THE
Hongkong Weekly Press
AND
China Overland
Overland Trade
VOL. LIX.]
CONTENTS.
Epitome
Leading Articles :-
PAGK
449
British Commercial Methods The Expedition in Tibet Reporting The War M.................
450
.450
Hongkong Jottings
The War
Hongkong Sanitary Board
Supreme Court
A Murder Trial at Canton
The Far East in Parliament
Sir Henry Blake and Mr. Ireland
The Sherwood Foresters
Water Beturn ...
The Treatment of Plague
Hongkong v. Manila
A. Tiger Hunt in Kwangtung
Canton Notes
New Territory Notes
The Philippines
A. S. Watson & Co., Ld....
British Trade in China..
Hongkong
Miscellaneous
Commercial.
Shipping
Trade Report.
HONGKONG, SATURDAY, 18TH JUNE, 1904.
The French trade journals publish a letter from the Indo-China Committee of Commerce and Industry calling for tenders from French mannfacturers for the construction of a floating dock at Saigon.
Except in shipping and banking, commerce, with a big C., has passed out of the British merchant's hands," says the Acting Consul at 451 | Hankow, and nothing seems left to him but
trade, with a small 't.'
انه
452
453
The Messageries Maritimes will declare a .454 dividend of f.10 per share for 1903. The report 455 mentions that the company continues to 457 augment its fleet, and has recently acquired four cargo boats of the East Asiatic Company.
.457
457
.458
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A telegram from Seoul to the Japanese papers .458 states that the Americans are paying a good deal of attention to Manchuria. Spending 458 much money, they use the Chinese to prepare .459 for the importation of machinery and for 4.9 securing mining privileges.
.459
460
460
The Norddeutscher Lloyd have re-opened 460 their Singapore-Manila line with the s.s. Manila, a new vessel built at Bremerhaven. It is said that in a few months the Luzon, a sister ship to the Manila, now building, will also be placed on the run, thus establishing a regular fortnightly service.
.461
.461
462
461
DEAT. On the 10th June, at No., Woosung Road, Shanghai, ALICE, eldest daughter of JOHN and JOHANNA EITTER, aged 21 years.
Hongkong Weekly Press.
HONGKONG OFFICE: 14, DES VEUX ROAU CL. LONDON OFFICE: 131, FLEet Street, E.C.
ARRIVAL OF MAILS.
The English Mail of the 20th ult., arrived per the s.8. Bengal, on 16th inst.; and the French Mail arrived, per the s.8. Yarra, on Fri- day the 17th inst.
EPITOME OF THE WEEK.
Telegrams relating to the war will be found on p. 452.
The French Colonial Congress has adopted M. Deloncle's motion in favour of an interna- tional agreement for the establishment of a monetary system in China.
We are glad to learn that the work of remov ing the barriers in the Canton river is to be commenced forthwith under the superinten- dence of the Imperial Maritime Customs.
Neither the prevalence of plague in Honam nor the hot weather seems to deter tourists from visiting Canton, the stream of sightseers to that city having been pretty regular of late..
The Banque de l'Indo-Chine announces a dividend for 1903 of 1.37.50 per share, which compares with £.82.50 for 1902, notwithstanding the necessary expenses of founding several more agencies.
The directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company announce a divi- dend at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum on the Preference Stock and an interim dividend at the rate of 7 per cent. per annum on the Deferred Stock of the company for the half- year ended 31st March
From Copenhagen it is reported that the large steamship company Vereinigte Dampf- schiffahrts-gesellschaft (United Steamship Co.). is to be amalgamated with the Ostasiatische Gesellschaft (East Asiatic Company), whose director, Mr. Andersen, is to take over the management of both companies.
The N.Y.K. steamers Satsuma-maru and Hokkai-maru have been released from Govern- ment charter. The former is to become a Formosan liner, while the latter will be placed in the Hokkaido service. Amongst the foreign steamers in the service of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha there are several vessels whose charter- parties expire this month. The British steamer Ganges was released from charter on the 4th inst., while the Norwegian steamer Tungus is to be released on Tuesday next. The Japanese Steamship Company is also about to discharge the British steamer Dumblane and three other vessels.
The usual annual meeting of shareholders of the Chinese Coasting Company (Chinesische Kuestenfahrt Gesellschaft) of Messrs. Menzell and Co. has been held. The report for 1903 and the balance sheet were passed unanimously. The newly-issued shares (500) are to be quoted in future in Berlin and Hamburg. Having been asked as to the present prospects of the com- pany Herr Menzell, the managing director, stated that the six steamers of the company are doing good business especially as they have given a remarkable profit in spite of the unfavourable In the event of situation during the past year. no unfavourable circumstances setting in a good result might be expected for 1904, as all steamers were under favourable charter.
No. 25
The Empress Dowager is announced to have discovered defalcations amounting to soven millions sterling in connection with the Siberian Railway, This use of the term "Siberian railway evidently includes the Manchurian
line.
A Changsha (capital of Hunan province) dispatch states that H.E. Chao Erh-sen, the retiring Governor of that province, has purchased through a foreign firm in Shanghai a plant for a large mint said to be capable of striking two million copper ten-cash pieces every twenty-four hours; the price of the machinery, etc., being something like £30,000. In connection with the mint the weiyuan, or official representing the Governor of Hunan, who has been conduct.
ing the above negotiations, is said to have pur. chased in Shanghai a large quantity of copper sufficient to last the mint one year, while working in the ordinary way. The mint is expected to be in working order by next October.
reserve
the
It has been officially announced in Brussels that, in consequence of the differences between the Congo Free State and the Congo Railway Company. Colonel Thys and M. Devolder, ex-Mi. nister, who are directors of the Congo Railway Company, have sent in their resignations as direc- tors of the Hankow-Canton Railway, an enterprise mainly due to the initiative of King Leopold. Reuter's agent at Brussels, however, says the version which several newspapers give under
of
Colonel resignation of Thys and M. Devolder as directors of the Hankow-Canton Railway, is as follows:-The exploitation of this concession was to be shared by Americans, to whom Colonel Thys and M. Devolder were sent by the King of the Belgians some months ago with instructions to treat on certain conditions. When these gentlemen, on their return, announced to the King that they had concluded the negotiations in accord- ance with the instructions they had received, his Majesty informed them that he had changed his mind, and this was the reason why they resigned.
Just
In the United States Consular Court at Canton on the 14th inst., Willian A. Freeman was convicted of unpremeditated killing. He was sentenced to deportation and censured for reckless firing. The affair occurred at Fatshan, a Chinese lad losing his life. An American, named Aldrich, was the proprietor of a res- taurant at Fatshan, and a Portuguese woman who spoke Chinese fluently, lived with him. Several Chinese were gazing into the house, as is their custom, when the woman reprimanded them. After some words she threw water on them, and the Chinese proceeded to bombard the house with mud, sticks and stones. about this time William A. Freeman and two other railway employees arrived for dinner. Clods of mud were thrown at the windows, and finally, a stone was hurled through the glass, landing on the table at which Freeman and his two friends were seated. Freeman jumped to his feet, rushed to the window and drew his revolver. He did not aim at the retreating The bullet Chinese, but fired in the pond. from the revolver struck the water in the pond. glanced off and pierced a lad in the throat killing him almost instantaneously. The boy was 400 yards from the house. The father of the lad agreed to accept $450 in full settlement Viceroy Tsen, however, made s of the matter. case against Freeman.
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