;
January 26, 1907.]
SO BOON?
OPIUM PROHIBITION TO BE RECONSIDERED.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REFORT.
ANOTHER PEKING DECREE.
A NEPOTIST ON NEPOTISM,
Daily News, of the Chinese Imperial Degree. Following is a translation made for the NC. dated January 13th referred to in to-day's leader :
+1
the
The Peking correspondent of the N.-C. Daily News writes on January 3rd:-By a recent Imperial Decree, H.E. Ko Feng-shih was recalled from his appointment as the Governor of Kuangai and allowed to retain his post as The dimonies that surround us in the Director-General of the home-grown opinm tax | Government of our Empire cause ns sleepless administration for the provinces of Kiangsu, | nights in our anxiety to meet the crisis Kiangsi, Anhui, Hupeh, Huuan, Szechuan, and restore prosperity to the country. Under Kuangtang and Kuangsi as usual with Chêng the circumstances our Ministers and officers Yi-lao (who was recently appointed in his place) | high and low should respond by exerting them. as his assistant, Both of these-Director-selves in patriotic and loyal efforts. General and Deputy Director-General --will indignant "therefore to learn that ever since We feel have their headquarters at Wuchang, capital of taking over their respective posts as President Hupeh.
and Senior Vice-President of the Ministry of Posts and Communications, both Chang Po-hai and Tang Shao-yi have been appointing their favourites to posts in their Ministry to exclusion of others, thereby hostile comments on
can-ing much their conduct. two Ministers, having failed in the confidence The
forthwith dismissed from office. we placed upon them, ought to have been however, exercise our prerogative of leniency on We will, this occasion and hereby command that the Imperial displeasure be communicated to the szid Chang Po-hsi and Tang Shao-yi, and they are furthermore commanded to make careful selection of proper men for the posts of First Secretaries, Councillors and subordinate classes of secretaries in the said Ministry and reject all who are incapable. All business in connection with the said Ministry should be dealt with only after mature colleagues. Should there be any similar acta consultation with their of favouritism in the future we will hold the said two Ministers responsible for the same,'
According to a recent memorial from the Director-General, the largest amonut of tax collected during the last year was about Tls. 3,000,000 from Szechuan, while the total yearly revenue would amount to something like Tls, 15,000,000 or a little more if the administration is properly managed hereafter. Thus in addition I to the several millions of dollars of revenue collected every year from Indian opium by the L.M.C. the Chinese Government will have to devise means and ways to make up the enormous deficit of fully Tls. 20,000,000 if the anti-opium reform is actually adopted in the Empire. In view of the general shortage of funds in the various provinces I am at a loss to know by what methods the Chinese authorities, who are fur the most part ignorant about financial affairs, can make good this immense loss of revenue from both foreign and native drugs. Thus your correspondent has been informed by a reliable Chinese official here that in view of the gravity of the opium question, the Govern meat has wired to the Viceroys, Governors and Tartar Generals advising them to farmish their fical opinions and say definitely whether the evil can be entirely stamped out in their respective provinces within the ten years' period as fixed by Imperial Decree, that is to say, they may ask for an extension of the date, if any of them find it difficult to stop the harm- ful trade within their jurisdictions during the fixed period.
It is also rumoured here that owing to the recent protest of Sir John Jordan to the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs against the sudden prohibition of the establish. ment of opium dens, etc., in Chihli by H.E. Viceroy Yuan Shih-kai without first fixing definite date for the stoppage of the importation of Indian opium into China by British merchants and also for the sake of uniformity, the order of H.E. Yuan will be temporarily withdrawn, so that all the opium deas in the provinces may be closed after a certain date after proper arrangements have been made with Sir John Jordan.
SWATOW RAILWAY REPORT.
The official report upon the railway is published. It confirms, says a correspondent of the N..C. Daily News, the main indictment which every one with eyes in his head has bee able to bring against the work-the insufficiency of the mud embankment, and sand patching and ballast to stand the onslaughts of the tropical rains which are common here. In some places the sleepers float in a bed of sand. The report forecasts the opening of three other stations, and the building of a depôt in Swatow, probably at its eastern extremity, on the main road or near it. Attention is also drawn to the large number of Japanese employed first of all in the construction, and now in the management of the railway; but notices that some Chinese have been sent to Formoss to learn railway business. $5-600 are given as the daily receipts; and a rise to $1,000 a day as soon as the goods traffic is opened, is forecasted. At present there is persistent rumour that the line is being run at a considerable loss.
|
The survey of the line from Canton to Amoy, the Kuang-Hsin Railway, is in progress. It will travel eastward from Canton through Polo, Kuishan, the Haifêng, Hwailai 'and Kishyang Prefectures, to Ch'aochoufu, and from there through the Haiyang and Jaop'ing Prefectures into Fukien, and so on to Amoy Orders have been issued to the different Chihhsien to protect the surveying party.
INTERESTING CHINESE CLAIM AT MANILA.
"+
-The Cablenews of January 1ich has the following:-
Wong Tai, a Chinese millionaire, a man who claims to be the owner of the P20,6 10 seised on board the Taming in the possession of Liu Fau, the Chinese compradore, was presented in the court of first instance yesterday morning to prove that his claim to the money was a good Que and why it was his, and why it should not be seized by the Philippine government,
Wong Tai arrived yesterday morning on the Rubi front Hongkong. He was at first held up as suffering from trachoma. After some delay the custody of the detective who accompanied it was decided that be should land but under him and who was instructed to return him to the ship every day after the sessions of the
court.
Wong is a merchant and has lived 45 years in Hongkong where he has carried on business greatly to his own financial advantage and judging finally from his indifference it would be a small matter to him should the government finally confiscate the money.
1
The attorney for the defence put the witness on the stand and got him to tell how it happened. Wong stated that the defendant Lin Fan weat one day to his store and told him in glowing terms of the grand opportunity that was before him of making an
Honest penny, or for the matter of that a good many of them by the purobase in the Philippines of old currency, Mexican and Spanish-Filipino. suggested that the Philippine silver that found Ile farther
its way into Hongkong from various parts could be returned to the Fhilippines and there exchanged into the old currency.
Wong took the hint and began to gather in the sheckels and entrusted them to Lin Fan to take to Manila where he should make the best exchange he could. Fan found that he could not make the deal stick in Manila as the price of the old currency was too high, so determined to carry back the money to Hongkong, but it was found in his cabin and had been seized. This was the gist of his story.
|
Then began the questioni ig. In reply to ques- tions he stated that he had purchased the Philippine silver in different lots and at different times and prices and expected to make an average of P70 on every thousand He bought P6,500 ₫t the rate of $965 Hongkong currency per thous
|
55
and ; for another lot of P3,000 he paid $968 per P1,000; P6,000 he bought for $970 per thousand and at the rate of $971 per thousand he secured the rest.
4th day of December last, the insurance being took his receipt and moreover insured it on the He handed this money over to Lin Fan and
for 20,600 pieces of silver valued at F21,000.”
and attached to it sa affidavit of the person who
The insurance policy was offered in evidence- mgoed it saying that he had done so. The pro- section objected to the affidavit on the grounds that it contained Bn. ex
parte
state. ment The court overruled the obj»ction. “If yon had read the affidavit you would not make shch a statement "declared the judge.
44
that the signature was not proved.
The prosecntion then objected on the grounds the document bore no signature it would still Thought ha good " remarked the judge.
Is this the first time you have ever sent Philippine money to the Philippines"? asked the prosecution.
"It is the first and it will be the last" replied Wong Tai
The case
was not concluded and will be continned at a later date.
THE FAMINE IN CHINKIANG.
From
·
Neir, datel Jaunary 8th, says:
A Chiukiang telegram to the N.-C. Daily comprehensive survey of the situatiou in the offioista, civilians and missionaries, I estimate camps, and after consultation with leading mes, that there are 17,000 refugees in the vicinity of acute distress, while the rest are in a normal this town. Of these 5,000 show evidenos of condition physically, but are extremely fithy
and covered with vermin. There are 5,000 able-bodied men, at a minimum computation among them. The hats are scattered about pell mell; the camps are unorganised and in a most insanitary condition. Two and a half distributed in the morning by the Taotai's tons of rice are being cooked daily and bing
opportunity of a free meal, oficials. Many loafers and labourers seize the
There is no work doing and no attempt has been made to organise mass labour, which is left idle, while the thoroughfares and so-called roads over which material and food are being transported are in a disgraceful condition. The Grand Canal, sonth of the river, is completely Bu uding work alone would give employment to silled up in place and impassable for trafo. the whole number of male adults. The reason given by the officials for not instituting relief is puerile as the initial expenditure would be works is that they have no funds; this, however, almost nil,
Meanwhile the population is becoming panperized. Lal necessarily limited and lack cohesion and charitable efforts are practice. There is undoubtedly every prospect of a gravo disaster ahead in the form of aa epidemio in this neighbourhood, sad it would seem that the only way to obviate this lies in able-bodied men and women on so me work of a making sanitary camps, and in employing all permanent character.
STEAMSHIP SUBSIDIES.
SLIGHT INCREASE IN ESTIMATE.
Japanese steamship services for next year, com- men cing on April 1st, as included in the Budget, is given at about Y6,450,000, showing an increase receive the subsidy are as follows —— of about Y250,000. The principal services to
The estimate of the Government subsidies for
show and Hangchow and the Hunan Steamship 1.—Yangtze service, between Shanghai, Ba- Company. A greater amount is required on account of the increased number of ships on this service.
and between the mainland and islands belonging 2-Services between Tokyo and the Bonins, to Kagoshima Prefecture. More subsidy
gain required as the number of ships calling at the islands has increased.
change, as the old contract is still in foros.
3.—-Australia, Seattle and San Francisco. No 4-Services to Korena porta. 5.---Services to, the Hokkaido.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.