November 26, 1906.]
Steamu amene 'as
The infinence of many of the students who have been to Japan on their compatriots, is so pernicious that the Governor has now decided to send a large number of the students to: Western countries instead of to Japan.-N.-C., Daily News.
EUROPEAN DEALERS AND CHINESE TASTE.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
INTERESTING HORSE CASE AT SHANGHAI.
SHREWD BLOW AT PERNICIOUS PRACTICE
OF SHOEHORNING.
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At M. Supreme Court. Shanghai, on November 16th, before F. 8. A. Bourne, Esq. | Assistant Judge, the Shanghai Horse Bazaar sued T. H. Harris for Tis. 51,80, bilance due by defendant on a horse sold to him at auction by the plaintiffs.
Mr Macleod appeared for the plaintiffs: defendant was represented by Mr. Home.
Mr. Home submitted that the owner of the borse and not the plaintiffs should sne.
His Lordship suggested that the point should be reserved until a later stage. If it appeared necessary that the owner should be called he would certainly adjourn for that purpose.
Mr. Macleod said it was simply a question of whether the horse was sold and at what price. He did not think the defendant would deny that the horse was sold to him for Tis. 105, and afterwards re-sold by the Horsa 'Bazar on his behalf for Tls. 53.20.
We think it kindness to draw the attention of some of the European business men here, t the fact that they seem ignorant of the proper use and meaning of colours amongst Chinese. If one sends his servant out for a tin of the best European made biscuits, he will bring back; a tin intended for the Chinese market wrapped up in paper resembling Chinese mourning paper, with a little blue and white funeral card mounted on it giving the name of the makers and information about the contents in Chiness characters. That little card is no doubt | meant to attract Chinese custom, but if that is the object it would be better if the card were left out altogether. From the point of view of an Englishman who is ignorant Mr. Home admitted the purchase of the horse of Chinese manners and customs, a little for Tis. 105 and that his cient had instructed blue and white card seems just the right the plaintiffs to re-sell it; he did not know thing, and a long red one with black or gold for what price. Tue second parchaser characters on it might seem loud and unsightly. i repudiated the purchase on the ground that It must not be forgotten, however, that a China-` thè heres led farey, man feels "Alles same white man." Suppose that a Chinese firm got up its preserves for the European market in black and white wrappers with a dainty little mourning card as a label, setting out the name of the firm and the quality of its goods, would that enhance the sale of such goods among European? We trow not, Imagine tinued meats got up to appear dressed for a funeral. Would they not rather repel than attract the European? We fancy they would do more permanent harm to a firm of packers than an American meat scandal which, after all, lasts but for B season. If a Chinaman is not likely to succeed in drawing European custom by offending European good taste, does the latter expect to attract Chinese custom if he adopts like tactics toward the Chinaman? If business is done with Chinese, in the biscuits above reterred to,
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it is because the goods are so good that the manufacturers and their agents get ou to a certain extent in spite of their ignorance. Ask any Chinese who does not speak English and be will tell you what colours to use to win Chinese custom. If he designs a label the size, shape and colour of which displeases an European, you can be sure it is the right thing for the Chinese parket. The tin of biscuits is not the only instance of its kind. A short time ago we noticed that a local Company had quite a large number of boards painted with Chinese characters, giving particulars of the Company and of what they manufactured. The combination was red letters on a blue surface which must have been purely the idea of an European. Go all over Singapore and will see hundreds of Chinese signboards and placards, but you will not come across a single instance of such a vile combination of colours from a Chinese point of view. Then again an Anglo-Chinese calendar issued about the beginning of this year had the first leaf for the Chinese New Year green instead of red. This is of course not a very serious offence against good taste, but still it shows ignorance on the part of those who get such things up. Lastly, look at some coloured advertisements of European or American articles intended to attract Chinese custom, and see how often blue and white are introduced. Red may be a danger sig al to Europeans, something to avoid, but with Chinese it is like a bright light to moths, it has a wonderful fascination for them, therefore use it to attract them.-Strats Chinese Magazine.
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The result of the issue of the 6 per cent debentures of the Kawasaki Dockyard Com. pany, Kobe, to the amount of Y4,000,000, the subscriptions to which were closed on the 7th instant, has proved completely successful, the amount, subscribed exceeding Y9,000,000. The applications offered at above issue price reached over 14,000,000, so that offers st par have no prospect of receiving any allotment. The highest price offered was Y100.10 for Y100
face value.
Mr. Macleod admitted that the animal bad farcy.
Mr. Home said his client then repudiated the purchase on the same gronoda. Plaintiffs declined to accept this repudiation, and now brought this action against him. He repudiated the purchase on the ground that the auimal had farcy and that he was, therefore, not bound to take it.
Mr. Macleod said he did not admit that the animal was suffering from farcy when the de fendant purchased it. He was uot prepared to prove it bad not got fercy, but it was for the defendant to prove that it bad, and that if it had he was justified in repudiating the purchase. No one knew whether the horse had fancy be fore the first purchase because it was
not ex- amined.
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367
out notice it was fraudulent for a seller to bid. The point had never been raised in the corres- pondence, and this was the first he had he heard of it.
did not raise
His Lordship-Defendant the point; I raised it.
Mr. Home said it was not the point which the defence really relied upon.
His Lordship-Judgment for the defendant with costs. The Horse Bassar must have known, and should have told its counsel, that the seller of the horse was Mr. George Dallas. That being so the plaintiffs must have known that they had no right of action. Even if Me Homs had been informed of the matter by his client I do not think that would entitle the Horse Bazaar to costs.
On the application of Mr. Home his Lordship fixed costs at $25.
THE SUGAR INDUSTRY IN
FORMOSA.
EXCELLENT PROSPECTS.
In reference to the sugar industry in Formoss, the Osaka Mainichi has an interesting article. Our contemporary observes that there are at present three sugar refining companies in Japan
All these
the Tokyo and Osaka Sugar Refining com and the Dairi Sugar Refining Mill. In addition panies, which have recently been incorporated,
to these, two new companies are being formed in Yokohama and Nagoya, and the incorporated of a branch will in Nagoya, so that the sugar company is taking steps for the establishment
is steadily increasing. industry companies have to look to Java for crude sugar. In view of this fact, the Government and the Formosan authorities have been putting for- ward efforts for the encouragement of the sagar industry in Formosa, but with little result, as the quality of crude sugar produced in Formosa has been found to be inferior in quality.
Lately sugar cane has been imported from Java and replanted in Formosa with very satisfactory results, crude sugar in no way inferior to that produced in Java being obtained. This has encouraged the formation of many companies in Formosa for the production of crude sugar, with Я view to supplying the increasing demand in Japan, to checking the importation of crude sugar, and also to develop-
i Mr. I me admitted that it was a matter of presumption whether the horse had farcy. In the corn spondence which had taken place since the sale the plaintiffs did not attempt to denying the resources in the new territory. The that the auimal had farcy when the defendant bought it.
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His Lordship suggested that the best course to follow would be to prove the date of the two sales.
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Thomas Henry Harris, sworn, said that on July 25th last he bid for a horse at an auction at the orre Pazaar. The firs! bidder WAS Mr. George Dallas with Tls. 190. Wituers knew that Mr. Dallas was a well-known dealer and thought that if the animal
formation of such companies in Formosa is carried out under advantageous circumstances, as substantial subsidies are granted to the industry by the Formosa Government in accordance with the Sugar Industry Encour agement Regulations, in addition to a certain immunity in respect of the tax on sugar. This has led the Formosan Sugar Company to increase its capital from Y1,000,000 to Y5,000,000 and also the formation of the Oriental Sugar Manufactur, ing Company, the shares of which are on the mar. ket, and of a company projected by Messrs. Asada and Ogawa, while the incorporated sugar refining companies of Osaka and Tokyo, and the encouraged to establish branch mills in For Dairi Sugar Refining Mill, have been
moss.
were worth Is, 100 to Mr. Dallas it would be worth Tls. 105 to him. and bid that amount. The horse was knocked down to witness. He did not then know to whom the horse belonged, but about a week after be bad re-sold it he was to'd by Mr. Jackson over the telephone only undertake to reclaim waste land and These new companies and mills will not that Mr. George Dallas was the original owner.
cultive the ugar cane themselves, but intend to His Lordship-Then that settles the cise. Unless there is some understanding that the buy up small sugar mills at present carried on by Chinese or foreigners with small capital of owner is enti led to bid that settles he case.
Y50,000 to Y300,000. Each of the new com- It is a well known principle that if there is an auction and I send something to be sold, and Ipanies' mills anticipated the production of 120,000 to 130,000 casks of crude sugar annually. go round and bid for it and run it up, the man
Crude sugar at present consumed by the who buys it is not bound by his offer. It seems
Tokyo and Osaka Sugar Redning Companies to me that this finishes the case. I do not want
and the Dairi Sugar Refining Mill, amounts to to hear anything more unless Mr. Macleod can
about 250,000 piculs a month, and when the show me that this sale took place subject to the
material required by the new companies now special condition that the owner could bid. If being formed in Nagoya and Yokohama is the man who owns a certain article, bids for it added, the total will be at least 260,000 piculs. without the knowledge of the person who buys Under these circumstances, even if all the new it, he has done something that is fraud against companies and mills projected in Formosa are the purchaser, unless it is shown that he reserves3
put into full operation, they will scarcely be the right to bid.
able to meet the demand for crude sugar in Japan.
Mr. Macleod said this was the first he had heard of it. He could not show there was any condition of this kind, and he could only ask for costs on the ground that this was the first time the question had been raised.
His lordship said that it was only now a question as to the form of the order.
Mr. Macleod submitted that, had this been raised before, it would have been perfectly clear that the sale could not be gone on with, as with
In conclusion the Osaka journal remarks that while it is maintained in Japan that too many sugar-refining companies are cropping up in Formosa their number is, as a matter of fact, too few, and it is urged that when ex-~ periments prove conclusively that crude sugar of good quality can be produced, the cultivation of the sugar cane must be encouraged and extended to the utmost.
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