358
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The affair of trade marks regulations is merely | a matter of the internal administration of China, and it is not a matter for the interference of the Powers, eto.
THE CANTON-HANK W RAILWAY.
Company's Solicitors that our Articles of As80- ciation did not give us the power to do so, hence the reason for asking you to alter the Articles accordingly. This extra capital is required to enable us to work and develop your business, and instead of issuing new shares at a premium we propose to retain our profits for last year and absorb the amount standing at credit of reserve fund.
The Chinese Eastern Times of Shanghai These amounts will not approximate the pro-learns from Peking that an American named posed increase, but for many years your directors have adopted an extremely careful policy by writing down assets to a very low level. This policy bas its drawbacks, as were we cal'ed upon at any time to replace our stock and buildings the amount they are valued in our books, and your Directora consider that they should be written up to equal the extra amount of capital required, and that in future any amount placed realizable should circumstances necessitate. You will notice we recommend that the capital should be raised to $187,500 by the issue of 15,000
we should £nd it would cost about three times
to reserve should be invested so as to be easily
new shares of an equal value to the old, that will make it in all 25,000 shares of $6 paid up and
■ call of $1.50 or a total call of $37,500 should it ever be required. The company has seen many vicissitudes, and in order to safeguard your in- terests for the future, we wish to place it on such a footing that in the event of disease appearing
1 our farms we shall be in the position to restock it. For the last few years we have been extremely fortunate in this respect, and whilst we trust our good fortune will continue, we cannot be blind to the fact that our business is a risky one, also that the fresh milk supply of the Colony is largely dependent on this Company's resources and it behoves us to be prepared for every emergency for our own interests as well as that of the community.
The CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the first resolution.
Mr. G. H. POTTS bad much pleasure in seconding the motion. He wished to remark that the shareholders should consider the advisability of writing up the permanent assets, which were very much undervalued rather than writing
up cattle
which were undervalued, but subject to epidemic, The permanent assets were not subject to violent fluctuations, but cattle had suffered a great deal from epidemic. They should there. fore write up the permanent assets in future and have a special reserve against cattle.-The "resolution was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN proposed and Mr. WICKHAM seconded the adoption of the second resolution, which was agrees to.
TRADE MARKS.
At the meeting of the foreign Ministers at Peking regarding trade marks regulations Mr. Uchida, the Japanese Minister. and Dr. Mumm the German Minister, maintained their respective views and would not give way, and the British Minister, Sir Ernest Satow, is mediating between the two Ministers. The Editor of the Eastern Times, commenting on the news, says: The German Minister argues that (1) the fees for registration are too high, (2) the class fication of goods is too minute) (3) Chinese officials do not know how to operate the regulations, (4) the date of enforcement is too soon. However these reasons given by the German Minister are only the apparent ones, and the real reason for the German objection is that all the goods imported by Germany to China are merely imitations of foreign goods other than German, and the Germans are using many trade marks similar to the genuine goods, and in case the present regulations come into force the German trade in China will be greatly affected, and that is the actual reason why the German Minister wishes to postpone the enforcement of the regulations for a year or at least for six months if necessary. Again the German Minister objects to the fact that the regulations have been compiled by a Japaness expert and are more convenient for the Japanese than anybody else. The Japanese Minister maintains the view that the Japanese merchants have already sent in applications which were in the hands of the Chinese Authorities on the day of the operation of the regulations, namely on the 23rd October, and the matter cannot be postponed in any case.
[November 14, 1904.
we had in view, but nearly a year having elapsed. without it being apparent that any material result may be looked for, we are constrained again to broach the subject with the object of finding out whether further representations on the strength of this letter from the Foreign Commercial Bodies in China, made through
will enable some assurance of a more tangible Your Excellency to the Chinese Government, nature than that at present received being readily available in reply.
It would appear to us that the Chinese of carrying out their Treaty obligations in this Government are not fully alive to the necessity
the Treaty Powers are justified in bringing some pressure to bear in order to ensure the due observance of the same.
-We have.,
Bash is at present in the capital trying to get the Chinese Government's consent to allow him construction of the Yueh-Han, or Canton-Han- and the syndicate he represents to take over the kow Railway, from the American China Develop-matter, and that ment Company. The privilege of constructing this line will thus still remain in the hands of Chinese--and he will very likely obtain the Americans-as originally intended by the Government's consent, in view of the agitat on now going on in Canton, where there is strong opposition amongst the gentry and. wealthy merchants in the South against giving the
construction of the line into the hands of
Belgians.
THE CURRENCY QUESTION,
REPRESENTATION BY THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE.
፦
We have rec ived from the Hongkong Cham- ber of Commerce a copy of the correspondence which has passed between the Chambers of Commerce and the foreign Representative at Peking on the subject of China's currency. The first letter reads as follows:
HONGKONG, 28th May, 1904. SIR,-I have the honour to refer you to the correspondence which passed last year between your Chamber and the Hongkong Chamber in relation to the presentation of a petition to the Diplomatic Corps at Peking requesting that Body to urge on the Chinese Government the imperative necessity of taking steps to establish a uniform National Coinage throughout China as & first step towards the institution of currency arrangements of a less fluctuating character than those at present in use.
The importance of not allowing this matter to pass into oblivion was referred to by the members of this Chamber at their recent
Annual Meeting, and my Committee are anxious to know whether your Chamber is willing to make further joint representations to the Diplomatic Body at Peking with the object of urging tit to a course of action of a more determined nature than a mere ex. pression of sympathy as was the case last year.
Awaiting the favour of an early reply.-I have, &c.
2
3
(HAIRMAN, Shanghai General-Chamber of Commerce.
CHAIRMAN, Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
CHAIRMAN, Tientsin General (hamber of
Commerce.
1
To His rxcellency Baron CZIKANN, Minister for Austria-Hungary and Doyen of the Diplomatic Corps, Peking.
The reply of the British Minister to this memorial has already appeared in the Daily· Press. The American Minister's reply was of a purely formal character, and the Spanish Minister promised to support the movement. No replies from the other Ministers apparently Iave yet been received.
INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE
AT SHANGHAI.
The annual meeting of the International Institute of Shangbai was held at the French Municipal Hall on October 28th. H.E. Lü Hai-huan was in the chair, and there were, present some twenty or more of the leading Chinese of the Settlement. Foreign supporters of the Institute did not turn up so numerously, but among those in the room were Dr. Timothy Richard, the Rev. C. E. Darwent, Messrs. C. Leavenworth, R. W. Little, H. Morse, G. E. Tucker, and E. D. van Walree.
A Chinese gentleman asked if any further contributions had been received towards the Taels 3,000 yet required for the land.
Dr. Reid replied that promises had been received from several of the Guilds which would cover this sum.
The questioner then asked if Dr. Reid would use his influence to get the foreigners to raise the Taels 60,000 wanted for the building, and understood to be provided for by them.
Dr. Reid replied that he understood that his A.. R. LOWE, Secretary. committees both in London. and New York LESLIE J. CUBITT, Esq., Secretary, General would undertake a money-raising campaign this Chamber of Commerce, Shanghai.
autumn. Both were strong committees and ke The Secretary of the Shanghai General hoped they would be successful. Chamber of Commerce replied that his The Rev. C. E. Darwent expressed his com- Committee were fully in accord with the plete sympathy with the idea of the Institute Hongkong Committee in thinking it desirable and his confidence that since it had survived so to keep the question of currency reform con- many disappointments and difficulties it would-- stantly before the Diplomatic Body at Peking,come through all right in the end. The ide and he sent for consideration a draft of letter, seemed to be a right one. Classes and schools for having for its object the awakening of the the poorer Chinese were being established all. Diplomatic Body to the necessity for definite over the Empire, and it appeared to-be à wise- action.
thing to try and approach the mandarins as well, and to counteract the idea that to lift up one country it was necessary to depress another. It was to everyone's interest that China should be strong, and anything that encouraged her national life was worthy of support. Mr. Darwent suggested that the amount required for the building fund would look far less, formidable if stated at £8,00) instead of at Tis. 60,000. It was not really a very large sum for London, New York, and Shanghai to raise în co-operation; a successful basaar with the aid of Chinese curios might easily bring in almost half ¦ of it.
This letter was slightly amended by the Hongkong Committee to meet their views, and they suggested that a copy should be for warded to each member of the Diplomatic Body.
"Ihe letter was as follows :--
(Enclosure.)
SIB,-In September of last year, we, the undersigned Chambers of Commerce, had the honour to address Your Excellency on the subject of the instability of exchange and the pressing need for the prompt introduction into China of remedial measures.
In the Memorial setting forth our views, we ventured to emphasize the importance of the Diplomatic Corps urging, upon the Chinese Government the imperative necessity of their taking in hand without delay the establishment of a uniform National Coinage as provided for by Treaty.
The acknowledgment of the receipt of the Memorial which we had the honour to receive from Your Excellency in the following October was all that could be desired as an expression of appreciation of, and sympathy with, "the object
The Chairman moved, Mr. Tucker seconded, and it was carried, that the report and accounts as presented be passed.
Dr. Richard, speaking in Chinese, remarked - that the more quickly the Chinese raised their Taels 3,000 for the land, the more quickly the foreigners were likely to raise their Taels 60,000 for the building.
On the motion of Dr. Reid, seconded by Mr. Tacker, it was resolved to add to the Advisory Council the names of Bishop Bashford, Lord
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