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Jannery 28, 1897:1
general way whether the colony has been during any particular year in a prosperous condition or otherwise, but the material for making an examination of its trade in detail is totally lacking. Under these circumstances we do not think Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON is to be blamed for not entering upon the task of writing a trade report. He might, it is true, write in a general way on the progress of the colony, but however interesting such a report might be to local readers it could prove of little utility to merchants or manu- facturers at home. Sir WILLIAM DES VEUX, it will be remembered, on one occasion wrote a very able and eloquent report on those lines, but unfortunately it published just on the culmination of a boom, and in the period of subsequent depression it was subjected to much adverse criticism, though it must be acknowledged now, we think, that our lute Governor's estimate of the position of the colony has been justi- fied by subsequent history. Such a report, however, stands in quite a different category from commercial reports founded on accu- rate and detailed information and it would be neither desirable nor possible to produce one annually, for it is only occasionally, certainly not oftener than once in the ad- ministration of each successive Governor, that the inspiration can present itself.
Was
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
English? As the Governor, ho speech at the prize distribu these paragraphs of Dr. W ferred to controversial subjects it may be thats Dr. WRIGHT did not feel himself at liberty to enter into them so fully as he might hav wished. However that may be, the ult of the annual examination of the school would appear to have been average, a fact that must be recorded with satisfaction.
T
tice. The mercantile community our Singapore contemporary may earn a objects to any compulsory collection of little cheap honour and glory for itself in the frade statistics, and even the publi- matter we question whether the total amount cation of the returns given · in the contributed by the southern colony will be Harbour Master's report, compiled from so large as if the matter had been left to a information voluntarily supplied, has been properly organised committee. The func- adversely criticised by the Chamber of tions of the press, we take it, are to record Commerce. Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON in the news and comment on passing events, the report referred to by our contemporary exercise of executive functions in public points out that "Hongkong being a free affairs being outside its sphere. Where a
port no
perfectly accurate statistics of newspaper originates some idea of its own Imports are obtainable." Statistics must requiring a public subscription, as, for in- Leaving Dr. WRIGHT's report we turn to necessarily be the foundation of com- stance, the recent GRACE testimonial origin- the Governor's speech, which is interesting mercial reports and in their absence the pre- ated by the Daily Telegraph, a newspaper sub- if not instructive. His Excellency says he paration of any report that would fulfil the scription list is a proper means of raising the is not an educationist, but a plain practical on the matter of education. We requirements of the British Trade Journal necessary funds to give effect to it; but man would be impossible, even for an "in-where the object in view is a national one, have yet to learn that there is any "telligent commercial representative." The appealing to every one alike, a Mansion House antithesis between an educationist and a amount of shipping entering the port, the fund in England, and in the colonies funds plain practical man on the matter of educa- returns of cargo shipped and discharged established under recognised official aus- tion, any more than there is between a as compiled by the Harbour Master, the pices, seem to offer the best guarantee for physician and a plain practical man on the stamp revenue, the assessment, and other the collection of the largest amounts and matter of medicine, or between an architect material of a like nature serve to show in a for their proper administration. In places and a plain practical man on the matter of where there is no readily available official architecture. His Excellency's confession machinery for the purpose, as for instance that he is not an educationist hardly redounds in the Treaty Ports, a newspaper sub-to his credit, for education in these days is a scription list might be a convenient means subject which must largely engage the of raising funds in such an emergency as attention of all rulers and for the Governor the present, but in Hongkong, where we of Hongkong to acknowledge that he have a Governor to take the initiative, it knows nothing about it, however credit- Also able the acknowledgment may be would be better to leave it to him. the question arises whether it is necessary to to his candour, is not calculated to in- proceed in haste in the matter or whether crease the public respect for his qualifica- it would not be better to wait until some tions. So far from being a plain practical man in the matter of education His Excel- formal communication from India is re- ceived. The latter seems to have been the lency impresses us rather as being, on that course followed in England, where Lord subject, a faddist. His chief fad seems to be GEORGE HAMILTON said that an appeal that of sacrificing everything, in the case, of before the extent of the scarcity was known Chinese boys, to the teaching of English. would mar the effect of charity, and in- Every British subject must naturally desire timated that an Indian Famine Fund would to see the more extended use of the English be opened directly notice was received from language, and the object is one for the at- the Viceroy that the Government was ready tainment of which great sacrifices might be The Times also made; but to deprive the natives of the to distribute the same. remarked that no serious harm would be opportunity of becoming masters of their own done by the delay of a week or two in language is calculated rather to retard than appealing to the public, as the famine to promote that object and to impede the cannot be dealt with by a spurt and is the spread of. Western arts and sciences in affair of six to twelve months' continuous China. We would like to see Hongkong exertion. Although the distress is already not only the financial focus but also thẻ keenly felt the hardest pinch will be expe- intellectual focus of the Far East. His In Hongkong we think it Excellency, on the other hand, objects to rienced later on. would on the whole be better to await a formal Hongkong educated boys going into China appeal from India than to approach the to take up positions in which they may public with nothing more definite than the exercise a beneficial and enlightening in- We must fluence on their fellow countrymen he newspaper reports to go upon. assume that the Indian Government is the would prefer that they should all remain in best judge of when the appeal should be the colony. It may be argued, as it has been, that it is not the duty of Hongkong to pay made.
for the education of officials for the Chinese Government, and on that point we would cer- tainly be in favour of gradually raising the fees at Queen's College as the value of the education imparted there becomes more appreciated by the Chinese; but in the meantime it can hardly be disputed that the colony must greatly profit from the spread of European civilisation in in which the Queen's College has hitherto been no unimportant factor. The boys sent into China from that even though they may not be in commercial pursuits, must in more or less directly as commercial aries and so promote the interest colony. The strength of the party which, without being revolutionar seditious sense, is earnestly desirou seeing the reform and the of their country brought about under-rated. Though at is relatively small both numbers, it is steadily a narrow minded pol this colony's withholdinge tance our educational institutong may
INDIAN FAMINE RELIEF. -There can no longer, unfortunately, be any doubt as to the reality of the distress in India arising from failure of the food crops. Hong- kong will naturally desire to contribute to the relief of that distress, and the time will soon arrive when the formation of a famine fund may appropriately be taken into con- sideration. One of our evening contem- poraries has suggested that the work should be undertaken by the press. While for our own part we would be glad to do all that lay in our power in that direction if we thought it was the public wish that the fund should be formed under press auspices, we think the suggested machinery is not likely to prove so effective as would a representa- tive committee either appointed directly by the Governor or elected by a public meeting.” In the case of the Irish famine in 1880 a public meeting was held the City Hall, under the presidency the Governor, at which a committee was appointed with Mr. STARKEY as the Secretary and Mr. T JACKSON as the Treasurer. The amount collected on that occasion was the very handsome one of £7,359 3s. 4d! The proposed institution of a press fund on the present occasion has been suggested by the course taken by the Straits Times; but while
QUEEN'S COLLEGE.
In his report on Queen's College for 1896 Dr. WRIGHT, the head master, refers to a falling off in revenue from fees quite out of proportion to the diminution in attendance consequent on the plague, and which, he says, "is largely attributable to the reduction of "the second and third classes by one half, through causes not under my control." What are these causes, and why are they not specified? Are they connected with the abolition of the section known as the Chinese School, referred to in the next paragraph of the report, in which Dr. WRIGHT tells us that by the removal of "these ten hours a week devoted to the study "of Chinese by the Lower and Preparatory "Schools an increase of three hours a week "for the acquisition of English "obtained for the Lower School and "second and third classes?" That again is rather a puzzling statement, for if ten hours have been taken off the study of Chinese why should there not be ten hours, instead of only three, to add on to the study of
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was
ina,
stitution.
Four