478
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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(June 10, 1899.
THE YUNAAN RAILWAY SURVEY
ARRIVAL OF THE SURVEY PAKTY AT
SHANGHAL
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been compelled to change their methods Seeing what a force it has at its back and to be contended with in a free port, but we con- from time to time they certainly keep what a limited territory-in the island at least sider that, seeing there is no place where the 'inching along" in the direction of true pro- it has to control, the natural turbulence of the Government has a stronger backing, Hongkong gress. Nor should it be forgotten that after aaraly classes among the Cantonese is not a should have its Chinese population better in hand. Formosa had been formally ceded to them, and sufficient explanation of the inefficiency of the To our notions there is a great deal too much when China herself lay at the mercy of Japan, Government. There must be something wrong red-tape and official superciliousness. Let the our misguided Islanders would be satisfied with with its constitution or principles. The late Goverument place itself into closer and more nothing less than the setting up of a Republic Police scandals surprised no-one but the officials. sympathetic touch with the men who really forsooth, the contemptible President of which That the Namoa piracy should have been support the Colony, and let it somewhat did all he could to excite anti-Japanese feeling | possible, in spite of the ordinance against the modify the too cantions English methods of among the opium-smoking riff-raff who flocked carrying of arms, proved how little hold the dealing with the criminal classes, and Hong- to his standard, one of his arguments being polics had over the bad characters in the Colony. | kong would be a better example to the Chinese that the expected new-comers would undoubtedly The constant evasion of the opium ordisance of good Government than if can be said to be stop the importation of the dearly-loved drug and the smuggling which goes on into Chinese just now. Another thing to remember is that, siuce territory, causing a loss of revenue of at least the time when Koxings brought over his half a million taels to be deducted from the so- army of out-throats from the mainland, For-curity of the foreign boudholders, may perhaps mosa has always bean a most difficult place to with more propriety be ascribed to the slickness govern, even the Chinese having a proverb of the police, than to connivance on the part of which means that, of every ten men who emigrate the Government, We are inclined to think that to Formosa, nine go to the bad. I can hardly jealousy of the unofficial members of the think, therefore, that Our Own Correspond- Council, and a complete ignorance of the ent" has ever troubled himself to find out the Chinese character, go far to explain the present number of Japanese official aud private citizeus incompetence, Chinese, and especially Can- who have been murdered in Formosa during tonese of the lower orders, are not to be ruled the past four years.
In any case, it is to be by methods which are effective with Europeaus. hopal that he will henceforth have the cour- Whilst admitting that many native punishments aga and the common-sense to sign his cont、ibu- are barbarous, there is no doubt that the Chinese tions I am, &c..
understand how to keep their people in order W. CAMPBELL. better than we do, and Hougkoug might learn Tainanfu, Formosa, 25th May, 1899,
somewhat from the Mandarins in the way of preventing crime.
This they do by an elaborate system of watch. No stranger cau take up his residence in a city without being enquired after and reported ou. This system, which prevails on the continent of Europe, may be repugnant to our English ideas, though some might regard such repugnance a hyper- sensitiveness, but if adopted in Hongkong it would have a considerable effect in securing more safety for person and property. When it is remembered that it is to Chinese policemen, mostly absolutely untrustworthy, that the Go vernmens has to look for information regarding the arrival of bad characters who flock for asylum to the Colony, it is at once evident that criminals have every opportunity of elaborating
AN OUTSIDE VIEW OF THE STATE OF HONGKONG.
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We take the following article from the N. C. Daily News of 30th May:-
In
their schemes without much fear of detection.
The mildness of the punishments, according to Chinese notions, and the chances against detec tion or capture make Hongkong au ideal field for the machinations of native miscreants.
If
the Colony were divided into wards with tipnos whose duty it would be to be fully acquainted with everyone in the ward, and to report all arrivals and departures, such a system, it pro- perly elaborated, would soon clear Hongkong of bad characters, and with due precautions should not be oppressive to respectable natives.
There has always existed a feeling of friendly rivalry between Shanghai and Hongkong, but, in spite of occasional criticisms of those who rule us, we have always felt ourselves justified in the complacent conviction that the admini- stration of the Model Settlement need fear no comparison with that of the Colony. Judging from the Hongkong Daily Press of recent dates, our fellow-countrymen in the south have a good deal to grumble at just now. We find leading articles on three subjects which raise a doubt whether Hongkong is altogether a desirable place of residence. the first place, there is a savage article, per- fectly justified in our opinion, on the unfor tunate mess made in taking over the Kowloon Extension, which shows a degree of ineptitude où the part of the officials most galling to those under their dominion. Secondly, there is the disgraceful affair in which two ladies were knocked down and robbed on a public the highway, proving
incompetence of the police. And finally, there is an article and some correspondence dealing with the proposed registration of servauts, from which we gather that, to secure an houest servant is al matter of considerable difficulty. Now the combination of an incapable Government, inef. ficient protection of person and property abroad. and dishonest servants in the house, is hardly conducive to comfort. We should not presume ourselves to sit in judgment on the Hongkong Government, which we understand is composed of a body of remarkably brilliant officers, but we read in the Daily Press that the Colonial Secretary is really more responsible than the people for the fighting which took place in the New Territory, and how easily things might have been otherwise if the action of the Government had only been guided by common sense at the outset." We also read
no ladies walking unaccompanied in the outsiderably better. They could not have done skirts of the town can now consider themselves safe," and "it would seem, indeed, as though we were back in the old days of knockdown robberies, when every resident considered a re- volver a necessary part of his equipment." It is not to be wondered at if the Daily Press says "the regiettable occurrences in connection with the taking over of the New Territory have shown how disgracefully ignorant of Chinese affairs the Government is, and in the present prevailing state of insecurity, with ladies being knocked down and robbed on the most frequented roads of the Colony, the ques tion arises whether the community should not renew its agitation in favour of obtaining a larger voice in the management of its own con.
cerns.
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But we fear that any suggestion from Shang- hai will be received with a superior smile by the able persous who run the Government at Hongkong. The Postmaster-General gave us un indication of his grasp of postal matters when he said that China would be between granted the lutter rate arranged Great Britain and certain of her colonies as soon as she entered the Postal Union but his unique knowledge of the laws of the Postal Union does not appear to enable bin to protect the correspondence passing though his office, if there is any truth in the numerous complaints lately made public. The Colonial Secretary has not covered himself with glory in the Kowloon Extension. The Captain-Superintend- eut of Police cannot be congratulated upon the security of the roads. Altogether, Shanghai just now fools that its Munícipal Council and the Consuls would have managed things con-
much worse.
The resident in China proper soou becomes aware that the Chinese are rather out of hand in the Colony. He finds himself, waited on by servants in their sleeping attire, that is to say, they wear short coats and leave their trowsers unbound at the aukles, while the queue is often twisted round the head; all of which things are not only disrespectful but disreputable. He enters a shop, and the fat shopkeeper, naked to the waist, does not think of rising at his entrance. In the purely Chinese quarters he finds it advisable to walk in the roadway to avoid being hustled off the pathway There is no place in China where theft is so common and where there is equal danger of being abroad after dark. We are not blind to the difficulties
Shangbai, 29th May, The Yunnan Railway Survey seems to have got through its work with wonderfully little difficulty. Lieut. Watts-Jones, of the Royal Engineers, who, with Capt. Davis of the same Corps accompanied by a small escort, has made Yannan and Szechnen, arrived in Shanghai to- the journey from Kunlun Ferry overland through day by river steamer, His party, who have been several months on the journey, encountered. no difficulty whatever, and have few adventures to relat. In Yunnan they met Captain Pottinger's party who had started from Chungking, and after some time both parties again split up, pur-
suing their respective routes Captain Pottin- ger is expected in Shanghai in a few days.- China Gazette.
THE RUSSIAN RAILWAY TO PEKINI,
The Ostasiatische Lloyd of the 27th May publishes a note about the Russian demands for finds vast sgamps to cross in following the a railway to Peking to the effect that Russia route originially projected to Vladivostock, so from Kiachta to Peking, following the old wishes to give it up and construct a line direct
caravan route. Thence the line is to lead vid Moukden to Newchwang and Port Arthur, with a branch line to Vladivostock. In well informed Chinese circles it is rumoured that Russia has
informed the Tsuugli Yamen that any delay in granting this concession will be considered as an unfriendly act.-N. C. Daily News.
OUTBREAK OF PLAGUE AT PENANG.
Plague has made its appearance at Penang. The Singpore Free Press of the 27th May understands that two suspected cases occurred about the middle of the mouth. They were treated, ous dying and the other recovering. Two more cases have occurred during the last few days, a Chinaman, who has been five years resident in Penang, and a Malay. Both these patients died. There was still another· sus- pacted case, under observation, at the date of last advice.
The Strait Times of the same date says: We announced yesterday the occurrence of bubonic plague at Penang, aud are now officially informed that three fatal cases have occurred in that town. The provisions of the Venice Convention, published in the Government Gazette of December 16th last, are being en- forced at Penang. Under this Convention all signatories to the Convention are telegraphic. ally informed of the outbreak, and they take the precautions laid down by the Con- vention to prevent the importation of the malady. All passengers by vessels leaving Peuang are duly inspected and subsequently recounted on board ship, a certificate showing the exact number inspected being furnished to the Master of the vessel for production at the next port. All vessels arriving from Penang at Singapore will be inspected until further notice. Notifications to this effect will appear in a Guzette. Extraordinary to be issued to- day. It may be convenient to note here. that the Singapore Chamber of Commerce has been urging the Straits Government to appoint an additional health officer for Singapore, and that the Governor has re fused, as yet, to see the necessity for such an