300
(24th April.)
(April 25, 1895.
at a crisis when the colony is threatened with another visitation of the plague we prefer at present to say nothing.
THE STATE OF TRADE IN THE COLONY,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND he then belong to the Colonial Surgeon's of Council with the Chamber of Commerce it is Department or form a separate department not difficult to trace the genesis of the letter in himself? In either case the appointment of the Committee of the Chamber embody- seems likely to prove an expensive one for ing the attack on the Sanitary Board-a letter the colony. As Surgeon-Major WESTCOTT's written while the secret conferences between services are not to be placed at the disposal the Government and the unofficial members of the Sanitary Board the Board will require of Council were in progress and which, after another officer, and as the Sanitary staff will being kept dark for five months, by a curious not be at the disposal of Surgeon-Major coincidence sees the light just at the time for 1894 is a table showing the number of Attached to the Registrar-General's report WESTCOTT that officer will no doubt apply when legislation against the Sanitary Board Chinese shops opened and the number closed for a staff of his own, and so we will have has been passed and the conflict has broken during the year. This ought to afford some two departments to maintain where one
out. The Governinent may think it has index to the state of trade in the colony and would suffice and as is usual in cases of di- vided responsibility the result will be both the Chamber of Commerce, but it is likely idered eminently satisfactory. The Harbour a very valuable weapon in the letter of from that point of view the figures must be con- costly and unsatisfactory. The arrangement to find that it is a double edged one. affords a conspicuous instance of govern, And in
Master's report showed that, notwithstanding connection with the position a slight diminution in the tonnage making mental baugling. It is reported that the taken up by the unofficial members of the use of the port, there was an actual increase elected members of the Sanitary Board, Mr-Legislative Council, it J. J. FRANCIS, Q.C., and Mr. R. K. LEIGH. that they are not unanimous, as
must be noted last year in the amount of cargo landed and have decided to resign as a protest against of them, the Hon. Ho KAI, opposed the bour Master are, however, necessarily up- one shipped. The figures given by the Har the action of the Government in this matter, Medical Officer of Health Bill, and an- proximate only, as it is not compulsory on but we hope they will not do so until they other, the Hon. A. McCONACHIE, asked for inerchants or shipping agents to make have endeavoured to secure the passing of a delay until the report of the Medical Com- correct returns of imports and exports, but resolution embodying a protest on the part mision had been published. The Bill was, of the Board as a whole.
so far as they go the figures show an increase however, passed and the Government has in the trade of the colony. And this entered on a direct conflict with the Sanitary conclusion is confirmed by the Registrar- Board. The matter should now be carried General's returns of shops opened and closed, to the Secretary of State, and, if it is, there which we presume are fairly accurate, the in- can be little doubt as to what the result formation being collected under the provi will be. A few years ago there was a similar sions of the Regulation of Chinese Ordinance, conflict at Gibraltar, where the Governor tried under which it is compulsory to report all to thwart the Sanitary Board and reduce its changes of tenancy and to furnish par- powers to next to nothing. The matter was ticulars as to the profession or trade abrought before the home Government, with of persons renting any portion of a the result that the Board achieved a com- house. In a year like 1894, when the plete victory. It will be so in the case of colony was visited with the plague, when Hongkong. And while the colony is about for some weeks business was practically sus the matter it may as well make its demands pended, and when a large and thickly built as complete as the immediate circumstances area was compulsorily vacated by the occu- seem to require and ask to have the water and pants and closed up, it might have been ex- drainage departments placed under the con-pected that the number of shops closed would trol of the Sanitary Board. There is little have shown a considerable excess over those doubt that that request also would be opened. Such, however, is not the case, for granted. It may be thought that the rejec- the number of shops opened was 1,031 and tion of the recent petition for an increase the number closed 862, an excess in favour in the number of unofficial members of the of shops opened of 169. The publication of Legislative Council does not augur well for the Registrar-General's report was only the success of a memorial such as that we revived four years ago after a very long now suggest; but the two things are entirely interval, so that a comparison with previous different. Whether we agree with it or not, years cannot be carried further back than the view that the Governor must be sup- that, but it will be interesting to give the ported by an official majority in the Legis. figures for that period. The following table lative Council and that it would be politi-shows the number of shops opened and closed cally dangerous to subject him to the risk of in the respective years and the balance of being outvoted in that body must be re-openings over closings:- cognised as at least a logical and defensible one. That is the view held by the Im
The collision between the Government and the Sanitary Board, if proper advantage be taken of the circumstance, may lead to a considerable extension of the powers of the Board. In making the Medical Officer of Health entirely independent of the Board, the Government was evidently influenced by a desire to reduce that body to nullity. It was impossible that the un- official members of the Board should sit down quietly under the insult, but whether resignation at the present junc- ture is altogether advisable may be open to question, What the unofficial members should do now is to memorialise the Secretary of State, and at the same time a memorial from the community at large, in support of the unofficial members, should be submitted. Such a memorial, we venture to think, would be signed Ly all but a very small minority of the ratepayers, for there can- not be much doubt as to the state of public feeling in the colony. The Government night try to throw a little dust in the eyes of the Secretary of State by referring to the fact that the Hon. Ho Kar's motion in opposition to the Medical Officer of Health Bill in the Legislative Council did not find a seconder and to the letter from the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce attacking the Board, but that might be anticipated and answered in the memorial. The attack by the Com-perial Government with regard to the con- mittee of the Chamber of Commerce was stitution of the Legislative Councils of the framed at a time when secret meetings of Eastern Crown Colonics; but in regard to the Legislative Council were being held sanitary matters the Imperial Government and a
course of procedure was being has for many years past consistently followed adopted of which the community dis out the policy of encouraging, and even com- approved scarcely less strongly than it pelling, local communities to manage their did of the action of the committee ap- own affairs, and in India, as in England, pointed to confer with the Government comparatively small towns have their own during the recent strike. The history of the sanitary authorities. Local self-government strike committee illustrates the danger of an as regards sanitation can be attended by no unquestioning submission to the authority possible political danger and its advantages of men whose position might seem to entitle have been proved by long experience. It them to be considered leaders of public opinion. goes without saying, therefore, that Lord A number of gentlemen were selected on RIPON will disapprove wholly and entirely account of the high positions they held in of the attempt now being made by the Hong commerce to endeavour to bring the strike kong Goverument to crush the Sanitary to a conclusion, but they committed such Board out of existence. Possibly the Go- an ogregious and disastrous blunder-a vernor, after consideration, may see fit to com- blunder so great as to put most govern- ply with the request of the Board that the Me- mental blunders in the shade-that it be-dical Officer of Health should be appointed came necessary, in view of the pressing as one of its officers, and so bring the conflict emergency, to at once repudiate their action. to an end, but now that the matter has gone The unofficial members of the Legislative so far it would almost be better for the Sani- Council in countenancing the attempt of the tary Board and the colony, though not for the Government to strangle the Sanitary Board Governor, that the dispute should be fought have made as great a mistake as did the out to its logical conclusion and be settled at strike committee and are as far from re-home. Of the moral responsibility incurred presenting public opinion.. And in view of the by the Governor in throwing the Sanitary connection of some of the unofficial members Department into a state, of disorganisation
Year Opened Closed
Balance
1891..... 932
876.
56
1892. .1,148
983
165
1893. .1,128 1894. .1,031
936
192
862
169
582
Total 4,239 3,657 These figures do not enable us to draw any deductions as to the increase in the gross turn-over of Chinese shops and bongs. In some cases no doubt large businesses have been closed and several smaller ones opened in their places, but on the whole it may be taken for granted that a general increase in the number of shops indicates an increase in trade. In the earlier years covered by the above table the increase in the number of shops was fairly evenly distributed over all the districts, but last year there was necessarily a decrease in Taipingshan, where the number closed was 180 and the number. opened 1154 ouly. All the other districts showed an increase. Turning to the various classes of business carried on in shops opened or closed, we find that 49 merchants opened establishments and 32 closed; general goods dealers, 48 opened and 20 closed; piece goods dealers, 14 opened and 4 closed; rattan dealers, 26 opened and 10 closed rattan chair makers, 26 opened and 14 closed, mat bag dealers, 54 opened and 37 closed. That 10 bakers and 23 eating house keepers should have