August 29, 1903.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
159
this port would be found adequate to prevent, Chinese Telegraph officials, who are respon have to record the reduction in rates, tho cases of plagus occurring on the voyage to
sible for forwarding the messages. Fresh re-advisability of which had been urged by the Singapore.
presentations are now being made.
Committee on the Companies concerned for some years past.
I am to point out that the passage money is the only benefit derived by this Colony from this coolie traffic, and the pefit on it is not large enough to allow of any further exp ases being incurred by the steamship owner. Neither can the emigrating coolie afford to do anything in this direction through want of necessary capital.
My Committee feel compelled therefore to suggest that if Chinese labour is ucessary in order to supply the labour market of your Colony it would doubtless be to the advantage of the Singapore community to found a segrega tion camp on one of the numerous adjacent islands, where the coolies could be landed frea of any further cost or delay to the carrying steamer: The transfer of the coolies into Singapore could then be regulated in accordance with the requirements of your Colony and at the expense of those employers of labour who profit by their employment.
No such facilities are at the disposal of this Colony land is scarce, and the cost of guarding, feeding and shipping the coolies to and from an island camp near here would be more than the trade is worth to the shipping owners, and my Committee could not therefore recommend the Government or the shipping interests to embark on any such undertaking
My Committee desire me to express their appreciation of the friendly nature of your enquiry and to inform you that they will be pleased at any time to discuss this or any other matter having for its object the well-being and furtherance of the trade between the two Colonies. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
I
A. R. LOWE,
Secretary.
!
ALEX, GUNN, Esq.,
Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Singa-
pore.
The CHAIRMAN said that it was now understood the demand for coolie labour in the Straits Settlements was apparently causing the Singapore Chamber to take the matter up on their own account.
STORM WARNINGS.
The following from the Colonial Secretary was read
Hongkong, 23rd July, 1903. SIR,With reference to the concluding paragraph of my letter of the 2nd instant, I am directed to make the following observations on the suggestions referred to in the last paragraph of your letter of the 25th ultimo.
2. There does not appear to be any practical advantage to be gained by establishing addi- tional sigual stations at Capa Collison and
Green Island.
There is no telegraph to either of these places nor direct communication by tele phone, and it is probable that a vessel which missed the signal at Blackhead's Hill would miss it at the proposed, stations owing to the time taken up in transmitting the information. Moreover, information by telephone is liable to error and the signals could not be verified from the Observatory.
3. I am to invite the attention of the Cham- ber to Government Notification No. 445 of 25th October, 1890, which has never been abrogated. It contains the following under the head of Meteorological Signals :-
"Masters of vessels who regularly send their observations to the Observatory may whenever necessary call at the Telegraph Co.'s office in Queen's Road and send telegrams to the Observatory asking for special information without charge. Such enquiries may also be sent from the Police Station at Kowloon Point, which is connected with the Observatory through a telephone line." This Notification will be re- printed in a new typhoon signal notice, the words underlined in red ink being omitted and the following words substituted :-" and or their Agents." This arrangement appears to be all that is necessary and involves no additional expenditure. |
4. Observations from Hainan are supposed to be received twice daily from the Imperial Maritime Customs authorities at Hoihow, but they rarely arrive in time to be of any use. Repeated representations have been made in the matter. The fault appears to lie with the
5. Observations are telegraphed twice daily from the various stations by which the Ob. servatory is supplied with information. The morning observations are received between 9,30 and 11.30 a.m. and the afternoon observations between 4.00 and 7.00 p.m. It is not possible to make any better arrangement.
6. The Observatory is well equipped and the Acting Director reports that he has never known an application for new and improved meteorological instruments to be refused."
7. With regard to the publication of in- formation offered by other Observatories, I am to refer you to the remarks contained in paragraphs 3 and 4 of my letter of the 31st July last. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servaut,
F. H. MAY,
Colonial Secretary.
After some discussion fit was decided to let the matter drop unless subsequent events made it necessary to again ask the Government for the additional facilities desired,
|
CURRENCY QUESTION.
The following correspondence was read: Hongkong General Chamber of Commurca.
Hongkong, 30th July, 1903. SIR, With reference to your letter of the 23rd March last (No. 1797/03) stating that a copy of the resolution on the currency question which was passed by the members of this Chamber at a special general meeting on the 18th February 1 st would be forwarded to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, would beg to remind you that it is now five mouths since the feeling of the members of this Cha uber on this important question was first communicated to you
for the information of H.E. the Governor.
Enquiries bave recently been made by members desiring to know what action (if any) the Government have decided to take in this matter, and I am therefore instructed by my Committee to inquire whether His Excellency bas received an answer to his representations to the Homs Authorities, and, if not, whether you can state when such answer is likely to be received. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient se: vant,
A, R. LOWE,
Secretary,
Hon: F. H. May, C.M.G.,
Colonial Secretary.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong. 31st July, 1902. SIR,I am directed to inform you in reply to your letter of yesterday's date that no answer has yet been received from Secretary of State with regard to the currency question, nor is it possible to state when such answer may be expected. His Exceliency the Governor's des patch to the Secretary of State, to which an answer is now awaited, was date April 2nd last. -I have the honour to be Sir, your obedient. servant,
The SECRETARY to the
F. H. MAY, Colonial ecretary.
|
Hongkong Genera of Chamber Commerce. A letter dated 1st July, 19 3, was also read from the Singapore Chamber informing the Committee of the resolution sent by that Chamber to the Straits Government urging that the farther importation of Mexican dollars should be prohibited.
REDUCED TELEGRAM RATES TO EUROPE
The following letter was read :- Eastern Extension, A. & China Telegraph Co., Ld. Great Northern Telegraph Company, Ld.,
Hongkong Station, July, 7th 1903.
DEAR SIR, -I have to inform you, for the information of your Committee, that, from the 15th instant. the rate per word charged on telegrams to Europe (except Russia and Cau casus) will be reduced from Fos. 7.00 to Fcs. 5.50. and the currency rate, which is subject to revision, will be reduced from $3.35 to $2.55. —Yours faithfully,
The SECRETARY,
J. M. BECK, Superintendent.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. The CHAIRMAN said it was satisfactory to
CHINA AND AUSTRALIAN MATES AND THE TRANS-SIBERIAN ROUTE TO EUROPE. A circular letter was laid on the table which had been received from the North Australian League drawing attention to the resolu tions passed by the Council of the League on the 25th May last, and forwarded to the Imperil Postmaster-General London, favouring the conveyance of mails by the Siberian Railway in conjunction with the Adelaide-Port Darwin Railway and a fast steamer service between Cantou or Hong- kong and Port Darwin.
H. E. SIR ERNEST SATOW'S INTEL VIEW WITH
THE COMMITTEE.
His Excellency met the British members of the Committee on Thursday, the 6th instant, and an address dealing with the following subjects was read by the Chairman:- "Obstruc- tions in the Canton River," Registration of Native-owned Junks under Foreign Flags," "Piracy on the West River," "Inland Wafers Navigation Rules," "Absconding Chin-ga Debtors," National Coinage for China," Pay. ment of Customs Duties in Gold;" British Commercial Treaty of Shanghai, 1902;" and "Proposed Increase of Taxation of Foreign Opium at Canton."
|
Sir ERNEST SATOW then proceeded to discuss the subjects touched upon in the address, taking them seriatim, asking for farther information on several points, of which he made notes, and promising to give his ea ly attention to all on his arrival in Peking. He concluded by expressing his gratification at having been afforded the opportunity of meeting the Committee and thus being able to interobange views with them, and added an assurance of his readiness at all times to consider questions which might be brought to his notice by the Chamber.
BRIT SH COMMERCIAL TREATY OF SHANGHAI, 1902. Information was received from H.F. Sir Ernest Satow on the 7th instaut in answer to a telegram of the previous day to Peking a reply had been received stating that the Mackay Treaty ratifications were exchanged at Peking on the 28th July.
PROPOSED NEW TAX ON FOREIGN OP UM AT CANTON,
The CHAIRMAN said that information having been received that the Canton Viceroy proposed to institude a new tax of Tls. 57.50 per chest imported into Canton on the same lines as pro. posed last year, a telegram was despatched on the 28th nitimo to the British Chargé d'Affaires at Peking protesting against the tax, and a letter giving full particulars was sent on the following day to the British Embassy there. Copies of this letter were also sent to the Hong- koug Government and Mr. Consul General Scott, and both had since acknowledged their receipt.
lt had since been ascertained that the Viceroy had apparently reconsidered his proposal to carry the new tax into effect, and it was probable therefore that the prompt 1epresentations which had been made to Peking by the Chamber would have the desired effect of stopping the attempt to tax boiled opium.
THE TELEGRAPH COMPANIES AND CUST „MERS' DEPOSIT.
Correspondence from several members of the Chamber was laid before the Committee regarding the recent arbitrary request of the Joint Telegraph Administration requiring each firm to deposit in a certain Bank in the name of the Administration a sum of money equivalent
to
one month's expenditure in telegrams. After some discussion as to the advisabilty of making any representations to the Companies it was decided to take the matter up as desired by the applicants with a view to more satis- factory arrangements being made or reversion to the former practice.
VACANCY ON THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Read letter dated 4th inst. from H. E the Governor requesting the Chamber to call meeting of the members to nominate a tempor- ary Member of Council during the absence on leave of the Hon. R. Shewan.
The SECRETARY reported that a special
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.