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INTERCHANGE of offICIALS BE. TWEEN GREAT BRITAIN AND THE COLONIES.
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(Daily Press, 22nd September.) In his remarks on the occasion of the pre- sentation of a souvenir to Mr. T. A. HOWE by the Police the other day the Hon. F. H. MAY gave expression to an opinion which we think will secure general acceptance. I like to think," said Mr. MAY, "and no doubt you all do, of the British Empire as one compact whole. I believe if Her 'Majesty's Government were to pursue the policy which has been pursued in respect "to Hongkong and sent out some of her "best men to fill acting appointments in "the colonies and give the colonial officials a chance to do the same at home, it would "do a great deal to bind the Empire to
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. pendencia, the accredited organ of the "the Commissioners in evidence exhibited cemetery. The extension of the colony's Insurgent party, there appears an article « symptoms of what may have been sewer- boundaries will permit of one of the adjacent which possesses some importance as indicat-«
gas poisoning." In the opening address islands being utilised for burial proposes, - ing the policy that the Insurgents would be delivered by Sir CHARLES CAMERON, and no time ought to be lost in closing at likely to follow if given a free hand. The M.D., Medical Officer of Health for least the Mount Davis cemetery, if not article is headed "The principle of associa-Dublin, at the recent congress of the Royal also all the other cemeteries
on the tion" and its nominal object is to urge Institute of Public Health, we find that a
island of Hongkong. But though we may the importance of commercial combina- possible connection between malaria and discontinue the errors of the past it is to be tion for the development of the country's typhoid is directly recognised: Having feared that their evil effects will continue resources. But a cardinal principle, it mentioned the excessive prevalence of for many years to come, assuming that the would seem,
is to be the imposition of res- typhoid fever in Dublin, coupled with a low soil can retain infection in the manner des trictions upon foreign enterprise.
death rate from diphtheria, Sir CHARLES cribed by Sir Charles Cameron, The article opens with the statement that CAMERON went on to say: "I have come the chains which held the Philippinos from to the conclusion that both diseases have, entering into the concert of modern life
to a great extent, a telluric origin; they have been broken, thanks to the courage seem to be in some way intimately con- "of our patriots and the protection of "nected with the soil. Why should America," and goes on to refer to the "there be so much enteric fever in Dublin? international scramble in the Far East and
I have long been of opinion that the the coveteousness with which the Philip-
micro-organisms of this disease have an pines are regårded, "The perils that abiding place in its soils, which for so threaten us are political and economic."long a period were polluted by leakage The political ones will be resolved by the "from the filth receptacles and defective of our leaders supported by our sewers of former times. I believe that, economic ones are more "under certain conditions, these malignant serious, depending as they do on in-
organisms escape from the soil into the genuity and capital, and they can only atmosphere, from which they pass through be met by wise measures and the pre- various media into the bodies of human senting of a united front by all our beings." Assuming this opinion to be "fellow citizens." Foreign natious, the correct it would seem that one generation article goes on to say, would encounter in- may lay up the seeds of disease in surmountable difficulties if they tried to con- the soil, seeds which may be r fruit in quer the country by arms, but the gradual the
the generation, and that conquest by economic absorption will be sanitary sins of the father may be visited easy if the citizens to do not oppose it. A on his children and grandchildren. The picture is then drawn of European and cases which the Hongkong Fever Cominis- American capital pouring into the country, sioners described as being due to sewer gas securing control of its agriculture, trade, poisoning may after all have been telluric and industries, and reducing the natives to in their origin. the position of subsidiary employés and lessees. America seems to be held in special dread by the writer in this respect. He predicts that if no measures to the con- trary are taken in a few years the richest and most influential section of the population will be the American, aud that they will suppress all opposition under pretext of defending their interests. It is pro- posed, therefore, that no foreigner should be allowed to acquire landed pro- perty except in certain specified localities. The formation of banking, trading, and industrial companies is suggested as a means of bringing together native capital to oppose foreign capital. And, lastly, a protectionist policy is advocated, not extremely protec tionist, but sufficiently so to cause the native product to be preferred to the for- eign. AGUINALDO and his party would do well to disavow any such line of policy as that above indicated, for it will certainly be disallowed by the United States. It is to be feared, however, that in the intoxication of success wise counsels will not be listened to.
FEVERS AND THE MOUNT DAVÍN CEMETERY.
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(Daily Press, 21st September.) When the Fever Commission sat in Hong- kong ten years ago some discussion arose as to the term "typho-malarial." The fever prevalent at that time presented in come cases features not usually found in malarial fever, and the term above mentioned was coined to describe the variant type. In some quarters it was held that the term nonsensical, as typhoid fever and malarial fever were distinct diseases between which there could be no connection. The Coni- missioners in their report made no pro nouncement on this point, but found that the diseases complained of were chiefly malarial, that the fever epidemic at the time was distinctly so, and that a small "proportion of the cases that came before
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gether.' Mr. MAY appears to have had running in his mind some idea of Imperial federation, and the policy he suggests may be commendable on that ground alone, but it is chiefly from an immediately utilitarian point of view
should that it mand attention. The policy of appoint- be Heads of Depart-
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CHARLES CAMERON refers more particularly to the pollution of the soil ing Cadets to from the filth receptacles and defec-ments without giving them any previous tive sewers of former times. There effective training in the duties they will be is another cause of pollution of the called upon to perform is attended with soil which
may be. even more potent danger. "In a colony like this, where the for evil. We refer to earth burial, especi- conditions are so different from what they ally when it is conducted under specially are in England, it is wise to get out Cadets unfavourable conditions, as is the case at and give them a special training to qualify the Chinese cemetery at Mount Davis. On them for the discharge of the duties of the this subject the Fever Commissiouers re- higher offices of the Government; but ported, under the heading of " Disposal of there are some of these offices for which the dead" as follows:-" So involved is this a technical training is necessary and for question with custom and religion that which the Cadet system is unsuitable. No "the Commissioners can only suggest one would ever think, for instance, of "what is sanitary in contradistinction to appointing Cadets to the Public Works "what may at the same time be expedient. Department, the Medical Department, the The present places of burial for Europeans, Harbour Department, or the Observatory. Chinese, and other residents, are gradu- There are other departments for which ally being encroached upou (some of the technical training, if not so essential as in "older graveyards are in fact already the case of those just named, is of import- "within the confines of the suburbs), and ance, and if Cadets are to be appointed to "with the rapid spread of the city it seems these it would be wise to give them a course likely that a serious sanitary question will at home before they take up their duties. "in time arise. The effluvia complained of There is the Police Department itself, for by some of the petitioners as arising from instance. It appears to be the unanimous, "the Chinese cemetery 00
the Pokfu- opinion of the Force that it has derived "lam Road is ascribed to the method considerable benefit from having had adopted by the Chinese of laying the associated with it for twelve months an "coffin in the ground. When the grave experienced officer of the Royal Irish Con- "is dug according to present regulations, stabulary; and when it becomes necessary "the end of the coffin, that towards the hill, to appoint a successor to the Hon. F. H. "is deep enough to be sanitary, but the end MAY as Captain Superintendent the Cadet nearer the surface is so sparsely covered who may be selected would be all the "that the earth gets washed off by heavy better qualified for his work if he had "rains and the coffin in a good many ins the opportunity of serving for a year or "tances is exposed. Hence no doubt arises two with one of the leading Police Forces "the effluvia complained of and the remedy of the United Kingdom. But a department at once suggests itself, namely, that when in which special training appears to be a hill side is chosen as a burial ground even more necessary than in the Police "not only the end of the grave next the Force is the Post Office. It would be an "hill be inade sufficiently deep, but that the advantage, we think, if the head of that "coffin next the surface be amply covered." department were always appointed direct The latter recommendation is now, we be- from St. Martin's-le-Grand, but, failing that, lieve, acted upon, but whatever precautions the Cadet who is to be appointed should be be observed Mount Davia must be recog. required to make himself acquainted with nised as wholly unsuitable site for a postal work by going through a course in
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