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THE HONGKGONG WEEKLY PRESS-AND
desirable to the Government or to Mr. BELILIOS or both that a separate build- ing under direct Government control should be provided, and special steps taken to endeavour to reclaim youthful lawbreakers and set them on the path of reform. The Government have provided the site, a very suitable one, and Mr. BELILIOS has undertaken to erect the Re- formatory, which is estimated to cost $12,000. This is a very generous act and in keeping with Mr. BELILIOS's former contributions to the promotion of education. From his speech on Saturday we gather that the hon gentleman, considers that reformatories are educational institutions and that they exercise a civilising and reforming effect upon criminals of tender years. This is true of similar institutions in Great Britain, where they are the means not infrequently of turning young offenders from the career of crime upon which they had entered. It may, however, be doubted whether equally satisfactory results can be expected by the application of reformatory agencies to the Chinese mind. We fear that deterrent measures will, for years to come at any rate, be the most effective check upon crime in this colony, though we sincerely hope that Mr. BELILIOS's phflan thropic effort may show good results in a short time. However that may be, the in- tention is most excellent, and we trust that the training given in the institution may be of such a character as will be best calculated to give effect to the benevolent aspirations of its founder.
ment in reformatories.
LI HUNG CHANG ON GERMANY'S ACTION AT KIAOCHAU.
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[February 2, 1898.
from the restraints mentioned, improvement and progress do not continue, and the so- called oppression is just, because it may An interview with LI HUNG-CHANG on the encourage China to amend her ways and aim. subject of Germany's action at Kinochau at improvement and progress. A rod for has been published by the New York the fool's back, says holy writ, and in the Herald, in which the veteran statesmann case of China there is every reason to indulges in a good deal of sophistical believe chastiserpent will prove beneficial. humburg. That Germany's seizure of"Our desire," L says in conclusion, “is to preserve our territory intact and steadily Kiaochau was a high-handed proceeding cannot be denied, but in dealing with a improve it is a field open to all countries country like China high-handed procedure "equally for the development of commerce." may sometimes be not only justifiable but China desires to preserye her territory Outlaws," says L, exist in intact, no doubt, but as to desiring to necessary.
China, as in all countries Neither improve it as a field open to all countries treaties, laws, nor religion can entirely for the development of commerce, nothing suppress crime anywhere in the world would please the mandarins better than to though they condemnand punish crimin be able to kick every foreigner out of the als there are places in every country country to-morrow, or perhaps we should where lawlessness abounds, and to such say to confine them to restricted areas at places in Shantung the German mission-one or two ports, where they might be aries determined to go, kuowing that the graciously permitted to conduct their trade inhabitants themselves were often victims under the control of the local authorities, Should China for though the foreigner is personally "of these bandits.
distasteful to the Chinese neither the Go- vernment nor the people have ever been altogether insensible to the value of foreign trade..
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CHINA'S MINERAL RES¿URCES.
be distressed by having her shores in "vaded and her territory occupied because of occurrences which western countries "would deal with by law. and not war?" But it is because law is powerless in China to prevent such lamentable occurrences, or to adequately punish the perpetrators of
That the mineral resources of the Chinese outrages, that exceptional measures are in her case necessary. When China acts as Empire are very extensive is well known. a civilised Power she may claim to be Probably there are few minerals that treated as such, but until then she must be cannot be found either in the eighteen subject to coercion, however much she may provinces or in one or other of the great chafe under it. Without pressure from dependencies of Mauchuria, Mongolia, and While welcoming this addition to the outside, no attempt would be made to Thibet. The precious metals exist in se educational or training institutions of the protect the lives and property of foreigners veral provinces in more or less abundance, to punish those who and iron and coal abound in Hupeb, Chihli, colony, we cannot forbear an expression of in the country or opinion that it was one which the Govern- attack them. Germany has administered a the Two Kwang, and other provinces, while ment should, of its own initiative, have pro- much needed and wholesome lesson, one Yunnan and Szechuen possess valuable 'vided. A reformatory is, after all, a sort of which we believe will do more for the copper mines, which have been worked for prison for juveniles and in the English improvement of foreign intercourse with centuries ju the former province. Other Courts children who have committed offences China and the advancement of China her- minerals together with kerosine oil springs are regularly sentenced to terms of imprison-self than anything that has occurred since no doubt exist, and only need energy and The same thing the British occupation of Hongkong, We perseverance in their working to great- Unfortunately, will of course happen here, and the Belilios only regret that Great Britain did notly enrich the country. Reformatory will be a gaol for juvenile take similar action after the Kucheng eriminals and administered by the Govern- massacre. ment. Such an institution should have been built out of the public funds, and private munificence should not have been invoked to provide it. In fact the es- tablishment of a Reformatory was just as essentially a Government work as was the provision of a common gaol, and without wishing to cavil at a good deed or to look a gift horse in the mouth we could have wished that Mr. BELILIOS had been able to discover some better channel into which to have directed his liberality. No one will fail to appreciate the goodness of his in- tentions, or to sympathise with his belief in the elevating tendency of the institution for which he has provided a home; but the Government might surely have laid this burden on the Treasury, and suggested to Mr. BELILIOS some more satisfactory outlet for his benevolence. The provision of a school for the children of British sub- jects at Kowloon, or a reading room and library for the soldiers of the Garrison would, we imagine; have been even more calculated to enlist his interest as an
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educationist. However, the selection has now been made, the Belilios Reformatory at Causeway Bay will speedily become a solid fact in stone and brick, and we hope that it will prove a really useful and beneficent agent in the reclamation * of Chinese youth from serious crime.
were
There were 24,500 visitors to the City Håll Museum last week, of whom 252 Europeans.
however, the Chinese official has no in- terest in the development of this under- ground treasure except when, as has hap pened once or twice, a mine has been worked with foreign machinery and ap pliances.
He has then regarded the enterprise as a milch cow to be milked at his convenience, and in the end has proved such a dead weight upon it as to effectually destroy all chances of its succeeding finav- cially,
LI says also that unfortunately China has not yet recovered from the effects of the late war and the country requires a period of peace to carry out the work of reform lately begun. What reform? There is certainly no reform visible in the administration of justice or the arrangements for the preser- vation of order. On the contrary, out only
The Taiyushan and Tamchow do anti-foreign outrages continue to occur with painful frequency, but the natives silver-lead mines were notable instauces in themselves live in a state of constant in- point. The machinery imported was, to security, the rivers being infested by pirates, begin with, too costly and unsuitable, and. while organised gangs of robbers commit the salaries paid to and squeezes imposed their depredations on shore with but little by officials retarded the progress and led interference from the authorities. Affairs to the ultimate abandonment of the mines. are perhaps worse in this respect in the The Kelung coal mines, when Formosa was Kwangtung province than elsewhere, but in the possession of China, were never they are bad everywhere. In what other properly worked; and after many years of direction shall we look for reform? Notin development the Kaiping Collieries can. the financial départment of the administra- | produce little more than sufficient for the tion. The negotiations that have taken necessities of the Chihli Government. And now we learn that the Manganshan coal place with reference to the loan the coun- try stands in need of have disclosed the mines in Hupeh, opened at the instance invincible hostility of the rulers to any of the Viceroy CHANG CHIH-TUNG to reform of the corrupt fiscal system under supply fuel for the ironworks at Han. which the valuable resources of the country yang, are a failure. Mr. Gervase Cooke, either remain undeveloped or run to waste. M.I.ME., who has been engaged in Reform is bound to come sooner or later, but prospecting the mines of Hupeh for His it will have to be from without, for it is Excellency the Viceroy, has been reporting on those at present worked, and he criticises hopeless to expect
the management of some very unfavourably. It was reported some months ago, that the Mangaushan mines had been on fire, but Mr. CoOKE reports that, after inspecting them thoroughly, he could not find a trace of fire, although water had been allowed to
from within.
Is it just," asks It" to oppress. us while we are struggling to emerge from the restraints of our ancient civilisation, while improvement, and progress steadily con- "tinue?" The answer to the question is obvious. There is no struggle to emerge
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