174
Eighty arrests of Chinese and Filipinos have been made during the present month in the Philippines for the illegal importation and illegal use of opium.
Dr. Wu Ting Fang's return to China, our Peking contemporary says, is reported to be due to ill-health. He has telegraphed the Waiwapu asking to be relieved from duty at the Washington Legation and his request has been granted. Hence the new appointment.
Mr. Michael Hughes, lately H. M. Consul at Newchwang, and who was called to the Bar in January this year, is returning to Shanghai, where he will take up legal practice. Mr. Hughes recently obtained the degree of LL.D. from the Royal University of Ireland.
A Siamese adaptation of the comedy "Lady Huntsworth's Experiment" was being played at Bangkok when the last mail left. The comedy was staged by the Bangkok Amateur Dramatic Society early this year, and Siamese actors and actresses were doubtless interested spectators of play.
At a recent meeting of the Committee of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce a letter was read from Mr. Jacques Blumenfeld giving particulars as to the formation of an Exchange and asking the Committee to take the matter in hand as read. It was decided to reply that the Committee did not see their way to support the scheme.
We understand that the Macao Delimitation Conference is practically at a standstill. The Chinese Commissioner will await the arrival of the new Viceroy of Canton, whose approval is necessary to any action which he takes, before any further meetings are held. It is stated that there have been no concessions on either side so far.
Hankow is developing a business in frozen pigs, and Tientsin a business in frozen cattle. Large purchases of cattle are being made in the Chili and adjoining provinces. They are shipped from Tientsin to Chinwangtao, where they are killed, their carcases frozen and then shipped under contract to Vladivostock. This new business, it is said, promises to grow into one of very large proportions.
Last week building operations were begun on the construction of another place of amusement for Shanghai. The building in question is to be a large foreign theatre for modern Chinese plays, situated at the corner of Rue du Consulat and Rue Touranne. The new theatre, which will be one of the largest in China, is to be com-
pleted by the end of the year at a cost approxi. mately of $50,000, and it is being erected from designs by Messrs. G. R. Grove & Co.
A Grand International Race Meeting will take place at Vladivostok, under the auspices of the Primosky Race Club, on September 5, 8, 12, 15, 18 and 29, when some 180 specially imported borses will compete, including eighty-seven Japanese imported and country-bred racehorses. There will be eight flat races and one trotting race each day. During the Race Meeting all foreign hotels in Vladivostok will make a 25 per cent. reduction on the usual tariff rates.
All those who had anything to do with the building, fitting or launching of the large motor boat Tien Ma will be pleased to learn that she has more than fulfilled expectations on the run
from Wuchow to Nanning. On the trial trip of the vessel in the harbour it was mentioned that this run would be accomplished in seven days, but news has just been received here from Mr. Banker, the owner of the vessel, that on her maiden trip the Tien Ma completed the voyage in four days.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
It is reported in the Chinese press that Portugal has lately passed a new Extradition Act providing that no Chinese fugitive criminal in Macao shall be extradited unless his crime is proved by eight witnesses. The Acting Viceroy of the Liang-kwang Provinces has requested the Chinese Ministers to France, Spain and Portugal to demand the repeal of this law, on the ground that having regard to the fact that Macao is so close to. Heungshan and the neighbouring districts many Chinese criminals have from time to time taken refuge in Macao, and the law will constitute a menace to China's internal peace. oreover, the law is contrary to the treaties between China and Portugal.
The members of the Board of Finance have decided that as in all countries except China the issue of bank notes is exclusively in the hands of the Government Banks and as the practice of allowing banks established by Chinese merchants and foreigners to issue notes at will is contrary to the treaties, negotiations should be entered into with the foreigners for the withdrawal of their bank notes from circula- tion in‹hina after the Chinese banks have
done so.
heard of before) to send delegates. It is expected, a San Francisco paper says, that a large number will take the occasion to inspect the resources of China. The paper adds that the Chinese are anxious to outdo the Japanese in the lavishness of their hospitality and are arranging to enter. tain the delegates on an extensive scale.
Mr. Fraser, the British Consul-General at Hankow, referring in his annual trade report to the export of food in cold storage to England says:--If successful, it seems likely that local prices will be affected except in the case of pigs, since the common black pig, whose flesh is the favourite food of the poor in China, is not suitable as the white Hunan and Kiangsi pigs. The attempt to buy fowls up country and fatten them here did not prove a success, as the sudden change to superabundant rich diet resulted in the death of most of the native birds accustomed to forage for themselves
found so
[August 30, 1909.
THE NEED OF FINANCIAL-
REFORM.
(Daily Press, August 21st.); Attention has of late been called in many directions to the pressing neces
of reform in the sity which existe
Chinese finance. Schemes inatter of of general improvement and of repre- sentative government have been largely The eight associated Chambers of Commerce discussed, but the chief factor in any such on the Pacific Coast of America, including San reforms must of necessity be of a financial Francisco, Oakland, San Diego, Los Angeles, Portland, Seattle, Spokane and Sacramento, have nature, and, unfortunately, to deal with this been asked by the Associated Chambers of Com-portion of the subject is a task which can- not but tax the ingenuity of even Chinese merce of China (an Association we have never
officials very severely. The chief difficulty is that, from the manner in which financial matters have always been conducted in China, their direction is not under complete central control. A certain portion of the revenue is levied directly by the authority of the Central Government, but a large amount of it is derived from taxes which are completely under the direction of the Provincial officials. This has become so fully recognised as the modus operandi that it must be a very difficult matter to bring about any effective change. At the same time, there can be no doubt that both the Central and the Provincial authorities would be the gainers by the finance being placed upon a definité footing and dealt with in its entirety, under central control. If a scheme could be devised which would attain this end, other matters would follow in their The relations between the natural course. Peking Government and the Provinces would be the first thing that would have to be settled--and this would have to be done upon a very clear and definite footing. If, however, this were accomplished, the way would be opened for other reforms, but until this is done, things are likely to go ồn for ever in their old unsatisfactory manner. What is required is that, the Peking Authorities should take this whole subject in hand-and they might do well to employ some first-rate European financier to assist them in the task. Nothing, however, could The British Commissioner at Weihaiwei, Sir be done without the loyal co-operation of J. H. Stewart Lockhart, in his report for 1908, the Provincial authorities, and this, unfor says:-"A large number of Japanese fishingtunately, it is very difficult to secure, in face junks arrived during the summer for the pur- pose of shark fishing on the high seas-a com- paratively new industry in this neighbourhood. They erected a fishing camp of bamboo and matting on the beach, some two miles from Port Edward, where the fish were dried and cut up. The fishing season lasts, roughly, for three months- une to August-and the fish are esteemed a great delicacy both by Chinese and Japanese. It is understood that the pecuniary results of the first year's fishing were most successful," and therefore it is expected that operations will be continued this year.
!
in the field.
Dr. Martin R. Edwards, of the Harvard Medical School, has arrived in China for the purpose, it is announced, of establishing, either at Nanking or Hankow, a branch school of that institution and also a laboratory for the purposes of studying diseases peculiar to China. It is stated that the Harvard trustees have set aside a fund of half a million gold dollars for the purpose of furthering this work. Dr. Ed- wards will first visit Nanking where he will make a study of the work being done in the hospitals already established there, and from there will proceed to Kiukiang, Kuling and Hankow. He will consult with men now in medical work in China as to the best way to further the project he has in hand.
C
of the many time-honoured abuses which exist in regard to all taxation in China. There can be no question that a thorough reform of Chinese finance would entail sacrifices of individual interests—and that much local discontent would be engendered. A vast number of underlings, who get their picking" out of various forms of taxation at present in vogue, would have to be dis- pensed with; and, of course, they would have a great deal to say against the changes which put an end to their offices. This, however, is a difficulty which, by reasonable action, in the way of compensation or other- wise, might be dealt with, and it would really not form a serious obstacle if the authorities, both Provincial and Central were determined to introduce the necessary reforms. Unfortunately, very little is known to Europeans as to the details of financial matters in China-and thus a great deal in the
Sha ghai papers record with regret the death of Mr. Holliday, manager of the machinery department of the firm of Messrs. Holliday, Wise & Co. Mr. Holliday, who was 46 years of age, had been in ill-health for some time prior to his death, but not seriously. On Wendesday last Mr. Holliday was so unfortunate as to sus- tain a dislocated right arm in a ricsha accident and as a result he had to be operated upon. The patient felt the intense heat and he is reported to have collapsed from shock and the heat.
way of useful suggestion by well Mr. Holiday had been in China for many years. In 1899 he joined the staff of the qualified Europeans, which, with their busi Imperial Naval College at Nanking as professor ness and mathematical powers, the Chinese of engineering, and he was in that city during could turn to valuable account, is lost to be in great danger, and Mrs. Holliday, was the Boxer troubles when Nanking was known
Lo. them. Beyond the likin dues, which seut down the river on a man-of-war. Later directly affect commerce, Europeans know Mr. Holliday joined Messrs. Jardine, Matheson little of the sources of Chinese revenue & Co. as manager of their machinery depart- or its mode of collection. From time to ment. He next went into business on his own time they may hear of some particular account under the style of William Holliday & imposition which causes discontent, but no Co., but he was unfortunate and the business exact details of how the large revenue which Messrs. Holliday, Wise & Co.'s machinery was closed down He then became manager of
is necessary for governing the country
"department and
remained in that position untilis, procured are obtainable; and the most that is known by those best informed on recently.
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