THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1955.
What's best in Kowloon?
MIKIMOTO PEARL JEWELLERY
FOR ALL OCCASIONS FORMAL & INFORMAL
---
AND PRICED TO SUIT ALL PURSES
OBTAINABLE
at
G. M. ARTHUR & CO.
THE JEWELLERS
40, Nathan Road, Kowloon
Tel: 63962
KOWLOON
RESTAURANT
AIR CONDITIONED
Famous Chinose & European Food DINE, WINE & DANCE NIGHTLY MISS JULIE & HER ORCHESTRA- 221D-E, Nathan Rd., Kowloon,
Tel: 62988
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KOWLOON OPTICAL COMPANY Ophthalmic Opticians and Contact Lens Fitters. P. M. WRIGHT, D.O.S. (U.S.A.) Optometrist-in-Charge
20, Cameron Road, Kowloon, Hongkong.
HEAD OFFICE
563, Nathan Road,
KOWLOON.
BRANCH OFFICE 756-D, Nathan Road, KOWLOON.
Mayai & Co.
120, Nathan Road, Kowloon,
GREAT
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SUMMER
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Tel: 04496..
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ZORIC DRY CLEANING
CAN ONLY BE DONE IN A "ZORIC” UNIT. THERE IS BUT ONE IN THE COLONY.
IT IS USED AT...
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6CMP BRANCH OFFICE
ADVERTISING, PRINTING. STATIONERY, BUNDRIES, SALISBURY RD. TEL. 04145
B. B. CO. ALL KINDS OF MODERN LAMPSHADES
-exporter and retaller ORDERS ALSO TAKEN
66 Nathan Rd. and
21A Granville Rd. KOWLOON. Tel. 00144.
Fies
"If this peace business gets much worse, you and me are going to be looking for a new job, Sergeant."
THE LETTER
T
and THE LAW
HIS is the story of
one man's treatment
at the hands of the law. I had always
by John Gunn
looked on the law us my While the PO in charge Was enemy. It. never occurred busy, giving him a plece of his mind, it was easy enough for me that I could call on another prisoner to drop a letter the law to help me. When in the pillar box.
to
I did, the circumstances Sometimes it would be more could hardly have been than one letter. The
scale of worse. I was guilty, the charges for this service was not authorities had the evidence, high. and I had admitted it. And
The next part of the story heard from Taffy. He was called Tally because he was a Welsh man, not because he was thief, though he was that too.
had Taffy
also written Jetter. He
must have taken it to the archway soon after I had posied mine. To his dismay he sw one of the screws, off duty, Such complications about the I was not in a position to simple act of posting
the hill. Tuffy a letter coming up get independent legal advice. might seem strange to law. showed some presence of mind
citizens who
by jumping into an unfinished abiding Everything but the law was nothing of prison regulations, part of the moat to hide auill
the danger was over. That was on my Prisoners are allowed to write against me. side. It was because of that ex- only one letter a fortnight-on perience that I stopped being an cored. So the pillar box was a an official form which is cen-
precious link between us and The outside world.
enemy of the law and an enemy of society.
There were 17 of us in the hut. The light was out. We sat on our beds in the dark, enjoy ing a midnight feast. It con- sisted of bread, which I had taken from the cookhouse, but ter and corned beef. The second was beside me on the course floor-linned strawberries.
18 months
Not the kind of meal, perhaps,
to make your mouth water at the Ritz, but it seemed a ban- quet to us. The fact that it was strictly
regulations against added the spice. We took pre- cautions, of course. The inan nearest the door was on watch for anyone who might come and disturb us. You never knew when to expect, a visit from the эстеш,
know
My work was not in the moat, but in the cookhouse. If any thing, that was an advantage when it came to posting letters, I could often slip away for a moment and run seross
archway when the prison slang clear. Screw? That's for PO, prison officer, warder. gaoler. The rcason that we were in a hut and not in cells was that
wo were
to the
7 have said it was raining, and naturally Tally got wet. Wome still, the screw, who was not wearing a cont, decided tu shelter under the arch.
swore
wife to spend some of the last lot of money I had sent her on a sheet of 2d, stamps.
She was to fold it along the perforations to the size of 1 single stamp, and slip it into my hand at her. next There was one moment
when she could do this; It is (or
in
was) the humane cusiom my prison to allow husband's and wives to kiss when they
met. I explained it all very carefully in my letter."
In
London Express Borvide
Jofun· @cum 18
a barrow boya Ku to 28, fives
with
and
chlidren?
story he tol
here qould" bavê -happened:
but did it?
The story, is the avidenço, What do you think? In it FACT or FICTION? Ser this page.tomorrow for the
the right to make a petition, The postman was
the and I knew that most of themi Governor's room, and two other did so whenever they had a officials from the post office as chance. It seemed a waste of well. They didn't say a word. time to me. "Did you over drear They just sat there while the of a petition succeeding. Bert?"
Governor told thought of me.
mc what he
A life-time
.
"That's got nothing to do with it, Johnny. You've got to słow them you won't let them tram- plo on you. Stand up for your rights."
It was no good denying any- Well I had nothing to lose Taffy was only a few yards thing. The evidence
wis on and I look Bert's advice. The away. He
to himself his desk. All I sold was that first step in making a petition is when the postman came to the omeer had no right to take to apply for an interview with
from the Queen'* the Governor and satisfy empty the box, because it meant my letter
him mails, and the whole thing was that the
not complaint is illegal.
frivolous, The Governor listened to my story, grinned, and hand- ed me a potion forin.
he had missed the poal
DID
LE HAPPEN?
coast wog
For most men this was a one- But I all star way correspondence. prisoners in an open nick. A happened to know someone who stur prisoner is one who is sery could be trusted to hide packets ing his first sentence an open place I described in my letter. of cigarcites and tobacco in a nick is a prison without bars. Experis on prison reform. are They fetched a good price, and all in favour of open nicks. I was able to send the proceeds am no expert, and all I can say Public Assistance she received to my wife to supplement the is that they put an awful lot of temptation in your way.
for herself and the kids during my absence.
T
·
The Governor said that was a matter for the post office, and the two officials looked The routine is that the down their позея. 1 was Governor has to send all pell sentenced to 14 days' los of tions to the Home Office, For pay, which was serious because several months they travel round I was entirely out of funds at the pending files and pigeon the time; 14 days loss of holes of Whitehall. After a de- remission for good conduct, cent interval you are told that which
has been meant that I had to every consideration serve a year and two weeks of given to your petition and it has my 18 months instead of only failed. a year; and Anally I was sent back to a closed nick.
I forgot all about mine. I expected to be home in Brighton
It could have been worse. In before they got around to turn- arry other prison I would have ing it down." The PO and the postmuts got 14 days' solitary on passed the time of day. They end water, but there were no Full remission
you?"
"Yes, I'm on my way there now," the screw replied.
brend
FORTUNES
FROM HOLIDAYS
By
J. W. TAYLOR
By
time ton
holiday season in Bri- tain has ended, over one thousand million picture postcards will have been sent off to the folk at home telling them all about happy holidays.
There was one occasions, how- ever, when the postcard was put to a now use by n group of scientists from the National Institute of Oceanography. They arranged for the RAF to drop 2,000 of them over the Atlantie Ocean. Protected by plastle envelopes, the cards carried in- structions in eight languages for coast guards and holidaymakers who found them when they were washed ashore.
The data thus obtained about speed and direction of ocean currents enabled areas to be plotted in which oft could safely be dumped from ships without any great risk of lis Donting ashore. And there's nothing like a good, clean, oil-free beach for sitting down and writing a few "wish-you-were here" lines home.
UNDISPUTED KING
Artist Donald M'Gill is re- cognised as the undisputed king of the comic postcards. Ho started drawing them at the age of 30, his favourite sub- jects being the hempecked hue- band and the blushing bride. Years of experience
have
taught him never to release skoleh unless he is certain that it will tell at least 50,000 cards. His best-selling card went to a million and a half copies,
Man who made a fortune out of the idea of picture postcards was the Viennese colour painter Hermann. He invented them over 80 years ago. It soon locit on, with 75 million said in the first year. Within 20 years sales had shot up to over 500 mil- lich.
исто
Riots broke out in many Eng- sh
towns provincial
when they were first displayed. Post offers ardi otationers shopa besieged by crowds an- xious to obtain specimens. By 1914 the number of postcards used in Great Britain had averaged over 1,000 million G year.
So great is the popularity of the picture postcard that the GPO in Britain now, derives close on £500,000 per year in stamp revenue from the cards Exent to friends by holiday- makers.
THIN IVORY
encourage
T
Whilst anxious to the sole of cards, most govern ments retain the right to
transmission of any cards fuse which are thought to. overslep the bounds of docenicy.
Par- ticularly strict are the Manx who authorities,
each year carry out a strlet inspection of all comie cards intended for salo on the istared. Those Lailing to pass the OČNEOTI DEO pent back to the manufacturers,
and grain were obtained for the thin ivory cards.
The record for Individual expenditure on picture postcards is held by an Indian prince. He artists fully kept his State complained about the weather. facilities for solitary confinement
occupied for six months, and and the postman said chattily, in our camp. I had counted on
over 50 elephants were killed as he unlocked the box:"
The weeks went slowly by before tusks of the right quality, "You being but in another six weeks. prison, don't An extra testnight can seem that would have been three K I Five weeks to zo, five weeka work up at the
life-time to a man who ly
hadn't written that letter, Four hearing the end of his sentence weeks that would have been two So the law won this round after if it hadn't been raining
that all.
afternoon and it the PO hadn't It was in an even more rebel- sheltered under the arch, If.... Hous frame of mind than usual Bert told. me that he had that I sat in my well at the new never known a petition answer- prison. Not that I considered ed as quickly as mine. And in my treatment unjust thoughts all his experience. It was the justice and dojustice did not only one he had ever heard of enter into it, I was rebellious, that succeeded, because I had been found out, and was on the losing side againt
Protests
"You want to tell your pals to use more stamps," said the post- inan.
I had been sentenced to 10 months for office breaking. The But I grew more ambitious. reason I broke into an office was Cigarettes were followed by tins because I needed the money to of food and parcels of butter. "Why? What do you mean?" pay all the fines I had collected And as I ate strawberries at our
"The number of letters with as a barrow boy. It is surprising midnight feast. I congratulated out any stamps this past few how quickly the fines mount up myself on
weeks is nobody's business,” the progress of my 01 £2 a time for street trading. Aght with society. The law The postman looked through
If you can't pay the fines you go might have won the last round, the letters he had taken out of Against the law
to prison. So it was to stay out but I was getting my own back, the box. "Here's another." of prison that I broke into an
office and I landed in prison
POPULAR PUBLICATIONS
just the same.
Chinese Creads & Customs
$18.00
It was not the usual idea of a
Enjoyable Cookery
15.00
Baby Book
This is Hong Kong....
25.00 8.50
The Hongkong Countryside (Herklots)
Hongkong Birds (Herklots)
Coronation Glory
King George VI
7.50
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It's Fun Finding Out — 2nd serios
(Bemard Wicksteed)
Rupert Adventure Book..
Rupert Magazines
5.00 4.00 1.00
Easy
No Hiding Place (Behind Scotland Yard).
10.00
· (second, enlarged edition!
Ten Points About Peáris
Difficulties
the
The PO was no fool. He
The news came through when I still had three weeks to go. The Queen's maile must not be touched. My 14 days' pay was
sion for good conduct.
tored. So was my full remis-
That meant I would be back with my family in a week. I had
Whe
themselves. Thoy get less pay Arranging for a writing pad and and walked off. “The Gov loophole the way some of the rules were on my sudė,
L
"
gbt
no
said.
101
thant the
It was during that last week gool that I decided to slick to the rules myself in future. WORLD COPYRIÚNT" ARSERVEN
The stock card depicting enor- mously fat people wearing vivid red bathing costumes is the handiwork of the late Jerry Wilson. He sold his sketches on a royalty basis. When he died ho letf over £10,000.
COLLECTORS
In the closing years of the last century people used to indulge in the craze for collecting post- cards and storing them in bulky albums. One man papered his room walls with pictures of his davourite musical comedy star. the much-photographed Marie Studholme, of Galety Theatre
So I blew off steam to any matched it out of the postman's one who would listen to me won a round at last. It was. When the house was sold. hand, and read the name and and one of the
men who My listened was
na old prison almost too easy. It takes part prison. I was one at the first to There were difficulties, of address on the envelope.
of the flavour out of a free-for the new owner disposed of the wife's name and address.
Lawyer called Bert. You Ana
cards to a collector for £200. be sent there, and a good deal of course, caused chiefly by work still had to be done to turn shortage of notepaper and
prison lawyers in every gant all when you realise
Another noted collector had "Here, you can't do that," the They are mon who have had some has rules, and your op
has been it from an army camp 'inio u envelopes, even in on open nick.
slicking toploture postcards of almost all ponent postman said. "Give it back."
the law, them. 25.00 gaci. I suppose the authoriucs Soon there were no blank pages
muda experience of
the known beauty spots in the (the wrong aide of it), that' 35.00 thought it more economical to left in the books in the library,
"Not on your life."
and the law world, and he prided himself on The PO
uilty, work I
But the 7,50 let the prisoners do this
his additional sets of 1914-18 I had solved these problems by put up the collar of his jacket by w all the regulatixis lase I was guilty.
by heart and can spot, 'n'
war cards giving Verses envelopes to be left in my hiding ernor's seeing this."!
and choruses of popular songs. place. But I was not matissed.
customers spot a rotten apple.
He had to give up his hobby None of us had any stamps.
when he ran short of spare The postman followed him, "You've
house room. He had amassed protooling.
"You ought to potition," Bert It seemed wasteful to me that right to take it. It's in offence
103,000 different. cards filed in 70 thick albiams. -- One of the Brat jobs consisted my wife should have to pay 8d. to remove letters from thơ,
"What's the use?" I replied. of digging a moat, A PO used on each of the letters I sent her. Queen's malja,”
"I did ft. The Governor bad march work partles down to Oloo authorities would become And I also feared that the Post
"Tell that to the Governor the letter." 24.00 the most along a road which suspicious in time about the said the screw.
That's Just to poli" Bert war normally out of bounds, and 1:50.
which led through an archway, number of unstamped letters,
"It's 15.00
Conveniently placed Iri the collected from our secret plier Taffy put his own letter, back whs quile indignant,
in his pocket, and ran to the gainst the law.. Once a iclier's 3.00 brickwork of the archway- war
cookhouse to warn me, so in the post, at beborn to the a pillar box.
How was I to got stampe into that it was not altogether Sun, the screw was robbing As they reached this epot, one the prison? I thought my wify unexpected when I found my em when be pinched it. The evidence was produced by SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, LTD. of the men would often mis could help, and decided to rise wolf in front of the Governor
behave in some way. He might sending her one is more une ou à charge) KOWLOON |Mart singing, or throw a stone, stamped letter." It was raining. My letter") was open
or wave to 'a siri in šie dirladies, when I went out to post i
cak. In it 1 bad
Common Marino Food-Fisher of Hongkong
Weights & Moastiraments
Stamp Album 2
"HONGKONG:
On Sale At
box,
DID IT REALLY HAPPEN?
YES
STEPHEN
'NO
·Sinco: Britain's simmer tida year is furning - out - fine vand. warm, plcture j-postcard... salem, have rocketed "and", look like reaching an all-time record, for which the ¿Postexaster-Gotiorai will be duly grateful. This kind- of postal tradit has become iso heavy, that meng? wadside tabortu are having to provide special baster for okrds, brily, in order
expedite the kindling of pNE
f