French Trade.

Manawatu Herald, 22 February 1896, Page 3

French Trade.

The efforts that are being made by the French chambers of commerce to develop trade relations with Southern China are being vigorously seconded by the local authorities m French tndo China. Of the new Tonquin loan of 80,000,000 francs, twenty millions are to be devoted to completing the railway line from Hanoi to the Chinese frontier, and nearly seven millions to improving the port of Haiphong. M. Rousseau originally asked for a round sum of a hundred million francs, half of which roughly speaking, was to be devoted to discharging liabilities which had been already incurred but which could not be met out of the ordinary revenue of the colony, and half to developing the resources of the colony. The question of the Tonquin loan has been a good deal discussed recently between the Governor General and the Minister for the Colonies, with the result that M. Rosseau's demand has been cut down to eighty million franc3j of which forty three millions are designed to discharge existing liabilities, and tho remaining thirty- seven millions are to be devoted to public works, such as the railway to the Chinese frontier, harbours and Government buildings.