380
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
January February ...
Average
[May 23, 1895,
(84-93) 1890. 1891, 1892. 1893. 1894. 1895. 1.67 2.39 0.04 0.52 1.53 0.90 0.41 1.76 1.47 0.24 1.25 0.46 0.58 0.83 4.08 4.15 2.57.3.90, 3:38 0.27 1.39 7.58 1.95 3.15 11.59 8.48 2.48 2.65
Total 15.09 9.96 6.00 17.26 13.80 4.23 5.28
March April.
with the market value of the shares, however, kong entrusted Mr. WHITEHEAD with a observed, there was no reason why any year further than to point out the risk bona fide petition praying for local self-government, should not give a record below all previous investors may incur by the fluctuation of the which, it was suggested, might be attained records. The note of warning was not market should they be led to purchase dur- by allowing the free election of a majority superfluous, for we have since had a suo ing a period of inflated prices or be com- of members of British nationality to the cession of abnormally dry seasons, broken pelled to realise at a time when the pen- Legislative Council. We have already ex- only in 1892. In 1890 and 1891 the water limited during February, dulum has swung in the opposite direction, pressed our regret that the prayer was not supply was What is of general interest to the whole for the establishment of a Municipal Council, March, April, and a portion of May; & portion colony is the prospect of our chief industry as it would then have had a better chance of in 1893 during March and continuing to show a fair working profit, being granted, but it would be none the less of April; in 1894 during March, April, a portion of May; and this year The competition from Japan will take a satisfactory if a majority of unofficial mem- and few years before it makes itself felt and when|bers in the Legislative Council were conceded, we are again suffering from a water famine. it becomes fully operative we question for the reconstituted legislature could then The following table shows the rainfall in whether it will touch the Hongkong re- proceed to establish a Municipal Council if it inches during the first four months of the fineries anything like so closely as the local thought fit, or enlarge the membership and year according to the average of ten years- competition touched the China Sugar Com-powers of the Sanitary Board, or take any observations (1884-93) made at the Obser- pany twelve years ago. How little justifica- other steps it might deem desirable for the vatory at Kowloon and the actual rainfall tion there was for the scars that then set in is purpose of bringing the administrative work for the same months in the years 1890-95: shown by the figures given above, and we of the Governinent, so far as it is concerned suspect the present scare will be found to be with purely local as distinguished from as baseless.
The Japanese in competing imperial matters, unler unofficial control. with Hongkong will not have the advantages To a limited extent that was secured, as that they have in competing with gold-using | regards matters of sanitation, by the con- countries, for the colony possesses like Japan | stitution of the Sanitary Board, that body itself a supply of cheap labour and a silver consisting, according to law, of four official By the next dry season the extension of the currency. Consequently the competition and six unofficial members. The Govern- Tytam reservoir will be available and the will be on fairly equal terms, except that ment, however, cordially disliking the ar-
possibility of a prolonged drought may the Hongkong article will have to pay in rangement, proceeded to render the position be contemplated with greater equanimity. Japan under the new tariff an import duty of the unofficial members intolerable and The probability is, too, that after the long suc- of 10 per cent. instead of the present duty of so brought about their resignation. We do cession of droughts we have had the rainfall 5 per cent., while the Japan sugar will, so far not believe that the action of the local will again become normal, but in view of the as is known, be exempt from any equiva Government in this matter will receive the experience of the last few years it is clear that lent excise tax. To what extent this protec-approval of the Secretary of State. It cer- the colony must always be prepared for: a tive duty will enable Japanese sugar to under- tainly would not if the matter were properly drought running well into the month of May, sell Hongkong sugar in the Japanese market represented to him, but there appears and that the water supply must be dealt with remains to be seen, but it may be taken to be an unaccountable lukewarmness in the
Mr. CHADWICK in his report accordingly. as reasonably certain that whatever falling off community on the subject. If it be thought already referred to, mentioning the various there may be in the export from this colony that the unofficials may perhaps after all methods by which waste could be checked, to Japan, if there should be any, will be manage the sanitation of the colony as well said that by house to house inspection of taps and fittings excellent results were obtained more than made up by the increase in the without the assistance of the unofficials as exports to China, where the market is with it the opinion may possibly be justified where the Water Authority was supported In Hongkong, unfor. rapidly expanding, the import of sugar last by results for a time, for the officials naturally by public opinion. year being 1,549,297 piculs of a value of teel themselves placed on their mettle and tunately, it appears to be the aim of the Hk. Tls. 7,428,635 as against 110,410 will do their best temporarily, but when Government and of all its departments to piculs of a value of Hk. Tls. 440,784 in the unofficial element has been finally alienate and flout public opinion instead of 1884. It is of course possible that refineries squashed, if that should unfortunately securing its support. It is only where the China be the end of it, then we shall see what public is allowed some voice in the manage- may sometime be established in
we shall see and will feel the full weight ment of its own affairs that the authorities can itself, but with three hundred millions of people to supply who are just beginning of official tyranny. To agitate for a larger expect the support of public opinion, but the to appreciate refined sugar, the Hongkong representative element in the Legislative Hongkong Government, instead of working refineries, with the great advantages they Council while allowing the representative on this universally recognised principle, has enjoy, have little cause to dread any com-element in the Sanitary Board to be crushed steadily refused to allow the Sanitary Board out of existence seems like dropping the to have any voice in the management of the petition that may arise.
bone to seize the shadow. But if after all the waterworks and has ended by practically latter should prove not to be a shadow, but dismissing the unofficial members of the something substantial and attainable, so Board. However, whether managed by a much the better, for then subsidiary matters representative body or not, it is of the could be once more placed in order. We utmost importance that the water supply have to remember, however, that some of should be well managed. It is now gener the present unofficial members of Council ally conceded that a mistake was made in are to be numbered with the enemy and have laying the water on to all Chinese houses, or made themselves particeps criminis in the that the measure was at least premature. Had attack on the Sanitary Board, the only re- the system of stand pipes in the street been presentative body the colony possesses. adhered to, in accordance with the original There is a report that the appointment of intention, we would have been spared the has been of annual two more unofficial members of the Legisla- scarcity which
for the last few years and tive Council is probable, which would bring recurrence the number of the unofficials up to seven, might possibly have been spared the the same as that of the officials, but as the plague visitation of last year or ex- Governor would have a casting tote the un-perienced it in officials would still always be able to be outvoted by the official phalanx and would have no real power, though their debating strength would of course be increased. The report is, however, of doubtful authenticity.
44
fi
LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT FOR HONGKONG.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD is fighting valiantly, during his holiday at home, for a larger measure of self-government for Hong- kong. We wish the hon. gentleman all success and hope that he will be able to turn the recent Sanitary Board crisis to the ad- vantage of the colony. "The inhabitants of "Hongkong," the hon. gentleman says in his letter to the Times, which we reproduce in another column, "desire to be allowed a pri- vilege which every Englishman looks for, "but which is denied to them-that of "managing their own local affairs and con- "trolling their own local expenditure, where Imperial considerations are not involved." Yet in the matter of sanitation, for which the colony had some machinery with which in- it was fairly well content stalment of the larger measure of self- government which it hoped ultimately to obtain, the local Government have thrown over the unofficial element altogether in order that a young army doctor appointed as Acting Medical Officer of Health might not be subjected to the indignity of receiving his directions from a board on which the unofficial element was represented, albeit the unofficial members knew infinitely better than the young army doctor what the colony required. The inhabitants of Hong-
as an
THE WATER SUPPLY.
a nilder form, for it can hardly be doubted that the absence of a sufficient water supply contributed to the virulence of the disease. However, the water has now been laid on to the houses throughout the colony and as it would be a hardship to disconnect services that have once been allowed, the next best means of checking waste appears to be the adoption In his report on the Water Ordinance of the meter system. The meters are voted dated January, 1890, Mr. OSBERT CHAD-a nuisance by those to whose houses they wICK remarked that it must not be sup- have been attached, but if the figures an engineering posed that the water supply was so abun-given in an extract from
journal that we published the other day are dant as to be "practically inexhaustible,' to use a phrase too often current when a correct, a great saving of water ought to be new water-works is opened, and he pointed effected. In one case mentioned a city was out that as in the previous year, i.e. 1889, a pumping 6,000,000 gallons of water per day rainfall in excess of all previous records was and nobody had enough, but when meters
19