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COTTON MILLS IN CHINA AND HONGKONG,
(Daily Press 21st April.)
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[May 1, 1905
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would have been an easy matter to obtain | of the sailor who boasted: "T the evidence necessary to strengthen that Britisher, and never change my- word "presumably.' It is pointed out that But the point seems to be whether the
the "the out-turn of foreign spindles and looms procedure was adopted in haling finds its market practically at the doors of men into a court of criminal session The Cotton Mills of China are the subject the mill, some native mills taking in raw cot- The law of the sea is not the law of the of a long and very interesting report by ton from the country people and delivering land. There are reasons for the differences.. Yet, obviously, there was something wrong Mr. J. W. JAMIESON, British Commercial a stipulated quantity of yarn in exchange." Attaché in China, which has just reached The writer finds cause for surprise that somewhere in putting men whose worst us in a Foreign Office pamphlet issued in cotton spinning by machinery should not March, and numbered 629 of the mis- have been more remunerative, in view of cellaneous series. Cotton spinning and the enormous Chinese imports. Explana- yarn weaving, as ancient Chinese handi- tions of the tardy manner in which pros- crafts, Mr. JAMIESON does not dwell on; perity has been approaching the foreign but begins with the introduction of steam- enterprisers have previously been given in There are causes still driven machinery fourteen years ago. He these columns. gives the names of nineteen mills or firms awaiting removal; but the chief factor of which, last year, had 619,648 spindles disappointment, the absence of a sufficient- and 2,250 looms going. The Hongkongly plenteous and cheap supply of raw Company, started in 1898, "with a view to material, has now disappeared. The limited catering for the wants of Southern China, output of last year (about 647,333 lbs. sent hoped to find in Borneo a source of supply into China) will be greatly increased local of raw material. Such hopes, however, ly, as a consequence, and in the northern were not realised, and in 1900 it got into port the experts are looking for a better serious difficulties. A re-organisation, ou time. Unfortunately, at Shanghai they the basis of writing down its hundred have serious debts to wipe out, and it will dollar shares to ten dollars each, followed; need abnormal profits for some time to put and it has succeeded in paying a dividend them in the enviable position they ought on its reduced capital. As against an
to be enjoying. Also, "the mills in the import duty at the rate of 0.60 Haikuan country are undoubtedly more advantage. taels per picul, payable by the Chinese ously situated than the mills of Shanghai, mills on cotton from abroad, this mill their expenses are very much lower, the obtains its supplies duty free. The counts absence of any provision for depreciation or it spins are low, chiefly 10's, and such of insurance does not weigh heavily on the the output as is not disposed of locally goes minds of the management, and, consequent principally to Amoy and Foochow. The ly, they may feel justified in declaring Chinese customs statistics record the dividends, under circumstances when the imports of Hongkong yarn into China ag cautious European would never dream of having been 694,400 lbs. in 1901, 816,800 doing so." The " year of cheap cotton lbs. in 1902, and 1,230,400 lbs. in that Mr. JAMIESON looked for as a neces- 1903." Of the four foreign companies at sary preliminary to amelioration of their Shanghai, with £500,000 of European lot has dawned, and it is to be hoped capital, it is said that " to inspire confidence the "abnormal profits" may follow. The they all paid small dividends in 1897-98, Hongkong concern, which occupies such an but have been struggling hard to keep their honourable position in the report, is in an heads above water ever since." Now that exceptionally favourable position. Having plenty of raw cotton is obtainable, it is to paid for their experience by the heroic be hoped they will manage to keep it above sacrifice of four years ago, the proprietors water; for it was the cotton, and not their are able to cope with the present revival heads, that absorbed the moisture. The without the handicaps that fetter their report of the China Mission of the Black-neighbours. burn Chamber of Commerce is alluded to, the report which admitted great possibilities for this new industry, because its surround- ing circumstances and conditions were so favourable to trade expansion. Mr.JAMIESON points out that these great expectations have not been fulfilled; but we must not forget that there have been changes, and a phenomenal_cotton harvest, since he wrote. These Foreign Office books are not hastily prepared, and there are various indications that the Commercial Attaché was preparing his report prior to recent developments. So far as the demand goes, the Blackburn experts and the foreign promoters have been justified. China's imports of yarn in 1903 exceeded those of 1902 by 38,730,250 lbs., while the increase for ten years was 232,883,600 lbs. Shortly before these foreign enterprises set out to supply a market known to be growing, the proportion of yarn in China's imported cotton products was forty-two per cent. In 1903, it was fifty-two, representing a value of £8,814,500; and Hongkong's quota is steadily growing. We notice an ex parte tone about some of Mr. JAMIESON's observa- tions, as if they had been written to put Lancashire in a good humour; but we may be mistaken. Referring to the advantage Chinese mills have over the foreign mills in Shanghai, he says "mills in Shanghai do not work on Sundays; those up-country presumably do." It is not very encourag ing to find a British Commercial Attaché resting content with a presumption.
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offence was a breach of contract into the Long before the position of criminals. arrival of the Baltic Fleet caused others to reconsider the magisterial dictum that there was no real risk, we felt and expressed sympathy for the men thus being punished. We never felt inclined to agree that the magistrates were right in describing their scruples as altogether vexatious and frivolous. Expressions from the Bench itself gave us occasion to question the | esoteric justice of the treatment meted out It was said by one to the mutineers. Justice of the Peace that in the presence of reasonable grounds for believing that risk attached to a voyage to the North, he would be the last man in the world to insist that they should proceed. We asked ourselves what would be reasonable grounds. There was then no Baltic Armada in the vicinity. The mined areas were in many of the cases not to be crossed or approached. What then, had these men to fear? Were they cowards, starting at shadows, trembling at the mere possibility of danger? The ordinary perils of the sea they were accustomed to risk. without a thought. The idea occurred to
sea lawyers. us that these men were They learned that extra freight was being earned by their ship, and asked them selves why. The answer that naturally to them Was that suggested itself extra freight was paid because there was reasonable ground for apprehending risk to the ship. Any risk to the ship must be shared by themselves. The ship was in- The sea-lawyer,“ sured: they were not. particularly the British variety, has a keen sense of equity, and a stubborn idea of fighting for what he considers to be justice, for what is "fair." Extra risk, extra freight, extra pay for the sea-lawyer must obviously have been the train of thought. That no reference was made to any demand for extra inducements does not vitiate the theory. They may well have expected to be offered (Daily Press, 24th April.)
inducements to continue. In some cases, There is a forensic fiction that the Law that was the course pursued. In others,
men under discussion, the The theory is one of judicial now cannot err. infallibility, maintained, like an analogous treated, not to bribes, but to threats. The theory, for a useful purpose; but, if beark- letter of the bond was cited. They were sent to gaol. This seemed to us wrong, but ened to by the man in the street, received and taken with the proverbial grain of salt. where the law applies, and men are under Without such examples as the Brok case to the law, there is little use in kicking justify our assertion, we are entitled to against the pricks. Fresh cases followed
the magistrates still insisted that there was support it syllogistically. For major pre- miss, humanum est errare; for minor, all no danger. Even the nearness of the magistrates are human"; therefore, it is Baltic Fleet did not alter the legal view the nature of a magistrate to err, occasionally. that the risk was imaginary. In other. This preamble relieves us of the risk of quarters, however, we find that the latest ca-es have drawn official attention to the over much presumption in expressing our opinion, which is also human, that the possibility of "reasonable grounds"; and element of error was perceivable in the some men are released. But how can the local convictions of sailor-men who refused presence of a Russian squadron so far to undertake war risks. We would offer south endanger ships bound for the north? no sweeping condemnation of the law, of the It seems to us that if the grounds for appre: -+-
hension are reasonable now, they have been interpretation of the law, or of the couse- quent sentences which have put upon British reasonable all along, since the first batch of sailors the gaol-bird stigma. From the men was incarcerated. For them, there was no intervention. There was admittedly shipping point of view it must have been
in earlier cases cargo declared by Russia to very serious and very annoying when crews have interrupted a potentially profitable be contraband; but we are told the men voyage by refusing to continue further than were justly punished because there was no risk then of Bussia being able to enforce its Hongkong; and some impatience, on the
own proclamation. Truly, Russian prestige part both of captain and magistrate, was natural and excusable when the attitude of must still be high if its Fleet of the Annam the defaulting seamen was characterised by coast is to be considered as directly the stupidity exampled in such cases as that threatening similar cargoes/running hence.
COMMON SEAMEN AND WAR RISKS.
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