Page
June 3, 1899.]
OPIUM SEIZURES ON BOARD STEAMERS AT SAIGON.
An important seizure of opium took place at Saigon, on the 17th May, on board the German steamer Ingraban. The vessel was just about getting up her anchor to leave when, acting upon information supplied by an informer, two Customs officers appeared on board to make a search. The officers went straight to the spot where the opium was concealed almost with their eyes closed The Courrier de Saiyon, in a report of the affair, says it was evident that the captain knew nothing of the fraud, in which only the Chinese crew, or possibly rival in formers, were interested
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
season.
·
many
407
THE "STAR''FERRY COMPANY' LIMITED:
The SECRETARY read the Shang.
the meeting.
notice convening
were more successful this year than they have been for a few years past, and the substantial prizes offered should help to keep aive the door athletic sports, The bathing accom- holders in the above company was held at the youthful interest in all forms of purely out- The first ordinary annual meeting of share- modation is no better and no worse that it office, No. 4, Praya Central, on the 30th May. was last year. The interest in water polo has The chair was occupied by Mr. E. 3. Whealler, grown considerably, and the members will and there were also present the Hon.C. P. Chater, doubtless approve of a substantial grant made Messra. P. Sachse (directors) E. Osborne (secre by the Committee to the funds of the Water tary), A. Haupt, A. Mackenzie, T. H. Reid, Polo Association, which provided so interesting matches last year and which pro-I. P. Madar, G. H. Wheeler, W. Newton, W. F. H. N. Mody, W. Hutton Potts, J. M. Book, poses to do the same again in the forthcoming Hatherley, W. J. Terril, C. Xavier, Lo Cheung, last Regatta was not productive of better sport.
We must all sincerely regret that the Shui, Kam Fuk, and Fung The Committee has considered how best to foster rowing talent and to keep up the standard Our contemporary continnes-Notwith- of the Club's rowing. We hope that arrange- standing the protests of Captain Piper, the ments. will be made to induce old rowing mem- Customs placed an embargo on the Ingraban,bers to undertake the training of the younger which, in order that she might continue her members in the elements of watermanship; and voyage, had to give security at the German Consulate. It seems strange that these things spirit of rivalry the retiring Committee suggest to encourage the youngsters and create a happen, and that it is always at the moment of that the new Committee to be elected at this departure that the seizures are made. There meeting should give a monthly prize for Scratch is a disquieting mystery about this which should Fours, or for such other races as may, in their be probed to the bottom. The port of Saigon opinion, lead to this much-desiderated improve- is becoming impossible. Foreigners speak of meat in rowing. This is a matter that lies eu- boycotting it, in view of events such as that tirely with the members themselves. If there just narrated.
are any other suggestions I am sure the Com. mittes will gladly give them careful considera- tion. With these few remarks I have much pleasure in moving the adoption of the report and passing of the accounts,
C
VÍCTORIA RECREATION CLUB,
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING. The annual general meeting of members of the Victoria Recreation Club was held in the Club Gymnasium on 29th May. There was a good attendance, presided over by Com mander W. C. H. Hastings (R.N. retired), who was supported by Messrs. T. H. Reid, M. A. A. Souz, G. L. Duncan. F. Lammert, W. H. Potts (hon, treasurer), and W. 8. Bailey (hou. secretary).>
The CHAIRMAN said.-Gentlemen, you have bad the report some time in your hauds, and ac- cording to the usual custom I will ask you to take it as read, Your Committee comes before you with what must be considered, taking it al- together, a very satisfactory record of the year's work. Although the success of a Club-and such a Club as ours-caunot be gauged solely by the state of its bank account, it is satisfac- tory and comforting to know that we close the year with a very substantial balance in our favour, and, in view of possible contingencies, this satisfaction is increased when we note the addition of no less 8. sum than $3,000 to the. Reserve Fund, which now stands at $4.0.10 on fixed deposit with the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank. The Club is prospering, and even if your Committee mo- destly feel that they, by their management, have contributed to its prosperity, this great success could not have been achieved without the loyal support of the members. The-Club is now prepared to face the proverbial rainy day when it comes, and as soon as the question of a new site is settled the Committee you may then have in power will have in the present reserve fund a nucleus on which to build a handsome and more suitable Club house than you have haed in past years. Your
Committee regrets that it has no definite information to give with regard to the new Club-house. The future prosperity of the Club, if not its very existence, depends upon the de. otion of the Admiralty on this question. As yet nothing has been decided, and all we can say is that no effort has been spared to enable the Club to obtain a site in front of the present one, and we hope the good offices of Commo- dore Powell will be added to those of Rear Admiral Holland, who proved himself to be a true friend of the Club during the whole of his stay in Hongkong. Until the decision of the Admiralty is given no permanent improve. men! need be attempted. I am sure the mem bera will recognise this; and all we can do in the meantime is to keep the present building in as good a state of repair as possible. Im- provements have been made in the Gymnasium and some very necessary repairs carried out, and we hope there will be an increased interest in the gymnasium in the the current year. The Athletic Sports, which came under the management of the Gymnasium Committee,
Į
Mr. W. MOLLISON suggested that in connec- tion with rowing a handsome prize should be provided by the club he meant a prize worth rowing for for a scratch race, each orew to carry two griffins, and the winner of the first race to be handicapped in the second. It might take a considerable time before the prize be- came the property of any crew. but with a haudsome prize he thought they could get no a few good crews.
:
The CHAIRMAN thought the suggestion a very good one.
He was sure the committee would be very glad to consider it later où.
the report, and the motion was carried.
Mr. F. W. WHITE seconded the adoption of
The election of officers was then proceeded with.
Mr. BAILEY proposed the re-clection of Com- mander Hastings as Chairman.
Mr. MOLLISON seconded, and the proposition was carried with acclamation.
The CHAIRMAN remarked that Mr. Bailey had resigned the post of secretary, and he pro- posed a hearty vote of thanks to him for the
effloient
which have been before you some days deal with The CHAIRMAN said-The report and accounts the first year of the company's existence, and it satisfactory results of the working. The amount no doubt affords you gratification to note the
the cost of structural alterations it was deemed of $8,992.19 set down for repairs includes also
advisable to make to the older boats to strengthen them against the great straining to which they Our boats are all in good order, and your direc are subjected in going alongside the wharves.
in value or that it is necessary on the present. tors do not consider that they have depreciated
occasion to write anything off the amount they stand at iú our books; we recommend instead that $5,000 be written off the less liquid asset of goodwill. With our property exposed to the dangers of navigation, which are not diminished by the absence of any fair- way on the route our boats take, we con- sider it necessary to build up a reserve fund, and we propose to appropriate $2,007 'as a com- mencement of that fund, which I hope it may be a long time before we have to draw on The double-ended boats have proved so successful and are appreciated so much by Europeans and Chinese that we propose to replace the two ol launches by double-enders as quickly as funds will permit; in fact a third boat would by now have been on the stocks bat for a difficulty with regard to the number of passengers the Gov- ernment will allow these boats to carry. The Government will not license the upper deck because the Ordinance which deals with the subject makes no provision for such a deck or in fact for such boats as these. There is no question whatever of the safety of this deck- it was specially designed to carry passengers, place to carry them. We hope that the Gov. and is admittedly a perfectly safe and proper
ernment may take steps to make the neces- sary addition or amendment to the Ordinance before long. We hesitate to build such expen- sive boats while there is any doubt as to whether
Machell went away. Mr. Machell would be with the accommodation provided, Unless the dif- way in which be had worked since Mr. we shall be allowed to make the fullest use of
he suggested his re-election as secretary. In abandon the upper deck, though by so doing the them again he could not exactly say when-and ficulty can be got over we shall probably have to the meantime no doubt the committee would be boats will be far less convenient for passengers. able to make arrangements for carrying on theThe matter is of considerable importance to the work. re-elected secretary.
He proposed that Mr. Machell be
Mr. BAILEY, in seconding, thanked the Chair- man for his kind observation, and said he
greatly regretted that his business engagements provented his attending to the duties of secre- tary during the coming year.
The proposition was carried with acclama- tion.
company, and I may say to the public also. I do not know that there is anything more I can say with regard to the operations of the company, information I shall be glad to answer any ques- If there are any points upon which you desire
tion.
No questions being asked, the report and balance sheet were adopted, on the motion of the CHAIRMAN, Seconded by Mr. G. H. WHEELER. Mr. W. H. Ports was re-elected hon. trea- by Mr. NeWTON, Mr. E. S. Whealler was On the motion of Mr. T. H. REID, seconded surer on the motion of the CHAIRMAN, second-re elected a director, and the appointments of ed by Mr. T. H. REID.
the Hon. C. P. Chater and Mr. P. Sachse, wäre
by Mr P. SACHSE, Mr. W. Hatton Polts was On the motion of Mr. J. M. BECK, asconded
re-elected auditor.
Before proceeding to the election of the com-confirmed. mittee Me, MOLLISON threw out the hint tha! the members of the committee should show a little more energy in the department to which they were appointed, an observation which elicited several "hear, hears."
+4
committee-Messrs. W. Armstrong, W. S. The following were elected on the general Bailey, G. A. Caldwell, A. Denison, T. H. Reid, E. D. Sanders, M. A, A. Souza, T. Yule, and F. Lammert.
The following were elected on the balloting committee. Messrs. H E. MacKenzie, M. Molver, T. Meek, E. J. Mengens. G. Mollison. A. P. Nobbs, J. Reidie, A. Silverthorne, C. MoD. Smart, and W. A. Stopani,
A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the proceedings.
The CHAIRMAN-That is all the business gentlemen, I am sorry some of you had to Dividend warrants will be posted this afternoon. wait so long owing to the dilatoriness of others.
We are glad to learn that Mr. Robert E. Nelson, RN., has just been appointed Naval Instructor to the Imperial Chinese training ship Tungchi. Mr. Nelson is well qualified for this post, as for many years he occupied similar position on board tus Chinese trui ship Weiyuan, that was sunk by the Japanese a Weihaiwe, on June 21st, 18 5-N U. Daily News.