September 15, 1900.]
treaty ports. It is difficult to find a valid ground in the rules for this refusal, unless per- haps it is to be looked for in the meaning of the words nei ti as defined above I am inform ed, however, that this prohibition has been with- drawn, at least as regards this port, and that inland launches now run from Canton through Samshni to the North River."
After noting an increase in the trade of the four ports of call, Kongmoon, Kumchuk, Kow- kong, and Takhing, Mr. Little proceeds to some general remarks from which we take the follow- ing:
*The substantial trade indicated by the forego- ing figures and the large increase compared with the previous year would seem to warrant the expectation of a prosperous future for the port, but, unfortunately, enquiries reveal facts which considerably mar the prospect. A portion of the trade does not properly belong to the port and has been diverted to it from other places by causes which may at any time cease to operate. A large quantity of foreign goods find a market in Kowkong and should enter that place through the stage of Kumchuk, which is only a few miles distant, but when a brisk trade grow up the authorities established tax collecting stations which levied heavy charges on foreign goods passing between the two places. Importers thereupon consigned their goods to Samshui, where they are conveyed in native boats by a different route to Kowkong and thus avoid the taxes.
These facts show that the prosperity of the port is more apparent than real and does not rest on a sound basis.
*
The chief hope of a future for the port lies, in my opinion, in the development of the North Rivor trade.
15.
·Being situated at the mouth of the river, and there being no treaty port beyond, Samshui would handle most of this business, as well as the import trade, provided the position were not changed by the opening of new places to foreign commerce. It is, however, too near the great marts of Canton and Hongkong to ever become a real distributing centre for foreign imports."
Finally as to piracy Mr. Little says:- "Piracy still continues unchecked, and a num-
ber of vessels, including one or two flying the British flag, have been stopped and robbed. The lekin boat in the harbour was raided by some lawless characters from the oposite side of the river and despoiled of its contents, the tax collectors having been first tied up and deposit. ed in the bottom of the boat. The pirates are, however, not a blood-thirsty lot, and they let their victims go without injury after having plundered them. Recently an organised attack by several parties of men armed with modern rifles was made on a steamer from both sides of the river at a narrow place. Several passengers were killed and wounded and the bows of the ship were riddled with bullets. In consequence of this occurrence I hear that the wheel houses of several steamers are to be protected with Harveyised steel. In view of the apparent help lessness of the local authorities, the only remedy seems to be to enlist the assistance of the peo. ple by making each district responsible for law- less acts occurring within its bounds. The in- jury resulting from the present state of things is, however, probably more indirect in hamper ing the development of native trade than direct in stopping steam traffic."
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
HONGKONG.
Mr. R. F. Drury has been appointed Execu- tive Engineer, Public Works Department.
Mr. R. H. Hollingsworth has been appoint- ed Acting Consulting Sanitary Surveyor.
The annual camp of instruction in connection with the Honkong Volunteer Corps will be held from the 19th to the 29th October.
It is notified in the Gazette that Surgeon Captain J. A. Lowson, Hongkong Volunteer Corps, has been granted twelve months' leave of absence.
The case brought against Consul-General Wildman by the Filipino Junta, which has been considered in chambers, has been dismissed with costs.
The only case of communicable disease, other than plague, reported in the Colony last week, was one of enteric fever on the s.8. Antillian, from Cape Town.
The City Hall Library and Museum were visited last week by 290 non-Chinese and 96 Chinese, and 22 non-Chinese and 283 Chinese respectively.
A Chinaman who had been arrested for carry- ing arms and had been let ont on bail failed to answer to his name on the 8th inst. Consequent ly the bail-$100-was escheated.
From the beginning of the year up to noon yesterday there were reported in all 1062 cases of plague and 1004 deaths. During the week ending at noon yesterday there were 6 cases and six deatds.
The Hon. Treasurer of the Alice Memorial
and Nethersole Hospitals begs to acknowledge with thanks the following donation to the funds of the Hospitals:
Lawrence Gibbs
810
The coxswain of Blackhead's launch has been fined $50, or two months, for plying without a license. Sergeant Gourlay caught him towing a rice junk, the master of which told the Ser- reant that he had undertaken to pay the defen- dant $140 for doing so.
The police launch which went out to Tai-Ho to the assistance of another, which had lost her propeller, herself came to grief, her propeller being also damaged, and a third launch had to go out for them. They all reached the harbour all right at about ten o'clock on Wednesday night.
The Return of Stamp Revenue during August 1899 and 1900 shows a total increase this year of $18,900.57. The principal items which have increased are:---Probate or Letters of Adminis tration. $14,132.00. Conveyance or Assignment, $4,223.00; Bank Note Duty, $1,144.84. The only large decrease is in the item of Adhesive Stamps, in which the falling off is 81.501.54.
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West Yorks, was the champion swimmer of his Sergeant Burrell of the A. P. C., when in the regiment. The other day his knowledge of the natatorial art stood him in good stead. He was out with a picnic party, and when near Capsuimoon several of the party decided to have a swim. Sergeant Aldridge, of the A. M. C., got into the current and being at the same time seized with cramp was in a dilemma. Sergeant Viggers, of the A. O. C., went to his assistance. He, too, found the current too strong for him, and was being carried away when Sergeant Burrell plunged into the water and kept them aflost until rescued by a junk.
Inspector Macdonald and a party of police visited 67, Battery Street, Yaumati, shortly after According to the latest report reaching seven o'clock on Monday night, and on the first Manila from the Camarines, there is.every floor they found between 20 and 30 men playing indication of a rice famine taking place in the at "Pai Kau." Ip Lam, who was evidently the Lagonoy district unless immediate steps are keeper of the house, had a stack of dominoes in taken to avert it. A wire from San Jose de front of him, and he was throwing some dice Lagonoy to the Manila Times by their special and distributing some dominoes. He was ar correspondent says: An inventory of the rice rested, together with 11 others. He was fined on hand shows sufficient grain only for a few $25, or a month, and the rest $2 each, or 14 days. days. The Spanish merchants there prefer to A Post Office employee named P. A. Rozario, import rice in small quantities, selling high, at who resides at 28, Elgin Street, was charged $13 por caban, but their stock is somewhat with assaulting a rickshaw coolie named Wong exhausted. The people have plenty of money Kung. The complainant told Mr. Hazeland to buy rice, but there is one to buy. The that at about half-past five on Monday night he population is 50,000 and t district will was driving his master past Lyndhurst Terrace' require an importation of sarly 1,000 cabans of when he met the defendant and three other rice per day for several y since the cattle Portuguese. He called out, but just as he was are sil dead. This is the richest hemp district in passing him the defendant caught hold of the the island, and the exchange of rice for hemp is shaft of the rickshaw and then kicked him. exceedingly profitable, but there are as yet no The master of a piece-goods shop near corrobo Americans or Englishmen here. Hemp is sell-rated, and the defendant was fined $5, or 14 ing for less than $10 per picul.”
days. A cross-summons was dismissed.
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211
For stealing some brass locks and some cop- per from the Naval Yard a Chinaman was on the 10th inst. sentenced to three months' hard labour. He was trying to creep out by way of the New Reclamation when an Indian constable pounced upon him and found the brass con-
cealed in his trousers.
The new Session of the Hongkong College of Medicine for Chinese commences on Monday next, the 17th instant, and the arrangements, as approved by a meeting of the Senate on the 11th instant, have been sent round for the in- formation of members of the Court and Senate. The Session is from the middle of September to the middle of December.
Mr. George Waddell, of Ormsby Terrace, Kowloon, gave his boy, Un Hong, into custody on Tuesday night for leaving his service with- out reasonable notice and also for stealing six pieces of clothing, one umbrella, one gong, and one cap, on or about the month of February, The boy's story was that he had not run away but had been sick in hospital. He was afraid to go back to the complainant because the latter did not treat him well. He did not steal the articles in question. Several of them were given to him by the complainant in lieu of wages. His Worship considered the boy justi- fied in keeping away from the complainant and discharged him.
The following is the return of the average amount of bank notes in circulation and of reserve in Hongkong during the month ended August 31st, as certified by the Managers of the respective banks :-
Banks. Chartered Bank of India,
Australia and China...$ Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. National Bank of China,
Limited
Total
Average Specie in amount. Reserve. 2,696,366 $1,500,000
7,546,934 5,000,000
429,827 150,000
810,673,127 $6,650,000 Mr. C. T. Kew, dentist, who resides in Kow- loon, called at Tsim Tsat Tsui Police Station on Tuesday night and reported that his coolie who had just come over from Hongkong had told him that between half-past seven and half- past eight that night his business premises in Queen's Road Central had been broken into. He could not cross the harbour himself, as the launches stopped running at six o'clock in the evening, so the Inspector telephoned to the Central
Police Station. An investigation showed that a Chubb's patent padlock had been stolen from the door, but that the premises had apparently not been entered, nothing having A small boy informed the been disturbed. constable told off to watch the premises that he had seen a Chinaman wrench off the padlock and take it away.
The recent enlargement of the Hongkong
Daily Press, from four pages to eight.
pages, necessitated the introduction of larger machinery, two new quad-royal machines being secured from Messrs Miller and Richards, of Edinburgh, to enable the paper to be printed in one sheet, uncut. Hitherto the machines have been run by coolies, a slow and unsatisfactory process, which it was impossible to continue with the larger and consequently heavier ma- chinery. After considerable delay in the execu tion of the order at home the Hongkong Electric Co., Ld., have just successfully sup- plied and fitted an electric motor, the ma chinery being now run by electricity, the1 first experiment of its kind in Hongkong.' The motor was made by the Fuller Wenston Electrical Manufacturing Company, London. It is 24 B. H. P. and rotates at a speed of 1,050 revolutions per minute. With alternating current motors the great trouble has hitherto been to devise a successful means of starting them against a load, and although no perfect method has been devised, it has been found possible to overcome the difficulty by an in- genious device. The motor shaft is fitted with a clutch pulley so constructed that until the motor has ran up to nearly normal speed the motor shaft revolves freely. When the proper speed has been reached the clutch comes into action and causes the belt pulley to rotate and drive the machinery. The motor is fitted with self-oiling bearings, which require a minimum of oil and attention. The fitting of the printing machinery was done by Messrs. G. Fenwick and Co., Ld., who also supplied the shafting, etc.