September 22, 1906.}
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. thought to be. The transformation on the other affected every Shanghai Bund has had its counterpart on Colony. At the time of writing there has and to the Chinese mind, they may have individual in the The difficulties spoken of really did exist, our Praya; but we cannot honestly write of been no time to recover from the shock. appeared insuperable. The superstition of these things as "marked evidences of While in no sense standing comparison the masses, their dislike of change, the material progress and prosperity in public with such disasters, it helps us to realise likelihood of their rising if local carrying and commercial life", for on every hand we somewhat the feelings th must have been interests were interfered with; the degree hear of a decreased turnover. Traders and experienced by the people of San Francisco, to which railways would necessarily inter storekeepers have had much to complain of and Valparaiso. Just as since the Russo-Japanese war. and in time to take stock of our loss, we also matters which the Chinese Officials could we need more fere with the levy of barrier dues, were all addition have to endure the mortification of require time to revise our impressions. One not be expected to overlook, and it finding there are people who imagine they thing, however, stands out amid the rest, was consequently not surprising that the are exceptions to the general rule, and that and that is the general amazement with demands for the introduction of railways they are suspected of thriving when their which the public realized the results of neighbours are all standing still, if not the blow. We were in no way prepared possumus", especially as the Chinese were were repeatedly met by a reply of non going backwards. We are all hoping for for it, and we think it is quite probable unable to realise the advantages both things to mend, and in the absence of any that, even after our very natural excitement economical and political which improved certainty as to the real causes underlying has given place to normal calm, public intercommunication would be certain Jur troubles, are apt to be impatient. opinion will support the views of the cor- produce. By degrees, however, all these Partly, no doubt, the Far East expected 100 respondent who writes us with regard to difficulties have as a matter of fact been much in expecting that the end of the the Government Observatory. war would inaugurate at once a loom frequently heard old residents
We have overcome; and a railway in China is now of trade. War effects linger; settling to yesterday that the relations of our
say prior regarded as nothing more noteworthy than up for previous dislocation is a tedious Observatory officials
one in Europe or in the United States. process; but when it is over, the reward observatories were not as close and sympa present day almost as a matter of course, with neighbouring This state of things is looked upon in the comes. What we
want is not mutual thetic as they ought to be, and if it shonid though the change which the fact indicates recriminations but patience and persever-appear that the local failure to warn us of in China is well worthy of consideration. nace, and to adapt ourselves and our yesterday's storm was A methods to present circumstances. Our
It is certainly an encouraging indication Shanghai contemporary says:
that, though China may move slowly, still much may be effected by time which can be she is not actually at a standstill; and that accomplished in no other way; experience shows that it is of very little use to attempt to rush things in the Celestial Empire. In most instances where this has been done, the result before long has been disappoint- ment. But it is an equal mistake to abandon moment it seems or even is an impossibility. a project in China because at a given The Chinese official is usually so conserva- tive that he makes no allowance for possible change. His belief is that as China is, so she will continue for all time-and the bare fact that any given movement is a new departure is sufficient to make it appear an apparent impossibility to his conservative mind. Time, however, brings about changes ditions which no amount of conservative in national feeling and in economical con-
philosophising can arrest. It thus happens is found after all to be comparatively that what was quite impossible at one time
easy of accomplishment at a later period. This has certainly been the case with respect to the introduction of railways, and the same principle may be expected to
new
"The cry is ever for more room both in the centre for business purposes and in the outskirts for residences for the growing population. Rapidly as the terraces are going up in the outskirts, hemming in on all sides the mansions of the local Four Hundred, the supply cannot keep pace with the demand; the bitter cry is still heard of the man of large need and small means. The trams, by opening up yet more distant districts with easy and frequent communication are expected to postpone the day of absolute congestion for another generation, and in that time very much indeed may happen. That there is abundant faith, however, on the part of foreign capital, in an assured future for Shanghai is evident, and that conviction is bringing daily with it more of the stress of the West
There must be, and we think we can safely say there is, the same abundant faith in the future of Hongkong. Two or three pessimists should not be permitted to turn a temporary depression into permanent hope- lessuess. We are long past our pioneering days, when markets could be creamed for quick and big returns. We have entered the period of keen competition, marked by, as our contemporary puts it, a struggle on the part of those who had no direct share in the building up of the market to share its spoils". Of "Hongkong, as well as Shanghai, it may be said there have been times of almost delusive prosperity, when hopes were born that bred all the bigger disappointment when the inevitable reaction
caine.
"
The causes of our present trade dullness are believed to be largely temporary, although it would be foolish to shut our eyes to the fact that we have now a rival in Japan for whom our very best weapons must be furbished. So much, however, depends upon the spirit that is in us, that we feel it is the right line to take if we repeat, as applicable to our own case, our comtemporary's concluding words: -The Settlement has emerged successfully from far greater crises than hat through which it appens to be passing at the moment ".
•
THE TYPHOON.
(Daily Press, 19th September.) Although the terror of the typhoon is always with us at Hongkong, it is for. tunately not often that we suffer such calamitous ones as that which inflicted hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage yesterday, sacrificed a number of lives which at present wo can only guess, rendered most of the poor Chinese boating population homeless, and in some way or
consequence. of any stupid hostility, we take it end to such an unsatisfactory state of things, that sufficient has happened to put an It was frequently remarked yesterday that the Government should begin its policy of retrenchment by reducing the large sum apportioned to the Observatory, ou account of its obvious uselessness. It may be too soon to condemn an important department in such a way; but evidently there must be an enquiry into its usefulness. There have beeu jeers at the frequent warnings of typhoons which did not touch Hongkong, and this is natural considering that these so-called false alarms cause trouble and expense. Still, they kept us on the safe side-and they indicated at least the impro- bability of our ever being allowed to be caught napping. It is now painfully cleir told the shipping that the winds would be that we were never safe. The Observatory
showers and possibly some thunder. moderate and variable, accompanied by fact, we bad with less than half an hour's warning a typhoon such as as not struck the Colony since 1874. The public will now not be satisfied unless there is a exhaustive enquiry held touching the whole conduct of this department.
:
CHINESE OPPOSITION.
The
54
As a
The
be found at work as to other matters. same considerations are applicable to the Telegraph, which is now so largely used both by the commercial and official classes in China as to the Railway. In the former instance, the practical advantages the Chinese to fail to recognise them. were too obvious for 30 shrewd a people as
ducing telegraphs into China itself, the Long before there was any idea of intro- Chinese merchants
in of the
"}
(Daily Press, 20th September.) To those who can recall the opposition idea of introducing railways into their which was raised by the Chinese to the country, when the question mooted, the progress which has been was first actually made in this direction must appear something astonishing. In this, as many other kindred matters, China, in former times, tock up the attitude of "the everlasting no". The difficulties were declared to be insuperable. China was one vast grave-yard.
"Feng Shui general rising of the outraged populace, could not be disturbed without danger of a These and the like obstacles were habitually brought to the front whenever the subject was mooted, until at last even the most progressive, even among Europeans, began to despair of its being ever possible for China to adopt so great a change as would be brought about by the introduction of the steam-horse. Septical people looked upon these objections as mere excuses for inaction; but it must be confessed that there was more in them than those who were unable to fully appreciate Chinese ideas on the subject were inclined to admit,
availed themselves
"wire talkee" which was supplied by the coast and ocean cables as they were laid down-and they thus became familiar with an appliance which in its nature was more likely to appeal to their superstitions and became an object of which have been opposed on the grounds opposition than many other innovations of their being likely to disturb the Feng Shui. The slight opposition that was at any time offered to the Telegraph may be explained by the fac that its utility had been discovered practically, before it was discussed theoretically. There was no questioning the advantage to be gained by instantaneous means of conveying informa tion; and, before the practical end to be thus attained superstitious opposition soon gave way. The great thing in introducing any change into China is to make it clear that it will be to her, benefit. This point
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