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March 2, 1908.)
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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nature of the action on the part of the Chinese ( romarkable sight of a steamer anchored in the Officials but also the far reaching effects which quarantine section of the harbour, surround- such action would have on our trade, and hased by a fleet of junks in which were placed dealt with the question in a masterly, I may say some hundreds of Chinese coolies who had The annual meeting of the Hongkong a statesmanlike manner, happily with the arrived in a obolers striken vessel. General Chamber of Commerce was held in the
I need desired result During the year references not point out in detail the City Hall on February 24th, and was largely have from time to tim been made
many very serious objections, as well as grave dangers, attended, Hon. Mr. E. A. Hewett presided Chamber suggesting that the Colony take part which were raised by this method of dealing and there were also present Hon. Mr. H.
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in various industrial exhibitions under con- i with an emergency. I merely take this as an Keswick, Megers. G. Friesland, D. R. Law, templation in different parts of the world. In
opportunity of pointing out Rome isolated G. H Medhurs', A. Fuchs, J. R. M. Smith, view of the increasing number of these place, preferably on one of the smaller islands H. E. Tomkins and A. G. Wood (committee), exhibitions it is of course imp›xible for us as a in the harbour, should be marked off for such E. A. M. Williams (secretary), Hon. Mr. E Colong, to be represented at all, and while a quarantine station. Sites euld be prep red Osborne. Messrs. A. Forbes. J. Planmer. I take this opportunity of directing the and has the need aro e temporary matsheds S. D. Seina, B. D. Tata, D. Haskell, A. attention of merchants and traders in general | coull be erected for the reception of suspects at Rumjaho, J. W. Bolles, J. A. Jupp, Ho Fork, to the opportunities thus off-red for advertis. amill cost of money and time. I be place on the M. Stewart, E. Shellim, II. N. Mody, A. . ing their special branches of trade should they termination of the outbreak could be cleared and Lowe, H. M. II. Nemazee, A. V. Apear, so desire, thoss officials and others wha bava disinfected by fire. Happily the need for suo'; a F. J. V. Jorge, W. Helms, 0. M. been courtousenongh to communicate with the site does not arise very often, but when it does Ede, C. Thiel, A. Shelton Hooper. J Chamber on the subject will, I trust, understand we shall be prepared to deal with the matter J. Leiria, A P. Marty, H. W. Slade, that it is not through lack of sympathy or in au efficient and thorough manner. During R. Hancock, G. C. Moxon, C. &. Gok, J. T. appreciation on our part that we cannot always the period under review the Government has Douglas, A. C. Bot-lbo, T. W. Horuby, Wrecommend to the Government that the Colony on more than ope occasion addressed the Auderson, H. Pinckney, A. Koeben, W. M, should fficially taxe pirt in the particular Chamber on matters relating to proponed Watson, Chan Siu-ki, D. Hickie, ('. R. Leuz. ¦ exhibition which at the moment they may legislation for the better control of Companies manr, G L. Tomlin, H. W. Looker, T. Kusa- be interested in. Os general principles it registered in this Col ny, and carrying on matsu, Hon. Mr, H. F. Pollock, Messrs. It. appar that the support giren should be by business wither here or in the neighbouring Henderson, C. Klinck, E. Pabian' y, H. P. White,, such persons directly interested and the Clony Em, ire. The Coma itten gladly welcomes this W. L. Carter. T. F. Hough. L. Berindoagne, should not be asked to contribute to the cost eridence on the part of the Government to F. David. A. Bishop, F. Boetj, D. W. Crad of such exhibition
except ia thos cases
keep stricter witch on those Corporations dock, G. Marshall, E, H. Hinds, C. H. Ross, when the exhibition has special refer-nca engiged in business here, as owing to W.G. Humphreys, W. F. Clarke, M. P. Beattie,, to the general tra le of this (`iling or to that of tha transition s'ata through which the J. Jebsen, F. myth, R. Mitchell, A J. Ray- the British Empire as a whole. One of the trade in China is now passing too many mond, W, Jick, S. II. Michte', A. M. Essabhav, most important questions which has e me before opportunities are off-ring for the anscrupulous C. Lafreutz, F. D. Burette, D. Clark, A. G. us during the past twelvemonths, and indeed to take advantage of the ignorance which Gordon, A. S. D. C'mushud and others, who i
one of the most important which we have been obtains in so large a part of China of Western r presented tumerous firm“.
called upon to consider for some time past, is business methods, Cases Can unfortunately The CHAIRMAN said-Gentlemen. The re- that of the control of the private moorings in be cited where business has been carried on in port and accounts were circalated to the mem the barbour. To put the matter briefly, a small China under cover of the protection of Foreign bers of the Camber some days ago and wi h; minority of the shipping, largely coasting! Governments on lines which are neither credit- your permission therefore I will take them as trade appears to be diss-tisfied with the existing able to those concerned nor calculated to make read. Before proposing their adoption I will arrangements according to which regular trade easier for the upright merchant wishing as usual offer a few remarks on the more im. shipping lines hire the privilege of laying to deal with the hicose. I now come to an portant questions which have engaged the down moorings at their own expense, and upon old – I would, I could say a valued friend-viz attention of the Committee during the past which, as would appear reasonable under those the Currency question. This matter has been twelvemonth. Taking these more or less in the conditions they have the first call. The proposal dealt with of late years almost ad nauseam but order in which they appear in the publish, d now put forward is, not that the Government still remains like a festering sore eating into correspondence now in your hands, the first should buy out these private moorings thus the very vitals of our basiness with Chias. matter of moment is that of the attempt on the coutrolling them as is done by the port trust in The gentlemen who recently gave their services part of the Chinese Authorities at Naukin to some of the large shipping centres in the East, ou the Committee appointed by His Excellency establish what was virtually a monopoly in
but that the owners should still bear all the to consider this important question deserve the the sale of prepared opium. The question expense and responsibility of the moorings whil- thanks of the community, and it is to be re- of the proposed gradual extinction of the the use of their own property is subject entirely gretted that a greater aoanimity of opinion was ofium trade was referred to in my address last to Government sanction. The Committes can not arrived at which would have led to a more year, when I considered it necessary to point, only come to the conclusion that if the proposal sati-factory conclusion to their labours. The ont low careful a watch must be kept upon the now put forward by the Goverom-nt were divergency of views held after its fall Chinese Authorities in order to ensure that, 'carried out, 8 very great deal of extra discussion emphasizes the difficulty of properly under the name of reform, they should ot inconvenience Would
caused 10 the solving the question. The Committee of attempt to unduly favour their own trade in, shipping trade of the Colony as & whole, in the Chamber of ('ommerce
body the drug, at the expeuse of the foreigu article. order to meet complaints which it is alleged are are practically in agreement with the minority The movement in Nankin was a striking example now made by but a small s ction of the trade. report as drawn up by three of our colleagues, of the methods which the Chinese would ad pt and we suc-rely express the hope that after and w、 believe that this will on the whole in illegally hinde ing our trade were they unt further considering the matter the Government commend itself more favourably to the business forced by the Foreign Powers to stand to their will realis that the prop sed legislation can section of this community, than the drastio treaty obligationɛ. Th- que-tion of this but prove vexatious, being neither desirable nor measures suggested by the majority. As you altempted monopoly and the far reaching effect calculated to attain the object in risw, nam-ly are all aware an influential sod carefully obosou on one trade which would have resulted had it
to facilitate and encourage the shipping trade, ommission is now sitting in London to con- been successfully carried out, has been so fully of the port. The question of quarantine is sider a question which has the greatest possible set forth in the published correspondencs that aturally on which most vitally concerns i influence on the shipping trade of the Empire, little reming for me to add. As soon as the a Colony like Hongkong. aud a trading I should perhaps say rather on universal trade. matter was brought to the notice of the Com- { population such AS ours. but while ( I refer of course to the Royal Commission on mittee, the local Government and His Britanni we recognise that much good CAD result Shipping Rings. The Committee of this Majesty's Minister at Peking were promptly from a discriminating use of the power Chamber must of necessity include A communicated with, and it is sati-factory to plac d in the hands of the Government, large proportion of members directly record that owing to the strong attitude taken still gr. at care should be exercised in order that interested ia shipping, And feeling up by Sir J Ln Jordan the monopoly appears the zeal of experts sh-uld not lead to its under ourselves in a somewhat delicate position to have been crushed, (at all events for the time application. That this is sometimes dona must when asked by the Government and the being) but like other legal attempts at inter- be admitted and the Committee consider 80 Secretary of the Commission to reply to & ference with foreign trade it is quite possible instance of nunecessary alarm or overcaution,, series of questions prop and by the Commis. more may be heard of it at a later date, and whichever it may be called, was displayed in 'siouers, we considere! it advisable to obtain a therefore uuremitting vigilance is imperative imposing quarantine against Shanghai in plebiscite on the subj-c'. The result is fully Regarding the letter received from the Hong S-ptember of last year ou acc unt of chol- ra in Set forth in our rep ies dated 31 May, 1907, kong Government dated 26th S ptember last, that port. We fully ralis that at times which appear on pages 52 to 55 f the report. there is only one point to which I need quarantine is necessary in order that greater: The result as a whole mast, I think, be taken as specially refer, and that is to the e peluding evil may be averted, but it must be borne ig favourable to shipping Conferences as worked paragraph. This displays such an apparut mind that quarantine imposes con-i·lerable, in the Far East, for had these Conferences want of unders' auding of the subject, after it'sacrifices on those engaged in trade, and acted harshly or arbitrarily towards the mer. had been fully explained, that it makes one should only bimpsed when good grounds chants the complaints brought forward ould wonder wh ther the paragraph in question is exist for such an extreme step being taken. I have been more numerous than the three which meant to be taken seriously. Can it mean that This brings me to a question which appears of, alone Were elicited by our enquiry. The becans Hougkong lies beyond the bounds of late years not to have received sufficient cun. Gial report of the Commissioners is naturally the Chinese Empire our Chamber shou'd have sideration, namely, the need of a permanent Lawaited with considerable interest. no couern with what affects our trad- on the quarantine station. Since the total absorption addess last year I alluded to the handicap mainland: However, so far as the question is of Stonecutters Island by the War Department placed opon British shipping in certain branches concerned it is satisfactory to know that H. M. for defensive purposes, no area, so far as I am ❘ of our passenger trade by existing regulations Minister ia Peking lab ured under no misap. aware, has ever been set aside for a quarantine' particularly with regard to the carrying of prehens ou as to the sericus nature of the ques- station. l'he result of this was that last sum- passengers of Asiatic birth and the coolie trade. tion. He fully realised not only the illegal mer, during the typhoon season, we saw the As you are aware the Imperial Government has
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