Quát
January 14, 1905.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
trial at the next Criminal Sessions.
board on the evening of the 5th inst. I went down | His Worship committed accused to take his to the mess room to get a cup of tea. While there I heard a yell, and hearing a second, went to see the cause of it. I went into the galley and saw a man standing there. I switch ed on the light and saw blood all over the floor, and that the man was wounded. I also saw that another man was killed. A woman pointed him ont to me lying in his bunk. I went on deck and told the doctor and the second mate, who reported the matter to the Captain.
55
on
Dangusan, one of the Filipino women board the Tremont, declared :-I am a passenger returning to the Philippines from the St. Louis Exhibition. There are 24 of us on board. We are natives of Igorroti. I was asleep in the steerage on the night of the 5th. I was awakened by ories of "Anina,” Anina"; which means "I am in great pain." I pushed aside the cover. ing of my bunk and looked out. I saw Apowen in his bunk across the room, holding his hand on his stomach and calling out "Anina, Anina," again. I could see blood dripping down. I called out for assistance. Our companions .(the Igorrotes) sat up in their beds. As I looked at them I noticed that one of the number was missing. I know Sudong. He did not sleep in the same room as Apowen. The dagger produced belongs to another Filipino on board. I saw the accused take it from the top of a bunk. I told Mr. Pettit, who went and took it from the acoused. He handed it to me. I returned it to the owner, who put it into his box and locked it up. I know of no quarrel between any members of the party on board. Defendant and deceased are both married men, but their wives are not on board.
Leong Wah declared:-I am a watchman at the Kowloon Godowns. I was alongside the Tremont on the 5th inst. One of the Filipinos on board came down on to my boat with a rope. He went on board a sampan from my boat. After some time the Filipino returned to my boat. He wanted to get into a water tank on board. I prevented him from doing so. He
then wanted to go into the hold, but I would not let him he crossed again to a cargo boat. He stood on the deck for about eight or ten minutes, them he jumped into the water, and I did not see him again. I cannot recognise the prisoner. It was nearly dark
when I saw him.
·
$5
Charles Ernest Pettit deposed:-I am in charge of the Filipinos returning from the St. Louis Exposition. I was ashore when the trouble occurred on the Tremont. I returned
on board about twelve o'clock that night. I do not know of any quarrel amongst the members of the Filipino Company. I took the knife produced from Pagain about three days before the murder. I handed it back to the owner. Lazaro Bebit, the Filipino interpreter, stated I was on board the Tremont when the tragedy occurred. I did not go down in the steerage. I saw Apowen in his bunk from outside. have known the deceased 20 years, and the accused 16 years. I know of no quarrels between them, The literal translation of the words of the accused when he saw a knife in the Doctor's hand, is: "It is true that I killed that man with this knife." On the night of the murder, the defendant was the only one of the company missing from the ship. A general search was made, but proved of no avail,” I next saw him at the Central Station on the 7th instant, where, after reading over and explaining the charge to him, and cautioning him in the usual form, I took his statement, which consisted of one word meaning Yes."
Nicholas George Nolan, Police Court Interpreter, said -On the 7th instant defendant was charged at the Central Police Station. I read and explained the charge to the last witness. The defendant made a statement to the interpreter which he wrote on a statement form. He wrote the word "Si." the interpretation whereof is "Yes."
$1
P. C. No. 112 gave evidence as to seeing the signals on board the Tremont for Police assistance; also as to the search on board for Pagain.
On being asked if he had anything to say Pagain said: When I came on shore from the steamer I intended to go on board again. There were Chinese on the shore. They said 'By-and-bye, by-and-bye.' A policeman then came and arrested me and brought me to the
station."
Pagain was further charged with the murder of the ricksha coolie at West Point on Friday last. After hearing the evidence of arrest, His Worship remanded the case till the 16th ins'ant
At the Police Court on the 7th instant before Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz, a Filipino, Pagain, was charged with feloniously, wilfully and with malice aforethought, murdering another Filipino named Apowen on board the American steamer Tremont in Hongkong Harbour on the night of the 5th inst. Inspector Langley of the Water Police prosecuted.
In answer to the charge Pagain said:-"I am guilty; I killed."
་་
He was
THE TRADE OF JAPAN.
81
Empire for the present year, the Chugai Shogyo, In an article on the foreign trade of the
that according to investigations made by the the leading commercial paper of Tokyo, says Finance Department, the total value of Japan's export trade this year up to the 25th instant amounts to Y813,000,000 in round figures, and that of the import trade to Y362,000,000. A few days yet remained before the year end, but the value of business done in that time would be only trifling, so that the figures given may be taken as representing the year's trade. Com- pared with the preceding two years, the result of Japan's foreign trade for 1904 shows a good improvement, as will be seen from the following table :-
MERCHANDISE.
I 1902
Chow Fuk, sworn, said: On the 6th instant I was on the Wingchai steamer's wharf. I heard ories of Policeman in Chinese. I went up and saw a ricksha coolie sitting down. wounded and bleeding from the chest. The defendant was standing there. He held a knife in his hand. I asked the coolie who stabbed him. He pointed out the defendant as the man. went up to arrest him and he made a lunge at my chest with a knife. I parried the blow with my hand and closed with him, at the same time blowing my whistle. P. C. No. 49 came up as I took the knife from him. The constable took the coolie to the hospital and I took defendant to the Central Police Station.
Hearing continues.
[The ricksha coolie, who was so murderously assaulted by the man now in custody,succumbed to his injuries at eleven o'clock yesterday morning at the Government Civil Hospital. Pagain will therefore have to answer a second charge of murder.]
1904 AT SINGAPORE.
The past year has been perhaps the poorest trade year for Singapore in the last decade, says the Straits Times. Money has been very tight, and owing to the decrease in the volume and value of exports, the purchasing power the natives generally has been greatly reduced. Business during the first half of 1904 was almost stagnant, but improved to some extent in the
of
last six months. The enormous demands from
India and Australia for piece goods had a favourable effect on this market in spite of the
very heavy fall in the price of raw cotton after the American corner, and orders booked re- cently cannot be met till near the middle of 1905, keeping prices level which would otherwise have fallen considerably. The war in Manchuria led to large orders in khaki and drills on the part of the Japanese for the supply of the armies in the field, proving the truth of the aphorism that it is "an ill wind that blows nobody good." Stocks have not yet been published, but they will probably show large decreases compared with the close of 1903 in heavy grey shirtings and T. cloths as well as yarns, white shirtings and Turkey reds. Prints and sarongs are in fair stock, although imports of the former have fallen off. Metals generally, with the exception perhaps of wire nails and tin plates, are above the average as well as candles
and cement.
Prospects for 1905 are not accounted very reassuring. The low prices ruling for produce show no tendency towards a rise: and as long as the natives find poor returns coming in for their goods it seems they prefer to deny them- selves the imported articles for which the raw materials are bartered at the outports. Some of the other conditions that went to make up a bad trade year may slacken in time to affect advantageously the incoming twelve months. The high rates fixed upon by the Shipping Convention have resulted in some trade which formerly passed through Singapore being diverted to Dutch ports, where easier rates were obtainable. The dislocation caused by the currency question is said to have been rather exaggeratedly expressed, so that the trouble from this cause may ease down somewhat. A good deal of capital which has been tied up in land and in Tanjong Pagar will, it is hoped relieve the tightness of the money market during the early months of the new year with good results to trading interests generally.
Export.
Yea
Import. Yen
Total Yen
258,303,064 271,731,258 $530,034,323
1903... 284,181,207 311,925,216 596,006,423 1904. 313,269,901, 362,873,546 676,143,447
Import
1902... 1903
GOLD AND SILVER,
Export
Yen
Ten
2,028.981 32,161,358
18,383,281 27,769,268 107,633,694 33,571,214. The figures for 1903-4 in the above tables
1904
represent values up to December 26th for Yoko- hama aud eight other ports.
The bulk of the foreign trade this year, continues the Tokyo journal, amounts to 676,000,000 yen in round figures, showing an increase of some 60,000,000 yen over the value. for last year-exports representing an increase of 29,000,000 yen and imports 50,000,000 yen. The value of the foreign trade of the Empire in 19.13 was the largest since the opening of the country to foreign commerce, and the result this year shows an increase over last year, which must be regarded as very satisfactory in view of the war. The fact that the export of bullion exceeded 100,000,000 yen is chiefly due to the large quantities of war munitions purchased from
abroad.
..
In a series of articles on the economical sitaation and the war, the same journal says :----
"There is little doubt that the industry and thrift observed by the nation, which has largely assisted the prosperity of the foreign export
trade, and the negative policy pursued by
bankers and other business тед, which has relieved the money-market, are the principal
causes
of economic circles, but there is another which maintain the healthy state
cause which must not be overlooked. That is the blessing of Providence-the great success of the various harvests and the increase in the demand for Japanese goods abroad. The great success of the export trade this year could not have been without the increased demand for Japanese goods abroad, and this is accounted for by the victories of our arms in Manchuria. Japanese goods have been received with enthusiasm in England and America. The Japanese building at the St. Louis Exhibition was very largely patronised.
"The principal lines of export goods which show a sensible increase over last year are as follows:
Habutai... Silk bandkerchiefs. Raw silk Rice
1904.
1903. Yen
Yen .123,838,777 24,406,209 4,333,554 · 2,746,390 81,198,616 56,782,915
6,724,967 6,094,570
4,285,974
3,410,129
8,933,887
7.746,786
3,584,107 2,944,970 4,703,626
3,398,169.
Cotton goods Matches Porcelain Straw braid Dried outtlefish 2,342,927 1,803,675 The export of raw silk amounted to soms 81,000,000 yen up to last month, showing an increase of 15,000,000 yen over last year, and when the value for this month is added, the total may reach 85,00,000 yen, which is unprecedented in the history of this country. Then comes habutai and silk handkerchiefs, which were also exported to an unprecedented extent. The depression of the home market for silk goods has driven silk weavers to produce goods for export, which have been received abroad with
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