278
the credit of profit and loss account the balance of $1,200.
Out of that balance your directors recommend the sum of $2,723 to be placed to the reserve fand, in order to bring the reserve to the previous amount of $25,00. The balance remaining of $1,486 is proposed
to be carried forward.
This appropriation to reserve appears especially desir- able in view of the Maliwun undertaking.
The Company continues the work of testing a tin bear- ing lode at Jelubu. The rep rts of the prospectors engaged in the lode are very hopeful; but no large sum will be sunk in machinery till the lode is better proved. The net cost of prospecting during the half-year appears only as $2,228, owing to the fact that the proceeds of a quantity of tin won during the operations were credited to the prospecting account.
The operations at Jelubu are continued, in the absence of the manager, under the direction of his senior
assistant.
The future of the Company very largely depends on the results to be attained from the important concession in Lower Burma, acquired by the Company from Mr. Menzell, and recently confirmed to the Company by the Government offlada. Mr. Money, the Manager of the Company, is now at Maliwun, and he reports that the local Government seem disp sed to give the Company all encouragement in proving and developing this very large
concession.
The directors to retire by rotation are Messrs. Joa- buim and Reid, who offer themselves for re-election.
The auditor, Mr.JA. J. Gunn, retires from office and offers himself for reelection.
J. P. JOAQUIM, ARNOT REID,
}
Directors.
HUTTENBACH BROTHERS & Co,
General Agents.
HALL & HOLTZ, LIMITED.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
respon-
the head coolies in the likelihood of serious hardship. Risks of fine and imprisonment, mental worry, uuremunerated labour, fear of blackmail, sum up the situation from the head coolie's point of view, and unable to make his grievances effectively heard he has gone on strike as a protest in last resort against the coming evil. Now, is there no other Way of getting sanitation except by throw. ing the onus and responsibility on the head coolies. I suggest that there is. I suggest that it is not necessary to throw the dreaded sibility either on the householder or on the head coolie. Let the Government do its own sanitary work. Establish a body of coucierges, or house-porters. state paid. If necessary put one in each coolie-house to look after the clean ing and the drains, and the open windows, and the register of inmates and the other hundred and one things that may be required to be done. Then the work will be well done, and con- tinuously done, uuder the eye of the Sanitary Board's inspectors, and if a concierge is re- miss he will be dismissed. Assuming (but this is mere guesswork) that there are 500 coolie lodging houses and that each would require the exclusive services of one house-porter, then 500 men at a wage of $5 each would involve an expenditure of $300 a month, pr $3,600 a year, not an extravagant sum to pay for thorough sanitation, and this body of men could be utilized in quite a number of ways to the advantage of the Registrar General's and Police departments. We intend to have sanita-
[April 11, 1895.
The appointments of M. A.. G. Wise to be Acting Attorney-Geueral and of Mr. T. 8. Smith to be Acting Puisne Judge are gazetted.
graphic views of the Saigon Cathedral showing. We have to thank a correspondent for photo- the handsome new spires in course of erection and completed.
The stamp revenue for the first quarter of the present year was $14,702, being an increase of $13,746 on the amount collected in the corres ponding quarter of last year. The principal in- creases were in bank note duty, $4,565, insur- ance $2,955, and probate $2,500.
On Tuesday morning (2nd inst) His Excellency Lieut.-General Digby Barker made an inspection of the men of the Royal Artillery. The two bat teries, divided into four companies, were drawn up on the Parade Ground in full dress, and were carefully inspected by the General. The force. which numbered about 220 men, looked very smart and soldierly.
Bangkok Times reads:The plague has aps A Reuter's telegram of the 28th March in the
peared among the Chines at Kowloon," It i regrettable that this statement, calculated to cause alarm at home, should have been published, seeing that it is, so far as can be ascertained, in- correct. Some time ago (several sudden deaths occurred at Kowloon, and plague was alleged as the canse, but careful enquiries by the Hong- kong Sanitary authorities failed to establish the existence of that disease.
The following is the report of the directors tion; but we cannot have it without paying the New Balmoral Gold] Mining Co., Limited,
| for presentation to the shareholders at the third ordinary general meeting to be held at the head office of the Company, at Shanghai, on the 6th April:
The directors herewith submit to the shareholders the audite i accounts of the Company for the year ended 28th February, 1895.
other. The
for it in some shape or question of expense appears to resolve itself into a choice between direct and in- direct taxation. Probably the former, where feasible, is the more economical. Some indirect taxation there must be. Fewer coolies per honse means of course more rent per coolie, and that means a rise of wages, which resolves itself into a tax on employers and consumers. The expense of a house-porter brigade might reasonably fall directly on the rates, for the whole community $12,500.00 would benefit by the increase of safety due to the
5,465.04 purification of the town. 25,000.00 5,000.00
The balance available for distribution (including $11,603.04 brought forward, from last year) amounts to $58,815.32, which the directors recommend, with the consent of the shareholders, should be disposed
of as follows:~~~
A dividend of 10 per cent.
To write off fixtures, stud, and vans Carry to reserve fund
Carry to depreciation account Leaving a balance to carry forward to new
account....
10,850.28
$58,815.32
The returns compare favourably with previous records, the net sales for the year amounting to $381,732.89.
DIRECTORS.
Mr. E. Byrne was granted twelve months leave of absence, and Mr. W. 11. Short was elected to fill the Vacancy. This requires your confirmation. Mr. F. W. Such retires in accordance with the articles of association, but being eligible offers himself for re- election.
AUDITOR.
The accounts have been audited by Mr. 4. R. Cor. ner, who retires, but offers himself for re-election.
F. W. Such, Chairman.
Shanghai, 26th March, 1895.
CORRESPONDENCE.
We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinion expressed by our Correspondents. Į
MR. ROBINSONN THE COOLIE
STRIKE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.'
ED. ROBINSON. Hongkong, 2nd April, 1895.
HONGKONG.
The following telegram has been received by
from the mines:-" Henderson in better health, Crushing not yet finished; until clean up cannot gire actual result. The developments of the ine fully justify the expectations that have boon formed. Much pleased with the appear- sent from Hongkong enquiring as to the state ance. The telegram is in reply to a message
of Mr. Henderson's health, he baving been laid up when the mail received by the Airlie was dispatched. Mr. Henderson is the mining manager.
*3
At three o'clock on Saturday morning a fire broke out at 1, Queen's Street. The shop was used as a mat store, but, although a very strong wind was blowing at the time, the Fire Brigade, under Mr. H. E. Wodehouse and Assistant Superintendent Corcoran, succeeded in confining the damage to the first and second floors. There break, and it is supposed that the fire had its was no light on the premises previous to the out- origin in a stray spark blown into the place through an open window. The contents were insured in the Hamburg Fire Insurance Com- puny for $6.00, and it is thought that the damage almost reaches the amount of the in-
surance.
The shipping business is no longer in a dis. organised state, as the coolies returned to work during the week, and a large number of common lodging house keepers registered Several summonses have been issued against keepers for not conforming with the law, and in the majority of cases fines were inflicted. On Tuesday the appeal in the Rio case was heard, and judgment given on Saturday. The Appeal Court has also been engaged in hearing the appeal in the Leo On Tuesday Mr. H. E. Wodehouse held an in- King and Carlowitz charter party case. On Tues-quiry respecting the fire at 1. Queen's Street, on day afternoon H.E. the Governor, Sir William hemorning of the 6th inst. It was stated that the Robinson, opened the Kowloon Institute, and made master of the shop went to Canton on the 4th an excellent speech on the necessity for such in. inst. and returned on the 8th inst., and the ac- stitutions. The annual inspection of the flong.countant went to Canton on the 3rd inst. and kong Volunteer orps was made by Lieutenant-had not yet returned. There were fifteen men General Barker, who congratulated the members sleeping on the premises, which were used as a on their smart appearance and meritorious work. mat shop. The place was closed at 9 pm, on the The Legislative Council met on Thursday and night previous to the fire, and no one left the passed the Chinese Immigration Ordinance, the shop until the fire broke out. There were no Water Ordinance, and the Building Ordinance.lights on the upper floors at 9 p.m. The goods SIR,-Your report of my remarks at the public On Saturday the Hongkong Cricket Club enter in the shop were insured for $5,000 and the meeting of the let instant is not very correct. should like to add something on the main point. colony, to dinner. The Victoria Recreation Club journed until Tuesday next.
tained Mr. A. J. Leach, Q.C., who is leaving the furniture for $1,000 The enquiry was ad- The object the Government and the whole Eu-athletic sports were held on Saturday afternoon, ropean community have in view is sanitation and proved a great success. On Saturday evening what the coolies have struck against is registra- Mr. D. Gillies was presented with a handsome tion. Does the one necessarily involve the other? address by the members of the Institution of If it does. there is no resource but to carry on Engineers and Shipbuilders of Hongkong. Mr. the struggle until exhaustion. But if not, then
Gillies is President of the Institution, and is it strikes me that that is only a feeble-forcible going home for a holiday. Two performances policy that insists on dislocating the entire of Mendelssohn's Hymn of Praise were given trade of the colony merely to carry a point on during the week, and were a great success. a matter non-essential I hold that the Govern- ment should have gauged Chinese feeling earlier and should never have allowed the dispute to reach the acute stage; but having reached it, obstinacy in a wrong course only makes the original blunder worse. In spite of temporary effer- vescence in favour of a fight for the fight's sake, cool common sense will be the quality which the community will ultimately best appreciate in the conduct of the Government. I have stated, as your report shows, my grounds for thinking that legislation under the Ordinance does involve
arrived from home on Monday under charter to The Blue funnel steamer Polyphemus, which the China Mutual Company, will go into dock after discharging her cargo, having touched a rock near Gap Rock during a fog and damaged some of her forward plates.
jom Mining Company of the receipt of a tele- We are advis d by the Secretary of the Pun- ram from the mines to the effect that during the month of March the mill ran 28 days, crush ing 960 tons yielding 420 ounces of gold and headings 400 tons for 40 ounces.
quiry into the circumstances attending the death On Tuesday Mr. H. E. Wodehouse hold an in- of Corporal Rawlinson, of the Rifle Brigade. The deceased was drowned in the harbour on the 31st ult. About eleven o'clock on the morning of this date he and five companions took a boat and rowed to Bay View. They remained there half an hour, and were quite sober when they entered the boat again. They then rowed to boat suddenly lurched, and the deceased, who was within thirty yards of Kellett's Island, when the 25 years of age, and a native of London, fell overboard. He did not rise and although two of his comrades dived into the water after him, they were unable to recover his body. It is sup- kerchief to signal to the gnad on Kellett's Is- posed that the corporal stood up to wave his hand- land, when he fell over. on the morning of the 5th inst. on the foreshore His body was recovered of the island. A verdict of accidental death
was returned.