A NEW ZEALANDER AT HONG-KONG

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 182, 27 April 1908, Page 3

A NEW ZEALANDER AT HONG-KONG

COMPETITION BETWEEN BRITAIN AND '/y . : JAPAN. , : In a brief interview with ai represeaitative of The Dominion Mr. S. U. Newall (son of Newall,.: C.8.),' local manager of the Hong-Kong branch of the South British Insurance Company, stated that Japanese shipping was competing keenly with the British companies. ' i\ot only were the Japanese lines subsidised by ' their' Government, but' their cost of running and tho wages paid were only'about half of the'sum. the opposition lines had .to pay. 'This, .'of course, gaive {the Japanese, a great advantage, and, as a | consequence, the British companies' were, experiencing a.bad time. Regarding the sugar industry, there were.'two- large refineries at Hong-li.ong,- the raw material coming from Java. 'Up till '-recent years, was ex-ported-to Japan, but Japan had-gone in for protection to such an extont that tho HongKong article could not be sold in -Japan at a profit.. In .fact,' sugar was actually coming back from The Japaneso owned large refineries at; Java, and .they had practically monopoly in their own country, the HoiigKoiig companies being confined" to -China for a market, and even there and as far north as Manchuria, Japan was pushing .the trado and underselling tho other companies. In. this , connection,. the subject/ of the boycott l was mentioned to Mr. N ewall. : That .development,' he said, had occurred since ho .left, but it would.be a most serious thing for Japan. The American merchants lost heavily in the same way, and no doubt Japan would be affected similarly. Ho thought, however, that it.-:would fizzlo out, and. not be fully successful, for it was not by-any means general, as it was promot-ed. from Canton, probably by tho Reform party. {ThereWere:many different parties in China, but they were not Imperialistic, and this circumstance operated'against the success of a boycott. .. On the subject of trade generally, Mr, Nowall remarked that the' Japanese were in rather a; better -position as they'had a gold standard, whereas: at Hong-Kong the silver, dollar Avas used, and it fluctuated with tho .'price o'f silver. Not many New Zealanders wore seen in Hong-Kong, but football matches were frequently played, and out of a Rugby fifteen about, ten or eleven were Now Zealanders. Association football and cricket were also played to a considerable extont.