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other non-British territories, and consequently | we must strain every nerve to attract this foreign trade to our port, and we cannot in our own local interests therefore regard this question of fiscal reform from the strictly Imperial point of view which may be possible or desirable in other outlying portions of our Empire. I have reserved to the last what I think you will all agres is to Hongkong the most important question as far as this Colony is concerned that has arisen during the past few years although it has not as yet been formally dealt with by this Chamber. I refer to the pro posed Canton Kowloon Railway. (Applause.) Throughout the whole of China we see railways being projected and in actually completed, mainly, I reret to say. by the enterprise of those other than British. The race is to the swift and we cannot grudge the well earned success of our commercial rivals who under other flags press forward where our British investors apparently fear to tread. The British investor I am informed on high authority does not care to put his money into railways in China and in view of the aid which other Governments render their nationals while our Foreign Office refuses to give us equal support it is not perhaps surprising that British concessions for railways in China languish while we see foreign capital freely spent in developing foreign concessions. The Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs is reported at a recent gathering in London to have made a statement to the following effect: -Speaking on behalf of the Foreign Office, he says:--We are alive to the importance of railway development in civilising a country and in promoting its commercial development.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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Still another official who while not connected with the Government of Hongkong has been closely linked with the trade of the Colony has I refer to Mr. James Scott, recently left us.
It was H.B.M. Consul General at Canton. with sincere regret we bade Mr. Scott farewell, particularly in view of his health having so seriously suffered during the discharge of his I believe I am right in saying onerous duties. that there is good reason to fear Mr. Scott may not return to China and I take this oppor. tunity therefore of placing on record our high appreciation of the energy and ability always displayed by him in the execution of his work. I feel confident that all those members of the Chamber who have had dealings with Mr.
what. I Scott will readily endorse
Kay. | (Applause.) While it is the object of the of Commerce to deal with all Chamber questions relating to our trade as they arise, and so far as may be to provide for future is well occasionally to contingencies, it
glance backward and to give a
recall those who have worked in the past and whose labours We ΠΟΡ benefit. by During the past year a very notable figure has disappeared from the scene, and while it is per. haps somewhat invidious to make special refer. ence to one when so many did good work, still the unique position he occupied must be my excuse for mentioning the name of Admiral of the Flest Sir Henry Keppel. Admiral Keppel as we all know specially distinguished himself in the earlier days of the Colony by his brilliant services under fire, and also against the piratical craft which then swarmed in these waters, while later he was very closely connected with the history of Hongkong. He has now passed to his rest full of yours
and honours reputation which all leaving behind him a must regard as a high example of good service fearlessly rendered in the interests of the Empire. We have recently had before us in a for- eible manner the advantage which lies with those who hold the command of the sea and it is good on occasion to recall the debt we owe to His Majesty's senior service and to remember that their presence hero means security to our trade in these far distant waters and ensures the
hut in China we had not ourselves administrative responsibility and the work must be done by the foresight motives and self interest of private capitalists. This I think fully explains, and in a manner justifies, the attitude of the British investor. Whether or not theUnder Secretary of State has been correctly reported I am not in a position to but evon though he may not have made use of the words above quoted the policy of the Foreign Office as understood by us is here clearly defined. The time has now arrived however when an ex-safety of all those who dwell under the shadow ception should be made to this policy. As I have already stated, the prosperity of this Colony depends upon its maintaining its posi- tion as a distributing centre for the trade of South China. This being the case it is imper- ative that the first railway line connecting Can-
[May 2, 1904. Hongkong entirely rests. It is a question on which the vitality of Hongkong may depend, and I think it is one of those things which we should ask the committee to keep careful watch on to do everything they can to keep be- fore the Government, and to do all they can to see that the present concessionaires do some- thing. I believe there is no concession in British territory, and there must surely be some way of getting some activity put into this business. I believe that either shortly before or shortly after the concession was obtained, about five years ago, a concession was also obtained for a railway from Tsintau to Tsinanfu. I do not think there was much difference between the And this railway of 250 miles is now in dates. operation, yet nothing is done by tho conves. sionaries to build the railway between here and Canton. I think this is a vitally important The China Association at their question.
to this question, meeting referred
their in
report the question discussed whether the railway should go by way of Waichow. But that is a detail. What wo want is a railway with its terminus in British If seems to me that the railway Kowloon. question is one of the very utmost importance. There is no place in China to which a railway is so important as it is to Hongkong and there is no place where there is less done to get it. (Applause.) I beg to second the motion.
and
Was
Mr. J. R. MICHAEL-Mr. Chairman,—I am sure the members generally will agree with me that the record of work done during the past year has been very satisfactory, and the com- mittee are to be congratulated upon the result of their efforts. I am very glad to see that the heavy fluctuations of exchange, which continue in an even aggravated form, are now awakening some interest in the currency question. I sin- cerely trust that the efforts now being made by those affected and assisted by the powerful ad- vocacy of the Chambers of Commerce here and in North China, in support of the Commission on International Exchange from the United States of America to frame a workable scheme for securing stability of exchange, will soon prove successful. I hope at any rate we shall soon learn that a possible basis for the currency of China has been evolved, and that we shall arrive in sight of some settlement of this great hindrance to the development of legitimate trade. There is another subject in which I am sure every person interested in the welfare of this Colony must take a keen interest. I allude to the projected Kowloon-Canton Railway. We all the members of this Chamber that the com- want, Mr Chairman, to see thatenterprise removed mercial affairs of this Colony have been very well from the domain of projects to that of accom. cared for, and our thanks are due to the Complished facts. It is high time that the railway was completed instead of waiting for commencement. I hope the Chamber will use the whole weight of its influence with the Government to induce them to assist with that section of the line which has to pass through British territory. With this at any rate something can be done by us, and the sooner it is taken in hand the better. (Applause.)
of our wide-flung flag. (Applause.) I bez to move the adoption of the report and accounts.
Mr. E. B. WHEALLER-Mr. Chairman. I have very great pleasure indeed in seconding the proposal. I think that from the report and the Chairman's speech it must be evident to
ton with the sea should be the Canton-Kowloon Railway. If funds for this line, estimated at a million and a half sterling, cannot be raised by other means, then our Foreign and Colonial|mittee for the way in which they have looked Offoss should join hands. This Colony should be after those things both great and small. There allowed to guarantee for a term of years the are one or two things which the Chairman has referred to which I would like to mention. interest on the capital required for the seC- tion of the line across the New Territory or if With regard to the question of explosives on can only say it seems. necessary should construct and own the line, board steamers I while the Home Government, should for once difficult to understand why it is that wo in the interests of British trade in China, do not have similar regulations here to those | break through its traditions and guarantee the that exist elsewhere. The Government has not
115. ам far
I በጾ interest on the cost of that section outside the told
understand. why Colony. (Applause). The distance is some-special regulations are applied here. With where about 120 miles of which one-fifth would regard to the Medical Officer of the Port we
have be in Hongkong territory and the cost of this so far as things go, and can be with a section of the line would be about one-third of gentleman in private practice, perhaps as the whole. The importance of this question, efficient a service as we can get, but for one of both from a local and Imperial point of view, is the biggest shipping centres in the world that My so great that I make no apology for dealing at service is not nearly good enough. such length with the matter. Since our last experience last year when I was travelling--and meeting the war cloud which has been hanging was in most of the ports in this part
world of the
two or three over our heads for so long has burst and we
times-was that on most occasions on which visited grieve to see two brave nations involved in a contest which whatever the result may be must Hongkong it took an immensely longer time mean heavy loss in life and treasure to both. Al than in any port in China or Japan, Manila or ready the result of this conflict has been severely Port Arthur or Dalny, for the medical officer to felt by the business section of this community and get on board the steamer; and I think that is an we hope, not entirely on selfish grounds, that the unsatisfactory state of affairs in one of the struggle may be brief, tending to shorten the principal shipping ports in the world. (Ap- period of distress and to minimise the disastrous plause.) Perhaps one of the most important results of the war. Before I take my seat I points to which reference has been made is the feel I should like to refer to matters of more currency question. Well, it is satisfactory to direct personal interest. Our late Governor, see that it is not quite asleep, but as I do not Sir Henry Blake, after many years spent here understand the currency I will leave that to has now been transferred to another sphere of somebody else. The most important thing to activity. A somewhat unusually long inter- which the chairman has referred, and it is one to regnum has occurred between his departure and which I do not notice any reference in the re- the arrival of his successor but we were glad to port, is the question of the Canton-Kowloon find that H.M. Secretary of State has appointed! Railway. That, I think, is a question of abso- for Administrator so experienced and able an lutely vital importance to Hongkong. It is a official as the Colonial Secretary, (Applause). question on which we may find the progress of
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Mr. WHEALLER-Mr. Chairman, with your permission I should like to read apropos of what said just now about the railway question an extruct from the circular of Messrs. Ilbert & Co., dated Shanghai, 22nd April:-"A feature which is rapidly becoming noticeable in the Northern trade is the transference of business from Che. foo to Kiaochau; the facilities for loading and unloading cargo there and the rapid transit by rail to the interior are creating an exodus from Chefoo and the establishment of the same hongs in Kiaoohau; it is said that important markets in the interior can now be reached in one day whereas formerly the same class of cargo did not reach its destination under three weeks." I think that emphasises the importance of railways. (Applause.)
The CHAIRMAN-Gentlemen, with regard to the remarks made by Mr. Whealler and Mr. Michael I can only say that the members of the committee of this Chamber, fully realise, as I am sure we all do, the very vital importance which attaches to the subject of the construction of a railway connecting the trunk lines of China with this Colony. As I hope I may be clear in my remarks just now, the question hitherto has not been dealt with formally by the committee of this Chamber as certain concessions, we understood, were still in existence and these concessionaires were engaged upon the attempt to carry out their concession. But as it appears to be the
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