One of the most interesting events of the week has been the astonish-{ng action of a steamboat company in reducing its steerage fare from Hongkong to Canton to ten cents. This drastic reduction from $1 to ten cents was described in the news: papers here as a rate war, but today the allegation is denied in a let ter to the "Hongkong Telegraph written by the solicitors for the Heamship company concerned, the Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Ca., Ld. Ten cents for a steamer trip of seven hours is pro-Dably a world record, but it was only' in force for a single night, Saturday. According to a state: ment made by the secretary of the Steamboat company, a company owning former French boats will that agree toa standard charge and are continually varying their charges. The French boat have Doon approached but have refused to come to terms and as a consequence, the company which cut the rate to ten cents on Saturday have decided to contest the opposition din the words of the seevet Ale. J. Arnold, will reduce the 1 all their boats and even tals sengers for nothing if necessary. It is an interesting situation and the outcome of it is being eagerly watched.
It brings to mind almost a similar neident many will recall which happened several years: ago. Royal steamship companies running boots between Scotland and Ireland. suddenly began a rate war. One redueed the fare to eighteen-pene> and for a time held the field. The other, nonplussed, retaliated very ingenously by charging the sume price, cigthteen-pence, but adding attraction to their potential sengers, several bottles of beer. For a time war w: eventually a settlement wa: arrive at ina simple manner. The companies amalgamated and further reduced the fare to one shilling. Even locally, old residents remem ber a similar instane> when con petition was deadly ken. Years ago, the Hongkong Canton & Macao S. Ca,, reduced their fare to ten cents for steerage and maintained the rate for almost six months.
Further back in the shipping hi tory of the Colony musty records tell_us that competition was so keen that touts used to be employ ed at Canton and Whampao to solicit passengers for Hongkong at 5 ents per person which included a meal on the boat of a pot of tea and two large cakes. Probably today's event is merely history re-eating itself.
The Late Mr. Claxton Hongkong sportsmen have shared with Shanghai the grief over the death of Mr A. A. Claxton, well known interport cricketer and sportsman, It was a shock to hear the sad news parti cularly so when it is hard to realize he was with us only a week or ago. When the news was received by Col. Robertson, Secretary of the Hongkong Club, the flags were immediately lowered over the Club Hongkong Cricket Club. will always cherish 1 will be sorely missed and the Shanghai Cricket Team will be considerably weakened,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.