British cable-lines, it is n step in the reverse direction to transfer the carriage of the British mails to alien hands. We can hardly believe it likely, unless the shipping companies concerned prove very ambitious indeed in their terms, that any British Government of the present day is likely to place the contracts out of the hands of British subjects. Personally we think that most Britons in the Far East would be glad to see the mails carried by their countrymen on condition that the favoured companies honestly determine to do away with antiquated methods and unnecessary delays.
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(Daily Press, 12th June ) The statement made by Mr. AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN during the debate on the Post Office estimates in the House of Commons this week, that notice has been given to terminate the P. and O. Co.'s contract, is not necessarily to be interpreted we imagine, as implying that after the expiration of the present contract the mails will be carried another way; but it may be considered certain that any contract which may be entered into with reference to the Eastern mails will stipulate for a much accelerated passage. Discussing this subject recently, we pointed out that the progress of telegraphy is gradually rendering the importance of the mails for business purposes less and less and decidedly the near future must see a large reduction in the present disproportionate rate for tele- graphy to the Far East, still further facilitating the conduct of business by cable and leaving only the confirmatory work to the mails. But there is of course an ever increasing domestic mail which it is impossible to disgard. This, in the North at last, hasar ady begun to make use of what opportunities there are already for a more rapid communication between the Far East and home. Unless, however, the Trans-Siberian line be the route ultimately selected for the granting of the contract it is not to be expected that the Russian Government will put themselves out to arrange a supplementary mail for the benefit of those who wish to send their letters overland: We have not received any indication that the General gave more than a hint as to the pro- bable destination of the new mail coutracts. We should imagine from the meagre report which we have received that the alternative of the Canadian route was under discussion. Mr. CHAMBERLAIN himself admitted that the Canadian Pacific service had not ful- filled expectations, and severe criticisms of the C. P. B. as well as of the P. and O. contracts are recorded There are plainly before the Government three alternatives
The Colonial Secretary, in proposing his with regard to the mails. The first motion, referred cursorily to the chief points is the renewal of the contract with the of the already published report. He pointed P. and . Co., for heir services as at out the unanimity of opinion of the Com- present, but with an acceleration of times, mittee and the agreement of all the witnesses or the granting of the contract to another called, whether advocates or not of fixity of company on such terus. The second is the exchange with a gold standard, as to the transfer of the Chun mails to the Cann-feasibility of the proposals of the Committes dian Pacific Company, the nearer eastern mail being left still with the P. & O. or given to another company. The third and last is the adoption of the Siberian route. Te more important of the determining factors in the situation seem to be, firstly, the willingness of the steamship companies to guarantee a more rapid service of boats and, secondly, the ability of the Russian railway line to run trains with security and regularity. That the former companies can save a very considerable amount of time on the present journey if they consider it worth their while, is plain. With regard to the Trans-Siberian Railway, the majority of European passengers who have travelled seeli to have been favourably impressed, but there is of course no certainty of service at present. Another point to be considered is that there is no likelihood of official despatches being entrusted to Russian bands, which is an argument in favour of obtain ing a quicker British sea-service for the whole of the mails, if possible. Nor must the general reluctance partly sentimental, partly practical, to send British mails by non-British route, alter so many years, be left out of account. In these days of a closer drawing together of Great Britain
THE STRAITS CURRENCY QUESTION.
(Daily Press, 6th June.) The reports, which have now reached us, of the meeting of the Legislative Council at Singapore on the 29th May serve to em- phasize the impression which one could not but have received previously of an unanimity of feeling in the Straits Settle ments with regard to the question of a fixed standard of exchange. It is true that, as had already been announced here by telegram, there was one dissentient to the motion introduced by the Hon. W. T. TAYLOR on the 29th ult. But the report of the meeting shows that the Hon. G. S. MURRAY's opposition to the motion that the Council should declare itself in favour of the adoption of the recommendations of the Committee on Straits Currency was not ow- Postmastering to his desire to perpetuate the existing state of affairs; indeed, such a supposition would be impossible, for Mr. MURRAY was one of the sponsors of the scheme put forward by the committee of the Singapore Chamber of Commerce in 1897 for bringing about the change to a fixed standard in the Straits. Mr. MURRAY opposed the motion last week because of the dangers which he considered to exist in the recommendations of the Currency Committee.
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[Juue 15, 1903. destructive criticism. He had been a con- sistent supporter of fixed exchange for years, ho said, and he did not want any- thing he said to be taken as an indication that he was going away from his conviction in that matter. The only thing he wanted from Government now was a pronounce- ment of the method it was proposed to adopt in carrying out the recommendations of the Currency Committee. He thought the proper course to adopt would be to adjourn the debate, and to send the report to the Chambers of Commerce of Singapore and Penang, asking for their detailed criticism clause by clause as to the He trusted practicability of the scheme. Government would not take his criticisms as absolutely in opposition, but as intended to lead them to consider whether they could not bring about fixity by a method somewhere between the schemes of this committee and of the Chamber of Com- morce [in 1897]. He thought it was possible to bring such a decision about, and with a minimum of disturbance to the trale of the Colony. The Hon. TAN JIAK KIM, the Chinese representative, speaking of the counter-petition of his compatriots, which had been duly considered by the Currency Committee, was
sure ho was expressing the feelings of the Chinese when he said that they would now submit to the conclusions of the Currency Committee in whom they had the greatest confidence, and would do all they could to support the Government in carrying out the scheme. The Chinese petitioners had done their duty in placing their views before the Committee. After the Colonial Treasurer had prophesied the success of the scheme, H.E. the Governor made the closing speech-except for a few remarks from Mr. MURRAY-in which be touched on some of the criticisms of the scheme.
He saw a certain amount of impropriety in asking the Secretary of State after they had ten years' consultation in Singapore and Penang, to refer back a question of this kind to a committea of gentlemen who have at any rate the reputation of being experts, and then to take their report and ask the Cham- bers of Commerce of Singapore and Penang to criticise it paragraph by paragraph. This view was evidently that of the meeting and the motion was carried by eight* votes to one.
Singapore may therefore be said to have entered upon the last stage in the movement. as put to them. The proposals of the Com- from a fluctuating currency to a fixed rate of mittee, he said, were in the interests of the exchange, which must be the financial ambi- general community, not of individuals, and tion of every community as a whole, though he deprecated destructive criticism as being not of course of every individual. Hong- "cheap." He mentioned that the Govern- kong, in the meantime, has only taken the ment had received a communication from the first step, by interesting itself in the discus- Singapore Chamber of Commerce intimating|sion of the possibility of a change. There their approval of the proposals in the report and the appointment of a sub-committee to watch over the measures taken by the Government for giving effect to the change of currency, whose advice and assistanco would be at the disposal of Government if required. The Hon. T. E. EARLE, who seconded the motion, committed himself unreservedly to its support and said that, if the Government elected to follow the scheme set forth by the currency committee to the letter, le was content; if they deciled to make modifications of the scheme he was equally content. Differences of opinion as to details in a matter of this kin 1 were inevitable. The attitude he was going to adopt was to leave these details to the people who had to. work the scheme. Mr. MURRAY followed with the only speech per cent. for the year 1992 (as against seven per aginst the motion, commencing by describ-cent. in 1901); the Russo-Chinese. Bank 8 per ing as unfair the way in which the openers cent. (as before); and the Suɔz Canal Company of the debate had attempted to suppress109.16 francs per shire.
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is extant, however, the appeal of the Hong kong General Chamber of Com- inerce for a consideration by a committee of enquiry of the Hongkong currency question. Were this appeal to be heard, there would at least be the possibilit
ity of Hongkong being put in the
that with position as Singapore, aud less expense of time. But in any event there would be the satisfaction of the knowledge that a question so serious to the welfare of the Colony had received the best available expert consideration, which present it cannot of course be claimed that it lins received.
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