166
of this large reservoir, so that all our fears as to future shortage are allayed.
Battery. I have let the excavations to the same contractor who made the dam. He is making fair headway. Mr. Hodkinson writes to-day from Sydney that the first ten head are ready and will be sent up next week. I am busy getting tenders for the battery shed.
Office. We are laying the foundation piles.
ROYAL HONGKONG YACHT CLUB.
The annual general meeting was held on the 9th August, when the officers for the season 1998-9 were elected.
General Committee:-Commodore, Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G.; Vice-Commodore, Capt. Has- tings, R.N.; Hon. Secretary, Mr. A. Denison; Hon. Treasurer, Mr. Gershom Stewart; Official Measurer, Mr. C. H. Gale; Unofficial members, Messrs. J. Hastings, H. E. Pollock, and A. Bannerman.
Protest Committee:-The Commodore, the Vice-Commodore. Capt. W H. Taylor, R.N.; Capt. J. Rogers, R.N.
Deputy Measurers-Capt. Rogers, R.N.; Mr. A. Denison.
B
Starting Officer:-Capt. Rogers, R.N. The times for starting the classes in the Club races were, fixed, for the A class 1.15 class 1.30 p.m. Date of opening cruise, October Date of first Club race, Nov. 6th.
30th
RIFLE MATCH.
HONGKONG RIFLE ASSOCIATION
V. KING'S OWN.
p.m.,
This match, fired on Saturday, 13th Aug. resulted in a victory for the Regiment by 36 points. The following are the scores :---
THE KING'S OWN REGIMENT,
200 500 600 yards, yards, yards.
34 31 33
Lce. Corpl. Cornfield 32
Sergt. Springham..: 30
29
Corpl. Cosgrove
31
29 29
Total.
97 92 89
Clr. Sergt. Heap
33
30
25
Sergt. Creedon
29
31
28
Sergt. Lees
29 33 25
Capt. Hibbert...
31
32 19 82
Sergt. Bacon
33
Private Thornton 32 29
25 23 81 14 75
བར
THE RIFLE ASSOCIATION,
Mr. McLennan
Mr. Marshall...
Mr. Smyth
779
200 500 600 Total. yards. yards. yards.
32 34 29 95 30 29 28
Sergt. Bowery, R.E. 30
Mr. A. H. Skelton...
Mr. W. Macdonald
30 29 27 86
34
21 85 28 28 99 85 29 28 22 79
8888358
Corpl. Leadingham. 27 22 29 78 Corpl. Hills, R.E.
Sergt.-Mjr. Wallace 26
ga
25 32 18
23
743
CORRESP. NDENCE
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
HOW TO STRENGTHEN CHINA.
«
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
"
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
1
SIE-The British Government has declared its policy of protecting the Chinese Empire against aggression or disintegration. Doubt less their intentions are most laudable but to the thoughtful student of evolution they seem to be by their actions precipitating the entire break up of that failing relic of past grandeur, instead of imparting new life to it. which outgrow their strength are pruned to renew their vigour, and China requires to be i pruned of all such provinces as are peopled by diverse races, speaking a different tongue from that spoken in the Yangtze Valley and the valley of the Yellow River.
Trees
OLD CHINA HAND. Hongkong, 16th August, 1898.
L
VACATIONS.
DAILY PRESS.
""
TO THE EDITOR OF THE
THE DEAR SIR,-Referring to the Attorney-Gen- eral's comment at the last Council meeting on the necessity of vacations, and remembering Dr. Cantlio's injunction to the public on his departure from our shores, it is a matter of great surprise that the hard-working mer cantile community of Hongkong can go on Year after year in this trying climate without a day's holiday except on sick leave and yet seem to preserve their vitality and health. Will this abuse tell in time?-Yours truly,
A QUILL DRIVER. Hongkong, 17th August, 1898.
THE PEACE OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
$3
To THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS,”
SIR. The solution given by the Cabinet of Washington to the question of the Philippine Islands is very strange and from all points of view dangerous. The United States Govern- ment cannot doubt that the Philippine people, when they stretched their arms towards them on asking their protection, trusted them for their future happiness with all the loyalty of a people | tyrannized over for more than three centuries; and now to conclude a treaty of peace giving the Spaniards a right to interfere in the future destiny of the Philippine Islands is to perpetuate in that fine Archipelago war and desolation.
The cruelties committed by the Spaniards in the Philippines have for ever condemned from that country the name of Spain, her history, and even her memory, so much so that the actual war is not one of race, nor a merely political war; it one originating from the terror and dread which is produced there by everything Spanish. It is the national feeling of a people vexed under all sorts of tyranny and cruelty, which now reveals itself and over- throws such an awful politico-social condition.
All the repugnant scenes which are related by Tacitus in the pages of his bloody history are pale and light in comparison with the cruel- ties committed by Spaniards in the Philippine Archipelago. For this reason any relations be tween Spain and the Philippine Islands are im- possible; it would be to perpetuate a bloody war without quarter.
We believe that Spain in her own interests ought to reponnce for ever any interference with the Philippine Islands, for she will never be able to rule peacefully over them as long as a single native of those Islands breathes and lives there. The whole country is risen up against the Spanish sovereignty, and if it is true that only the inhabitants of Luzon and some other Islands have taken up arms, it is not less certain that those that have not yet actually risen in arms have done so morally and that they would rush on to the battle-field as soon as a warlike trumpet shonld sound in their respective lands,however weak the sound.
This is the case in the Visayas Islands and all the remainder of the Archipelago; if they hare not risen up still in fact they would do as soon as they thought they were to be again sub- dued and ruled by Spaniards.
The international policy which at the present moment intervenes in the politics of the Philip- pines should consider that the watchword of the Philippine insurrection is Rather death thun Spaniards," and this watchword they will de- fend with all the ardour of a people who have for so long been subjected to ill-treatment and in- justice.
The Philippine people at the present moment desire only independence under North Ameri- can protection, or annexation of the Philippine Islands by that Republic,
LOS FILIPINOS. Hongkong, 17th August, 1898.
THE GOVERNMENTS WILFUL WASTE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “DAILY FRESS.' DEAR SIR,-Anyone who will take the trouble to walk along the Prays from east to west of the colony this morning will find a number of wrecks of night soil boats. This happens every typhoon. While Chinese owned junks are promptly removed to a place of safety these
[August 20, 1898.
boats, which cost several hundred dollars each, are left alongside the jetties to weather it out if they can and poison the inhabitants living in the vicinity meanwhile. Sometimes they escape with more or less damage; often they become total wrecks, when their contents are spread over the water to befoul the harbour. Every one of the wrecks visible to-day could have been avoided bad it been anyone's duty to remove the boats yesterday. If the Government can- not spare any of their own launches for this purpose, $5 paid to a Chinese owned towboat would have saved each of these soil boats which have been wilfully thrown away-Yours, &c.,
ECONOMY.
Hongkong, 18th August, 1898.
THE NEW BALMORAL GOLD MINING CO., LIMITED.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS." SIR-Living at an outport I was unfortu. nately unable to attend the meeting held re- cently by the above Company; but I have now received a printed report of the same, and would ask you to kindly allow me to offer a few comments and suggestions upon this highly interesting and very suggestive document. The first item which calls for notice is the paragraph in which we are told that the Company went to great trouble and expense in shifting the plant to the mine. But why in the name of all that is rational, reasonable, practical, and business- like, did they do so before they were sure of having discovered gold? What would have been easier than to have first tried and proved those portions of the mine supposed to con- tain gold, and then to have shifted the plant if necessary?
Then again it is noticeable that the capital advanced in the mine is just covered by the value of the plant if anyone could be found to take it over, but which is otherwise worthless! But who would be likely to take it over, except perhaps the owners of the adjoining property ? and then I suppose they would want the mine with it!
The third point which I would touch upon is with regard to the two shafts which the expert found flooded, bat was told that "there was nothing in them." Possibly and probably not. But would it not be as well to make sure of this before throwing up the sponge? In short, it seems to me that it would be a highly foolish proceeding on the part of the share- holders should they decide to give up everything and to abandon all further effort after the expenditure of so much time, labour, and expense, to the end, possibly, that others may carry it on to a successful issue.
I would suggest that a call of 10 per cent. or 20 per cent. be made and the work be gone on with at our risk, and not abandoned until upon further development it is found that the mine is utterly worthless, and that there is not the slightest hope of ultimate success-which at present there is.-I remain, &o., yours truly.
A SHAREHOLDER. Canton, 17th August, 1898-
THE WOOSUNG RAILWAY.
Shanghai, 8th August. An unofficial trial trip from Shanghai to Woosung was arranged by Mr. Hildebrand, the Engineer-in-charge, to take place on Saturday afternoon, to which a limited number of for- eigners and Chinese were invited. For con- venience's sake the train, consisting of a Brook's tank engine and four third-class carriages, was drawn up at the spot where the old Railway Road crosses the line, about 200 yards from the Shanghai station. Here every coign of vantage was taken possession of by wondering natives, who were watching what was to them a novel and astounding means of locomotion. At 4.09 p.m. a start was made, and in a few minutes the Rifle Range station was reached, when the train stopped for a short time. A similar stoppage was made at Kiangwan station, up to which point the train had proceeded only at a moderate rate of speed; but this was greatly accelerated between Kiangwan and Woosung, the latter station being reached at 4.34 o'clock, so that the entire journey was accomplished in 25 minutes.