Febfüáry: 1; 1909.]*
ST. JOHN'S CATHEDRAL.
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The annual meeting of Seatholders and Sub- scribers to St. John's Cathedral was held at St. Pan's College on Jan. 27th, The Bishop of Victoria presiding.
The meeting having been opened with prayer Mr. A. BRYER, (Hon. Secretary,) read the minutes of the last annual meeting which were confirmed.
Mr. RICHARD HANCOCK then presented his statement of accounts for 1908. He pointed out that the actual revenue for the year amonated to $15,048.51 which shows an increase over the revenue of 1907, but still insufficient to cover the expenditure which amounted to $16,481.90; thus exceeding the revenue to the extent of nearly $1.500 which could only be called unsatisfactory, and showed the urgent need of further annual contributions. He made a special appeal on behalf of the Church Body last year both personally and through the medium of the Press for more funds and was sorry to say that it did not meet with the response which he had anticipated, though it helped him to raise the total contributions from $2,640:50 in 1907 to 84,043.00 last year. Of course, the Colony has been passing through very strenuous times lately, and people had not had the money to give as in former years, but it should be remembered that contributions, however small, were acceptable. It would be observed from the statement of accounts that there was a balance of $1,500 to carry forward to this year, but this it must be remembered was only because they transferred at the beginning of the year some $1,800 from the Reserve Fund. They should endeavour to keep this fund intact, and use it only as a reserve and not drew on it for current expenditure. This however judging from recent years it was impossible to do, unless contributions were more general in the future than they had been during the past two years. Turning to the question of few rents he regretted to say that there was still outstand- ing against 1908 the sum of $180. He would take this opportunity of asking seatholders to be good enough to send in their amounts due for their pew rents as early as possible, and not wait till the second and third application has been sent them from the Hon. Tres surer. This would be of great assistance. He would also ask those seatholders who were leaving the olony to notify the Hon. Trea- surer so that he could make other arrangements
for the disposition of their seats.
The Treasurer's accounts were then adopted on the motion of Hon. Mr. H. W. SLADE, and seconded by Mr. W. ARMSTRONG,
The following laymen were then elected by ballot for the Church Body for 1909; Hon. Mr. J. M. Atkinson; Mr. W. Armstrong, Hon. Mr. H. W. Slade, Mr. A. Bryer, Dr. Francis lark,
Mr. R. Hancock.
Mr. J. . Peter was elected Auditor. The BISHOP proposed a formal welcome to Rev. Arthur B. Thornhill, M. A.,the Assistant Chap. lain to the 'atehdral, which was carried.
Rev. F. T. JOHNSON rose to propose a vote of thanks to all who had assisted during the year, to the Rev. G. A. Bunbury and A. D, Stewart for undertaking services, to the members of the Church Body, to the hon Treasurer Mr. R. Hancock and their Hon. Secretary Mr. A. Bryer and Mr. Peter who audited the accounts, to the teachers of the three Sunday schools under his care, to the Organist and members of the Cathedral Choir who he said were more than keen musicians, they were loyal fellow workers.- The motion was seconded by the BISHOP and carried unanimously.
In conjunction with the organ repairs Mr. DENMAN FULLER said the (hoir were about to give a concert, the proceeds being for this fund, which the meeting hoped would be well supported.
News has been received of the death at Malta on the 24th instant, of another old resident in the Far East, viz: Mr. F. von der Pfordten, who after thirty years' service with the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company, mostly in Java and latterly as District Manager in Hongkong, retired six years ago. His many friends will always remember his wonderfully kind nature which endeared him to all who knew him inti- mately, and they will sincerely sympathise with the widow and family in their sad loss.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
THE CHINA ASSOCIATION.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HONGKONG
BRANCH,
The annual report of the Hongkong Branch of the China Association is as follows:-
Gentlemen,-During the past year the atten- tion of your Committee has been engaged upon a variety of subjects bearing upon British in- sterests in China, and, whenever the circum- tions have been made in the usual manner by tances have seemed to warrant it, representa-
telegram or letter to the London Branch or by letter to the Colonial Government.
BRITISH POST OFFICE IN TIENTSIN.
The first matter thus dealt with was an appeal from the Tientsin Branch in support of the efforts which they were making to retain the services of the British Post Office in that con- cossion. Both Shanghai and Hongkong joined Tientsin in impressing upon the London Branch the importance of keeping the Office open, and the result of the Association's intervention in this particular case was, as you are aware, the institution of a new arrangement postponing the threatened closure for a period of one year. At the end of that time the problem thus tem- porarily disposed of will recur, when it is hoped that there will be found some more lasting method of solving it to the satisfacton of the Tientsin community.
YARN LOTTERY TICKETS.
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Branch and the Foreign Office, and between the local Branch and the Colonial Government, has been invariably confidential, it can find no place in this report. The results have, however, been satisfactory in so far as that many doubtful points have been cleared up, and evidence has been shown of an earnest desire, on the part of all British Officials concerned, to safeguard, in every way in their power, the interests of the mercantile community.
CANTON-HANKOW RAILWAY.
railways in China has been continually in the It need hardly be said that the question of
minds of the members of your Committee. Very little correspondence has, however, passed con cerning it, as the larger question more imme. diately affecting the interests of the Colony--the progress of the Canton-Hankow line-has not emerged into any such practicable shape as to render representation of any avail. Recent events indicate that the Chinese Authorities are coming to realise the inadvisability of waiting until China possesses the capital and engineering skill requisite for the building of the northern section, and it is to be hoped that the existing rumours of a foreign loan, to be devoted to that purpose, will prove true.
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The work of construction on the Kwangtung: section has been watched with interest. It is plea sant to chronicle a great improvement during the year in the rate of progress, but it is at least doubtful hether development is proceeding along lines best suited to the ultimate require- ments of a great trunk railway. There is made subservient to a shortsighted anxiety to danger lest the claims of the future should be
secure immediate returns.
KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY.
As regards the Chinese section of the Kowloon-Canton line we have had to remark
The next occasion upon which it appeared that representation might usefully be made was pro- incentive to the purchase of certain kinds of vided by the introduction of lottery tickets as an
Japanese yarn. In a letter addressed to the London Branch on the 26th March, we directed attention to the attraction thus held out to ignorant and thoughtless buyers, and even to those who, among the hinese, are neither the upon the slowness of the progress made and the one nor the other. Even in the case of the difficulties which seemed to beset the acquisition better class Chinese buyer national idiosyncra- of the requisite land. These difficulties con- cies must be reckoned with as rendering him trast unfavourably with the easy manner in peculiarly liable to be led away by a seductive which Mr. lementi succeeded in purchasing appeal to chance, superimposed upon an other for the Colonial Government the land required wise comparatively dull bargain. The hope of for the British section of the line, and it is securing a first prize of as much as 80 bales significant that not only was he able to buy of the commodity could hardly fail to prejudicembre expeditiously but cheaper, and without in him in favour of buying a bundle of Osaka yarn rather than a Bombay bundle which offers no such alluring possibilities.
"The Bombay yarn trade is, of course, the interest more immediately and directly threas tened, but, over and above consideration arising out of the importance of protecting that, there appears the larger possibility of an extension of this gambling principle into other branches of commerce, and British merchants, debarred by law from competing on such terms, have every reason to fear an innova- tion which contains a real danger to reputable trade." The contention was set up that though possibly no ground for formal objection exists, the matter may not improperly be made the subject of informal protest and friendly diplomatic remonstrance.”
It is a source of satisfaction to all well wishers to Japan that the ephemeral advantage thus sought after by certain manufacturers, has apparently been abandoned in deference to con- siderations of a higher order urged upon them by widespread public opinion.
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THE “TATSU MARU INCIDENT.
Following hard upon, and completely over- shadowing, the interest create locally by this disturbing development in competitive methods came the Tatau Maru incident, The disastrous results of that incident were not clearly foreseen at the outset, but the correspondence which passed between this and the London Branch would show that your Committee were alive to the situation, and at least apprehended the dangers inherent in it. The worst of these having passed away, no useful purpose would now be served by the publication of that correspondence, but members may rest assured of the close attention paid to the subject both in its local and in its larger aspect.
TRADE MARKS.
nother subject frequently discussed and written about was the growing menace to the prospects of British commerce in the Far East
from the imitation of trade marks. The whole question of the proper protection of trade marks has occupied a large space in the work of the year, but as the correspondence between the London
any way causing trouble among the villa- gera. The Chinese Officials entrusted with a similar task on the other side of the frontier are reported to have met with opposition, from which it is reasonable to conclude either that they are not paying their way with that promptitude which placated the land-owners of New Territory, or that the requisite authority from the Viceroy has been withheld. But though we have had to deplore slaw progress there seemed no way open to us by which we could assist in accelerating it, and only with reference to certain practical difficul- ties, displaying some of the inconveniences of Chinese control over the Engineer-in-Chief., request the assistance of the London Branch. The matter at issue was ultimately settled in a satisfactory manner and we have not sine heard of any similar attempts, on the part of a set of men who are inevitably ill-informed, to act in direct defiance of qualified advice.
We on
оде occasion
to
difficulties erratio
SUBSIDIARY COIN. Upon the
the subject of greated for this Colony by the management of the Canton Mint repre- sentations have again been made. Writing to the London Branch in April we said: "It will be within your recollection that, some two years ago, in consequence of an excessive issue of subsidiary coin by the anton Mint Authorities that commodity fell to 10 per cent discount, dragging down in its descent, almost to the same level, Hongkong 10 cent pieces. It does not pay to issue it at a higher discount, and the end of the immediate advan- tages of a reckless policy thus appearing in sight the authors of it were brought to realise the attendant evils, with the result that they accepted good advice, previously offered in vain, and arrested the pace of the output. They even went so far as to promise Sir Matthew Nathan to stop the issue altogether for three months. Whether this promise was kept is questionable. but there is no doubt that for some considerable, time the output was reduced.
The Mint Authorities continued this self- denying policy until by degrees the discount
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