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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE SANITARY BOARD ELECTION. | wrong from beginning to end, wrong both in sentiment and fact. The Sanitary Board (Daily Press, 22nd December.) does fulfil the first object of its crention, That the public should not have evinced the pseudo-representative members are not grenter interest in the election of two men regularly out-voted by the officials on all bers of the Sanitary Board on Tuesday is to important matters of policy, nor are they be regretted, certainly, but there is no oc regularly vetoed by the all powerful Gov- casion for hysterical raving against the Gernment should they secure a victory. verument nor for confessing any surrender Those who hold that the Sanitary Board of the principle of representative institu- should be a purely official body and tions. The election did not cause any ex- those who hold that it should he wholy citement, because the two vacant seats were
a representative body must agree on the uncontested and because at the present mo- fact that the work actually accomplished ment there is no point in the conduct or by the Board, especially since it was policy of the Sanitary Board against which stirred up by the plague, has been very the public have any occasion to make a good both in quantity and quality. The demonstration. The situation will, we hope, question is sometimes asked why the papers be looked at from a common sense business should fill up their columns with reports of point of view, with an avoidance of rhodo Legislative Council and Sanitary Board montade. The subject divides itself into meetings, which, as it is said, nobody cares two branches, first, the question of the rate-
to read. Well, some people read their pa- payers right of representation, as a matter pers merely for entertainment, while others of principle, and, second, the practical set the utilitarian element first. Those who question of sanitation.
read the papers only for entertainment will naturally omit the reports of the Sani- tary Board and therefore cannot be expected to know what it has done or what it has not done. But, on the other hand, those who take a direct and personal interest in the affairs of the colony and make a point of keeping themselves informed on public questions cannot have failed to note the large amount of work performed by the Board, including personal inspections of the alums and other committee work that must make heavy demands on the time of the members. The debates, too, show the keen interest the members take in the sub-
on
would not discredit similar bodies in the large cities of the United Kingdom AS to what has actually been accomplished, we need only point to the cleanliness of the city to-day and compare it with the state of affairs that existed six years ago and to the diminution of the death-rate.
With regard to the question of the right of representation, the ratepayers have suc cessfully repulsed the attack made upon their position by the Colonial Secretary, but have been unable to make any advance. The Colonial Secretary wanted to shut up the Sanitary Board altogether, or at least to deprive it of its representative character. How strongly the public felt upon that point was shown when a lebiscitum was taken. The fact thint the election Tuesday was unattended with any excite- ment is no evidence that the public holds the principle of popular representation of less account now than it did then. Par-ject of sanitation and are of an order that liamentary elections in English boroughs or counties sometimes are uncontested and fail to produce excitement, but that fact could not be cited as an argument in support of the proposition that the electors set no store by their privileges. But the Hongkong ratepayers wanted a fuller mea. sure of representation than that which they previously possessed and which has now been restored to them, and it has leen sug. gested that, because they have been unsuc cessful in obtaining what they wanted they refrained from taking part in the election out of pique and disgust. Any one who has allowed himself to be influenced by feeling of that kind has been unwise. As well might General BULLER retire in disgust because he failed to carry the passage of the Tugela River at the first attempt. great body of the ratepayers of Hongkong are in no mind, we think, to "chuck"-(if we may be excused the vulgarism)-the struggle on which they have entered, ven though the recognised leaders fail d to make a better display at Tuesday's meeting. The display, we may mention, would have been even worse than it was had it not been for the Hon T. H. WHITEHEAD, who seems to have been the only public man who recog nised the importance of the occasion. Attle eleventh hour he secured the support of thế Hơn. C. P. CHATER, and to both these gentlemen the community is ardebted,
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With reference to the influence of the Sanitary Board on the practical question „of sanitation, we would enter a protest against the view expressed by the China Mail that the Board “does not fulfil the **first object of its creation, but so long as it does no harm it may be allowed to mee and discuss sanitary questions in its old academic style the pseudo-representative members regularly out-votel by the "officials on all important matters of policy or vetoed by the all-powerful Government if they should, by any chance, secure a snap victory." That is
That is a simple matter of evidence that any plain man can weigh for himself, and if he takes the trouble to do so his verdiet will be that the evidence fully justifies the existence of the Sanitary Board. That the Board might accomplish more if the re- presentative element entered more Inrgely into its composition and if its powers were enlarged affords no justification for the statement that the Board as it has hitherto existed has been useless,
have
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December 23, 1809.
ful Government," under whose review the decisions of the Sanitary Board have to pass the system of Crown Colony Government, as we all know is bad, but the officials responsible for the ad- ministration of the system are actuated by a desire--as British officin.s usually are -to do their duty according to their lightsTM and to the best of their ability, and they give effect to the decisions of the Sanitary. Board when they are convinced the deci sions are sound and practicable. Mere vituperation of the Government is to be deprecated ne calculated to bring the cause of popular representation into disrepute and ridicule. To recognise things as they are will help towards securing their im- provement.
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Of the new members of the Sanitary Board, Dr. HARTIGAN has served before and the colony is to be congratulated on his return. He left the Board at the time of the disruption, but no good purpose could be served by his holding aloof any longer, and that he has risen superior to any feeling of pique in connection with that affair is to bè counted to his credit. As to Mr McKis, we have no idea of what his views on sanitary questions may be, but he is
A UND of abounding vitality, and we should be inclined to think that his assistance on the Sanitary Board will prove of value as representing the practical business element.
TH
himself
COMMAND IN SOUTH AFRICA
(Daily Press, 20th December.j The appointment of Lord ROBERTS to the chief command in South Afrion, with Lord KITCHENER as his chief of the staff, will do much to rest re public coufidence in the successful issue of the military operations. This will not be Lord ROBERTS's first visit to South Africa. In his book "Forty-one
14
Years in India," after mentioning the leave he took after the Afghanistan cam- paign and the celebrated march to Kán- daha, he writes: "I did no. return to
It
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We come HOW to the question of the official element. While adventing the principle of popular representation, we have no desire to ivance that principle by bearing false witness against our ne gh- bours the fficials. In the Sanitary Board there has happily never been any line of cleavage between the official and an fficiat members and the officials had instructions from the Government us to the side on which they were to cast their votes. Latterly, with only one un- official member, the divisions that have aken place have necessarily leen between the officials themselves, but even before the disruption, an when the unofficial its full strength, it Wag common in divisions to find some of the officials voting one side and 8o ne ou the other. One has only to read the discussions to see that the officials are not less progressive thru the unofficials, in the matter of sanitation. The Hon. F. H. MAY is an enthusiast in the subject, and ns for Dr. ATKINSON Dr. CLARK, and the. Hon. R. D. ORM BY, by stretch of the inmgination could any one aceuse them of systematically obstructing sitary im provements. Then as to the "all-power"
element was
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India until the end of 1881, six weeks "out of these precious months of leave having been spent in a wild-goose chase to the Cape of Good Hope and back, upon my being nominated by Mr. GLADSTONE'S "Government Governor of Natal and Com- mander of the Forces in South Africh, on the death of Sir GEORGE COLLEY and the receipt of the news of the disaster at Majuba Hill, While I was on my way out to take up my commaail, pence was I made with the Boers in the most marvel- lously rapid and unexpected manner. - 'A peace, alas!' without honour,' to which may "be attributed the recent regrettable state of “affair- in the Transvaal—a saate of affairs which was foreseen and predicted by many "at the time. My stay at Cape Town was limited to twenty-four hours, the Govern- ment being apparently as anxious to get me away from Africa as they had been to "hurry me out there. ” Lord ROBERTS is now the afforded the opportunity of estn blishing pence with honour" it be can: the whole resources of the Empire are placed at his disposal, and he is supported by the affectionate and admiring gratitude of the nation for his distinguished services in the past, coupled with a deep sympathy for him in the said circumstances under which he enters upon the campaign, he having just lost his only son by wunds received in the war. That he may be able to adil fresh laurels to his distinguished record and have the honour of extricating his country from the greatest difficulty in which she has found herself during the century will be
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