May 20, 1901.1
Isolated, and refuses to resign until he has sub- mitted to the Emperor a full statement of his financial ressons.——-Japan Mail.
With regard to Marquis Ito's resignation of the Japanese Premiership, it is stated that some of the elder” statesmen in that country regard the action of the Marquis as altogether inappro- priate. In certain political quarters a rumour is afloat that an Inouye-Okuma Cabinet may be constructed. This, however, is not generally considered probable, and it is thought that the aforesaid “ elder
statesmen will voice united Japan in calling on Marquis Ito to as sume again the reins of government in order to redeem his pledge to effect a thorough reform in administrative and financial affairs.
CORRESPONDENCE.
We do not hold ourselves responsible for the [opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
THE ECLIPSE IN CHINESE ALMANACS.
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
importance at the present time, and I trust your readers all over the Colony will interest themselves in it to the extent at least of giving whatever public support may be required of them, to any intelligent movement for the mitigation of the evils described.
There is grave danger that one and all of us, as a community, may rest contented-or discontented rather feeling that expression has been given, not only now, but from time to time for years back, to our complaints, and, recognising the apparent uselessness of further action, hesitate to bestir ourselves about a remedy. But is it not possible that something may be done? Seeing what is taking place in Australia now, and what our Government at home is prepared to do in South Africa when opportunity offers, let us take heart, and make an effort in the belief that we have not yet as a community done all that we might have done in this ma ter.
Let us have public meetings; let us obtain the views of the European, and especially of the British, residents on the matter of Municipal Councils, etc., and let us make one representation to the Government at home, and ae whether a deaf ear will be turned to Hongkong.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS,” May 12th. SIB,-In connection with the partial eclipse Personally, I am not in a position to vouch of the sun, which will be visible in the colony, for your contributor's remarks re the Govern- weather permitting, next Saturday afternoon, ments of the Straits and Shanghai, not having May 18th, between one and three o'clock, it is lived in those places, but his description of the interesting to observe the phases of this and state of things in Hongkog is not a bit exag- other eclipses of the year, as given in the popu-gerated, and I have no doubt his remarks on lar almanacs of Canton. There are may in- those other places are also correct. accuracies, to be sure, basides the numerous misprints with which such books usually abound; and yet there is a general exactness and an agreement among them, which manifests their common origin from some competent astronomi-—Yours, etc., oal source. They must all be taken from the official imperial almanac, of which, I believe, there is an edition for each province.
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Press, I fully b-lieve an agitation could now be With a strong backing up from the local started which would ere long result in a greatly improved system of Government in our midst.
M.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE ( DAILY PRESS.” 16th May.
The most glaring inaccuracy is that of those almanacs which took last year for a leap-year; they are out by just a day in all their predic- tions. This error; however, is not in the source; SIR,-The article by “Scrutator" is refresh- it goes back only to the local savants who drew ing and straightforward, but will it wake the up the concordance between the calendars. Colony out of its lethargy? The majority of Other inaccuracies are not so easily accounted Englishmen here are apparently content to for. They say, for instance, that the greatest grumble against the Governor and the Govern- phase of next Saturday's eclipse will occur atment instead of demanding an independent 2 h. and 14 min., which is at least a quarter of enquiry. An official enquiry would be a farco in an hour out, if the capital be taken as the point a colony governed on the principle of a Gilber- of observation. If such an error be in the im- tian comedy. We read of one official acting as perial almanac, it may perhaps be sufficiently Director of Public Works, as Water Authority, accounted for, partly by the imperfection of Head of the Sanitary Board, and what not; eclipse tables at the time the calendar was drawn whilst another is head of a Department one day up, and partly by the inexactness of assigned and Colonial Secretary the next. It is a family geographical positions at that time. If such be party. Independent opinion under these condi- the case, it were time that the calendar be revis- tions is impossible. We need go no further ed. But that is a matter which will more easily than the astounding fact that in so large a admit of delay than some others, just at present colony no decent Englishman will serve on The imperial calendar referred to is the the Sanitary Board as an Unofficial Member. Kang-hei Perennial Calendar," published in Dr. Hartigan tried hard to bring about reforms 1678 by Ferdinand Verbiest, the well known and benefit the community generally, but gave missionary, who constructed the splendid in-up his seat on the Board, and publicly stated struments of the old observatory on the wall.
his reasons. He was wasting valuable time, The calendar fills thirty-two volumes Chinese and very properly declined to continue the farce. volumes. It covers 397 years, from 1824 to We have the spectacle of a Government refus 2020, and goes into detail, giving, for instance, ing to allow a European reservation; therefore the time of sunset and sunrise for the pro- we must suffer the sacred Chinese to live next vincial capitals and principal cities. Thus door to us. We have also been edified by a compilers of local almanacs have at hand de Governor deliberately proposing (to please the tailed information for notices of eclipses. For Chines) that plague precautions should be the eclipse of the 11th November next, for practically suspended in a certain district, and instance, the magnitude of the eclipse is given, this at a time when plague is raging! We the time of first contact, of greatest phase, and have seen Chines dying from plague carried the magnitude of the eclipse at sunset, when openly along the public streets in public chairs; the sun goes down still partly obscured. The and in one case, at least, the chair was allowed almanacs, however, are a little arbitrary and not to ply for hire afterwards without disinfection. very conscientions in their use of the data thus We have seen plague infected clothing carried supplied them. One of them for this year by Government servants on to the crowded quite ignores the eclipse of next November, public ferries, and we see on all sides houses apparently to make room for the vastly more being built which can only be described as important announcement, printed in large plague incubators," and where fresh air and letters, that the day is favourable for having sunlight the enemies of plague cannot recourse to medical treatment-
duimet 18AM-PA-TSAI.
MUNICIPAL FREEDOM
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “DAILY PRESS,”
SIR The cont: ibution of Scrutator" in your issue of this morning is one of the best things you have given us for a long time. The subject matter is of the most pressing
enter.
10 THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILYŠ
16th May,
to
SIR,-Your splendid and vigorous article re Municipal Freedom in to-day'a ___ isano is quite in accord with what a suffering com• munity has been agitating for years support your views may, I be permitted some suggestions? In the first instan want money to carry ont reforms, raise funds I would say reduce the salari all the high officials by 25 per cent, as long as we have plague here, and utilise the dollars in employing additional sanitary staff to cleanse the city. And how to cleanse the city is an- other question I put, if our local Medical Officer of Health will take no preventive measures for stopping an army of night soil coolies from dumping night-soil in all the drains over the city—thus spreading the germs of varions diseases.
We lead of cases in the Police Court of the above serious offence. Mr. Editar, who coolies being fined one or two Mexicans, for
Health, or who?-The Government. What is guilty-the coolie, the Medical Officer of should be done in such a case is a severe sentence; for a long term with a dose of flogging would deter people in continuing to commit the offence. The P. W. D. should build st free baths on the Praya at the west end for once (not in half a dozen years hence) public the coolie class, using sea-water, which costs nothing, and some fresh water taps na a final donohe. These few suggestions may help to eradicate the plagus partly from qué midst.se
SANITARY REFORM.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “DAILY PRESS,'
16th May.
SIE, The article by “Scrutator”in the Daily Press this morning is very true, and I for one will give my share to the expense of sending one copy of that article in pamphlat form to every Member of the British House of Commons, headed 44 Hongkong five hundred years behind any other place in the world."- Yours, a c.,
A RATEPAYER,
* BUT NOT A VOTER.
"
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
16th May. SIR," Scrutator in his logically written article appearing in your this morning's issue brings forward some of the most serious grievances of the residents of this Colony, The article should not only attract the at- tention of the local Government, but be the means of arging them (if that le possible)
take immediate steps to remedy the great evils in question.
It is high time that the Government should discontinue being deaf and indifferent to the cries of the public in matters which are of most vital importance for the health and welfare of the people,
When will the Government awaken to their duty (as such it is without doubt) to determined and reasonable stops to improve the decidedly bad sanitation, and to fight fully against the most fearful diseases whic are continually our visitors ?
Why does the Government persist in evading facts, which are there, instead of facing them, and doing what can be reasonably expected of them? But it is never too late to mend 1 Let us hope they will now at last open their Yours, sto
UNSURFACED ROADS,
FIAT
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “ DAILY PRESS,
gy, 15th May Sız,—In Mr. Ormsby'■ mention of achievements of the P.W.D. in Hongk
mys that " Sectio 4 and 5 We must ask the Home Government to order into fall
lthough an independent investigation; until this is done "unsurfaced. ́** "we suffer, and calmly watch the spread of sounding word that
disease and mismanagement. I suppose there non-performance, is no ether English colony in the world where in the such state of affairs would be permitted to || and exist. A committee for public safety, on the the lines of the Navy League, is urgently needed. Yours, etc.
PROTEST