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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
defence.
ĮNovember 18, 1897.
it with reference to the Straits Settle-issued in those suits. Counsel contended that ments, and, seeing that the necessity of the order was void and submitted that the reintroducing regulations in India has been Paisne Judge had considered only the second. recognised and acted upon, there is a reason- able prospect of the same course being adopted with regard to the Crown Colonies of the Far East.
A GOLD STANDARD FOR CHINA.
Their Lordships interrupted Mr. Francis and gave him leave to serve notice of motion on the defendants and fixed Monday next for the hear- ing of the case.
HONGKONG CRICKET
FESTIVAL.
ndividuals. We need not
go far field to find instances of this, and so strong is the tendency towards land grabbing that it is necessary in the sale of Crown land to impose stringent conditions as to its immediate utilisation. On the whole we do not think there is much fault to be found with the Government's po- licy is relation to Taipingshan. It had to pay for the property more than it was really
The expediency of adopting the gold worth, but the amount was arrived at by standard is, it appears, beginning to be arbitration and cannot therefore be objected discussed by the Chinese Government. It SECOND DAY, TUESDAY, 9TH NOVEMBER. to on principle. Having acquired the pro- is said that a memorial in favour of the perty, demolished the old plague-stricken
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS V. HONGKONG. change has been presented to the Throne buildings, and laid the area out afresh on
and that it has been recommended by the match, the Straits Settlements having defeated At 2.45 p.m. stumps were drawn in this sanitary principles, it would have been culp- Board of Revenue. According to another Hongkong by an innings and 70 runs. We able weakness on the part of the Govern ment to have allowed itself to be influenced report the Imperial sanction has already heartily congratulate the Straits men on their been given, but it is extremely unlikely, performance. The victory was decisive and into throwing the property on the market under such conditions that it would have impossible indeed, that such an important well earned. The Hongkong men were beaten realised less than its true value. Land- rapidly and with so little being heard about rested with the better men.
measure should have been put through so fairly and squarely at every point of the game. The battle was well fought and victory owners and speculators might consider it ait. Before deciding in favour of gold the
The visitors good thing for themselves that the Govern- Government would most likely call for re-ing, and they won by hard work-not by any were the superior in batting, bowling, and field- ment should buy at a high price and sell at ports from all the provinces, and especi glorions uncertainty." There were many local a low price, but that would not have been ally from the Inspector-General of Cus- enthusiasts who were positive that the game o tthe interest of the public.
toms, and would take some time to consider could not be finished in two days. The boun- the reports and make up its mind. The fact, daries were so small, all the batsmen such big however, that the subject has been brought bitters, etc. etc., that three days at least, they forward for discussion is in itself of some in-thought, ought to be set apart for the match, and so there was serious talk of extending the time portance and indicates at least a wavering beyond the two days. As events proved as to the suitability of the present currency discussion on this point was quite unnecessary. arrangements. In the long run we think The Straits team in their first attempt scored a, there can be little doubt that China will total of 413 with a rapidity and skill which the have to swim with the stream and adopt spectators enjoyed immensely, and the Hong. kong mon, in a much longer time, scored 79 the gold standard, not merely as a mat- ter of expediency on general principles, But after the Lord Mayor's show comes the rans short of that number in their two innings. but in order to enable her to meet apple cart; and this reminds us that yesterday satisfactorily the gold obligations into
was Lord Mayor's day. There can be no doubt which she has entered. As to the objection that the local cricketers were practically helpless advanced by the China Gazette that the Go- against the fine bowling of the Straits men, par- vernment could not obtain gold enough to ticularly McKenzie, who had an exceedingly effect the conversion, it may be pointed out good average. Of the Hongkong men, only that much poorer nations than China have two or three seemed to be at home with the bow- ling, and it was really a depressing sight to see man after return to the pavilion yesterday without having given the scorers trouble. The rain which fell in the morning made little difference to the wicket, which was, as on the previous day, bumpy at the barracks end, and the only explana tion of the defeat of Hongkong is that the bowling was too good for them and that chances were not thrown away in the field. The batting dis.
THE CONTAGIOUS DISEASES ACTS IN HONGKONG.
The China Association has issued to the members certain correspondence in advance of the appearance of the annual report in February next. One of the subjects dealt with is the Contagious Diseases Acts in Hongkong. The correspondence opens with à communication addressed by the General Committee to the Hongkong Committee suggesting that the Association in Hongkong should co-operate with the Straits Settle nents and India in endeavouring to procure a re-enactment of regulations to control contagious disease. The Hongkong Com mittee promptly adopted the suggestion and has sent home a mass of statistics and ex-adopted the gold standard. China, in fact, tracts from official reports showing how beneficial the regulations that formerly existed proved and the lamentable re- sults that have followed upon
their abrogation. This information has been passed on by the General Committee to the Colonial office in a letter of which the concluding passage is as follows:- To remark upon the reduction of the garrison in defensive strength would be to labour an obvious point. The reflection "suggests itselt, equally, that the increased "subsidies which have been lately demanded are proportionately neutralised by these increasing inroads of preventable disease. "The garrisons are admittedly small for the "services that may at any time be required "of them, and are based, apparently, on the "calculation that every man, or nearly every man, will be fit for duty. The inference
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seems inevitable that, if steps to re- 'introduce the Ordinance are not taken, "the strength of the garrisons ought to be "raised to meet the deficiency which arises "from their withdrawal. Confidence is felt, 'however, that other considerations will prevail. The steps which have been taken lately, with the approval of Parliament, "for the better protection of our Army in India, show that public opinion has been "awakened to the evil consequences that "have ensued from the abandonment of "precaution in that great Dependency, and "the Committee trust that the facts which they have the honour to adduce will con- "vince H.M's Government that the re-en- "actment of Ordinances which were wholly "beneficient during their operation, is equally necessary in the Farther East." We are glad that the Association has seen fit to take up this subject. The Straits Settlements Association has recently agitated
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is not a poor country, and if she adopted the gold standard and at the same time reformed her fiscal system she would have no difficulty in obtaining on reasonable terms all the gold she required, not only for coinage purposes, but by way of loans for the development of the country's resources. The amount required for coinage purposes would probably be comparatively small in the first instance, for copper cash will long remain the or linary currency of the people in matters of retail trade, and in larger domestic trans- actions silver would no doubt continue to be used, as it is now, as an article of barter;ing Hongkong. The game was finished before but for the regulation of the foreign trade and the national finances a gold standard is becoming every year more essential,
SUPREME COURT.
15th November.
IN APPELLATE JURISDICTION.
BEFORE THE FULL COURT-SIR JOHN CAR- RINGTON (CHIEF JUSTICE) AND MR.
A. G. WISE (PUISNE JUDGE.)
TSE LUN Y. THE HONGKONG AND KOWLOON
WHARF AND GODOWN COMPANY, LIMITED,
Mr. J. J. Francis Q. C. (instructed by Mr.
Brutton. of Messrs. Mounsey and Brutton) given by Mr. Justice Wise in a suit brought in applied for leave to appeal against the decision the Summary Jurisdiction by T'se Lun against the Hongkongand Kowloon Wharf and Godown Company, Limited, to recover $781.76, balance said to be due by the Company on a contract Lo build godowns in the western portion of the town.
The case was heard ex-parte.
Mr. Francis said there were two defences set up at the time, one that there was a settled ac count between the parties, and the other that the amount $781.76 had been paid into court in two different suits under a prohibitory order
play given by the Straits team on Monday was probably the best ever witnessed on the Hong- kong cricket ground, and when the final wicket fell yesterday we were very glad to hear the cordial cheers which were raised by the Hong- kong team and the spectators in honour of the visitors, who returned the compliment by cheer-
the band of the Hongkong Regiment arrived, but many people remained behind to witness the Shanghai men practise, and they were treated
later in the afternoon to selections by the band.
The game was resumed at 10.10, the bats. men being Sercombe Smith, who had, made 12 overnight, and Rev. G. R. Vallings, and the bowlers were F. W. Talbot, who had to com- plete an unfinished over, and McKenzie. A single by Vallings and a snick to the boundary by Smith brought up the hundred and the few spectators present appropriately applauded. Vallings made one or two very pretty strokes; one particularly-acut to the boundary off Talbot
being beautifully placed. At 114 Whitley took the ball from Talbot, who had been receiving the most punishment, the first over being a maiden.
În McKenzie's next over Vallings, who had been playing very freely, had very hard luck. The bowler's second ball bumped, struck the batsman's hands, and fell on to the
wickets, disturbing the bails. (114. 7. 10) T. N. Howard followed and Smith nicely cut Whitley for four and snicked him for a similar number, while his last ball was sent to leg for three The same batsman again made a beautiful leg bit, but only one run was made. An off drive registered the first point of Howard's score, Smith made a pretty late cut for three off Whitley sending 130 up, and later he hit him to the leg boundary. Howard cut a ball from McKenzie to the