December 15, 1900.]
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
At the Monthly Meeting of the General Committee of the Hongkong General 'ham- ber of Commerce, held at 11.15 a.m. on the 10th December, 1900. Present: Messrs. A. Haupt, D. R. Law, A. M. Marshall, R. L Richardson, C. S. Sharp, N. A. Siebs, Hon. J. Thurburn (ex officio) and R. C. Wilcox Secretary).
MINUTES.
The Minutes of the last Monthly Meeting (held 15th November) were read and confirmed.
THE CHAIRMAN.
The Secretary read letters from the Chairman and Vice-Chairman regretting their inability (the former owing to indisposition, the latter to a summons to attend a meeting of the Execu- tive Council) to be present.
On the proposition of Mr. Marshall, seconded by Mr. Sharp,
Mr. N. A. Siebs took the chair.
The Chairman read a letter just received from Sir Thos. Jackson expressing regret that he would be unable to attend the meeting.
RESIGNATION OF MEMBERS,
The Secretary reported that Mr. W. F. Wenyon and Drs. Hartigan, Stedman and Ren- nie had resigned membership of the Chamber, such resignation to take effect on 31st Decem- ber. Mr Wenyon had left the Colony and now conducted his business from Glasgow,
THE BETTER CONTROL OF MASTERS AND ENGINEERS OF STEAM LAUNCHES. A letter was received from the Colonial Secretary on the 20th November announcing that Messrs. A. M. Marshall and D. R. Law had been appointed to a Committes to consider the proposed system of continuous record cer- tificates, together with the Captain Superin tendent of Police and the Acting Harbour Master.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
agreement was arrived at with regard to the tariff, the Chambers of Commerce at Hongkong and Shanghai would be afforded an opportunity to express an opinion upon the changes proposed.
The meeting then terminated.
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THE CRISIS IN CHINA.
LOCAL MOVEMENTS. The Italian transport Giara arrived on the 8th inst. from Taku.
The British transport Itaura left on the 7th inst. for Calcutta.
The British transport Vadala arrived on the
7th and left for Calcutta on the 9th inst.
The British transport Penarth arrived on the 9th inst. from New Zealand with a cargo of coal. The U.S. transport Argyll arrived on the 10th inst. from Vigan.
The British transports City of Cambridge and Penarth left on the 11th inst., the former for South Africa and the latter for Shanghai.
The Japanese cruiser Izumi left on the 11th inst. for Åmoy.
The Italian transport Giava left for Singa-
pore.
AN IMPERIAL DECREE.
TUNG FUHSIANG AND INTERNATIONAL
AMENITIFS.
The following decree, issued on the 3rd inst, deals with the cashiering of General Tung Fuhsiang. We are indebted to the N.-C. Daily News for the translation.
Tung Fabisiang, Provincial Commander-in- Chief of Kansu, while in command of said pro- vince, succeeded in gaining great fame for the mannor in which he suppressed the recent Mahommedan rebellion, but, on the other hand, he is ignorant of international amenities. In consequence of this, whenever the Throne desired to continue and preserve friendly re- The Chairman said that perhaps Mr. Marshall|lations with Foreign Powers, Tung Fuhsiang. would be good enough to tell them what had been done.
Mr. Marshall said that Mr. Law and himself had a meeting with the Captain Superintendent of Police and the Acting Harbour Master, at which the suggestion with regard to the con- tinuous record certificates of masters and en- gineers of steam-launches was discussed at some length, and it was decided to recommend the Government to sanction a record of service being kept in a register at the Harbour Office. The Harbour Master objected to the endorse ment of such record on the certificate of com- petency as suggested by the Chamber on the ground that it would probably lead to forgeries of certificates being perpetrated.
The Chairman-Do you think the plan re- commended will answer the purpose?
Mr. Marshall-Yes, I think it will prove an effective check upon the men.
THE CONTRACT FOR CARRIAGE OF MAILS
FROM HONGKONG TO CANADA.
Read letter from Secretary, Montreal Cham- ber of Commerce, dated 27th October, enclosing
copy of a resolution adopted unanimously by that body on the 17th idem, expressing the opinion that the occasion of the renewal of the contract between Her Majesty's Government and the Canadian Pacific Railway Co. should be seized to ask for additional facilities (increas- ed number of trips) and acceleration of service. The Secretary said that an acknowledgment of the letter had been despatched on the 3rd
December.
PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF THE BANKRUPTCY
ORDINANCE.
In reference to this question, Hon. J. Tharburn said the Bill submitted to the Government by the Chamber would come up for first reading at the Council meeting to
be held that afternoon. He understood that some little time would be allowed to elapse before the second reading to give opportunity
for its consideration.
THE REVISION OF THE CHINESE TARIFF.
In view of the fact that peace negotiations appear to be impending at Peking and as it is probable they will include a revision of the tariff, the Committee decided that a letter should be addressed to Sir Ernest Satow,
British Minister in China, intimating that H.E.'s predecessor in office, Sir Claude Mac- donald, promised the Chamber that before any
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sailors. One of the former, named Cummings, a private in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, wa rather severely injured by a fall from the veran- dah on the first storey. He is supposed to have been leaning over the balcony calling for hose, when he overbalanced and fell to the street below, alighting on his back. He was picked up in a semi-conscious state and conveyed in an am- bulance waggon to the Military Hospital, suf- fering from injury to the thigh and head. This, fortunately, was the only casualty. In connection with the presence on the scene of soldiers and bluejackets and the part they played in the operations, a fireman of eight years' standing informed our representative that they hindered rather than assisted the firemen. * But for the interference at the start of a number of blue-jackets, our informant says, who forcibly took the hose from the Chinese firemen and dragged it to where they thought the flames could be more effectively reached, the outbreak would have been subdued before ten dollars' worth of damage was done. As it is, the figure is expected to be a large one, although it had not been approximated when we went to press. From a private source we learn that there was a glaring want of discipline amongst the firemen. No one appeared to be in command, and everyone shouted orders, with the natural result that confusion marked every movement. One of the firms involved, a Spanish company trading under the name of Tejada, is insured to the amount of 83, 00; the other, D'Agostini, is not. At eleven o'clock on Sunday night no further - particulars were to hand, except that the first and second floors have been gutted. The ground floor was slightly damaged by water. The firm occupying the first floor is insured to the extent of $3,000 in the Hongkong Fire Insurance Company, but the second floor, which is oven- pied by two families, is not thus covered. The origin of the fire is not definitely known, but it is supposed to have been caused by some Chi. nese throwing live cigarette ends amongst some odds and ends underneath the stairway leading to the first floor.
in his ignorance, always displayed roughness and impetuosity utterly at variance with the The Chinese caretaker of the building, wishes of the Throne. For such conduct the who disappeared after the occurrence, has said Tung Fuhsiang ought to be punished turned up again, but can give no explanation of severely, but considering the strategic import the outbreak beyond the fact that he left a lamp ance of Kansu province and his intimacy with burning in the first floor office. The damage to the requirements of said territory, we hereby the building itself is estimated at $800; the total deal leniently with the said Commander-in-chief | loss will probably be something between four and merely cashier him of his rank and titles and five thousand dollars. while he is allowed to retain his post. We have Private Cummings, is reported to be dan already ordered the disbandment of 5,500 mengerously ill. He is suffering from injuries to of his army, and we hereby command him to the head and spine. take charge of those that are left, namely the several battalions of his personal troops, and leave forthwith with them for Kansu to guard the various important points there. The further favour of the Throne will depend upon the said Tung Fuhsiang's future conduct.
FIRE IN QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL.
SOLDIER FALLS FROM A VERANDAI. Fire broke out on the evening of the 9th inst.
A MATSHED FIRE AT HAPPY VALLEY.
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A
About five o'clock on Monday afternoon a large matshed in connection with the building now being erected at Happy Valley by the Land In- vestment Company, through some means not yet known, caught fire. It originated near the door, which, in the dry state of the timbers, was almost immediately ablaze. Sergeant shortly after seven o'clock-7-10 is the time given Ritchie, Central Police Station, who had been by the police on the first floor of a building watching the game between the Hongkong at Beaconsfield Arcade, Queen's Road Central, Club and the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, hurried which is used as an office. The ground floor is to the spot, and hearing ories coming from inside occupied by a Japanese curio-dealer, and the the burning matshed, which was now almost second or top floor is used as a family house. entirely enveloped in fames, made his way, in Sergeant Kendall
was probably the first spite of the intense heat, to the rear of the erection. At the cost of some rather nasty cufa man to detect the outbreak. He was pass- ing along Queen's Road, when he noticed
on the hands, he tore down the planking, and smoke issuing from the first floor of the building saw that there were about a dozen coolies inside -some running about like frightened sheep, in question. He at once, though not without difficulty, located the seat of the fire, and others huddled together in a corner, while oze or two, in the madness of their terror, telephoned from a grill room situated on the had ascended to the cockloft, hoping thus premises to the Central Police Station, summon-
to place themselves beyond the reach of the ing assistance. Shortly afterwards some Chi- nese firemen arrived with a despatch box, and flames. Sergeant Ritchie dragged them out, Sergeant Kendall superintended the rigging-up one by one, through the hole he had made, al- of the hose they brought with them, and saw that it was properly directed on the flames. The Central Fire Brigade arrived soon afterwards,
The heat of the burning matshed was in- and energetically set about mastering the out- break, which had assumed rather alarming tense, and unbearable at a distance of thirty foot. The wood, too, was sa dry as a bona, proportions. Their exertions proved suO-
and crackled with report similar to that cessful, and by half-past eight the flames were of musketry. A despatch box from No subdued. The upper storey, from its location, was exposed to the full fury of the fire, and 1 Station, in charge of some Chinèse fire- collapsed. Fortunately no one was injured. men, arrived, bat--the irony of it—there was NO
Willing assistance was rendered the Fire Brigade by a large number of soldiers and
though several were so dazed with terror that the fire was almost upon them ere they were torn from its reach.
• In connection with this we call 'our
tention to a letter signed “ Bluejacket