314
●xcellent lecture which Mr. Pollock had been good enough to deliver and the vory interesting discussion which had ensuod... There were one or two points he would like to refer to The hawker was a very old friend of his. He had had a good deal to do with him ever since he took charge of the police. Although, the sale of certain food was restricted to the markets the sale of vegetables was not. The Govern | ment bad licensed shops outside the markets for the tale of vegetables but the trouble was that rents in the colony were so fear fully high that the ordinary coolie could not afford to buy his vegetables in shop or in the market. He could only afford to buy them from the hawkers in the streets. | Therefore, if they got rid of the hawker they must provide sufficient market accommodation to enable the lawker to take a stall in the market and sell kis vegetables there. That was the only real solution to the matter. If they drove the hawker out of the streets, as he had been frequently asked to do, the coolies, and the foorer coolier, among the Chinese would suffe very severely. (Hear, hear) He was quit sure that when his good friend Mr. Francis as chairman of the Committee on the Food Supply, came to enquire closely into the ques- tion he would see that the solution was the one which he had referred to. With regard to plague, Mr. Francis's figures were quite correct as regarded the people who were removed from Taipingshan. He thought Mr. Pollock's suggestion was an admirable one. The best way he knew of to rid a particular town or district of plague, if it was really badly
THE HONGKONG, WEEKLY PRESS AND
to the apathy of the general public. Ho thoroughly endorsed Mr. Francis romark that the real want of this colony was more room, and if the Sanitary Board would go over the points made by Mr. Francis and show the Government how certain things can be done he had not the shightest doubt that the Government would do their best to carry out the scheme. (Applause.) - akong tum His Excellency Major-General GASCOIGNA said he should just like to propose a vote of thanks to Mr. Pollock for his most interesting lecture. He felt sure they would all agree with him and sympathise with him when he told them that he came there not intending to say anything. He was only locum tenens for the matter of three months,, and therefore he felt it was his place rather to listen most attentively to anything which was said rather than to say anything. However, he might tell them that every oue, of the things named that day would certainly, during the short time he had the honour of ad- ministering the Government, have all possible attention he could give them (Applause). Har ing said that much, he must say he thought they owed a great debt of gratitude to Mr. Pollock for having come forward in the way he had done and given them such-an, exceeding ly interesting lecture. He could not help thinking that Mr. May had struck the right note and that as to whether certain things. should be done did not rest with any Governor or Acting Governor, but with the public, They might depend upon it that if they really were in earne t to see reforms carried ont no power in the world could prevent their getting them
[May 5, 1900,
COMMITTEE AND STAFESCA
- Fince the last meeting the Hon. J. J. Kos-İ wick has returned to the colony and resumed his post of Chairman on the departure • Hon. J. J. Bell-Irving. The Committee (have to report with much regret the loss sustained by the sudden a death of Mr. H. L. Dalrymple, who has been a member of the Committee for 20 years. @Mr. II. E. Pollock has been appoint- ed to fill the vacancy The Committee now consists of the Hon. J. J. Keswick (Chairman), Messrs. 11. N. Mody, B. Layton (Hon. Tran- surer), N. 4. Siebs, and H. E. Pollosk. ↑ Mr. H. L. Donnys (Secretary, &c.) went home on leave in June.
THE STATE OF the building.se The building was thoroughly inspected the Arshitects, Messrs. l'almer and 'I'urner, October, 1899, and they report all the mail timbers to be in a sonnd condition. Sundry subsidiary timbers, principally in the verandahl,
had to be renewed on account of the attacks of
white ants, and one of the small domes required extensive repairs from the same cause, heal
The whole of the exterior of the building his been scraped and colour-wanted aud" "all the venetians repaired and varnished at a total cont of $1,000 (including architect's fees).
This expenditure falls into the present year's account.
The expenditure on repairs during the twelvo months ending 30th June, 1899, smounted to $1,988.66, including $700 contributed towards
the alterations in the Thestre referred to in the
last report, to which the Amateur Dramatic
infected, was to remove the people to a place or would desire to prevent their getting them. Clab contributed a similar sum.
where they could get fresh air and sunlight. With regard to the finding of dead bodies in the street, the best remedy he could think of for that was the institution of a per manent Chinese plague hospital. Heremembered that during the plague of 1897, when the con- struction of a Chinese plague hospital was not much in favour and when the number of bodies found in the streets was large,he had the honour to point out the mistake which was being made, and at bis suggestion the Sanitary Board mored the Government, tɔ allow a Chinese plague hospital to be opened Permission AS, giren, and the number of dead bodies found in the street at once, diminished. At the present time there was no Chiness, plague hospital in existence." If the plagne were to become very bad and the hospital at Kennedy town were to be filled no doubt one would he opened, but there ought to be a permanent one. Then the Chinese would not be so fearful of going into the hospitals and would not die in their houses and be found dead in the streets.. Mr. Pollock had mentioned the proposed Trust. Some of them might think that because His Excellency the Governor, no donbt for good and sufficent reasons, could not support the formation of the Trust, the thing was dead; but he had much pleasure in saying that it was not 80. His Excellency, the Officer Administering the Government author ised him only the previous day, to address, a letter to the Sanitary Board asking them to propare a scheme of such sanitary improve ments in the colony as they considered at the present time necessary, (Hear, hear.) That was a course which His Excellency the Governor, who was now absent from the colony, had himself approved of. Therefore they had asked the Sanitary Board to prepare a scheme- and he had no doubt that the Sanitary Board would do so—and they had the Officer Adminis tering the Government in favour of such a scheme being prepared, and he could assure them that Sir Henry Blake would also be extremely glad to see such a scheme. But he would like to remind them that that was not enough. - Insani tary matters no Governor could make any head- way in legislation unless he carried public opinion with him. (Hear, bear.) He must have strong backing, and he must say that in this colony the Governor did not always get sufficent backing when it came to sanitary legislation, He might point to the fact that the latest addi- tion to the statute book in connection with sanitary matters-thɔ Insanitary Propert Bill-took very yearly three years bef passer the Legislative Council. He did think that the Government officials Sanitary Board were respons delay Heattributed if in
ti
degree
In conclusion His Excellency said he was sure they would all agree with him, in heartily giving their expression of thanks to Mr. Pollock for his able and most interesting lecture, __(Applause.) + }
E
The Hon. W. MEIGH GOODMAN, in second ing, said he thought they bad-all derived very much profit from the paper...
The meeting then separated.
...i
THE CITY HÁLL,
ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS AND
TUBBORIBARÍ,2.,
The annual meeting of the shareholders and subsoribers in connection with the City Hall was held on the latinst. There were present the Hon. J. J. Koswiok (chairman), Messrs H. E. Pollock, N. A. Siebs, H. N. Mody, B. Lay- ton (Hon. Treasurer), and F. B. L. Bowley (Acting Søorstary),
:
i
The CHAIRMAN said-Gentlemen-The re- part and acconats are presented to you somo- what later than last year, owing to various ren-. on which I need not trouble you with, but in now presenting them I think you will agree with me that they are on the whole as satisfac. tory as the nature, and circumstances of the institution would permit. The City Hall (with its theatre and rooms generally); is devoted
d-to the public good as far as practicable on terms whish simply pay expenses without making profit out of it, and in that respect it has served useful public purposes. The report sets out very fully all details regarding the Library, Theatre, Museum, etc., and I need not recapitulate what it contains, but you will be glad to note the ex- tended hours to which the Library is kept open, and we hope that this will meet a want in af- fording many occasional visitors, strangers, and expecially members of the Mercantile Marine, opportunity to have a quiet hour's reading when they are so disposed, and it is a striking fact that since the Library was opened for these extra hours the number of daily visitors has numbered nearly four times what they did before. Mr. Pollock deserves a vote of thanks for the suggestion he made to 10 extend the hours and for his liberality in giving a donation of $500—to assist expenses in light- ing, books, de. (Applanse.) There appears to be nothing further which I need remark upon, and I beg to propose that the Report and accounts be adopted and passedang
earring;
MODY seconded, and the motion was rovements
This was all the business,
y
The following is the report The last annual meeting was held on the 3rd January, 1899
|
The interior of the Theatre, the halls, stair- cases aud entrance halls will soon require to be re-decorated.
tions and repairs during the year ending June
· Owing to the heavy expenditure on 'altera-
receipts by a small sud. 80th, 1899, the year's expenses exceed" the
USE OF THE THEATRE, ETC. During the twelve months from 1st July, 1898, to 30th June, 1899, the Theatre' was on- gaged by the Hongkong Amateur Dramatio Club, the School's Sports Committes, the Drai matio Company of H.M.S. Powerful, the Dag- mar Comedy Co., Messrs. Dallas and MusgravO, and others." The St. Andrew's Hall was used: for concerts and musical entertainments and the Ball Room suite was let for several Ballò. The St. Andrew's Hall and other rooms were as usual placed at the disposal of educational and charitable establishments for examinations, prize distributions and bazaars, free of óharge.
ST. GEORGE'S HALL.
A-fine portrait of Her Majesty the Queen has, through the generosity of Sir Thomas Jackson, who presented the picture to the Hongkong community, been placed in St. George's Hall.
The portrait was unveiled by H.E. the Go- vernor at the St. Andrew's Ball on 30th No.
ember, 1899, in the presence of one of Her Majesty's grandsons, H.I.H. Prince Henry of Prussia and the other guests of the St. An- drew's Society, and it now adds greatly to the appearance of the Hall.
THE LIBRARY,
The proprietors of the Government Gazette, the Daily Press, the China Mail, the Hongkong Telegraph and O'Extremo Orienle bare to be thanked for continuing to supply their journala gratis to the Library. Sir John Carrington, Colonel Wheeler, Doberok, and Messrs. Figg and H. L. Dennys have kindly contributed - books to the Library, to which Mr. H. L. Den- nys has also lent over 200 volumes dealing with China and the Chinese. The Hongkong Club has supplied back numbers of the Times; and Mr. H A. All»n “Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper” Copies of fifty-nine volumes published in Hongkong have been supplied by Government, of these the majority are educational or devotional pamph- lets in Chinese or Latin published by the vari- ous missions in Hongkong.
About 7,000 persons visited thet Library dur, ing the twelve months under revi The Li beary is now open untillly free to all lities every day of the week cep Sunda is likely to prove (convenie Mr. Pollock and other thanked for books and
by them. Mr. Pollock has also generousl
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