96
AT HONGKONG,
THE HON GKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
all the
|August 8, 1908.
stock issued by the there was any desire on the patho-
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AGRICULTRRAL EXPERENNIST | substituting them, or perhaps a lack of tions were fled in due form and not befire energy to grasp the opportunity offered."-it is clear, even from Mr. PUTUAN WEALE'S Bo far as the Superintendent of the statement of the case, that they were in Botanical and Forestry Department is due course considered and granted. Thất of the aware, Department during the last five years Japanese authorities to invalidate has been allowed to die out, with the sions that had been properly made by the exception of that grown on the Castle Peak Korean Government to foreign syndicates Farm. It would be interesting to learn is really too absurd to be accepted for one well believe that the what was done to stimulate energy to moment. We can
In the Japanese authorities in Korea were slow to grasp the opportunity offered. letters of the Chamber of Commerce with coufirm the concessions, but we should be regard to the suggested experiments in the more inclined to attribute the delay to that cultivation of cotton s me stress was laid slowness of movement and circumlocution on the advisability of offering prizes for which is proverbially associated with all successiul cultivation to stimulate interest. If the soil and climate are both unfavour- able to cotton growing, it would have availed but little to offer prizes, but in the case of the sugar cane, which was proved to yield much superior crops to those usually grown, it is not unlikely that, if fairly substantial prizes had been offered for the best results, it would have appé led strongly to the Chinese cultivators, and might have saved the new stock from dying out. That the experiments in cotton growing and in improving the sugar crops have both failed is very disappointing and discouraging.
(Daily Press, August 8rd.) It is disappointing to learn from the annual report of the Superintendent of the Botanical and Forestry Department that the attempts which have been made to grow cotton in the New Territory have sig ally failed. When a few years ago the British Cotton Growing Association was formed with the object of extending the growth and cultivation of cotton in British Colonies, Dependencies and Protectorates, the move ment was warmly supported in all the tropical Colonies,~ less in Hongkong than elsewhere. It was at the suggestion of the Chamber of Commerce tunt the Legislative Council voted a small sum to meet the expense of distributing cotton #ed and plants to suitable farmers, and the Chamber expressed the opinion that if successful results were obtained, other farmers would readily realise the advantage to be gained by turning their atteution to the production of cotton. In the opinion of the Chamber of Commerce, if cot on could be successfully grown in the New Territory, the possibilities of extending the cotton manufacturing industry of this Colony would be very great. It would add materially to the wealth of the com munity, while it was anticipated that a ready sale would be found for any surplus. Great interest therefore attachel to the experiments which Mr. DUNN began to make in the New Territory. He recognised at the start that the most important question bearing upon the possibility of successful cotton cultivation in the province of Kwangtung was the question of climate, but as in the cotton-growing districts both in Central China and Northern India the conditions appeared to approach those of Kwangiung, the experiment seemed to be worth making in the New Territory. "One of the best cotton-growing_districts in the United Provinces (North West Provinces) of 1 wrote Mr. DUNN in 1904, "has a cave very similar to that of Hongko⋅ g.' But now after three years' trials under various conditions and with seeds from different countries, Mr. DUNN says, it has to be admitted that cotton in this climate is a failure, though the expression of a hope in his report that "it will be the last time that this Department is called upon to try to introduce crops of this kind among the Chinese," would seem to suggest that the
Governments. -nu
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conservatism of the Chinese farmer is as
great an obstacle as the climate. When the experiment was commenced Mr. DUNN opined that a large proportion of the ten thousand acres then under cultivation in the New Territory would be suitable for cotton cultivation, but as a result of the experiments made during the last three years he has come to the conclusion that the 'ground capable of growing crops in the New Territory is very scarce and is already almost completely occupied with food crops necessary for the villager. "It is probably now generally understood," he adds, "that only crops suitable to very poor soil or crops of exceptionally high value are worth experiment here with a view to introduction into the agriculture of the New Territori‹s:"
The effort to improve the sugar crops has also failed. Several kinds of improved varieties of sugar cane were imported and distributed to the farmers, and although they proved, in the few cases of which details could be obtained, to yield much superior crops to those usually grown, "there has been a curious failure on the part of the Chinese to understand the advantage of
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JAPAN AND KOREA.
(Daily Press, 6th August.) When Japan, after a short experience as a colonising power in the island of Formosa added to her oversea responsibilities the Government of Korea and large admini- strative undertakings in Manchuria she probably did not overlook the fact that she was "ffording a rare opportunity to the scribes-not to mention Pharasees-for the making of many books of a kind not in keeping with the platitudinous character of the long list compiled before Japan first displayed her military prowess and impress ed the world with a new sense of the virility of the nation. Early as it yet is to pass judgment on Japan's work in Korea there are not wanting critics who venture to condemn on apparently a very imperfect comprehension of the facts. A typical instance may be cited from Mr. PUTNAM WEALE's latest political treatise on the Far East entitled. "The Coming Struggle in Eastern Asia." The author argues that the real object of the Mining Law which was enacted under Japanese advice was to stop all possibility of large European mining interests being acquired in Korea. One of the objects of the new regulations, he says, was to invalidate certain important conces aions granted by the Korean Emperor some time ago and unavoidably held in suspense pending the termination of the late war. These concessions, numbering a dozen or so, were in most cases backed by powerful sponsors in London and New York, “and eo great an outcry was made on the promulga- tion of the new law by their representatives in Korea that in the end the European backers were forced to take effective action.”
And Mr. PUTNAM WEALE Would have his readers believe that Prince Iro yielded in some cases to diplomatic pressure, in another to a threat to draw public attention to the matter in the House of Commons, and that is Excellency in yet another case practically gave way as a bribe to Parisian bankers who are alleged to have said that if the concession were not granted there might be difficulties regarding the new Japanese Conversion Loan. The ex- planation given by the Japanese authorities of the delay in confirming the concessions was that the concessionaire had not followed the detailed regulations. When the applica-
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But, says Mr. Purnam WHALE, “in the case of the well-known American firm of Colleran BostWICK and Co, of Seoul, acting in the interests of the Manchu Syndicate Ltd, and the Korean Syndicate Ltd, no such consideration was shown.
Although the concessions héli were unimpeachable the Japanese needed them for themselves, and although two years have now been spent in representa- Perhaps it tions it has been time wasted," was since these words were penned, but cor- tainly it was before Mr. WEALE'S book was available in the East that the dispute over these concessions was settled in favour of the foreign claimants, whose title to them was certainly open to question, and delay under the circumstances was perfectly excuseable. As against Mr. WEALE's view of Japan's policy in this matter, we may cite a report widely circulated recently in the Jupan papers wherein it was stated that Messrs. COLLBEAN and BOSTWIox had discussed the question of mining with PRINCE Iro, and apart from expressing appreciation of the consideration they had received at His Excellency's hauds in the matter of the over their own concession, they dispute are reported to have declared that the new mining regulations for Korea were likely to attract a large amount of ameri- can and European capital for the mines as "mining machinery is admitted free of duty," and "the measures taken to secure the rights of foreigners in mining properties had given much satisfaction to the owners of large mining claims throughout Korea." This seems to show that Mr. PUTNAM WEALE was much too prone to criticise on an imperfect understanding of the situation. The Times when referring recently to Japan's difficulties in Korea ventured the remark that Englishmen, at least, who knew how the work of their countrymen in India was incessantly misrepresented, would be slow to join in the chorus of vio- lent criticism of Japan's work in Korea. Japan, certainly has a fair claim to a more- generous consideration of her difficulties and it may, at least, be expected of critics · that they would make sure of their facta before passing judgment.
"CHINESE SLAVERY"
(Daily Press, August 5th.) TheBritish Government, in fulfilment ofits election pledges, is slowly proceeding with the repatriation of the Chinese who years ago were encouraged to proceed to the Transvaal to work in the "mines. would almost think that not a single Uhines. now remains in the Rand- if we note the absolute silence of the Radical press on subject. There are still, however, than 20,000 Chinese in the Transvaal the 68,000 who were recruited in Chian, though they are working under the“, gonditions-conditions which the men be very glad indeed to get in Chi Radical conscience remains unila and the 'subject has apparent
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