March 29, 1909.]
On completion of her task Mrs Taylor was presented with a handsome bouquet and three ringing cheers were given.
A GIGANTIC FRAUD.
CANADIAN CUSTOMS EVADED.
A very clever fraud has just come to light in Hongkong as the result of which a consign- ment of opium worth about $10,000 has been replaced by a bogus material which is practically worthless. A few days when the steamer Gymeric had arrived here from Vancouver Mr. Hoggarth and a party of excise officers, accom- panied by a police constable boarded the steamer and took possession of twelve cases, each case containing 105 boxes and each box five taels. The chief officer said he was glad to get rid of it as it was leaking.
&
It appears that the consignment which was marked "K.M.H. Macao," was sent from Hong- kong to Vancouver some time ago, but it was refused admission into Canada and was stored in a bonded warehouse whence it was to be reshipped back to Hongkong. Prior to its reaching Hongkong it had been to Japanese ports and Manila. Naturally it was expected the royalty would have been paid on the consignment on returning here. but the Opium Farmer learned through an informer that the contents were merely a decoction of opium. Examination confirmed this, the alleged opium being nothing more than treacle and opium water. The genuine opium had apparently been taken out of the boxes and found its way into anada and the concoction put in its place and sent back to Hongkong, Where and by whom the fraud was committed is not known, but whoever carried it out did so very cleverly. Now the steamboat agents are trying to find an owner for the consignment but nobody seems to care to claim it. The opium authorities will probably ask for its forfeiture and destruction.
PROBABLE REDUCTION OF CHINESE
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
A decision of the Philippines Supreme Court making certain radical changes in the Chinese immigration laws now in force there, has just been made public by Acting Collector of Custom McCoy.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The decison in question lays down the rule that no hinese is a merchant unless transacting business, buying and selling merchandise, in his own name and at a fixed place of business. The merchant's name must be incorporated in the firm name and appear on the license. The ruling will have a far-reaching effect in reducing the number of Chinese in the Islands. Formerly. each member of 8 firm consisting of say. 19 people, would have a right to admission of his, say, five children, reared in ( hina, making a total of 95 husky boys to be employed in the business of their progenitors.
It was a smooth trick to defeat the immigra- tion laws, the partnership of 19" in many cases being formed for the sole purpose of gaining admission to a horde of "boys who swelled the ranks of the coolies after arrival in the Philippines. Under the new rule only the heads of firms and bona fide members of the same will have the privilege of bringing over their minor offspring, partners whose names do not appear in the firm name not being recognized as merchants. Close scrutiny will be exercised by the authorities to determine the n atter of bona fide partnership.
The Supreme Court, in its decision, also holds that manufacturers and restaurant keepers are not to be considered as merchants.
CHINESE AND JAPANESE ·
CHARACTERISTICS.
A correspondent of the Japan Advertiser, in the course of an article headed "Chinese Characteristics," says:----
The Chinese are very quick to learn and beat Japanese youths in more than one respect. Place them side by side with Japanese of the same age and the same class and hear what the teachers say. The Chinese have more mental capacity and are quicker in drawing con- clusions. At present they are following the Japanese teachers with the docility of children, but this will soon be a thing of the past. They will assert themselves with irresistible force one of these days. The Japanese emerged gloriously from their period of tutelage and asserted themselves with con- fidence in their ultimate success, and they have a reverential memory for their teachers to this day. The Chinese are simply walking in the Japanese footprints, and they will some day turn their backs on their Japanese teachers, saying: Thank you very much for the guidance which you have given us, but we can take care of ourselves now.'
12
says:
|
The Japan Mail commenting on this We have heard the same thing said by other observers. Undoubtedly the Chinese student is very quick to learn. That fact was recog- nised fifty years ago in Hongkong. The Japanese also is very quick to learn. Wo have heard its said by a foreigner of long experience that an average class of Japanese lads is much apter in acquiring mathema. tical knowledge than ✡ class of English lads. But while willing to do fullest justice to the excellent ability of the Chinese stud- ent, we are inclined to doubt whether he possesses another moral gift in the same degree as the Japanese-the gift of earnest determin- ation. It was by observing how largely the Japanese student is dowered with this quality that we ourselves originally acquired a firm faith in his future. The sacrifices he will make in the cause of acquiring know- ledge indicate a character of quite exceptional force. There are at this moment youths hawking newspapers in Tokyo in order to obtain means for defraying their school fees, and there are Japanese youths serving as domestic servants in foreigners' houses for the sake of obt lining knowledge of a foreign language. Nothing to deter the Japanese youth in his pursuit of instruction.; Has the Chinese student a similar fund of grim determination? He may have. We have not had sufficient opportunities for judging to be qualified to say "yes or "no." But we have never seen the Japanese youth's peer in this respect. Such a setting of the teeth in pursuit of learning prepares us to find it accompanied by a spirit of enterprise. And it is so accompanied. There are at this moment Japanese braving all kinds of hardships to develop some special faculty or obtain some special information which shall serve as a stepping stone to preferment. great majority of them never emerge into public observation, but when the rare op- portunity comes, they are ready to seize it. There is a great deal to be taken into consider- ation before all the materials for comparison are marshalled.
THE DEATH OF THEODORE
SPEIDEL.
The
COMPANY REPORTS.
263
THE YOKOHAMA SPECIE BANK,
LIMITED.
The Directors' report to the shareholders states:-
GENTLEMEN -The Directors submit to you the annexed statement of the liabilities and assets of the Bank, and of the profit and loss account for the half-year ended 31st December,
1908.
The gross profits of the Bank for the past half-year, including yen 1,113,505.35 brought forward from last account, amount to yen 10,798,765.62, of which yen 7,817,088,72 have been deducted for interest, taxes, current expenses, rebate on bills current, bad and doubtful debts, bonus for officers. and clerks, &c., leaving a balance of yen 2,291,676.90 for appropriation.
Owing to the continued depreciation in the price of silver towards the end of the last half- year, the Directors have decided to adjust the rate of the silver fund held in China by writing off the balance of the silver depreciation fund.
The Directors now propose that yen 400,000 be added to the Reserve fund, and recommend a dividend at the rate of twelve per cent., per annum, which will absorb yen 1,440,000.-
The balance, yen 1,141,676.90, will be carried forward to the credit of next account..
BARON KOREKIYO TAKAHASHI,
Chairman. Head Office, Yokohama, 10th March, 1909.
BALANCE SHEET 31st December, 1908.
LIABILITIES.
Capital (paid up) Reserve funds Reserve for doubtful debts
Notes in circulation Deposits (current, fixed,(c.) Bills payable, bills re-discounted acceptances, and other sums due by the bank... Dividends unclaimed... Amount brought forward from
last account
Yen 24,000, 00.00 15,100,000.00
390,928.38 4,930,555.73 119,174,131.03
77,915,485.96 5,430.02
1,113,505.35 -year
1,868,171.55
Yen 244,498,208.02
Net profit for the past half-y
Cash Account In hand..
At bankers
ASSETS.
Yen
12,582,865.22 14,864,959.94
Investments in Public securities Bills discounted, loans, advances,
&c.
Bills receivable and other sums
due to the Bank Bullion and foreign money Bank's premises, properties,
Furniture, &c.
t
Yen
27,447,825.16- 16,881,383.69
67,498,190.50
128,339,932.38 2,123,667.18
2,207,209.11
Yen 244,498,208.02
PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT.
To interest, taxes, current expen- ses, rebate on bills current, bad and doubtful debts, bonus for officers and clerks, &c. To reserve fund
To Dividend : (ren 6 per share
for 240,000 shares) To balance carried forward to
next account
Yen
7,817,088.72 400,000.00
1,400,000.00
1,141,676.90
Yen 10,798,765.62
We briefly announced a few days ago that telegraphic news had reached the East of the death at Home of Mr. Theodore Speidel, senior partner in the well-known firm of Messrs. Speidel & Co., of Hanoi, Haiphong. Pnompenh | By amount of gross profits for and Saigon. Mr. Spiedel was well known in the half-year ending 31st De China and the news of his death will be received cember, 1908 by all who knew him with very great regret.
By balance brought forward 30th Yen
June, 1908
1,113,505.35
The case now decided by the high tribunal is that of Lim Co versus the Collector of ustoms. Lim Co was arrested in Manila as an unregis- tered labourer and brought before the courts on deportation proceedings. He claimed to be a r. Speidel started in business at Saig- merchant, owning a panciteria and being on in 1868. as a general merchant and interested in a vermicelli factory and Judge in course of time established branches of Crossfield held the man entitled to remain in the firm at Pnompenh, Haiphong and Hanoi. the Philippines. Appeal from that decision He also founded the Orient and the Union rice was taken by the Collector of Customs to the mills at Cholou, near Saigon, and for many Supreme Court, which reversing the court of years acted as Consul for Germany in first instance, ruled as stated above.-Manila | China. Mr. Spiedel died in Paris on the 7th Cbalencws.
j
+
inst. in the sixty-eighth year of his age.
ochin-
9,685,260.27
Yen 10,798,765,62
Among the passengers to arrive at Hankow Lord William Gascoigne Cecil, who is at present by train from Peking ten days ago was the Rev. taking a very keen interest in Chinese affairs. He was to have preached in St. John's Church, Hankow, on Sunday.
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