t
128
*
The enterprising trader assumed that the restoration of peace would inaugurate a period of immense commercial activity in Manchuria. It did not, and the result is that the "hustlers' suffering for their miscalculations.
11
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
CONGRESSES.
(Daily Press, 31st August.)
one
We see by the official report of the proceedings at the sixth Congress of the Chambers of Commerce of the Empire, held in London (reports of which we published 8 few weeks ago), that the Hon. Mr. GERSHOM STEWART denounced are now
solution as being outside the scope of the
re congress. We are glad to have this example, for we entertain the opinion that there were several features of that conference which would have been better omitted. What Mr. GERSHOM STEWART objected to was the following resolution by a Toronto representative:
QUARTERLY TRADE RETURNS FROM CANTON.
|
[September 3, 1906.
them. If, as is alleged, Japan made war in coal instead of six thousand, 53,088 picdls | Col. W N. PONTON administered a very the name of the principle of the open or, of flour instead of 48,618, and 2,429,000 dignified rebuke to certain gentlemen “who The nations who stood by and allowe. er gallons of kerosene instead of 3,041,000. perhaps had not given every consideration so to champion an international cuse This decrease represents a slump in Sumatra and thought to the matter, and were taking should not be too impatient, nor too ready oil in bulk, 1,196,451 gallons, against none away a great deal of the dignity and im- to condemn any minor falls from grace. previously. There has been no Russ an oil portance of the Congress as a deliberate The dissatisfaction of which we have heard for three years. Rice imports were very body" by their impatient cries of “rote. the most on the China coast has really much larger, as was to be expected. Sugar vote". There was no great hurry, even come from the Anglo-Saxon trading com-imports also very largely increased. Exports at the point of adjournment for lunch, munity, and the complaint is merely that were considerably greater, considered in when the PRESIDENT proposed to transmit while they, American and British importers, bulk. The chief increases noticeable were birthday congratulations to Mr. CHAMBER- must pay duty at Newchwang, Japanese in beans, fireworks, mats, medicines, and LAIN. By far the greatest discussion took importers at Dalny and Russians at paper. There was a falling off in the export place over Preferential Tariffs, a very im Vladivostock could get goods in free. There of silk, chiefly in steam filatured raw, A portant subject, but one that had for the is a parable in the New Testament, about new item figuring in the table of re-exports time ceased to be a political issue. We do the engagement of labourers in a vineyard, is 330,060 gallous of American kerosene.
not go so far as to say-the discussion was which very well fits this devotion to the
outside the scope of the Congress, but it principle of "equality of opportunity". As
was certainly marred by the rankest kind of to the entire justice of the complaints, Dr.
sentimentalism. One gentleman from MORRISON Seems to make it fairly clear
Macclesfield, whose long and not parti- that they are a natural result of disappoint-
cularly solid speech was punctuated with ment.
cheers, perpetrated the remarkable prophecy that “the degrading, the unfortunate, and the humiliating spectacle would be seen of British tars wearing handkerchiefs male in
either way about Mr. CHAMBERLAIN'S Germany," But we have no desire to argue
by getting a man here and there to think policy. We may be able to do a little good for himself of the danger of political emo- tionalism; and for an object lesson the Congress serves 03
well 33 any other. A Chamber of Commerce 18 a very useful institution in leed, operating in its own district. It knows the local circumstances and needs, and practical A Congress results follow its discussions. of Chambers, however, attempts the impossible. It seeks principles that will fit every corner of a vast empire, and such things are unattainable. What might suit Canada, as Mr. GERSHOM STEWART in effect pointed out, would be suicidal to Hongkong or India, This is the one important limitation the congresses and politicians ought to bear constantly in mind, and so often strangely forge. The present Liberal Government has found trouble in fitting principles made in London to Paking and Johannesburg; and it is just as useless for a Congress of Chambers of Commerce to expect to establish rulings for the whole Empire. In theory, the Cougrass should lead to informative exchanges of views, and inculcate tolerance and respect for other men's opinions. It does not, because, as we have seen, frail human nature goes to the discussion obsessed by its strictly parochial point of view, strongly prejudiced, and instead of listening and pondering, it cries "vate, vote". It is a pessimistic and discouraging view to take, but it is doubtful if these Congresses ever accomplish anything worth the trouble and expense.
make
It is resolved that in the opinion of this Congress the Naturalization Laws of the various parts of the Empire should be so unified as to in any part of his Majesty's Dominions a any citizen who has been duly naturalized
British subject wherever the flag waves, and entitled to the full rights and privileges of a native born.”
(Daily Press, 30th August.) The Custome Gazette with the tradereturns for the secoud quarter of this year has reached us.
As usual, we are enabled thereby to gather a hint of how business stands in our own immediate neighbourhood. Compared with the corresponding quarter of 1905, the tonnage entered at Canton sbows a decrease of 899 vessels or 13,414 tons. This represents the difference in the gross figures for each period. More interest Mr. GERSHOM STEWART asked the mover attaches to the tables of imports. Compared of the resolution whether he wished to in- with the corresponding quarters of three clude the whole of the British Empire. In previous years, there is a very noticeable Hongkong the Naturalization Laws wortel growth in the opium trade, chiefly in Patna. very well, but if the Chinese in Hongkong The three Indian brands were importel as were to be endowed with the full privileges follows, Malwa, 182.55 piculs, Patna, of British subjects, he presumed Canada 2,048.09 piculs, and Benares, 448.36 picule. would willingly accept them and allow This was altogether 221 piculs more than them freely to enter their country. was imported in the same quarter last year. He thought the resolution was rather The growth of the native import may be outside the scope of the Congress, and measured by the following figures, would
never have been brought forward representing piculs: 0.94 in 1904, 93.19 by any man resident in the middle of a in 1905, and 145.44 in 1906. The great native population, with its racial whole opium import therefore shows an peculiarities and the colour question. He increase for the quarter of 273 piculs, strongly recommended the meeting to leave Lumping together the import of cotton the resolution alone, but, if it would not do goods, we find a big drop, the only that, he asked them to consider very increase being in chintzes and plain seriously the question of men who were prints. Without exception, every other perfectly happy under the British flag, whom item seems to have been in consider the British flag protected, but at whose ably less demand. For the 1905 quarter, disposal the British Empire refused to put the import of Indian yarn was 29,150 the whole of its forces should they get piculs; this year it was only 19,689, a into trouble. The last dozen words of result, apparently, of the suicidal dumping the resolution killed it. We presume policy of the Indian dealers, lately checked. that if the Canadians had been so much There appears to be a growing appetite at surrounded by Hurons and Eskimos Canton for mixtures (Alpacas, Lustres, and as some other colonials are by other races, Orleans), the quarterly figures, representing such an impossible proposal would never vards, being 3,359 in 1903, 4,327 in 1904, have been forthcoming. It is to be noted 9,770 in 1905, and 16,176 this year. Pure that from the KEIR HARDIE point of view woollens about hold their own, thanks it is sound in morals and unimpeachable mainly to the steady popularity of" Spanish in logic. To deny to duly naturalized Stripes". Either the Mints are glutted, British subjects the fullest civic rights is, or the Chinese have discovered the secret as the BISHOP or the Radical Parliament of copper cash depreciation, for there was, would say, "morally indefensible ". With a big decrease in metal imports. The so many striking object lessons of the quarter's supply of copper last year was nearly twenty-five thousand picula; in the quarter ending June last it was only meven thousand. The only increase was in tinned plates, which considerably more than regained the position they held two years ago. Still comparing with the corresponding quarter of 1905, we find that Canton: absorbed fifteen thousand tons of
THE SITUATION IN FRANCE.
(Daily Press, 1st September.) The priest controls the pasant and the POPE controls the priest: otherwise, the pre sent relations of the French Government and the Vatican would appar in the light of an archaic absurdity. Frenchmen in the Far East appear to be vastly indignant at the POPE's Encyclical to the French bishops, and before other nationals can understan›l why they take Rome so seriously, thay must review the situation. Once, of course, impossibility of confining social and political there was a temporal Power at the Vaticin; matters between the straight lines of an and the renewed troubles between Church idealistic parallel, it is a wonder that the and State in France ara chiefly due to the sentimentalists should retain such a follow fact that a point of State etiquette happened ing. But the Congress of Chambers of to be viewed by the Vatican through Commerce of the Empire was as emotional the eye of diplomacy, rather than through as it could well have been. During the the eye of religion. Many people not discussion of the important subject of the closely interested assume that the Govern postal rate on imperial publications, Lieut.ment of France has fallen into atheistic
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