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SUNDRIES.
The Sundries trade has to a great extent shared the depression which has been a feature of all other business in the colony. Many causes have contributed to this, the chief of which are as follows :-
Firstly, the rise in prices at home, only partially compensated by the high exchange.
Secondly, the lack of purchasing power of the Chinese.
Thirdly, the increased discount on Chinese coins.
Fourthly, the departure of Viceroy Sham from Canton. [! See explanation below.—Ed. Į The rise in prices at home was responsible for fewer orders being placed at the beginning of the year, and this was especially the cass with knitted goods (socks, singlets, ste,) the demand being supplied to some extent by lots of inferior spot cargo which was dumped on the market. The increased discount on Chinese coins has been very much to the disadvantage of the Sundries shops; this class of business being nearly all of a retail nature, the whole of dealers' turnover is made in Chinese coins, The departure of Viceroy Shum from Canton has had a very marked effect. His sacoes- sors have not favoured the Chinese cutting their queues and adopting European dress, and at the same time indulzing in European lararies. Consequently the flow of orders from Canton for goods in Europeau style such as clothing, boots, etc. has almost come to a full stop. Many dealers lose heavily in consequence of their large purchase of these goods which cannot be got into consumption. Blaukets, Umbrellas, Braid, ('ords, Soap and other important lines have only been ordered in a hand to mouth manner, the dealers not being inclined to speculate. The recent heavy fall in exchange should tend to strengthen the position of the market although many dealers who have bought goods sterling basis will be badly hit. Altogether it can be safely stated that the year 1907 has been a most unsatisfactory one as far as Sundries are concerned, and it will mean ruin to many firms if the year 1908 does not bring forth some improvement.
TONNAGE,
on
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
month of May freights were unsatisfactory from an owner's point of view. The only ones improving wore those for coal from Japan which rose to $2.55 for shallow draft steamers of about 2000 tons from Moji to Canton, and to $2.65 from Wakamatza. Freights from Saigon to Hongkong had, by the middle of June, dropped to about ten cents: Saigon to the Philippines was done at 29 cente, and coal freights from Japan kept steady with ample demand at about $2.60 to Canton and $1.80 to Hongkong. Although rates continued low during July fixtures were numerous, and quite a number were effected in the first half of August wib Saigon, Hongkong freights rising to 171 and 18 cents, while there was an improved rate to the Philippines of 24 and 25 cents. Towards the end of the mouth, however, the market took a turn for the worse, rates still showing a down ward tendency in the months of September and October, and although numerous charters were effected during November and December, rates still continued low. Local charterers are more confident of the coming year, however, and no serious failures are feared locally, the general idea being that the bottom of the market has
been reached.
GUESTS IN TARTAN.
TIFFIN TO CAMERON MESS.
The offoers of the Camerou Highlanders were entertained to tiffin at the Club on Jan. 3rd by Mr. T. Hough and several other members of St. Andrew's Society. The function passed off Vory well indeed
MR. T. F. HOUGH presided, having on bis right His Excellency Major-General Broadwood and Captain Chancellor of the Camerons, and on his left Commodore Stokes. There were about a dozen of the Cameron officers present and the local residents were the Hon. H. Keswick, R. Mitobell, Hon. Mr. W. Chatham, E. F. Mackay, David Wood, W. Armstrong, D. R., A. S. Fraser, J. R M. Smith, J. C. Peter, H. P. White, Murray Stewart, C. H. Ross, Marwell. J. W. C. Bonnar, W. H. Donald and several others.
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Freights ruled low when our last year's
At the conclusion of the fiffia a short toast review was made, supply easily keeping pace list was gone through. Mr. T. F. Hongh pro- with demand. The general belief that the rice posed The King," and that having been crop at Saigon was exhausted, tarning out to honoured, he said: May it plase Your be incorrect, helped to relieve the market Excellencies.-Gentlemen, As you know we Bomewhat, and so did the rumours of an are gathered here to-day to do honour to impending rise in the import duty of the those gallant soldiers who have come amongst
Philippines. During the month of January us and we hope are going to stay with us for some last year time chartering was limited, but years. Before I propose the toast I am going February opened strong with a large demand to ask you to respond to I may mention how for tonnage from Saigon to Hongkong, Canton, deeply we feel the absence from this gathering Amoy, Swatow, Fooohow, Ningpo, Shanghai, of the St. Andrews' Society's chosen chief and Tientsin and Japan, and charterers began to my good friend, Mr. Robert Shewan, who, as realise that the market was bound to improve you are aware, is kept away by illness. Other owing to the limited number of steamers wise he would have been here to preside, and available, and to the heavy export expected from
we all know how abl, he is to fill the chair. Saigon to fill urgent requirements. The usual We, as Britishers, are proud of our regiments, dulness which prevails about Chinese New and as Bootsmen, adore our Scottish regiments, Year was last year broken by numerous fix- If you will pardon a further digression I will tures, and during the month of February the mention another regiment other than the one market was very active, so that no steamers we have here to-day. The regiment is one I once
oal were laid up for want of employment.
knew very well, the Scots Greys. (Applause) freights for the month declined to $1 from That Regiment, though bearing the numericil Moji to Hongkong, and to $1.70 from Moji to title of Second Dragoons, bears the proud motto Canton, owners being anxious to send their emblazoned on its banner Second to None,' steamers south to get the benefit of the improved Succeeding generations of Scotsmea in Hong. market. The early part of March saw the better kong have long claimed, and we still claim, to feeling in the market still further accentuated, have adopted that motto as second to none in Saigon and Hongkong freights gradually work-loyal allegiance and fraternal regard to oar ing their way up from fifteen to nineteen cents fellow countrymen. (Hear, hear.) I do not with option of Canton at rates ranging between wish to touch on any political matter, as it is seventeen and twenty-one cents. Jap nese beyond my ken, but I am sure all present felt when it became tonnage, which up to January of last year very great satisfaction
that our military force here was to practically never had competed in the Saigon known market, were introduced and started to enter the be increased by an European regiment. that to the field, generally accepting lower rates than those (Applause). But what accepted by other competitors, and thereby feelings of all Scotemen when they heard the checking the healthy improvement of the tramp of the Cameron meo," or, to be literal, market. Unabated activity continued at the when they know the Camerons were ploughing I am sure beginning of April, after which the demand their way across the seas toward rs. gradually decreased, fresh sales falling off, with the result that the freight market was weakened, rates dropping to 23 cents and Japanese steamers accepting as low as 19 coats. To the Philippines several fixtures were affected at good rates, and business to the northern ports was well maintained, the enquiry however, gradually falling off as time went on. During the
Was
I am voicing the feelings of every member of our Society when I say we hold out to them the right hand of good fellowship. (Hear, hear). We wish to tender to them the warmest of all possible welcomes, and we are sorry that their stay with us is to be so short, but we hope that they will see as much of Hongkong as possible and enjoy their stay during that time. We wish
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(January 6, 1908.
to cheer them to their destination where they are to strengthen the bulwarks of our Empire. (Applause.) I now ask you to support me in the toast I am proposing, " The Cameron men.", (Renewed applause). The toast was drunk with musical honours and three cheers were lastily given.
Mr. H. P. WHITE, Chairman of the Club, also tendered a welcome to the officers of the Camerons, and hoped that they would be able to welcome them again when they might return to the Colony.
Captain CANCELLOR responded on behalf of his regiment, for the grac-ful and patriotic terms in which the toast was proposed and the enthusi- astic manner in which it was received. Very great interest had been t ken in them and the kind way in which they had been treated made them all very happy. They were likely to be delayed here, and if that were so, he hoped they would have an opportunity of returning the hospitality shown them. Before resuming his seat he proposed "St Andrew's Society, the toast being heartily honoured.
Mr. Hough responded in a few words and outlined the reason for the local branch of the Society having been brought into existence.
Yesterday afternoon the Cameron High. landers were entertained by members of 3t. Andrew's Society at Happy Valley, where sport was the order of the day and light refreshments were pleatiful. Mr. R. Shewan, president of St. Andrew's Society was unable to attend wing to indisposition, tat Mrs. Shewan attended, and there were present among others the Hon. Mr. W, and Misa Chatham. Lieutenant Douglas was in charge of the Camerons, who marched to the Valley where they were met by Mr. D. Wood, representing the hosts. The principal attraction of the afternoon was the football match between a team of Highlanders and a team from the Middlesex Regiment. The "Camerons are noted footballers, having twice won the Army Cup in South Africa, and as the Middlesex Regiment can also put a strong team into the field, a stirring game was expected. The High. anders however were not seen to advantage, not being used to playing on turf, and being out of training after their long sea voyage.
CORRESPONDENCE.
JAPANESE "SPIES.”
(TO THE BUITOR OF THE HONGKONG "DAILY PRA 88."]
SIR,-In your issue of the 14th December, you take exception to remarks that have appeared in certain journals regarding the Јарад ве. I am not going to comment on the taste displayed in those effusions, nor do I hold a brief for or against the Japanese. But there are certain facts which, however we represent them, cannot be ignored. The population of Japan is returned as nearly 49,000,000; within the last ten years it has increased from a little less than 431 millions or at the rate of 13,3 per cent,
At present it amounts to 312 per square mile. Of a total of 35 million sores, rather more than half, or abɔat nineteen and one third million acres are uncultivabla or occupied by forest; only 13 millions being occupied by cereals, of which only seve millions-practically the only rich land in the Empire-is under rice. Each acre of cultivated land represents 38 inbabitants. It is plain that the pressure of population in the land is Now it seems to be an unusually great. invariable rule that after a successful war which has engaged the entire energies of a pation, there is a tendency in population to increase beyond all limits, and in consequence to over flow its boundaries. In England in 181, during the height of the Napoleonic wars, the was 161 population of the Home land millions; by 1831 it had increased one half, to It had been slowly nearly 24 millio « growing for more than three centuribe, but the Impetus of the war and the introduction of machinery had given the necessary stimulus, and England, or Great Britain, had not only grown at home but had founded her great colonies and contributed many millions to the United States,
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