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October 8, 1898.]
think the Board should adopt his recommenda- | tions."
Hon. R. D. Ormsby-" Get rid of useless and unnecessary watchmen by all means. Raising the salaries of inspectors with the money so saved is quite another question and should come up separately."
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The Vice President "Recommendations such as these should detail the existing arrange- ments and those intended to be substituted. What are the duties of these watchmen, and if they go how are those duties to be performed Mr. Ladds might attenά and explain at the next meeting."
The President-Request Mr. Ladds to attend and explain at the next meeting, please." The PRESIDENT (to Mr. Ladds)-Can you inform us what the duties of these watchmen are ?
Mr.LADDS-I believe there are special duties for watchmen laid down in one of the books. They simply have to carry out orders from time to time. Their principal duty is not to allow any unmarked cattle or sheep to go into the slanghter-houses.
The VICE-PRESIDENT hours?
What are their
Mr. LADDS-Four of them have eight hours at a time.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-How many are there? Mr. LADUS-Five altogether-four at Ken- nedytow and one at Hunghom. The one at Kennedytown looks after the cattle and swine depot, and the other four are stationed at the slaughter-housek, --
The VICE-PRESIDENT-Their duty is to see that no animals which are not marked go iuto the slaughter houses?
Mr. LADDS-Yes.
The VICE-PRESIDENT—Tl: is a very import ant thing
Mr. LADDS-Yes, if it is done.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-Which is to say it
s not done?
Mr. Lapps-I have had 11 years' experience and I cannot tell one single case where they have done good.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-What I want to know is, is it necessary to prevent cattle which have not been passed by you as fit for human food going into the slaughter-houses?
Mr. LANDS--Yes.
The VICE PRESIDENT-Very well, then, how do you propose to prevent it?
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
691
Mr. Ladds may think of some way whereby he | them, coming to the Police Office for the could put a check on the watchmen.
purpose. The motion was carried.
THE FOREMEN SCAVENGERS AND
THEIR PAY.
Dr. Clark (Medical Officer, of Hedith) re- ported on September 29th as to the names, nationalities, and emoluments of the non-Chinese and non-European employés of the Board. IIe said Mr. Ladds had already recommended the abolition of four out of five watch- men at the slaughter-houses. After making enquiries the doctor was of opinion that the pay of the foremen of street cleaners and of the non-Chinese clerical staff compares favourably with that paid to similar men in other depart. ments and outside the service.
Dr. CLARK said the application for more pay was no doubt due to these men being called fund. Through their not contributing for a upon to contribute to the widows' and orphans' number of years they had to contribute 8 per cent. now instead of four per cent, in order to clear off the arrears.
The VICE-PRESIDENT suggested that the papers should be re-çirculated and that it should be stated when these men had their salaries fixed. Many Government servants had not had their salaries touched for the last five and 30 years.
Dr. CLARK produced the book giving the date of the first appointment.
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The VICE-PRESIDENT—I think we ought to have that where it cau be got at without any trouble.
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It was decided to adopt the Vice-President's | suggestion.
MORTALITY STATISTICS,
Hongkong for the week ended September 24th The mortality statistics for the colony of showed the death rate to be 18:3 per thousand, against 179 for the previous week and 176 for
the corresponding, week last year.
The mortality returus for Macao for the week ended September 18th show 43 deaths and for the following week 41.
MISCELLANEOUJ,
Lam A Mok said-I am a sailor on board the German steamer Independent, which-I joined between the 19th of June and the 18th July. When on shore I stay at the Kwong On Seamen's Club. Itwas living there for a month bofore I joined the Independent. I have stayed there for the past three or four years. Since joining the Independent I have been on shore, but not frequently, and on each occasion have stayed at the Kwong On. People always know where to find me when ashore, and I get letters through the master of the Kwong On. I have not received any letters for several months. The letter produced is addressed to me and is from my elder brother, who lives at Foochow. The police brought the letter on board and The date of the letter was the showed it to me. 3rd March,
Lui Wan said-I am the master of the Kwong On seamen's boarding house, which I have kept about three years. I removed to Stanley Street in September of last
year. Before then I kept a boarding house in the old Victoria Hotel. I have known the previous witness for two years, and have received letters for him. I have never seen the letter produced and ad- dressed to the previous witness at my boarding house.
In reply to Mr. Brutton witness said he did not know of any other Kwong On boarding house in Hongkong but his.
Luk Ho said-I am a seaman unemployed and living at the Kwong On seamen's board- ing house in Stanley Street. About 14 days ago the previous witness went into the country and returned to-day. In his absence I looked after the business. A constable has been to me and asked me if a certain letter had been de-
livered to me and I said no.
5th October.
Wong Man Ki, cook at the Tsoi Wo Tseung Club for Seamen at 5, Jubilee Street, said he had been employed there since May of last year and had been in the colony 11 or 12 years. He The Board then proceeded to consider the could not read except his own name and the name conditions of the new scavenging contract and
of the boarding house. He had frequently re- proposed additional bye-laws for the regulationceived letters for the members of the club at 5, of cattle diseases, markets, and slaughter houses, after which the Board adjourned.
Mr. Lapps-I do not suppose we prevent it | THE`CHARGES AGAINST LETTER-
now.
as
If we
The VICE-PRESIDENT-You may as well ask me is it necessary to prevent crime, and I say yes; you ask how, and I reply by putting policemen in the streets, but it would be absurd of me to say that because the Chinese policem u are not good
as they might be we should have none. don't have any watchmen at all will you tell the Board how we are going to prevent unmarked animals from going int the slaughter-houses? Mr. LADOS-I do not know how you can
It is not prevented now, I think. prevent it.
The VICE-PRESIDENT-Then tue obrious thing is to improve your watchmen.
Mr. LADDS-You cannot improve them. have had over 50 since I have been in the service and I have never had one I could trust.
The PRESIDENT-Is it not possible for cattle which have not been to the Government depots to be taken to the slaughter-houses?
Mr. LADDS-Yes. These watchmen have been passing u cattle for the last 10 years.
The Hou. R. D. ORMSBY-I think the only thing is to get a man who will prevent cattle from going in unmarked. Is it necessary for them to be ouduty the whole of the 24 hours?
Mr. LADPS-Yes.
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CARRIERS.
A RE-HEARINO,
letter.
Our readers will remember that quite recently a postman named Cheng Tsang, aged 49, of Pun U. was sentenced to six months' hard labour for detaining letters without lawful authority or excuse, another postman named Li Ho, aged 26, also of Pun U. being sentenced to a like period for detaining a
Subsequently Mr. Brutton applied for a re-hearing on behalf of defendants, and the application was granted on condition that they each secured bail for $500, which condition was fulfilled. The rehearing commenced at the Magistracy on the 4th Oct, before Commander Hastings. The Hon. A. M. Thomson, Postmaster-General, occupied a seat on the bench. Inspector Moffat con- ducted the cases for the police, and Mr. Bruttou appeared for defendants.
The case against Cheng Tsang was taken first. P.C. Collett said-About 9.30 a.m. on the 18th September I went to the Post Office in company with Inspector Moffat and Mr. Solly (chief clerk at the Post Office). We searched the messengers' rooms. In the table drawer in Oue room I found five letters and one post-card. I handed them to Mr. Solly I produce four of the letters. The fifth letter was open and the stamp had been taken off, the place where the stamp had been being visible. Mr. LADDS-We should be no worse off than Defendants bed and box were in the room I we were before.
Mr. DYER BALL-What would you propose to do if these men were dismissed and no others
taken in their places?
The VICE-PRESIDENT-I think we should have a detailed report on the system at present carried out and how Mr. Ladds would propose to act when he got rid of these watchmen and if he could suggest means of getting better watchmen. I should imagine if we gave better pay we should get better men. I more that such a report be prepared.
Hon. R. D. ORMSBY-I second. Perhaps
speak of, defendant being in the room when I found the letters. He said, I put them in the drawer and forgot to hand them to the Post- master." There was another bed in the room besido defendant's.
In auswer to Mr. Brutton, witness said that since the 18th ult. he had been working under Inspector Moffat in this case, having been engaged in making enquiries of the addressees. The addressees had seen the letters and claimed
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Jubilee Street, and also for himself. He did not know defendant. He had never refused to receive letters at 5, Jubilee Street. He identi- fied the letter produced us addressed to him at the Tsoi Wo Tseung. He did not know any of the other characters in the letter. The letter had never been offered to him at No. 5, Jubilee Street.
In answer to Mr. Brutton, witness said that when the accountant was not there he received the letters which came to the boarding house. He did not remember having seen defendant. before. His duties took him a good deal among the members, and he knew most of them. He was away in the country for 13 days in Septem ber, and he was away for five days in August of last year.
He did not know a man of the name of Chan Yik Cheung.
Chan Fak, accountant of the Tsai Wo Tseung Club, said letters addressed to members at the club were received either by himself or the pre- vions witness. The letter produced had never been presented to him.
6th October.
The case for the prosecution was continued, evidence being given by a woman named Leung Luk, Mok Chan Ting (accountant at the Kwong Yi Kok boarding house, 82, Stanley Street), and Yeung Fi Ting (a seaman who had acted as accountant at the same place during the absence of the other man).
Some delay was now caused in consequence of the subpoeaning of the Hon. A. M. Thomson, Postmaster-General, the court adjourning natil he made his appearance.
Mr. Thomson said defendant was No. 1 postman at the General Post Office, and had been there all the time he (witness) had been connected with the Post Office, Defendant had a good character. With regard to the letter marked "A" handed to him, he could not say whether it was received in Hongkong or not. There was no Hongkong Post Office stamp on it. The stamp was defaced by what appeared to be the Chinese Imperial Post Office chop.
It
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