October 10, 1903.] nationalities in Hongkong when we express the hope that our magistrates in such epidemics of crime as we have recently been experiencing will punish such offenders as are brought before them with exemplary severity.
THE GOVERNMENT AND
HONGKONG'S CURRENCY. (Daily Press, 6th October.) The long-expected reply of the Secretary of State for the Colonies to the letter of the Secretary of our local Chamber of Com- merce, conveying a resolution of the Chamber passed on the 18th February with regard to the currency 'question, was laid upon the table at the Legislative Council meeting yesterday! We publish the correspondence in another column. It may be seen that Mr. CHAMBERLAIN's answer, we suggested yesterday, is a direct refusal to appoint a commission of enquiry, the reason given being that while China remains a silver-standard country it is out of the question for Hongkong to adopt a gold standard. The conference of delegates from the United States, Mexico, and China with representatives of Great Britain is also alluded to by Mr. CHAMBERLAIN, and a copy of their resolutions is appended to his letter, which contai. references to China's currency.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
strably incorrect. Are we then to suppose that the head of the Government considers them a quantity which can be neglected ?
Sir HENEY BLAKE, in the next paragraph of his despate, proceed to point out certain objections to the es.ablishment of a gold standard, objections which would very properly be taken into consideration by any commission of enquiry. With reference to the questions which he asks, Bir HENRY rightly observes that they can be answered in London as well as in Hongkong and require to be very carefully considered before any step is taken that will disturb present conditions. Because these questions require careful But we would ask: consideration, is that any reason why there should be no enquiry?
We fail to see the reason and can only express our great dis- appointment a' the attitude of the head of the Government over the question of an enquiry asked for by a majority of the Chamber of Commerce and approved, with a slight modification, by the Executive Council of the Coloay. The resolution of the Chamber went home prejudged. Truly it is difficult for those in favour of amelioration of the present state of currency affairs in Hong- kong to obtain a fair hearing.
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THE BEACHCOMBER" QUESTION.
The resolution of the Hongkong General
(Daily Press, 5th October.) Chamber of Commerce, passed on the 18th Our Mauila correspondent describes the February, by a majority of 40 to 25 votes unusual steps being taken by the Insular on a show of hands, and by 40 to 34 on the Government to get rid of the worthless voting cards signed in the Chamber Room, characters and vagrants in the Philippines, declared that in the opinion of the meeting whose numbers have increasel largely of it was desirable that the Straits Currency late, with the result that the gaols have Commission should fextend its enquiries to furnished a temporary home for many. The Hongkong with a view to ascertaining Government has now authorised the courts whether reform of the Colony's currency to suspend sentence upon ย convicted arrangements is advisable. This was for vagrant, provided that the convict will warded, under cover of the Secretary's leave the Philippines and not return for ten letter, to the Government, and on the 2nd years; if he is an United States citizen, he April H.E. the Governor sent Mr. Lowe's may be removed to the Mauila penitentiary, letter with a de patch of his own to the remaining in custody there until he can be Colonial Office. In his despatch Sir HENRY placed upon a steimer returning to the BLAKE relates that he laid the Chamber's United States. The last few words are letter before the Executive Council, when a welcome to read, for they appear to guar- majority of that body advised him that antee a partial cessation of the objectionable, "it would be well to have a commission and indeed wholly unjustifiable, habit which appointed to enquire into the currency his prevailed in the Far East of making question so far as it affec'ed Hongkong, Hongkong & dumping-ground for wastrels but that such a commission should be ¦ of all nationalities. But it is to be note! separate and distinct from that appointed that the deportel men who are not to be to enquire into the question in Singapor..." let loose upon us are only American. Are Though the Executive Council offered no we still to get the others? Of course, a opinion as to the advisability of a gold far as Minila is concerned, the chief standard for Hongkong, we should have export of undesirable porsas to this thought that its opiniou recorded above would Colony has been of American or nominally have been sufficient to carry weight with American, ie. United States, nationality. H.E. the Governor. However, this was not The Manila Times discussed this subject Bo, for he thought it necessary to commu- recently and said:-"The newspapers of nicate with “a number of the most important merchants, managers of shipping companies, and bankers in the Colony "i.e., it must be observed, at least a section of that Chamber of Comineres which had already passed a resolution in favour of a commission of enquiry-requesting their views on the subject. These views are not printed, but His Excellency states that they show that, among the mercantile men who have the largest stake in the Colony, including British, German, and Cuinese, there is almost an unanimous feeling against any interfe rence with the present currency so long as the Chinese currency remains what it is." This being so, we would ask what became of the majority of the members of the Chamber of Commerce on the 18th February. Either they are to be classed as men who have but a small stake in the Clony, or -else they have changed their minds since February The latter alternative is demon-
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Hongkong are very much exercised over "the determination of the Philippine government to rid the island; of the undesirable, patty criminal class of "American. The neighbour town appears "to-tike it for granted that Manila's beach. "combers will be shipped over and dumped "into the coast towns of Chin, and the 'attention of the anthorities of these cities "has been directed toward the prevention "of such an imposition. Owing to the fact "that the Philippine Commission has deter "mined to ship this objectionable fraternity "to the United States and will be just as "careful in guarding against the escape of any of its members to the coast cities of "China as the authorities there can possibly "be to prevent the landing of any of the fraternity, it will rea lily appear that the “alarais without foundation." The Times would reassure us, and says that the govern- ment of the Philippines has no desire to
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humiliate further respectable Americans in Hongkong or Manila by any attempt to pollute Chinese cities with a class of Americans who cannot be tolerated in the Philippines. The result of Hongkong's complaints is satisfactory; but the possession of undesirables is not confined to Manila, nor is their nationality confined to the United States. Steps are now required to·· prevent deported persons from other places and of other nationalities from being shipped hither. It should certainly be made impossible for neighbouring ports to pass on to us, without due notice, proved beachcombers and suspected chiracters.
STRAITS CURRENCY.
(Daily Press, 5th October.) The P. & O. S. N. Co.'s steamer Malta was due to arrive at Singapore about Saturday with a large consignment of the new Straits doliars, as we announced a short time ago. It appears that she must have reached Singapore on Friday last, as the principal banks here were informed on Saturday morning from their branches in the Southern port that the import of British and Mexican dollars thither has been prohibited. This step has of course been anticipated, it being understood that the Straits Government was only awaiting the arrival of a sufficient supply of its new dollars, which have been minted at Bombay, to enable it to dispense with any further importation of British and Mexican coins. The latter are still legal tender, but no more will be allowed to enter the Straits Settlements from without Thus the first actual step in the establish- ment of a fixed standard for silver in the Straits has been taken, and the progress of a change which must ultimately occur also in Hongkong may now be witnessed in the neighbouring British Colony Needless to say, it will be watched with the greatest interest. The Philippines anticipated the alteration in currency by a few months, and there can be no doubt that the difficulties encountered there will repeat themselves in the Straits.
But that they will not be overcome in time and with tact no one can believe. That the change will be advan- tageous many dispute, but their arguments fail to convince those who know the evils of afluctuating standar of exchange. The latter welcome the conversion of Singapore to the side of the fixal standard. Here in Hongkong we can only watch still and not yet share in the benefits expected, con- demned, it appears, definitely to wait upon the action of China, and also, it is now certain, refused the commission of enquiry asked for by the local Chamber of Com-
merce.
THE EVACUATION OF MANCHURIA.
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(Daily Press, 8th October.) To-day is the date fixed for the withdrawal of the Russian troops from the province of Helungkinng, completing the “
“evacuation of Manchuria. As a matter of fact, little interest attaches to the question whether Russia will keep up the faree of fulfilling her engagement or not. The so-called withdrawal of her soldiers from Mukden and Kirin (the latter movement, even on Russian showing, was never actually completed) has made no difference to her conduct -- in Southern Manchuria, and as she is now th busily fortifying the Sungati river-bank f various points and taking steps to make it
Russian river, it is more than clear that the evacuation of Helangkiang will be as unreal as the rest of her professed policy in Manchuria. The only new factor in
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