November 21, 1895.]
afford a convenient means of shelving troublesome and disagreeable questions, but they also afford a very safe and useful means of arriving at sound conclusions when it is desired that a difficult question should find its solution.
FIRE TANKS,
Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON recently made the announcement that he expected when the estimates were presented they would show a very favourable balance. We trust it may be so and that the balance will be available for carrying on public works. It is a mistake for a Government to accumulate balances; the money should either be usefully expended, or, if expen- diture is not required, taxation should be reduced. If there are available funds in hand the time seems opportune for again considering the expediency of erecting tanks on the upper levels for the supply of water for fire extinguishing purposes and for the flushing of the drains. It has now been demonstrated by experience that our present water supply cannot be relied upon for these purposes in the dry season. Even if the reservoirs are full at the commencement of the season the supply becomes exhausted if the drought lasts six months, and this year, unfortunately, the rainfall has been too small to fill the storage capacity, so that the colony has had to com- mence the dry season with the supply turned on for only one or two hours a day. That is less convenient than the constant supply, but for domestic purposes it can be made to serve with the exercise of a little care and forethought. It is clearly inadvisable, how- ever, that the limited supply should be drawn upon for fire extinguish ing purposes and it is also clear that the quantity of water passing into the drains is insufficient for effective flush ing. There would be no engineering diffi culty in making tanks above Robinson Road to be kept full of salt water by pump ing from the harbour, and the cost of the work together with the distributory mains would not be great. The idea is not a new one, but it was abandoned when the Tytam scheme was finally decided upon, as it was hoped Tytam would afford a constant and sufficient supply both for ordinary consumj- tion and for extinguishing fires. Experi- ence has unfortunately proved the contrary, and it would be wise therefore to again ex- amine the fire tank scheme. The fire en- gines pumping water from the harbour may be sufficient to cope with outbreaks along or near the Praya, but it is difficult to deal with fires on the upper levels by that means and the difficulty is being increased by the push- ing forward of the water frontage by the extensive reclamation now in progress. To be able at once to attach a hose to a hydrant and immediately have a high pressure stream would check fires at the outset that under present conditions might attain serious pro- portions.
THE HOME PRESS UN CHINA AFFAIRS.
The London papers received by the last mail indulge in a good deal of exaggerated laudation of the supposed triumph of Lord SALISBURY in his conduct of the negotiations with China for a settlement of the questions arising out of the missionary outrages and massacres in Szechuen and Fukien. The Conservative Prese are specially jubilant, though one or two papers do suggest that possibly there is not so much in the degra- dation of the ex-Viceroy of Szechuen as may
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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no more of the geography of China than he does of the interior of the Dark Continent. Yet these are the kind of men who take upon themselves to lecture the journals of the Far East in terms like the following
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at first sight appear, the very alacrity of the Peking Government in responding to the ultimatum being of itself a little suspicious. But the chorus of praise of the Premier's vigorous action is pretty steady and the belief general that by it British prestige in the Far East has been upheld. The West-
Strange proposals are in the air, some for a friendly partition of China among the quinster Gazette, a new Radical organ started Powers-an arrangement which might of when the Pall Mall changed hands and became a Unionist journal, shrewdly points
course lead to the greatest war of the out that the redoubtable Viceroy Liu had
century--others for a joint Protectorate, already been dismissed from that post as a
which would assuredly be very nearly as feeble and incapable official before the
bad in its effects. Our greatest danger is demand for his degradation was made, and
from those of our own house. Some of the that he had only been maintained in office
Anglo-Chinese journals are beginning to pending the arrival of a successor.
talk the wildest nonsense about our per- fact had been overlooked by the contem-
manent occupation of points of Chinese poraries of the Westminster, who seldom read
territory, and each has his favourite. anything from the Far East, and but for an
"nostrum of a province or a port. Con- occasional telegram and the letters of the
"tinental journals will be sure to follow Times' correspondent, would remain
"suit." Thus the Daily News, the organ ignorant as babes of all events transpiring science, a paper, however, little in accord as said to represent the Nonconformist con- in this portion of the globe. Indeed it is with the spirit of the great PROTECTOR, who hardly too much to say that the majority of secured for England her first colony and the most widely circulated London papers laid the foundations of her navy and empire. know soarcely more of what goes on in The charge made against the Anglo-Chinese East Asia than they do of what is happening Press is not true, though there have of in the planet Mars. They maintain no re- gular correspondents in Asia they em-
course been suggestions for the acquisition ploy
of Chusan or some port further north than no writers, of whom there many, in the ranks of returned colonists rast British' commercial interests in China. are Hongkong for the purpose of protecting the and former residents in China or Japan. There would never have been even this sug- The field is too distant, they argue, gestion offered bad it not become apparent for the ordinary English reader to during the recent war that China is incapa- take much interest in, and hence, unless ble of defending herself from attack, and that some war like that between Chin and Japan, she may at any time become the prey of some or some specially atrocious outrage, like the great military Power. The Daily News need Kucheng massacre, occurs no attention is not be alarmed lest a jingo spirit should be given to Asian politics or such a tragedy as that of Kucheng is only a
events. Even developed among British residents in the Far East; the latter have much more cause nine days wonder in Great Britain, and it to dread the growth of insular selfishness may be doubted whether active interest in and pusillanimity in the Radical strongholds the sanguinary and shameful outrage lasted in Great Britain. The policy of the Little that length of time. The penny Press of Englanders, of whom HENRY LaBouchere, the metropolis are therefore no doubt, from one of the principal proprietors of the Daily a business point of view, justified in their News, is a leading light, is to gradually get policy of ignoring the Far East, as being quit of India and the Colonies, so that they remote and therefore unimportant. The may be at liberty to devote all their energies fact is much to be deplored, but it exists. These scribblers for the thoughtless millions direction that would reduce the country to to the working out of social problems in a who are infinitely more concerned in the the condition of a self-supporting but squalid result of an unsavoury divorce suit, or a bicycle race, or a cricket match, or the unwinding of the mystery surrounding a Whitechapel murder, know the taste of their patrons and pander to it; It does not pay to advocate strong measures to retain one of the best markets of the world for British manufactures.
We have deplored the ignorance of these self-appointed leaders and guides of public opinion in the United Kingdom and must, we fear, continue to regret its continuance, It would be bad enough if these prints were content to remain ignorant. When, however, they, in a brief and sudden gush of attention to affairs in the Far East, en- deavour to set Anglo-Chinese journals right and begin to lecture them while making a lamentable display of their own want of knowledge it is time that some notice should be taken of the mingled ignorance and assurance which distinguishes some of our London contemporaries. The Chronicle is a vigorously conducted journal, but apparently is more attentive to the style than to the matter of its articles. Like the rest of the morning papers, it expresses its opinion on what they consider the Chinese hack-down, and it talks complacently of the degradution of the Viceroy of Szechien for the massacres at Kucheng, evidently believing that that now notorious city is situated in far Szechuen, instead of being more distant from it, in point of time at any rate, than from Peking. In all probability the sapient writer knows
commune.
general ignorance of Britons as to the Fortunately, in spite of the
numerous colonies and dependencies of location, extent, and condition of the
Queen VICTORIA, the mass of the nation are proud of the Empire, intimately concerned in the diffusion of its commerce, and are fully determined to maintain and even extend it, if need be
REPORTED GERMAN OCCUPATION OF QUEMOY.
Germans were engaged in surveying Quemoy It was reported in town on Thursday that the
of the island. and its approaches preparatory to the occupation announced, was recently ordered to assemble at The German fleet, as already Amoy. Quemoy, or Kinmuu, is separated from Amoy by a channel five to seven miles wide, in the middle of which is Little Quemoy Island.
We have not the precise measurements of Quemoy, but roughly it may be described as again as Hongkong. It has a considerable rather larger than Amoy and about half as large quantity of flat and cultivated land, the low rice grounds or its south-west shore presenting a striking contrast to the high land on Amoy. Its population is much smaller than that of Amoy island, as it possesses no large city or
town.
Yokohama. The despatch vessel Alacrity left H.M.S. Porpoise arrived here yesterday from
Admiral Buller on board, leaves for the same yesterday for Singapore. The Centurion, with destination this morning.