Į
July 10, 1905.]
crusade, with which many outsiders will be in sympathy, and a popular prejudice which, in view of the precedent of 1900, must be universally contemned and denounced. The Times sees in the movement a danger, not only to America, but to China and her foreign relations; and describes it as a "fanatical outburst.' The implication would seem to be that there is but a step from boycotting to Boxerism. This Yellow Peril view of the matter did not and does not appeal to us, but we cannot say that there is no justification for it. The threat- euing letters and the street attacks which we regarded as symptomatic of the Chinese. lack of unity, may also be taken to in-licate that the murderous devil has not been i
t
driven out of the Chinaman with grievance. It is unlikely, however, or 50 at least it secus to 13, that this alleged national movement, this popular ebullition of El
new-born patriotism, will endure long enough, or spread far enough, to lead to serious es tremities. Indeed, the same journal, which
sees in the American boycott a dangerous fanatical outburst, evidently agrees with us that the prospects of a successful boycott are small.
North and South never have worked together, it reminds us, and goes on: "It will be surprising if any real affinity of purpose survives the initial stages of the movement. Chinese traders have to live, and this new form of Chinese patriotism | will be sorely put to it when the small trader, his present supplies exhausted, finds himself pledged not to buy and retail the only saleable commodities within reach, and to procure in their place au article which will not create the same demand or repre- sent the same profit." It has to be dwrited but the movement makes a very resp eb ghowing in the newspaper inese in Singapore, l'euang, ad tter Straits Settlements are men
:
!
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.-
ment of late, it is not advisable to again diaturli
Tientsin is typical of other Chinese centres where American goods have been intro- ducel, and what is happening at Tientsin is probably happening elsewhere. At Can- tou, latest alvice has it that the agitation thrives. The way to suppress au anti- American agitation in Canton is to start another, anti-anything, so long as it be foreign. The Chinese merchants at Hong kong dropped the manif sto like a hot cuder the moment it was prescute to them; and as Hongkong and Canton, where business is concerned, are almost like the Siamese twins, there is another reason why importance need not be attached to the movement at Canton.
SOME JAPANESE FINANCIAL
FIGURES,
we re
i
17
although, thanks to the intervention of the originated eleven loans, and caused one authorities, things have shown great improve hundred and seventy-six millious to be and hamper the trade just as it is showing sign levied in special taxes.
Yet the people of rapidly increasing by participating in this new continue "banzai ing," and the accountant, trouble. The proposed boycott will undoubtedly who might well have been driven to “hara. much impede trade. Goods which have been kiri" while analysing all these millions of bought cannot be disposed of, and those ordered debt, visibly "chortles" in broid splashes and on their way cannot be cancelled. Any course of yellow and green, showing how the of action which haupers trade and tends to spoil the market will be very hard on the Tientsin Japanese, when asked for one million, merchants, and they, therefore, send out this offered five. Trade flourishes in spite of circular to state that the trade must be kept to· war. In 1903, there were nine thousand its normal channels and not be disturb by ille companies with an aggregate capital of rumours, and they take this action in the hope that they may thereby save the local business
over twelve hundred million yen. There men from severe lo--."
was a bigger output of silk in 1903 than any previous year, and the production of cotton yarn was short only of the 1899 record. Twenty years ago, the total value of exports and imports of commodities did not reach more than forty million yen: this last year it touched the three hundred and forty millions. China bad nearly seventy millions of the exports, and fifty millions of the imports. Hongkong received nearly thirty millions worth, and sent about two and a half. The lion's share of Japan's imports, about seventy-five millions, were sent by Great Britain, British India coming next with a little over sixty-five, while America had fifty-seven ani a half millions. America made up for this by taking over a hundred millions of Japanese exports, to which China and France were poor seconds, while England's share, exclusive of the Colonies, was only about seventeen and a (Daily Press, 10th July).
half millious. Thus, while America beats Modern methods of presenting statistics Europe in the exports, and Europe is ahead were first popularised, so far as
in imports, Asia beats both under both aware, by Mr. J. HOT SCHOOLING; and headings. Private deposits in the Bank of although his eccentric pictures of enormous Japan are still at their high water mark, loaves and little meu standing beside them while Government deposits in January attracted a great deal of attention in the were higher than ever before, nearly forty. pictorial magazines, men of affairs continued five millions. The Post Office savings of to look askance at such graphic but flippant, the people show a steady annual increase representations of facts previously set forth of several millions, the figure in March in rows and columns of solemn figures. But standing at over forty millions. Curiously to the business men to whom figures appeal enough, the rates of interest have more than do any number of fine literary! been
oft--n considerably higher, and phrases or trenchant arguments, time-saving were only slightly lower in 1903. The devices also appeal and long before the average prices of chief commoditi· s pictorial method caught th editorial fancy, it have gone up very noticeably since the was recognise I by scientifically-minded men, i middle of last year. The building of like e BERTILLON, Professors WESTER- railways appears to have continued nuin- GAARD. GABAGLIO and LEXIS, that some., terruptedly, at the rate of about three thing other than mere figures was needed to hundred miles a year for the last four years. and the coloured folk the stripes. But that express the results of statistical research. The earnings went up correspondingly, story proves nothing. For every town. Diagrams and curves, logarithmic or other The tonnage of steamers has swolleu from where the boycotting brigade is preaching, wise, are required by the most conscientious | a hundred to a hundred and fifty each year. there are dozens where the crusade has of statisticians (whò have a entempt for There are no figures for 1905, but to julge never been heard of. and whence come
the big loaf and the little man) to supple-from the newspapers, there should have requests for more of those cheap and excel- ment and complete their careful compilations, been a more than normal increase lately. lent goods that bore the U.S.A. chop. The This method has been seized and mastered. The population continues to grow, the movement was requiring so much bolster- by the Japanese to a wonderful extent, and, average incrense per cent. being nearly ene ing that we anticipated its speedy waning, it is always a pleasure, as well as profitable,, and a quarter. The population per square It was too much of a mere newspaper flare. to open one of the Financial and Economical When the Press echoes the cry of the People, Annuals of Japan. The fifth (for 1905) has great things sometimes happen, but when reached us by courtesy of the Cousul-General the Press ruus on ahead, with an indepeu- for Japan. There is scarcely a page from dent shouting, it does not always achieve which some interesting statement Success. There has been for years in be extracte:l. For the fiscal year 1905-6 it England an intermittent but fairly persistent is apparent, at a glance, that the ordinary journalistic crusade against things made revenue was larger thau ever before, and a in Germany.' In England the papers are second glance gives the figures, practically more numerous and more generally read three hundred million yeò. Ordinary ex-given in less attractive tables. than they are in China, but the great mass penditure for the same period was less than of the people goes on buying German goods, for the previous year, and about 26 millions because they are much cheaper, and more than half the revenue. Land and auswer just as well." Mr. CHAMBERLAIN liquors share the great bulk of the taxation. has striven hard to educate his nationals, Tue burden that war is and way he is start- pocket pulls harder than lingly apparent in a diagram showing the patriotism"; and where he has failed, we national debts outstanding on 31st March can scarcely hope that a few aggressive last. Roughly a two-thirds segment of a Shanghai journalists will siccel. The circle shows tbe Wal debt. yen Commercial Guild at Tientsin has sent a 1,003,317,150. The next biggest is the circular to all the retail dealers to the effect very innocent 167 millions required to con that
solidate old loans. The war has increased the national debt per capita from a little over ten yen to nearly thirty yea.
reparts.
Hongkong was as participators. led, but would have nothing to 4 with it; but all the Treaty Ports are epresented. In Peking, the cry is the Chinese equivalent of a bez l'Américaine: and it is now cunningly put about that the DOWAGER EMPRESS herself has voiced, her concern for her persecutel "children'
in the land where white men have the stars
1+
but
Co
I
11
76
"The Tientsin market having been more or less disturbed over since the Boxer trouble,
.
¦
cannot
It
ri (nearly six square miles) at the present time is 1,928. The population of Taiwan (Formosa) grows much more rapidly; aud in proportion to area is nearly now as great as in Japan proper, The foregoing figures are all taken at a glance from the various excellent and pretty diagrams before alluded to. On a future occasion, we may enter into a closer analysis of the figures
Three co lies were charged before Mr. G. N. Orme at the Police Court on July 5 with assault- ing a fourth near the German Club on Tuesday night. The complainant, who is a Hakka man, bad just let down his fare, and was removing his chair to the side of the street, when one of the defendants, a Cantonese, called out, Beat the Hakka man. Immediately the defendants set upon him with bamboos, and inflicted a scalp wound about four inches long, and minor injuries on the body. The first defendant was fined $15 and the second $25, and they were each ordered to pay $2 compensation. The third defendant was discharged.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.