March 5, 1898.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
to
of saving three lakhs of dollars or more, and could transfer the mails from the wharf eren if we take off the amount which the hon. just across a 75-feet road. Suppose that saves member (Mr. Whitehead) says ought to be two minutes. Those persons who wait for their deducted from it, say twenty per cent., it would mails-the Chinese and the Europeans living on still be more economical by a sum of nearly two the upper levels-will have to go a further walk lakhs of dollars. Whether the scheme is efficient after getting their letters, so really it is not a or not is a matter no doubt for those who will saving to them. It may be a saving have to occupy the main premises, that is to say,
the Post Office, but I think the the Postmaster-General, the Treasurer, the Di- matter which should be considered is the con- rector of Public Works himself, and others.venience of the public. There is one portion of Whether the new scheme would provide enough the community who aro peculiarly located. I room for them and in the most convenient mean the residents of Kowloon. How about form they can give their own testimony upon, their claims? Is the old site or the new site but assuming for the present that they are in more convenient to them? Is it more con- favour of the scheme, there is therefore no doubt venient to land at the old Pedder's Wharf and that the scheme proposed by the Director of go to the old site or to land at the old Pedder's Public Works would be the most efficient. Now I Wharf and go to the new site? With regard say that the keeping of the Post Office and the to the remarks which. the hon. member Treasury on the present site is undoubtedly the representing the Chamber of Commerce most convenient to the majority of the Euro- made about the original Committee having pean community-(hear, hear)--and decidedly sat for two years and two months considering so to all the Chinese community; and as rep the scheme for the erection of Government senting the Chinese community I must say that buildings and then unanimously considering so far as I know their opinion is unanimously that the proper site for the Post Office in favour of keeping the Post Office and was on the Praya, I surmise that that ques- the Treasury on the present site. An assertion tion of building on the old site was never has been made that
the Post Office is brought before the Committee. Nor does any generally and mostly used by large European sentiment enter into the question of retaining firms. Now, sir, I would remind the the old site; it is a matter of convenience and gentleman who made that statement that either the people of Hongkong nor the mem- during the last few years we have tried our ut-
bers of this Council have any sentimental most to make the Chinese use the Post regrets. I do not propose to deal with the Office, and it will not do after having got the
financial side of the scheme because I do not Chinese to make use of the Post Office to remove think it is before the Council. However, if I it some five minutes' or even thre. and a half am allowed, I should like to say that I have minutes' walk away from the central position of worked out the figures, and it appears to the town and entailing on them an extra two cents me that whichever way we look at it in the hire of a ricksha. And, furthermore, the building of offices on the old site is the the Chinese make use of the Treasury more most economical scheme that has been put be. than the Europeans. The European sends his fore us. I ink, sir, that we are in need of new cheque in payment of rates, taxes, and so on, offices, and I think we should hurry on this work but the Chinese have to go to the Treasury and
as fast as we can. Now with regard to my own pay in cash and get a receipt from the Treasurer. office, the Treasury, I am quite of opinion that In that way also thres and a half minutes' walk the Treasury ought to be re-erected on its pre- more or less to the Chinese would be a great sent site, and I think the balance of convenience hardship. Of course if other cases have to be points that way. I have here rough figures considered we may force the Chinese to walk a showing, the number of Europeans who little further, but since we can save a couple of might use the Treasury and the number of lakhs of dollars by this scheme I really do not Chinese. The umber of European owners of see why we should vote for the Post Office and tenement in Victoria and the villages is 297 Treasury to be removed to a plot of land a long and the number of Chinese owners of tenements, distance away from the centre of the town. in Victoria alone is 1,066. That seems to prove Especially to remove that site would be an incon- conclusively as far as the population is con- venience to the majority of the European com- cerned that the balance of convenience is in munity as well. For these reasons I have no favour of the Treasury being where it is. hesitation in supporting the new scheme as pro pounded by the Director of Public Works, and I shall cordially support the resolution that he has proposed.
|
Hon. WEI YUK-Sir, I quite concur with all that the hon. member (Hon. Ho Kai) has said.
The COLONIAL TREASURER-Sir, I came pre- pared this afternoon to combat arguments against the resolution, but I am in the pleasant position of not being called upon to do so. It appears to me, sir, that the first consideration-the chief consideration-in regard to the Post Office site is that it should be on the main road, and, other things being equal, I think that the old site is as suitable for the purpose of a Pcst Office as any new site. Ido not think there can be any question for a moment that the old site is more central than the new site. It seems to me, sir, that the old site is a most commanding site. If you knock down the Clock Tower, as I believe it is the intention of the Government to do, you will have a very fine frontage to the east and you have already a fairly wide road on the south, and with the skill of the builder we could no doubt have a building surrounded on all four sides by roads. Now, sir, it has not been stated in this Council to-day-but I may as well refer to that point-that there is doubt in some quarters about the sufficiency of light and air on the old site. If you have roads all round the building it seems to me that that question in the hands of skilled workmen, and skilled designers, is a question that could be very easily solved. It is not a question of superfluity of light. Undoubtedly the posi- tion on the Praya would give a good deal more light than the old site, but the question is, could the old site provide sufficient air and light? I think there can be no doubt-in view of proper construction of windows, &c., and an open space all round the building-that the building would be furnished with sufficient light and air. Something has been said to-day about the great advantage in the saving of time if you
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the new Pedder's Wharf, I think perhaps it is not known that the new pier has been ordered. It will be 200 feet long and 40 feet wide and certainly the finest in the harbour. It has already been ordered from England and when it is erected there will be no fear whatever of overcrowding it even with the ferry service. There will be plenty of room for the mails to be brought in there and to be transferred by means of a tramway-as I hope they will be into the new Post Office. (Hear, hear.)
The resolution was then put and carried by a majority of eight votes. Hon. T. H. White- head and Hon. C. P. Chater voted against the resolution.
THE PRISON ORDINANCE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance to further amend The Prison Ordinance, 1885, -
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. Bill read a second time, and passed through its remaing stages as no alteration was made in Committee,
NATURALIZATION ORDINANCE.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the second reading of the Bill entitled An Ordinance for the Naturalization of Leung P'ai Chi, alias Lenog Chak Chang, alias Leung Chung.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY seconded. Bill read a second time and passed through its remaining stages.
ADJOURNMENT.
The Council then adjourned sine die.
SUPREME COURT,
2nd March.
IN ADMIRALTY JURISDICTION,
BEFORE SIR JOHN CARRINGTON (CHIEF JUSTICE) AND COMMANDER W. C. H. HASTINGS (ASSESSOR).
MAK LOK AND OTHERS V. 8.S.
HAITAN,'
This was an action for damages arising out of a collision between the British steamship Haitan (Master, J. S. Roach), and the Kam Shem Hing junk (Master, Mak Lok).
Mr. J. J. Francis, Q.C. (instructed by Mr. Ewens) appeared for the plaintiffs and Mr. M. W. Slade (instructed by Messrs. Deacon and Hastings) for the defendants.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-I think. Mr. Francis explained that the collision took there is very little for me to reply to, but I shoud place somewhere in the China Sea on the evening like to make some remarks with regard to the of the 4th August last. In the answers setting statements by the hon. member for the Chamber forth the preliminary acts the junk stated that of Commerce. It may have been a slip when he the time of the collision was 9 p.m.; the steam- described the sito of the old Post Office as being ship said it was 11 p.m. The time was practi- the centre of the European portion of the town, cally immaterial, but presumably, of course, the steamer was correct. The junk gave the place As I say, it may have been a slip, and if it was I do not wish to take advantage of it; but that of the collision as fifteen miles south-west of Chi Lang Point, and the steamer said it was description could not be applied to the site on the front of the Praya, which, when the Naval eight miles west of Pedro Blanco island. That was a difference of fifteen miles, but it was im. reclamation is completed, will be at one corner, I may say, of the business quarter of the town. material. I he junk said the wind was N. E., There is the harbour in front on one side and light, and gradually dying away; the steamer said the wind was E, force about 4. Accord- the Naval reclamation a few hundred yards on the other side. With regard to the sale of Plot 1, ing to the junk the weather was clear and I said nothing in my resolution about the finan. stars were visible; the steamer said it was clondy cial side of the question. I said that the Post and overcast and very dark but clear on the Office and the Treasury could be built on the water. That difference might become material. present site for $90,000. I have gone into the The junk said that when the Haitan was first seen they were steering about S.W. with mo- figures in several different ways and I am con-
Iderate speed; the Haitan said when they sighted vinced that the estimate is a very fair one. said nothing about the sale of lot No. 1, because the junk their course was E. by N. half N., I hope eventually that it will not be necessary speed about eleven knots. The junk said she to sell that at all. The Hongkong and Shang carried two white lights, one on the foremast hai Bank have treated the colony in a most and the other on the mizenmast; the steamer said she carried the regulation mast head and handsome manner, leaving two front lots vacant, while they also gave up a strip of land on each side lights and that the junk carried no lights. side of their building, widening Wardley Street The steamer's lights were not disputed. The and the old Praya, and they also gave up a junk said that she sighted the steamer three act miles off bearing right ahead; the steamer said strip of land on the south side, an which unfortunately was not copied by the that she caught sight of the junk about a quar- ter of a mile off and bearing about a point on building next to it. With regard to the
her port bow. The junk said that the red light remark that there is no reed for hurry, the pre-
of the steamer was seen just before the collision; sent state of the Post Office shows there is con- Never in my ex-
the steamer said that just before the collision siderable need for hurry.
someone ran along the junk's deck with a lan- perience have I geen a Post Office worse
tern. The junk said she tried to avoid the col- arranged or more inconvenient than the Hong- kong Post Office. There is no proper place to lision by porting when the white light of the steamer was seen, by burning paper, and by put the mails, no security, and confusion runs in the place because there aro no proper ar- shouting; the steamer said that her helm was rangements and no space. Therefore I think put hard astarboard with the object of passing considerable hurry is necessary. With regard to' on the starboard side of the junk, which would