28
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
new crushing plant, would amount to from From our Supreme Court report it will be £35,000 to £40,000, to be called up in the course seen that a test case with reference to the of two years. "Taken by and large," the pro-alleged illegal removal of cocklofts is now before spects of Ranb have never looked brighter than the Court. at the present time-unless upon the face of the original prospectus-and, if the shareholders eventually resolve to follow the recommendation of their manager; they will certainly have a good return for their money.
HONGKONG,
Very few cases of plague have occurred during the past week, and the hot dry weather we are now experiencing will doubtless drive the disease away altogether. Last Friday judgment was given in a perjury case, the result being that two men who were found guilty of committing perjury were liberated. Four German sailors were fined at the Police Court on Friday for trespassing in Kowloon Forts. On Saturday a very successful Gymkhana meeting was held. The Dairy Farm Company, Limited, held an extraordinary general meeting on Monday, and it was decided to wind up and reconstruct the Company. Yesterday morning the Wanchai murderer was executed in Victoria Gaol. The two policemen who pluckily arrested him have each been made the recipient of a medal.
There were 2,362 visitors to the City Hall Museum last week, of whom 167 were Europeans. The Ordinance to amend and consolidate the Law relating to Factors has been approved by Her Majesty.
On the 1st July there were 2 cases of plague reported, on the 2nd 2, on the 3rd, 1, on the 4th 2, on the 5th 2, and on the 6th 4.
·
The stamp revenue for the first half of the present year amounted to $126,537, being an increase of $16,522 on the amount collected in the corresponding half of last year.
In the London Gazette of the 5th June, it is notified that Assistant Paymaster F. R. Way- mouth, Secretary to Commodore Boyes, has been promoted to the rank of Paymaster.
At the Alice Memorial Hospital last month the number of in-patients treated was 45 and the total out-patient visits were 1,090. At the Nethersole Hospital the numbers were 27 and 29 respectively.
The water having been pumped out of the hold of the Glen Caladh she discharged her cargo at the Hongkong and Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company's wharf at Kowloon and is now in the hands of the Lock Company.
At the Harbour Master's Court on the 1st July, four seaman on the British ship Socotra were sent to gaol for four weeks for refusing to work, and one seamen was sent to gaol for six weeks for refusing to work and also for assaulting an
officer on the ship.
The construction of the new Murray Pier is being proceeded with in real earnest. The stone concrete blocks forming the foundation now show above water at low tide, and it is expected that the superstructure, which will be of granite ashlar, will be completed very sbortly.
Commodore G. T. H. Boyes is to be relieved in change of the Naval Establishments at Hongkong by Captain Swinton C. Holland, A.D.C. at present in command of the Fleet Reserve at Chatham. Captain Holland leaves England on the 30th July, in the P. and O.
steamer Valetta.
Mr. Nicholas Nolan died at the Government Civil Hospital on Saturday afternoon. He was a very old Government servant, having been in the service altogether thirty-five years, twenty- five of which he spent in the colony. For the past thirteen years he acted as warder in the guol, and previous to that he was in the Naval Yard.
A Chinaman was charged at the Magistracy on Saturday with attempting to obtain the sum of $12 by false pretences from a Chinese foreman at Kowloon Dock. It appears he went to the Dock and requested payment of the money in the name of a boiler-maker whom he knew to be employed there, representing himself as the individual he mentioned. His story not being believed, the police were informed and the man was eventually arrested by Sergt. Robertson. He was sentenced to two months' hard labour.
54
The Secretary of the Punjom Mining Com- pany, Limited, advises us that he has received the following telegram from the Mine, being the result of the June clean-up :-"The mill ran twenty-five days crushing 1,050 tons, yield ing 515 ozs. of smelted gold. Fifty tons of concentrates calcined yielded 85 ozs, of gold." Saturday being the Glorious Fourth," the O. & O. steamer Belgic and the various American vessels in harbour were decorated in celebration of the occasion. Mr. Hunt, the American Con- sul, was "at home," and open house was also kept by other American residents, some of whom added to the festivities by having strings of crackers let off in front of their establishments. The North Borneo correspondent of the Straits Times says the Deucalion is shortly to be put on the Sandakan-Hongkong run, in place of the Centaur, and in addition to the Memnon, which will go on running as usual. A good deal of timber is being exported; more perhaps than Hongkong can quite do with, and, in consequence, the shipments are large and prices low.
The Hon. Treasurer of the Alice Memorial and Nethersole Hospitals begs to acknowledge with thanks the following donations to the funds of the hospitals
Market Charitable Fund, per Hon.
Registrar-General...
Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart C. Ewens
W. J. Saunders
$50
20
15
10.
At the Police Court on the 1st July, before Hon. Commander W. C. H. Hastings, Leung Yiu, 156, Queen's Road West, was summoned for failing to comply with a notice from the Sani- tary Board requesting him to relay the floors of the kitchens of various houses of which he is the owner. The case was remanded for a week in order that the Crown Solicitor might attend. Mr. Ewens, who defended, said the notice was invalid.
The Right Rev. L. M. Piazzoli begs to ac- knowledge with thanks the following donations to the Home for the Aged and Infirm
Already acknowledged
83,148 D. S.
20
A. P. Gutterrez... A. A. Gutierrez.. R. R. Roberto E. Antonio...
E. A. Jorge
ลงลง
2
The monthly competition for the Wallace Cup by the Kowloon Detachment, H.K.V., took place on Sunday, when Mr. Hugh MacPhail managed to get a third win. Mr. Stewart made a good second. Annexed are the scores:- 200.400 500 H'cap. yds. yds. yds. points
30 33 24 30 28 25
Mr. H. McPhail Mr. Stewart Mr. Macdonald Mr. Ewing
27 29 23
24 26 22
+
Ttl. 87
83
82 78
At the Magistracy on the 3rd July before Hon. Commander Hastings, a bluejacket named Pat- rick Drewer, of H.M.S. Undaunted, was charged with assaulting P.C. 53 Lawrence The prisoner was an absentee from the ship and he was being taken back in a sampan on Thurs- day afternoon when he hit the constable on the left eye. The blow knocked the policeman down, but with the aid of his staff he was able to overcome the prisoner, who was thereupon taken to the Tweed, where extra assistance was obtained. The constable was so seriously injured that he appeared in Court with his head bandaged. The case was remanded till next day, when the prisoner was sentenced to forty-two day' hard labour.
At the Magistracy, on Saturday, a Chinese house boy, formerly in the employ of Mr. Wheeley, Bonham Road, was charged before Commander Hastings with stealing a quantity of cooking utensils.. About three months ago he was discharged from Mr. Wheeley's employ, but on Friday evening last he returned to the house and was seen by one of the Chinese ser- vants. to go into the kitchen and remove several articles. He was caught and handed over to the police and the Magistrate now sent him to gaol for two months,
[July 8, 1896.
-The usual fortnightly meeting of the Sani- tary Board was not held on the 2nd July 88 a quorum could not be obtained, the absentees being Dr. Ayres and Mr. N. J. Ede, the latter being absent from colony. The President (Hon. F. A. Cooper) consequently adjourned the meeting until next Thursday week, and the members present were asked to remain behind to privately consider the osti-. mates for next year..
At the Magistracy on the 6th July a Special Session of the Justices of the Peace was held to consider an application from A. Fonseca for the transfer of the publican's licence now held by him to sell and retail intoxicating liquors on the premises situate at houses Nos. 21, 23, 25, and 31, Queen's Road Central, and Nos. 1 and 3, Pedder's Street, under the sign of “The Hongkong Hotel" to one Charles Mooney. There was no objection and the application was granted. Hon. Commander Hastings and Mr. W. M. B. Arthur were the Magistrates present.
Some idea of the growth of business in the colony may be gathered from the increase in the bank note circulation. In June, 1876, the notes in circulation amounted to $2,339,044, in the same month of 1886 to $4,204,308, and last month to 88,152,390, as follows:
Average Specie în Amount. Reserve.
Banks.. Chartered Bank of India,
Australia, and China...$1,879,077 1,000,000 Hongkong and Shanghai.
Banking Corporation... 5,844,570 2,500,000 National Bank of China,
Limited
428,743 285,000
Total... ..$8,152,390 3,785,000 - The following from the Sydney Bulletin has been sent to us:-"There is a l o changing about among mining managers. de sorrowful part of a manager's life is to wrestle with a poor mine, and to follow a man who has proved it poor.
In nine cases out of ten a manager leaving a mine is prima facie evidence that it should be left by the shareholders as well. The Hongkong G. M. Co., Mt. McDonald, N. 8. W., has changed its inining manager and intends now to pursue a vigorous mining policy.' It is mournful to remember that many thousands were paid for this show; some £10,000 was spent in machinery and in the mine, which has been worked with poor cults since the day it was acquired, some six years ago." It has probably just as often happened that mints of- money have been lost through good mines having been put under the control of lazy or incompetent managers and have afterwards proved "mines of wealth" when the right man- has been found. We have an instance of that in the Punjom Mines and we trust it may be so with the Hongkong G. M. Co., MI. McDonald, N.S.W." whatever mine that may be.
፣
İ
The following extract from a private letter just received from Coolgardie may be of interest to those of us in China who have been envious of the few fortunes made and the many to be made in the great new gold field-There is not so much enthusiasm here now. and I am afraid that before very long English capital will be withdrawn unless some of the mines prove better? than they look at present. The people at home are calling for. returns and now. the excuses of delay in the arrival of machinery, &c., which were put to so much use, are no longer avail- able; yet the return is not forthcoming. If English and foreign capital withdrawn the place goes down. Nearly all the mines in the district are handicapped for want of water. There are several mills, splendid machinery, hung up practically-working five stamps spasmodically when the full twenty should be going day and night, and there is no chance of their getting more water. There is a fair amount of gold about, but it is too costly to win. The outlays are enormous. Most of the machinery on the field has cost between £20 and £30 a ton to haul from Southern Cross, 150 miles from the coast, and everything else on that scale.
We understand that official information "has been received stating that there is a marked decrease in the prevalence of bubonic plague i† Amoy, although there are still a few cases,