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HONGKONG. SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on Thursday afternoon. Hon. F. A. Cooper (Director of Public Works) presided, and there were also present-Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings Acting Capt. Superintendent of Police), Dr. J. M. Atkinson (Acting Colonial Surgeon), Surgeon-Major Westcott (Acting Medical Officer of Health), Mr. N. J. Ede, and Mr. H. McCallum (Secretary).
THE CENTRAL MARKET.
A petition was received from the lessees of fruit, vegetable, and poultry shops in the Central closed to the public at nine o'clock at night Market praying that the market should be instead of at eight, as provided by law, on the ground that in exporting their goods to other ports it is not unusual for them to send their invoices after eight o'clock, and that at eight o'olock the streets are often crowded with people, some of whom regret that they cannot buy anything at that hour of the night.
The following minute was appended
The President-I have gone into this question fully and have come to the conclusion that the prayer of the petitioners should be granted. The only expense connected with the proposed alteration is the additional cost of lighting,
The PRESIDENT said the petitioners were prepared to pay the additional cost of lighting, but that was a matter which, he thought, hardly concerned the Sanitary Board. The additional cost would not amount to more than $150, which represented additional rent per month of 70 cents on the shops and 25 cents on the stalls. He moved that the petition be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary with the request that all in- formation with regard to the lighting, &c., be forwarded to the Governor.
Carried.
FRUIT SHOPS.
Papers concerning the sale of food elsewhere than in a public market were considered, in reference to which the following minutes were appended:
Mr. Ede-I am in favour of supervising all fruit sold in the colony as far as possible, but I would encourage the establishment of good fruit shops subject to their being licensed and supervised by the Sanitary Board.
The Colonial Surgeon-It is most important that the fruit supply of the colon, especially in the Western district one of the most crowded parts of the town should be under some supervision, as unripe fruit is the case of most of the choleric diarrhea we get at this time of the year.
The matter was referred to the Colonial Secre- tary, with a recommendation, proposed by the President, that some fifteen shops be pro- vided in addition.
CONCRETE FLOORS.
With regard to the requests for exemption from the provisions of the by-laws governing the concreting of floors, the President moved that the applicants be informed the Board are unable to accede to their requests.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
The mortality statistics showed that the death rate for the week ending 7th September was 21.4 per 1,000 per annum as against 21.7 at the corresponding date last year. For the week ended 31st August the rate was 24.5 per 1,000 per annum against 20.4 at the corresponding period last year.
LLANS FOR THE NEW PUBLIC OFFICES.
With reference to the reported rejection by a committee of plans prepared by the Director of Public Works for the proposed new Public Offices, the plans in question were, we hear, merely trial plans prepared at the request of the committee to enable them to see how certain ideas they suggested would work out. The committee was appointed as long ago as 1893 to report as to whether new Public Offices were necessary and if so to make suggestions as to what was required. There are two lots in front of the City Hall available as sites. After the matter had been dragging on for some time, being delayed by the plague of last year and afterwards by the engagements of the Director of Public Works in connection with the Tai- pingshan arbitration, the committee got fairly to work some months ago, and in order to see
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
whether one or both lots would be required re- quested the Director of Public Works to have plans prepared for the inclusion of the Supreme Court, Post Office, and other Government offices in one building. On the plans being submitted it was at once seen that the idea of placing all in one building could not be carried out. The present idea therefore is to have the Supreme Court and the Law Offices in a separate building on one of the lots, and the Post Office and certain other offices in another building on the adjoining lot, the Colonial Secretary's Office, Council Chamber, etc., being left in the present building. The idea of the unofficial members of the committee was from the outset that competitive designs should be invited and, although that appears not to have been the intention of the Government, it will probably be carried out. The plans prepared thus far have been preliminary or trial plans only, with the idea of arriving at a decision as to the general character of the buildings for which final plans should be prepared.
THE "VERONA” IN A TYPHOON.
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по
[September 18, 1895.
THE “HIROSHIMA MARU” IN A
TYPHOON.
ONE MAN LOST OVERBOARD.
The N. Y. K. steamer Hiroshima Maru, Cap-. tain E. A. Anderson, which arrived from Japan on Thursday, had a stormy passage, having en- countered the typhoon. She left Yokohama at 6.30 p.m. on the 28th August, arriving at Kobe on the 30th at 5 a.m.; light northerly winds and fine weather throughout the passage. Left Kobe on the 2nd September at 6 a.m. and arrived weather. Left Shimonoseki at 6 am, on at Shimonoseki at 6 a.m. on the 3rd; fine 4th with moderate easterly wind and
fine weather. At 4 p.m. on the 5th a strong south-south-easterly gale was blowing, with high confused sea. At 8 p.m. the ship was rolling heavily and shipping water all over, the
cargo of coal shifting, and ship with a heavy list to starboard. Hove ship to; wind increasing in force. On the 6th it blew a whole gale throughout the day, with furious high sea; at 8.30 p.m. lost one man overboard. On the 7th, at 5.30 p.m., the wind shifted to the north-west! blowing a hurricane with heavy rain squalls; sea tremendous; barometer 28.53; thermometer 69. The wind continued of hurricane force until 4 p.m. on Sunday, the 8th, and then moderated to a gale. At 3 a.m. on the 8th kept the ship away on her course, the wind and sea moderating. The ship was hove to fifty-five hours. For the remainder of the passage fresh to moderate north-north-easterly winds and fine weather were experienced. Arrived at Hongkong on the 11th September at 11.30 p.m.
THE DOUGLAS STEAMSHIP CO.,
LIMITED.
The following is the report for presentation to the shareholders at the Twelfth Ordinary General Meeting, to be held at the offices of the Company, on Saturday, the 21st day of September:
THE CHIEF OFFICER SERIOUSLY INJURED.
The Verona, which arrived in Hongkong on Tuesday night, had a very eventful voyage after leaving Nagasaki. A few hours after leaving that port the vessel encountered a typhoon. The adverse weather commenced at noon on the 6th inst. and lasted until five o'clock on the afternoon of the 7th inst. During the whole of that time the vessel was hove to, great waves swept over her from stem to stern, and rain fell in torrents. There were only three passengers on board, and although they were naturally very much alarmed at the terrific roughness of the weather, there was panic. The captain was од the bridge throughout, and saw the first cutter and the jolly boat washed overboard. The second cutter was also smashed in the davits and a wave eventually carried her away. On the night of the 6th Chief Officer Rogers was asleep in his berth, when the vessel gave a tremendous roll and he was pitched out. His head came in The General Managers have now to submit violent contact with the leg of a chair and he to the shareholders their report on the twelfth was rather badly injured. He himself, how-year's working of the Company, ended 30th ever, did not look upon the wound that he June, 1895. After paying all running expenses, sustained on the head as at all serious, premia of insurance, remuneration to consulting and after it had been dressed by the doctor committee and auditors' fees, there remains a he resumed his duty. On the next day he met net profit of $295,065.70, and with the consent with a much more serious misfortune. He was of the shareholders it is proposed to appropriate near the forecastle when a huge sea swept over this amount as follows: the bows and hurled him with much force against the winch, the result being that his head was fractured. Even then, although his face was covered with blood and he must have been suffering, he expressed his willing- ness to continue work, and told the captain that he would soon recover. The doctor saw that the fracture was a very serious one and the captain told the injured officer to go to his cabin, and he did so. On the arrival of the boat in this port the unfortunate chief was in such a serious condition that he was removed to the Peak Hospital, where he now lies in a critical state. After the storm had
passed away the vessel, which had behaved ad- mirably considering the enormous force of the typhoon, made very quick progress, and arrived here only twenty-four hours late. Besides the loss of the three boats there was practically no damage done to the vessel.
S
Late on Thursday night, 22nd August, says the Japan Advertiser, a number of the coolies at work loading the Empress of China came to logger heads with the Chinese steerage passengers and proceeded to bully them. The Chinese hap- pened to be some 360 or 370 strong, and know- ing they had the crow at their backs, showed a bold front to the coolies. A free fight ensued, in which words were used more freely than kicks for a while, but presently a regular melée started. At this juncture the coples swarmed out of the holds and the Chinese out of their narrow quarters, and for Tittle while pande- monium reigned suprem. The European crew, however, quickly got weary of this row, and threw the coolies overboard into their lighters without enquiring into the cause of the dispute. This simple course of procedure put an effec- tual stop to the affair.
To write off $34,472, from the values of the Company's properties on 30th June last, being the equivalent of 8 per cent. thereon, and to pay a final dividend of 7 per cent. on the capital of the Company (making, with the interim dividend of 5 per cent. paid in March last, a total dividend of 12 per cent. for the year), which will absorb a further $70,000, to transfer $150,000 to the credit of the reserve fund, and carry forward to next year's account the balance of $40,59,3.70.
The steamer Fokien was sold in April last. She was of considerable age and too small for the present requirements of the Company
A new steamer has been contracted for with Messrs. Hamilton & Co., of Port Glasgow, and is expected to arrive in Hongkong to take her place in the Company's service in February, next.
The fleet is still maintained in first class order, and the steamers continue to rank in the estima- tion of marine insurers as risks of the very highest class.
The amounts appearing as "freights due " and "accounts receivable on 30th June have all been collected since that date.
CONSULTING COMMITTEE.
Since the last meeting Mr. C. J. Holliday has retired and Messrs. A. Ross and R. Shewan have bean invited to seats at the Board.
The Committee now consists of Messrs. D. R. Sassoon, the Hon. J. J. Bell-Irving, A. Ross, and R. Shewan.
In terms of the articles of association all these gentlemen retire, but being eligible offer themselves for re-election.
AUDITORS.
The present accounts have been audited by Messrs. J. H. Cox and W. H/Gaskell, who retire, but offer themselves for re-election.
DOUGLAS LAPRAIK & Co.,