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[Copy sent to the Secretary of State in Governor's Despatch No. 244 of 5th July, 1901, as Enclosure No. 3.]
SIR,
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE,
HONGKONG, 24th June, 1901.
I beg leave to acknowledge receipt of your letter (No. 1400) of the 13th instant. In doing so, I am directed to express the Chamber's regret at finding from its tone that His Excellency took some exception to the attitude adopted by the Committee in their letter of the 7th instant.
I am instructed to ask you to convey to His Excellency the assurance of the Committee that their action was not dictated by any spirit of carping criticism, but arose out of a sincere desire to strengthen the hands of the Government and assist in combating the present serious visitation of plague.
The Chamber do not wish me to enter into controversy, but they wish to put themselves right on one point.
It was stated in your letter that the Chamber had accepted without investiga- tion certain statements made in the local Press and described by you as reckless.
In reply to this statement, I beg to point out that no reference to statements made in the local Press appeared in my letter; the references there given were taken from the public utterances or reports of Government officials and of an expert employed by the Colonial Office to inquire into the sanitation of the Colony. Nor was there anything, in the opinion of the Committee, to justify the assumption on the part of His Excellency the Governor that the members of the Chamber believed in the truth of any "exaggerated statements." On this, however, I will not dwell, for, as stated above, I am instructed to avoid even the appearance of wishing to prolong a quite useless controversy.
In addressing the Government on this subject of sanitation in the first instance, the Chamber had not then, nor has it now, any other object in view than to expedite reform in the sanitary condition of the Colony, and they therefore take this oppor- tunity of expressing gratification at the information contained in the last paragraph of your letter, viz., that important measures having this for their object were being ntemplated by the Colonial Authorities. The Committee would further add that in nging forward any such measures, the Government may rest assured of the loyal support and co-operation of the Hongkong Chamber of Commerce.
UL.
I have the honour to be,
Honourable COLONIAL SECRETARY.
Sir,
Your mont obedient Servant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX.
Secretary.
No. 244.
SIR,
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HONGKONG, 5th July, 1901.
I have the honour to forward for your information particulars of the epidemic of plague with which unhappily this Colony has been visited during the present
year.