October 2, 1905.]
MACAO.
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Macao, 21st September.
THE APPROACHING FANCY FAIR.
The promoters of the Fancy Fair for raising
funds for the St. Francis Xivier School, to te
held on the 30th instant and 1st proximo, have abandoned their idea of holding the f ir in the Flora Garden, as they have found out that the locality, although eminently suitable for the purpose, is rather far from the town, and inconvenient to both the promoters and the intending patronizers of the fair. As the feast of the Holy Rosary will also take place on the 1st proximo in the . Domingo's Church, and near by is a new market just constructed but not yet opened, would suggest that the fair be held there instead. The opening of the new market is fixed for the 28th iustaut, the anniversary of the birthday of their Faithful Majesties the King and Queen of Portugal, but there will be no difficulty in postponing the opening until after the fair, to enable the promoters to use the place for that purpose. The benefit which can be derived if my suggestion is carried out is obvious. I hear that the Rev. A. Gomes, the principal promoter of the fair, has been receiving from various places some very nice and valuable presents for the occasion, and the se, no doubt, will be the
most
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
wishes to place his ols on that market can only do so at pres nt by getting into touch through his agents in China with the native merchants at Hongkong, who act as buvers for Chines firms on th mainland. It has often been urged on British merch nts in China that they should end avour to dispense with the serrices of these midlemen by dealing directly with their principals; but for goods. the sale of which is limited. it appears to the Acting osul tha the present system is the most advantageous for all parties. Even in the case of piece goods, with which our trade is chiefly concerned, there can, he says, be little fault to find with the system. Apparently, it does not enhance the cost of the gods, for shirtings of every description are sold here and
the interior at prices which imagine cannot leave any margin of profit 10 the importer. A case has been mentioned to me of a British merchont doing a large business in piece-goods in Hongkong who, to try and increase his sales, opened an agency at this port.
that his own
""
one would
He gave it up after a short tril because he found ohop" of shirtings was bing sold cheaper in Wuchow by his Hongkong clients than he himself could afford to sell it. The explanation given to me is that shirings and Indian yarn have, like opium, become almost a medium of exchange at this port and in its hinterland, and the importer looks for his profit to the native produce for which he barters his
of th ir sale. There are probably other reasons as well, such as keen competition, to account for the low cost at which pi-co-goods are sold in this provine, but there can be no question that the effect is excellent on the trade."
THE CHINA ASSOCIATION,
231
The Peking and Tientsin Tmes says A wise general receives with attention, the information of every scont, even a voluntary one. He my know the news brought ready, or he may know more; but if he is wise he will keep this to himself and not choke off a possible
means of attracting a large number of buyers goods, or which he purchases with the proceeds the spot. aud a greit future will be opened for
of tickets for the fair, especially from your colony. The promoter
is working very hard to make the fair a success, and he deserves pecuniary assistance from all.
ELECTRIC LIGHTING.
I hear that this city will be lighted by elec tricity for the first time on the evening of the 28th instant, but how and from where the current will be obtained am unable to enlighten your readers. The works are
still under construction, and most of the machinery and other necessary appliances are still lying on the Heungshan wharf, to the great inconvenience of passengers to and from Macao and thos, who have occasion to make use of the wharf. Per-
haps the steamboat company have granted this special privilege to the electric company, but
The vegetable oils produced in Kuangsi province, particularly aniseed, cissia, groundnut and wood oils have a high reputation in China, and the supply, which is small, is not nearly equal to the demand in the north of the province and in Kueichow abound also in all kinds of valuable woods, pro- ducing camphor, rubber, paper, soap and tallow, which have not as yet been put to any com. mercial use. The mineral wealth of Kuangsi is said, too, to be very considerable, though not on the very best of evidence. Some of the
The ma rnificent for s's
But
source of information at some other time on's oint which he my not know. The British Foreignffice is notorious for being an unwise general. It prides itself on having a large and qualified staff of scouts of its own choosing. and is content to go on its way knowing and seeing nothing of the great battle of life affect- ing its most vital interests, rather that accept information from the voluntary scout whom it has not chosen. Many years ago a scout which might have been a good and faithful ser- reut not only to the F.O. but to the nation came into being in the form of the China Association. It gathered together within the fold of its membership all the soundest judg ments and the most qualified business men in the Far East, the men in short who had made the Far East, and by whose exertions the growing trade of the Far East, flowed smoothly between the old shores and the new. This scout said, "we will come to the help of the great F.O, and give it the information as to the influences for and against British interesis in the Far East, which can only be gleaned on
us and for those who come after us."
the chilly stare the great F.O. pit on of officialdom, was freezingly polite, but gare the scout clearly to understand that it kaew all that the would-be informant could tell, and more, ob, so very much more, that the scout We all know could not possibly ev n guess. the sort of thing, for most of us have with patriotic zeal tried to play scout for British interests at some time or another.
Of course the China Association sat tight and vowed it was not going to be snubbel, and that it would yet bring the great F. O. to its senses. But has been passed round that the great C. A. bas This was a long time ago and since then word
been long since dead, and is only commemorated by an annual dinner. Sɔ sure of
arose called the China League, which even now occasionally bombards the F. O. with morials," but has not touched the hem of British interests in China. Bat the China Ass ciation has lately asserted it is not dead. Judging by anpaarauces, however, it looks far more like a spook than a vital body. Its name less on an apparently dislo atd frame. The no longer fits it, and hangs loos› and mea ing- China Association holds an important meeting
now
they must also see to the convenience of the mines, however, according to the Acting-Consul, its death were China coast men that a new scout
public and especially those who patronize the company. There is no reason why all these pieces of iron cannot be at once removed and deposited on the piece of reclaimed ground next to the wharf.
THE WEATHER,
Since Monday last the we ther here has been very threatening, and all the junks and sampans went to seek shelter from the wind and the rain. Although the typhoon kept clear of this city again, we had a rather stiff gale from the N. and N.E., which made the sea very rough. Yesterday it was rating very hard,
MARKETS AND MIDDLEMEN AT WUCHOW.
are unquestionably valuable.
TREATY PORTS OR "TRADING CENTRES.”
"
Now that so many inland Treaty ports, or as we generally term them for purposes of distinc- tion. "trading centres
ar b-ing voluntarily opened by China, the proclamation by the Changsha anthorities which we reproduce else.
difficulty, as our readers are aware, has hing dou
where has a universal interest. The Beanertz
·་
the insistence of a British merchant that the i "open ng of Changsha to foreign trade meant the opening of Changsha (city) and not a swamp in some district outside the city where trade would be difficult if not impossible. The fact that at each treaty port there is a foreign settle. ment or residential and business quarter, is being utilized by the Chine e in their present snail-like humour, to signify that when they wr.te black," green" should really be But fortuna ey though diplomacy is an easy-going anim and will occasionally
rad.
11
munch straw for no other reason than becans. it
C
મ
Mr. Ac'ing Cousul Wilkinson, at Wuchow, says a great deal has been written in previous reports on the trade of Wuchow, of the m rket that exists there for such actiel s as fancy soaps, scents, belts, cutlery, biscu ts, cond used milk, medicines, and even feeding bottles; "though I have never yet heard of a h nese mother using one, I have had to reply to numerous eaquiries from the m korsf such is marked hay," the British Minister has read articl s in the United Kingdom." He ex-
into the pres at case an insidious a d dangerous plains that, "though there is a sale at this precedent, and having st of firm, as er ry port in a small way for most of th se artic es, owing to the conditions under which business him. Mr. Ben ertz's posi ion has been legally
Bitish Minister might well have done befor is carried on at Wuchow, it is quite im justified, and rather nice question atisfactori y possib's for the Consul to be of any assistance settled. Such a question w. uld not, of course. to exporters Ht home in placing their partic-have been raise in any othe country than aler productions on the market. The fir ign goods shops at this port, and in fact at every town in this province, are all brauch establishments of Chinese firms in the Caut n province, principlly at Fatshan. When any of these shops need a fresh stack of goods the manager sends a rough list of the kind of articles he wants to his principals, who for- ward it to their buyers at Hongkong, leaving the choice aparently very much to their discretion." There are no wholesale dealers in foreign goods at Wuchow, and Mr. Wilkin- son states that the British manufacturer who
China, where any argumien apparently serv-s to b at the du they ae chasing as the Gov rament are perfectly well aware that in all the treaty por s the pioneer traders have had their ungs in the nat ve cities, and their present di position is for mutual comfort and convenience and not a point of law. Here in the North there are several "Changshas' being opened now, and in Manchurin we look for a few mor in the near future, and it is as well that the Chinese should be as clear on the point of locality as foreign traders will be.Tientsin Times.
"me
in London and refuses to tke China in o it confidence at all. The ex-cntive body are some of the old and original memb·rs, but they have been so long at home that they have lost touch with the East and the que tions which make British blood tingle in the East, and they have evidently bowed down and paid homage to the great FO. and taken the pledge of silent acq escance in the "ame of the mighty "other interests" for which the small concerns of the money spinners of Great Britain abroad so
often have to s'and aside.
We read in the Hongkong Daily Press a in question, and who tried to get a verbatim strong protest from one who was at the meeting report of the proceedings on behalf of the embers in China, who surely have the best right to know what is being done, but who
shown by the Government itself. These re- appear to be treated now by the London Com- mittee with little more consideration than
p esentatives have been so long at hem that they ar- erilently completely out of touch with in erests which they started out to de'end, and it is clear if the Chins Association is to be rescued from the blivion of a defunct good intention, a shaking up of the dry bon a must take plac and an understan ding he come to between the officers at home and the members out here.
The United States' er uiser Raleigh arrived here early on September 25th from Cafoo in charge of Captain Baker. and the French battleship. tonnage of 3,213, and
She saluted the port The Raleigh has a atcams 21 knots an Lour
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