August 2, 1909.]
diture on Chinese Embassies and Consulates abroad and by Chinese students and travellers abroad has increased, and it is certain that the estimated expenditure on muuitions of war in 1903 is much too high for 1908: while on the side of assets, reductions would probably have to be made in the estimates of foreign money spent on developing railways and maintaining foreign garrisons, and additions to the estimated income from Chinese emigrants abroad would perhaps be necessary. I assume, however, that the net result of a revised estimate would still be sufficiently near the original estimate to justify the use of the latter in an attempt to strike a balance. On this assumption, and adopting once more the figures for invisible liabilities and assets used in the last two reports, the accout would stand as follows
J
LIABILITIES.
Value of merchandise imported in Hk. Tis. :. 1908
Loans and indemnities Invisible liabilities
ASSETS...
Value of merchandise exported in
1908 Net export of treasure from com-
mercial areH Invisible assets.
Difference to be Accounted for
EXCHANGE.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
FAR EASTERN TELEGRAMS.
THE JOHORE PIRACY.
Singapore, July 23rd. Three of the pirates, who plundered a Chinese junk near Johore on April 19th, have been sentenced to death in the Singapore Court.
The jurisdiction of the Court has been challenged and the points of the protest will be submitted to the Full Court of Judges in August.
EXPLOSION ON A JAPANESE
BATTLESHP.
Tokyo, July 26th.
109
PLAGUE PREVENTION WORK AT SHANGHAL
Dr. Stanley, the &hanghai Medical Officer of Health, in his report to the Municipal Council for the month of June says:---
As regards plague among rats the improve- ment has been most marked-one plague-infect- ed rat only having been found among 1,598 rats found dead and examined in the Laboratory during the month. No human cases have been reported.
Comparative Monthly Figures
Rats
examined
Plague
Per cent.
infected
28 infected
50 1,359
3.7
December
1,118
1,375
2,585
1,897
An explosion occurred on the battleship Asahi during gun practice at Ise Bay on Sunday, in which five men were killed and five | January 394 505,478, injured.
51.000.000 32,000,000
477,505,478
Hk. Tls. 276.660.403
PRATAS ISLAND AFFAIR.
HITCH IN THE NEGOTIATIONS.
Tokyo, July 27th. A hitch has taken place in the negotiations with regard to Pratas Island. China counter- claims for $170,000 against Japan's $500,000. 12.614,435 China's attitude ou pending questions in 147.000.000 Manchuria is productive of uneasy rumours,
affecting the share market. 436.294.838
Hk. Tls. 41.230.640
After the remarkable drop of 7 pence in the sterling value of the Shanghai tael during the last quarter of 1907, the exchange diagram for 1908 indicates a return to comparativesteadiness, The demand value of the tael. beginning the year at 29-9 61 pence, rose in January to 31-1:16 pence, its highest point, and then fell gradually to 26-7 16 pence in December, recovering, how ever, to 27-9 '16 pence before the close of the year. Depression in India and short purchases by the Indian and other Goreruments are the reasons generally assigned for the low price of¦ silver. It is anticipated that a number of silver mines will have to be closed unless the price of this metal improves, and the production of gold is still increasing. According to an estimate of the Engineering and Mining Journal of New York the value of the gold produced throughout the world in 1908 was 88 million pounds ster. ling, as against 83 million in 1907
THE CHINESE COFFIN TREE.
Among the most valuable products of China which have so far remained a monopoly of the Chinese Empire is the beautiful and valuable wood known as Nanmu (Chinese Coffin-tree). Many efforts, says Mr. Dunn, the Superinten. dent of the Potanical and Forestry Department,
There is an
|
CHINESE ATTACK ON POLICE.
A FIERCE COMBAT AT KUALA LUMPUR,
Singapore, July 27th.
A crowd of Chinese clad in red assembled at a temple in Kuala Lumpur and fired upon the police as they approached.
Fighting of the fiercest description ensued, four Chinese being killed and several wounded. A Sikh constable was wounded in the chest and a European Inspector was injured badly.
The Chinese are supposed to have been members of a Secret society.
Twenty-five arrests have been made.
S.S. ANDALUSIA" AGROUND.
Tokyo, July 29th. The Hamburg-American liner Andalusia, rau aground at the entrance to Tokyo Bay.
The prospects of refloating the vessel are hopeful.
Tokyo, July 30th. The Hamburg-American liner Andalusia, which rau aground at the entrance to Tokyo Buy, has been refloated, and has arrived safely at Yokohama.
COMMERCIAL DEPRESSION IN JAPAN.
A
com-
February March
April...
May June
2.3 2.2
1.6
21 1,780 10 0.6 1,598 1
The cause of this fortunate condition may be found in the following summary of work under- taken since the discovery of plague-infected rats
in December last:
Rats examined in the Laboratory Rats trapped
Rats poisoned (eştimated). Poisoned baits laid Amount of poison used Houses rendered temporarily rat-proof
12,421
32,446
200,000
4,125,724 11⁄2 tons 9,296
I feel it my duty to point out, in fairness to the whole foreign staff of the Health Office and Laboratory and in appreciation of their loyal and conscientious services, that this special plague-prevention work has been undertaken in addition to the normal work of the Depart- ment, a point which calls for special con- sideration.
Having practically freed the Settlement of plague-infected rats it now becomes necessary to see whether further steps can be taken to ensure that plague-infected rats will not again be introduced by ships from plague-infected ports. If nothing further can be done by the Port Health Authority--the Imperial Chinese Mari- time Customs-it will be advisable to make the plague-prevention staff, as at present organized, It would, however, appear a permanent one. desirable that ships coming from plague-infected ports should be required to present a certificate of freedom from rats, that precautions be taken in the harbour in unloading such ships and that & Health Officer, acquainted with modern Port Health Work, be appointed to organize such preventive work in the harbour, in addition to the work at present being done at the Woosung Sanitary Station.
JAPANESE INSURANCE.
There are few more remarkable developments connection with modern Japan than the rapid
It was after the China-Japanese war that in- surance began to make such rapid strides, and has beer almost since 1900 the progress
phenomenal. Nine years ago the amount of the life contracts was about 19 millions sterling, and the fire contracts 33 millions sterling.
have been made to obtain a supply of living lished at the end of last month in London states growth of the insurance business in the country.
A White Paper on the trade of Japan pub-in plants for other countries interested in forestry and with suitable climates, but so far, to the best that last year's foreign trade was marked by a of my knowledge, without success.
depression and stagnation such as have never old tree in the Hongkong Botanic Gardens been witnessed since the opening of the ports which was sent by Mr. Watters, then British of Japan to foreign trade. To say that it was Consul at Ichang, some 30 or 40 years ago. A disastrous to practically all concerned is no few score of layers were taken from it while exaggeration and, apart from failures of foreign young and planted on Mt. Gongh in 1883. It is commercial establishments, happily not British,
most importing firms lost money. impossible to find these
trees again with the scanty information preserved, and if still bination of unfavourable circumstances, is and surviving they probably resemble the tree in the out of Japan, brought about this state of affairs. Gardens in not ripening fruit and in being too
As a result of the development of the country old- to provide layers. During the last two
after the war, the year 1907 showed an unprs. years a considerable amount of correspondence cedented amount of trade, and a comparison has been carried out with Consuls and others in with that year's figures is hardly fair. Soon Szechuan and Yunnan, the provinces in which after the beginning of 1908 a a business depres- the tree occurs, with the object of getting seeds, sion set in, gradually increasing in severity. Enterprises already begun were abandoned and Through the kindness and perseverance of Mr. purchases of material given up at a loss. What Fox (until recently British Consul at Cheng-tu) with trade depression in North China, the boy. and of r. Tyman. and after some failures, two consignments of seeds have during the year heen
cott of Japanese goods in South China, the fall received by this Department. The length of in silver, financial depression abroad and and time occupied in the journey from Cheng-tu is political apprehension at home directly affecting evidently from the candition of the seeds, nearly the money market, trade never had the slightest
chance and went from bad to worse.
In the
the limit for its safe transport and they were boom of 1906-7 it is feared orders were some. immediately sown on arrival. Two crops have thus been raised and it is. hoped to transmit
what recklessly booked. For a year, or possibly living plants in due course to various other two, things will not have sufficiently adjusted
Colonies which require them.
themselves to permit of a thorough improvement.
The last returns showed that life contracts were over 35 millions sterling and fire contracts no less than 150 millions sterling. These figures do not include the risks by foreign insurance companies in Japan, which, according to the last returns, amount to nearly 3 millions in the case of life and 25 millions in the case of fire. Marine business is a more recent development. Seven years ago the risks were scarcely two millions sterling. The amount has now in- creased to nearly four times that amount.. have mentioned merely three classes of insurance, but other forms of insurance have made head- way, though to nothing like the same extent. With such a boom in insurance, there were bound to spring up mushroom concerns whose stability was open to the gravest question, and Japan
W.
But the result has had its insurance scandals has been more effective Government supervi- sion, so that these scandals, though severe loss has been inflicted on policy-holders, have really been a blessing in disguise.
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