290
Estimated Daily Receipts Section A.
Car Mileage 1148 per day.
2 first class fares per mile at 5 cents fare
5 second class fares per mile at 3 cents fare
$ 14.80 172.20
15.40 23.10
Section B.
Car Mileage-154 per day.
Fares as in Section A.
First class
Becond class
Section C.
Car Mileage 300 per day.
2 first class fares per mile at 10 cents per faro 3 second class fares per mile at 5 cents per fare Special workmen's cars, 300 fares at 5 cents
return
60.00
45.00
Total daily receipts
15.00
$445.50
Annual Balance Sheet:
Total receipts...
Total expentes
Balance
$162,607.50 78,350.90
84,256.60 37,500.00
Depreciation at 71 per cent......
Net balance
46,756.60
Being at the rate of 9.3 per cent. on the capital invested. The following table, giving the receipts and operating expenses per car mile, and the ratio between them for a number of different roads, is interesting. proving conclusively as it does the immense advantage such an undertaking would derive in Hougkong from the low scale of wages prevailing.
All in cents per car mile.
Receipts.
Expenses.
Net
earnings.
Expenses
2 in per cent.
of receipts.
Boston West End-Line, electric. 77.0 42.26 34.8
27
33
19
"1
horse... 70.0
55
48.98 21.0
70
Pleasant Valley Road, electric 55.10 4 52 14.6 73 Six electric roads in Mass. U.S... (0,8 51.80 9.0 85 City & South L'don Line, electric 44.8 35.20 9.6 78 Rochester Line, electric
55.54 22.14 23.4 49 28.74-22.12 6.6 77
horse Birmingham (Eng.) electrio ac-
cumulator
Birmingham (Eng.) steam
horse cable
$1.0 39.0 42.0 48 63.0 44.0 19.0 ΤΟ 43.0 38.0 5.0 89 74.0 24.0 50.0 32 Hongkong (as estimated) 27.0 13.0 140 48
Statistics on the commercial side of the case
ولا
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
might be multiplied indefinitely, but as enough have been given to show that such an under- taking has at least a fair chance of success, further tables are unnecessary, at any rate in an article like the present, which is merely au unpretending attempt to draw the attention of the public to the fact that the means of locomo- tion in Hongkong leave much to be desired, and that electric railways are a proved, practi- cal, economical, and convenient system, and one in every way adapted to the peculiar needs and contour of this colony.
PIRACY ON THE WEST RIVER,
As often recorded in our columns, piracy is rife all over the rivers and creeks of the delta of the Canton river; in fact it is of daily oc- currence. One of the most daring cases bap pened on the 29th September at a place called Chu-tanshan, just below Kumchuk, on the West River. Three launches were attacked, the first one being Wo Shing. After overcoming the crew of this launch the pirates used her to at- tack the other two, the Kicong Fook and Kwong Sun. All three belonged to the same Company and wero plying between Canton and Chunsba. in Sunning District. The pirates made good use of all the firearms found on board the first named vessel and wounded several of the crew, capturing both the others, plundering all the passengers of everything of value, and making good their escape with all the booty.
Piracy on the delta rivers is very much on the increase, especially at the above mentioned place, which bas always been a perfect test of bad characters. The Authorities at Cauton have been petitioned many times to re-establish the military camp or guard at this place. Chu- tansham, but all to no effect. A deaf ear is turned to any scheme for the security of life and property.
this piracy is due to so many soldiers, smugglers, and gamblers being thrown out of employment, and now with the introduction of steam many of the native craft will be out in the cold, thereby increasing the number. All these men must have food to eat. What is wanted is a policing system by means of armed steam lanochs with foreigners in charge to patrol the most dangerous parts of the rivers,
[October 8, 1898.
The PRESIDENT-It seems to be the feeling that each case should be dealt with as it occurs in future.
No further action was taken in the matter.
MESSRS. LANE, crawford & CO. AND THEIR BAKERY.
Messrs. Lane, Crawford and Co. wrote on September 13th saying they had received notice requesting them to cover their bakery floor with
FATAL COLLISION ON THE WEST concrete, as per Bye-law No. 10, section 13,
RIVER,
At 2 a.m. on the 4th October a fatal collision occurred between two of the steamers of the Ku Chai Company, Dear Suilam. The steamers were the Konychau and the Lingchau, running between Hongkong, Kongmun, and Samsbui. The Lingchau was seriously damaged and sank al- most immediately, seven of the persons on board her being drowned. She carried about fifty passengers in all, but as the collision fortunately ocenrred close to the shore the majority were rescned. The Kongchau sustained damage to her bow and one of the crew had his foot in-
jured, but no loss of life occurred on this vessel. Both vessels were commanded by Chinese. The Kongchau is returning to Hongkong for repairs.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
Ordinance 24, 1887, and requesting that they should be granted exemption on the following grounds:
*1.—In 1893 the surveyor of the Board in- structed us to put down a complete new floor- ing of thick red tiles. This was done to the complete satisfaction of the Board's surveyor.
2. In April last the drains were entirely re-laid and altered according to in- structions received and under the supervision of Mr. Crook, the Board's surveyor. This alone
cost us $200.
"8.-The area to be covered is very large, and we submit there appears but little necessity to concrete the whole of the ground floor, the greater part of which is in no way used in con- nection with the manufacture of bread. The actual space used in this respect would not be more than 30 feet square.
4.The employés sleep on an upper floor, far removed from the bakehouse proper.
A meeting of the Hongkong Sanitary Board
"5.-Our bakery is as unlike a Chinese was held on the 6th October. The President bakery as a house on Kennedy Road to a dwell- (Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical ing house in Taipingsban, and we respectfully Officer) occupied the chair, and there were also
submit the Bye-laws were framed more particu present the Vice-President. (Hon. F. II. May.larly for Chinese bakeries than one conducted Captain Superintendent of Police), the Hon. by a European firm. R. D. Ormsby (Director of i ublic Works), Mr. J. Dyer Ball (Acting Registrar-General). Mr. E. Osborne, Dr. F. Clark (Medical Officer of Health and Acting Secretary), and Mr. C. Vivian Ladds (Colonial Veterinary Surgeon).
THE DISPOSAL OF INFECTED CARCASES, Correspondence was submitted having re- ference to the disposal of the carcases of animals dead of infections disease.
The Hon. T. Sercombe Smith (Acting Co- lonial Secretary) wrote on September 22nd-
I am directed to state for the information of
14
the Sanitary Board that the Government is
unable to accept the recommendation. embodied in the resolution passed by the Board on the 8th instant for the establishment of crematoria for the purpose of burning cattle which have died of infectious disease, and for the cremation of human corpses, on the ground that in the former case the difficulty of removing the car-
-
cases of cattle appears to be insuperable, and iu the latter that present circumstances would not justify the Government in incurring the expenditure involved in the Board's proposal.",
The following minutes were appended :- Mr. Osborne-" Provision should be made for burial of cattle as near as possible to each farm, principal farms on the subject,” and I suggest consulting the proprietors of the
Dr. Clark The grazing land of the Dairy Farm Company at Pokfulam is so extensive and extends on both sides of the public road that I think it would be better to leave the question of a burial site alone and deal with each case as it arises."
Hon. R. D. Ormsby-“I agree with M. O. H. Mr. J. Dyer Ball-"I agree.”
The Vice-President- We had better select a site near Pokfulam for the burial of dead carcases. Can the C.V.S. suggest one handy to the Dairy Farm ?`
as
Dr. Clark (to CV.S." Will you suggest a site for the burial of the carcases of diseased animals at Pokfulam? Would it not be a better plan to bury each carcase as near possible to the place in which it has falleu. and have no fixed burial ground, as this latter will only necessitate the dragging of the car cases over a more or less considerable distance and probably across public highways?"
Mr. Ladds—(1) I do not know of any suit able site. Better refer to P. W. Department. (2) By far the better plan. There is no objec. tion to having a commoù burial ground for cattle at Pokfulam."
Steam launch owners are forced to bribe these cold-blooded murderers not to molest them
The Vice-President-". I didn't mean one and also to employ one on each vessel in order
common burying ground, but as nearly all the to protect them from others. They speak of trouble has been at Pokfulam suggested that as him as
our pirate," the same as they would the most important locality to provide with a of the compradore or pilot. No doubt much of i burial ground first."
16
We would ask your Board to allow the present surveyor to meet our representative at the bakery, so that he could personally see matters and bave same thoroughly explained,”
The minutes appended showed that both the M. O. H. and the Surveyor were of opinion that exemption should not be granted.
On the motion of the VICE-PRESIDENT, se conded by Dr. CLARK, the application was refused.
THE COLONIAL VETERINARY SURGEON AND
THE SLAUGHTER-HOUSE WATCHMEN,
Mr. C. Vivian Ladds (Colonial Veterinary Sur reported on September 29th that after having had more than ten years' experience of market and slaughter-house watchmen-during which time over 50 of them had served under bim for various periods, generally short ones-- he had finally decided to ask the Board to re- commend that at the end of the current year the services of four out of the five watchmen at present on his staff be dispensed with. This recommendation was not the result of any sud- den impulse, but of years of constant, observa- tion. He was confident many of these men had from time to time been the cause of much trouble and corruption in the markets and slaughter-houses, nor could he point out a single instance where they had proved to be of any service whatever. As it was necessary nuder present arrangements to retain one watchman for duty at Kowloon the best of the five men should be selected for this purpose. Should the services of four of the man be dis- pensed with it would leave a sum of $90 per month at the disposal of the Government, and he suggested that 350 of this should be divided between the two European inspectors upon his staff the officer in charge of the animal depots and slaughterhouses to receive $20 per month addition to his salary and the Inspector of Markets $30 per month. This would bring the salaries of these two officers up to $120 and $110 per month respectively, tha remaining $40 per month to revert to the Trea- sury. Considering the additional responsibility imposed upon them he did not think the in- creases recommended by him could be considered excessive, especially when the present high cost of living was taken into consideration, Apart from this a fairly well-paid officer naturally does better work than one who is underpaid and dis- contented. Personally he was of opinion that the salaries of such officials should rise by an- nual or bi-annual increments until they reached a maximum of $150 per month
The following minutes were appended:- Mr. Osborne-“ Mr. Ladds is the best judge of the requirements of his department, and I
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