August 26, 1897.)
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
has to be made by the Imperial Government rate of 3s. to the colony.
" not
JORDAN's retiring, he would of course be en- titled to very liberal treatment at the hands of the Government. The time has apparent- ly arrived, however, when it is essential that the Health Officer of the Port should devote his whole time to the duties of his office and when the relationship in which he stands to the Medical and Sanitary Departments. should be readjusted. The Sanitary Board suggests that the change should be made until a successor has to be appointed to Dr. JORDAN in ordinary course, but that gentleman seems good for an in- definite length of service yet and if the Sanitary Board's view be adopted it may be twenty years or more before the change can be effected. It seems quite impossible, however, that the present conditions can be allowed to continue for any considerable length of time, as with the growth of the trade of the port the inconvenience and friction will increase year by year. A change will have to be made sometime and we cannot see that any future time would be more favourable than the "present.
THE CIVIL HOSPITAL AND PRI- VATE PAYING PATIENTS.
In his report for 1897 Dr. AYRES, the late Colonial Surgeon, speaking of the Civil Hospital, says "In this hospital a first "class paying patient can obtain accom- “modation, medical attendance, nursing by European Sisters of the first class "who have been trained for five years **in the London Hospital, food and "medical comforts, including wine and spirits of the best brand, for $5 per "dien, while in the first-class hotels in this city he cannot get accommodation alone equal to that he receives in the hospital "for $10 per diem; and an ordinary seaman receives similar attendance, food, medical "comforts with stimulants in all respects "similar to a first class patient, with better "accommodation in a general ward thau he
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**
**
36
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if
159
the matter of exchange, and we fail to see who are entitled to exchange compensa
draw half their salaries at the why it should be the loser when a payment tion
to the dollar. When the current rate of exchange was 2s. to the Concerning the nurses at the Civil Hos-dollar the exchange compensation there. For fore meant an increase of twenty-five per pital, Dr. AYRES writes as follows:- "the nursing staff of Sisters, whose services cent. on the nominal amount of their are generally acknowledged and so much salaries, and a fall to 1s. 10. increases that appreciated, ladies who are received with to thirty-two per cent. Very different is the pleasure into the best society, the colony ¦ position of the unfortunate employés of the is indebted to Dr. ATKINSON, whose know- Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Service, ledge of the nursing institutions at home whose cause has recently been espoused by "enabled us to procure them soon after his the N. C. Daily News. These gentlemen appointment as Superintendent. They have to bear the burden of exchange with- "have earned the respect and good-will of out any assistance whatever; they receive "the whole colony and with a slight in- no exchange compensation nor have their crease to their staff have, through the salaries been augmented. Most commercial Matron (Miss EASTMOND), undertaken the firms have had to increase their scale of pay "tuition of uurses for the public benefit. I more or less within the last ten years and in "cannot speak with too high respect of the some few cases have followed the example of "untiring and noble work they have done the Hongkong Government in giving ex- during the heavy troubles that have lately change compensation. The Japanese Govern- "fallen on this Colony, and I am happy to ment has also given exchange compensation "think that it has received suitable recogni- to its foreign employés. The members of the "tion by the Government and special re- Chinese Customs Service therefore remain cognition by the general public." With this practically the only class of employés, admirable nursing staff and the excellent public or private, who have not received accommodation provided at the Civil Hospi- some consideration in view of the fall in tal it is not surprising that that institution exchange, and their case is so much the should be largely availed of by first-class harder in comparison with that of the paying patients, expecially bachelors, who Hongkong Public Service inasmuch as they cannot obtain anything like the same com- receive no pension, but are expected to fort and attention in their own quarters. It make provision for their retirement out of must be admitted, too, that hospital accom- their salaries and the fixed bonus to which modation for this class should be provided they become entitled periodically, which is by some means, and that the Civil Hospital also paid in silver. The Hongkong public has in the past admirably supplied the re- servant has his future provided for at the quirement. The colony, however, is grow-public expense, in the shape of a liberal ing, the demands on the hospital as a charit-pension pail in sterling, and in the event of able institution are constantly increasing, his death before reaching pension age his and the time seems to have arrived when wife and family, if he is a married man, re- it might be possible and expedient to ceive an allowance from the Widows and establish a self-supporting justitution for the Orphans' Fund. If he is a prudent man accommodation of that class of the com-
he will supplement this by effecting an munity from whom the paying patients at insurance on his life, but beyond that there the Government Civil Hospital are drawn.
is no special obligation upon him to save anything out of his salary, the only risk to which he is exposed being such as may result from his own misconduct entailing dismissal. The granting of exchange compensation was, we think, an equitable act on the part of the Government, but, except in the few cases in which wishes
EXCHANGE AND OFFICIAL SALARIES.
I.
that pay
|
a man
The who are
to remit more than half the of his salary, it must be amount recognised that the allowance has been made on a fairly liberal scale. Customs employés, however, expected to save out of their salaries a capital sum sufficient to yield an adequate income on their retirement, are in distinctly hard case, for their savings when turned into sterling have for years past been steadily diminishing owing to the fall in exchange.
can procure outside, for $1, less than he "would have to pay in the lowest class "hotel for accommodation only; while
The Hongkong and Shanghai Bank does "destitutes of all classes receive the same for not stand alone in looking upon the decline nothing." This is a state of affairs which of silver as not an unmixed evil. It is an appears to call for some consideration on the ill wind that blows no one good, and the part of the Government and the community. cutting blasts to which silver has recently As to destitutes, there is nothing to be said; been exposed have proved very profitable to they must of course be attended to at the those happily circumstanced individuals public expense. We cannot, however, see who draw their pay in sterling at current any ground for making first class patients rates or are entitled to exchange compensa the recipients of public charity, that is, tion. These, including aval, military, and supplying them with accommodation, attend- civil officers and the employés of various ance, and medical comforts at the cost of home companies
in sterling, the ratepayers. If the Civil Hospital is to form a considerable section of the popu- continue to receive paying patients the lation, and they rise each morning with charges should be sufficient to cover the renewed hope that exchange may drop cost, at all events in the case of first class another point and give them so many more patients, who, as a rule, can well afford to dollars-to add to their rapidly grow pay. If the Government ceased this coming bank account, if they petition with private practitioners we believe saving disposition, or to spend if they are
Our correspondent "FAIRPLAY," whose sufficient hospital accommodation for the
so inclined. When the fall takes place letter appears in another column, says that European community would soon be sup- their faces beani accordingly, their satisfac- in all small communities it is generally a plied by private enterprise, as it has in part tion no doubt being enhanced by contem-safe card to play to hint that the officials been supplied already. With regard to the plation of the sad plight of those who are are ignorant, idle, useless, and overpaid, but seamen mentioned by Dr. AYRES, who receive wholly dependent on silver. When they he ventures to think that it is neither just the same attention and medical comforts as have to turn their money into sterling of nor generous. We agree with the latter first class patients, the only difference being course things equalise themselves, but so opinion, but not altogether with the that they are lodged in a common instead long as the bulk of their expenditure is in former. We do not think it is generally of a private ward, these are, we understand, the colony the decline in exchange is all in
to play to hint that the Board of Trade patients, and the Board their favour, for although, comparing one officials are ignorant, idle, and useless. of Trade pays the charges. If this is ten year period with another, a small The public has a keen sense of justice and so the Board of Trade might very appro- advance in prices may be observed, there is
soon becomes disgusted with unjustifiable priately have its attention drawn to the fall
no appreciable difference from month to attacks. The Civil Service throughout the in exchange and be invited to pay in ster- month in the cost of living, and the probit British empire is an institution of which ling, say 5s. a day at the current rate of ex- resulting from the fall in exchange is the nation may well be proud, and it change. The colony never receives any so much clear gain to those whose in- has contributed largely to the building The Hongkong Civil indulgence from the home Government incomes are in sterling. The civil servants up of the empire.
are of a
a safe card
II.