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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
native observer, and b highly interesting and memorable to all foreign witnesses. One hint to the latter may be appreciate. Unless they think they can enlure the succe-sive discords of a dozen bands of Chin se musiciaus, they had better obtain some cotton-wool for use in the cars.
(December 9, 1907, of the most tactful diplomacy of which Sir | three days we are to show all possible | East. In China where silver still con- JOHN JORDAN is capable, we are offering indulgence to the makers of high holiday. stitutes the life blood of trade the effect has our co-operation in the most deprecating One fear that occurred to many
was been marked by a serious decline, the first manner possible. The Chinese Customs connected with the running of the tramcars for many years, in the volume of the trade. officers now charged with the suppression through streets more than usually thronged, The decline has been general; but is of piracy have, with the approval of the but the Chinese gentlemen in charge of the heaviest in Shanghai and the Northern Central Government, arranged for "mutual carnival arrangements had thought of that, ports supplied from it, and is shown in the assistance" with any foreign gunboats that and we learn that in consideration of a greatly diminished amount of duties paid to may be available.
There is grave reason to payment of three thousand dollars the the Customs during the third quarter. On believe that the Cantonese objections to Company is suspending its service between the whole the collection has diminished interference with piracy in the Delta are the hours of ten and five on all three days. | from 9,100,000 tela to a little less than not unconcerned with *** squeeze," with fear The immediate result looked for of this 8,200,000. In the northern ports the of loss of tribute from an old-standing fête, as we noted when the project was first decline amounted to some 330,000 taels, and institution, and while we gladly confess to mooted in our columns, is the augmentation in Shanghai to but 40,000 taela short of a much sympathy with Sir ALEXANDER of the Colony's currency, and Mr. Ho million. Most marked has been the decline SWETTENHAM, concerned only for the KOM-TONG and his colleagues are con- in imports of which heavy stocks are held, diguity of the Power he represented, we are
fident that, even after so much cold and this, coupled with the unsatisfactory not prepared to waste any on people lying water has been thrown on the business, exchange for remittances, has caused much under such a serious suspicion. If we the turnover of the tradesmen and others depression amongst the body of foreiga wrong the Cantonese agitators, they are not will be at least five bundrel thousand traders. As we state l above, China in this free from blame for our error. Had their dollars. The sprat to catch this mackerel respect is not unique, the depression being objection to the presence of foreign gun- is represented by the local subscriptions and prictically universal, aud affecting all boats been purely patriotic, they should by the expenditure of about forty thousand classes and interests in every part of the have done away with the necessity for that dollars by the various Guilds. As to what world. Hitherto, whatever else might presence. They were allowed lots of time the public is going to see, it is perhaps no happen, the labouring classes in apparently to show what they could do, and they have advisable to give too many details before over-crowded Europe were wont to seek done nothing-except to grumble when the hand. Foreign visitors may count on seeing relief to economical pressure by emigration Central Government determind to attend to a pukka dragon procession, such as is not to the great food-producing plains of the what, after all, should be its own Imperial, often seen in this Colony or the treaty ports. West of America. Not the least gloomy and not provincial, business. If we must The dragons of the Pork an Fish guilds part of the preseut outlook is to find that institute comparisons between China and are each over two hundred feet long, and these, till ately inexhaustible, lands are other Powers, which is far from wise, each requires well over a hundred men to now themselves becoming over-populated, for reasona oficu stated, we may ask carry it. Altogether, the procession must and the most ominous feature of the present whether London or Carlisle would have be several miles long, and from what we distress is that the tide of emigration has the final say
in dealing with pirates have heard of some of its features in pre-actually started backwards, and all the in the Solway Firth? It is, of course,paration, ought to satisfy the soul of every great Atlantic liners are crowded with impossible to imagine London accepting
refugees from the West. It has been the offer of French or German gunboats to
becoming more and more evident for some lend a hand round the Isle of Man, but
years that the food supply of the world was supposing that done, as in this case of the
annually becoming a more serious problem, Canton Delta, any protests from Carlisle
and that with the gradual filling of the Kirkcudbright, or Douglas would probably
waste spaces on the inap, the surplus be treated as impertinent, as those of Cant i
reserves were becoming dangerously small. have been. But in such circumstances,
It, however required a year of less than mutual aid is not the common, regular
ordinary sunshine to bring the lessou home. thing amongst all civilised lands" as the
Such a year has been the present. The Mercury says it is. It would be the very last
(Daily Press, 7th December.)
world, in fact, for the last century has been resort of any of the Powers, who would Although China is but little interested in living on its capital, and this refers not moreover, be as chary to offer as to accept those transactions that have caused the very alone to its food products, but in even a it. If Germany had offered to send troops pronounced revolution in American finance greater degree to its mineral resources. to the South of France during the wine which has distinguished the last two months, There are things of which a statesman dared riots; if France had offered a regiment to the shock given to credit generally has not not speak, for it was a thing that the world the Mayor of Belfast; if Japan had been without its concurrent effects here as at large by tacit consent refused to listen to despatched a warship or two to the Vladi- elsewhere. This has been brought about in until the pressure became too self-evident to vostock mutiny-would France, Britain, several different ways, more especially by be set aside. Even our men of science have Russia, respectively, have sung the Mercury the enhanced demand for gol bullion had perforce to keep their mouths shut in litany, that "by mutual aid things are which has seriously disturbed the market the forlorn hops that something at last, possible which caunot otherwise he under- for silver and produced a current disturbance when least expected, would turn up to taken at all ? We all know quite wel; in the exchange market. Another disturb-relieve the general pressure. Ia March how such offers would have been regarded ing cause has been the extraordinary and it was not the American Admiral's condition of the weather since the month of kind offer of food that Sir ALEXANDER June, which has been by no means confined SWETTENHAM refused, but his armed force to China, but has been practically universal landed, without being invited, "to help throughout the world. Early in the sum to restore and maintain order." Peking, mer came complaints from the great wheat districts of North America of the unusually low temperature prevailing, which bid fair at one time to retard so much the growth of the crops that it was feare they would be au almost total failure. With that entire indifference to ulterior effect that marks the true American manipulators of the markets, it has been utterly impossible between bulls on the one side, and bears on the other, to form any correct idea of the amount of wheat likely to be placed on the market, though it is generally believed that it will (Daily Press, December 5th.) be a good deal below the average. In India The carnival spirit of the latius is not a there is little doubt that the shortage will thing to be deprecated. It provides a salety be considerable, even if, as is thought by valve probably akin to that afforded by some not unlikely, there be not in some devotion to sport and athletics. Macao districts a famiue to be provided for. This and Manila in the past and future respec- has undoubtedly checked the growing de tively figure as Far Easteru innovators, aud mand there for silver, so that the fluctuations to-day the Chinese of Hongkong are taking in the pric, but gen rally with a falling their share. Already the city is filling up tendency, have introduced an universal with visitors, and for this and the ensuing I feeling of uneasiness throughout the entire
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however, is not in the same position, yet. Canton didn't restore order. Peking couldn't-without some such arrangement as the one now made. China is in a quite anique position among the Powers, and every case of this or any kind arising in the Empire must be considered and dealt with on its merits, with due regard to what is expedient and necessary.
THE CHINESE CARNIVAL.
A DARK YEAR.
last year we spoke of the near imminence of a world-famine of fertilisers; the Nitrate beds in Chili, are in ftet uearly approaching exhaustion, and the longest time given them is within 30 years. Now at the moment all our old world crops are being raised at high pressure with artificial fertilisers, and it is doubtful how far our newest methods of producing fertilisers by the electric furnace will go. Even if successful some other use- ful application of falling water will have to be foregone. But our still fertile lands in the new world will not be long able to go on producing, and we shall soon in America have to face the same ruin as the wheat growers of southern Russin already find staring them in the face, Disguise it how we can, our wheat supply is in parlous condition.
But our wheat supply is not the only ma- terial want which is threatened in the by no means distant future. More and more our needs, and our very lives are coming to depend upon an adequate supply of mineral fuel. Practically for such purposes our natural wood supply is already exhausted, and the demand for wood pulp for papir. making sweeps away hundreds of sores of our
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