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August 10, 1901:]
BRYANT and May's manufacture, which, "in Japanese hands and manipulation, would be cut up into at least four good "serviceable matches. At the same time "the item of freight operates against the European-made article." Opium, though the value of its import increased from 1899 to 1000, showed a falling off of some 850 chests, and taking the records of the past ten years we find that Chinese competition is telling heavily against the Indian trade. The drug placed on the market by the Yuanan and Szechuan growers bids fair to aust the foreign drug from the Chinese market.
The bulk of articles exported to foreign countries are shipped to meet the demand of Chinese emigrants to the Straits, America, and our own colony. Only feathers, hair, hemp, sugar, tea, tobacco, and sundries, amounting in all to some £300,000, are claimed as destined for European use; but there is also the amount shipped to Hong- kong of goods eventually meant for foreign use and manufacture. The three largest exports to other Chinese ports are sugar, native cloth, and tobacco, and, of these sugar, the chief staple, showed a large fall- off in 1900, owing to the closing of the northern ports.
શ
The main feature of the year's shipping was the decrease in tonnage and numbers of visiting vessels of all nations except the Japanese, who showed a large increase. The gain of Japan was at the expense of Great Britain and amounted to some 132 steamers entered and cleared. The Japanese development of Formosa and the subsidised Osaka Steamship Co.'s line from that island to Hongkong, vid Foochow, Swatow and Amoy, have produced this result. The only satisfactory point for British traders is that the bean-cake and bean carrying trade from Chefoo and Newchwang, formerly conducted by German and Norwegian sailing ships, is now done by the more capacious British steamers, On the other, the transfer of the Scottish Oriental line to
The
German hands has made the coolie-carrying trade to Bangkok entirely German. emigration trade in general works smoothly, and Mr. SCOTT attributes this to the care of the Singapore and Sumatra governments who supervise the trade.
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The report concludes by calling attention to the continued development of inland steam navigation. Six British and six Chinese launches ran successfully between Swatow and surrounding centres of trade and population in 1900. A large and better class of launch than formerly is now employed, which accounts for the fact that fewer trips were made in 1900 than in 1899, though the tonnage is but little less. There was no obstruction from lekin or other native officials. The Chinese author-
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
NEW HONOUR FOR MAJOR-
GENERAL GASCOIGNE.
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The following is a list of inspectors who are; er who will be in receipt of house allowance, and it will be necessary in order to complete the scheme to select sites for their quarters :—Five (Daily Press, 9th August.)
senior inspectors of nuisances, four inspectors The bestowal by His Majesty the King of nuisances (first class), thirteen inspectors of of the rank of Knight Commander of St. nuisances (second and third class), one inspector Michael and St. George upon H.E. Major- of markets, one inspector of cattle-depots and General W. J. GASCOIGNE, Commanding animal slaughter-house. I may add that the the Troops in Hongkong, will, we are inspectors are allowed $30 a month for rent sure, be welcomed by every resident in the allowance, and the saving effected by the erection Colony. Other honours, as will be seen from of the three houses would be $1,080 yearly, which would give a return of six per cent. on the telegram in another column, have the estimated cost of $18,000, which, however, been received by various officers well known does not appear to include the cost of site. in Hongkong, but none will cause more The scheme was not, however, recom- satisfaction than thất which Major General | mended solely for its financial advantages, GASCOIGNE has received. During the but also on the ground that the majority of the whole of his stay in Hongkong Major-inspectors are wholly unable, for 830 a month, General GASCOIGNE has been most de- to obtain suitable accommodation for themselves servedly popular with every class in the and their families. The Vice-President wrote on the circulating cover of the M.O.H.'s letter: community; in his brief Acting Governor- I strongly endorse the recommendation. All ship last year he still more endeared himself these men ought to be decently housed free to us all. No distinction received by the of cost to them. As the office copy of the F.P. Colony could well be the cause of more is bound up, I have obtained the original from general pleasure, and we gladly take this the C.8.0. and attach it and a copy of the opportunity of expressing to H.E. the con- minutes of the members on the circulating gratulations of an united Colony on the cover of the M.O.H.'s letter.' honour which has been bestowed upon him.
ities, however, made no attempt to facilitate navigation by dredging or opening up water- ways, which indeed is not to be expected under the existing regimé in China. It is to be hoped that future reports will be able to chronicle an alteration in this attitude of the officials, which in the Swatow district, as elsewhere, does so much to check the advance of Chinese trade.
News has been received of the death of Inspector Thos. Moffat, at his home in Ireland. Deceased-had nearly twelve years' service in the Hongkong Police Force, and went home about eighteen months ago on sick leave. He never recovered sufficently to make his return to duty possible. Inspector Moffat while in Hongkong made hosts of friends by his unfailing urbanity, and was highly valued by his superiors for his conscientions- attention to duty. Mr. Moffat was in receipt of a pension-at the time of his denti
THE CRISIS: TELEGRAMS.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.]
Amor, 2nd August, 11.30 a.m. His Majesty's ships Glory, Eclipse and Daphne have all arrived at Amoy, but there is no trouble here.
AMOY, 3rd August, 11 a.m. H.M.S. Glory, with Admiral Sir Cyprian Bridge on board, has left for Hongkong.
All is quiet here.
SHANGHAI, 6th August, 6.17 p.m. The Russian steamer which was carrying M. de Witte, the Russian Minister of Finance, foundered on Friday off the Tae [?] Islands in a typhoon. All the passengers
and crew were saved in the boats.“
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HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 8th inst. at the Board room. The President (Hon. W. Chatham, Acting Director of Public Works) occupied the chair, and there were also present the Vice-President (Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G., Captain Superintendent of Police), Dr. Atkinson (Principal Civil Medical Officer), Dr. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. A. W. Brewin (Registrar-General), Lieut.-Col. Hughes, R.A.M.C., Mr. E. Osborne, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary).
HOUSING OF INSPECTORS.
WBS
The President minuted: "A complete scheme
is required before any progress can be made with this matter. The M.O.H. should draw up a list showing the number of houses required
and the number of rooms in each, with any
other facts. Unless it is considered necessary, none of them should be quartered in the central portion of the city."
Dr. Clark minuted in reply. "In my opinion each house should have four rooms, and they should be built two stories high, thus making two rooms on the ground floor for living pur- poses and two rooms on the upper floor for sleeping purposes, with a balcony on the upper floor. Coolie-quarters should be separated from the house by a yard. In is essential that the inspectors should live in or near their districts, and therefore some of the houses must be in the central part of the city-Tai- pingshan for preference. The quarters most urgently required are—(1) A house for the new inspector at the Kennedytown slaughter-house, house (3) houses in Taipingahan. So far a: (2) a house close to the Hunghom slaughter-
East Point is concerned, it would probably pay the Government best to purchase one or two houses in that neighbourhood from private owners, unless they prefer to rent them on long leases. Nearly all the men are married, and therefore barracks are out of the question. As there are at present twenty-four inspectors, therefore twenty-four houses are at present required."
Dr. Atkinson minuted: “I concur with the M.O.H. It is absolutely necessary that some of the inspectors should live in the central part of the town, and I would suggest that these be as possible, seeing erected first, and as soon there is plenty of vacaut space in the resumed area of Taipingshan."
The PRESIDENT said these papers had been A letter from Government was submitted circulated amongst the members of the Board, relative to the submission of a scheme for and, as would be seen, the Medical Officer of the housing of the whole staff of inspectors. Health had submitted a list of inspectors and The letter, which was dated 1st August, was stated how many houses it was necessary to from the Colonial Secretary, and read:-"I provide for them. The proposal was to pro- am directed to inform you that at a meeting | vide a separate house for each inspector, but of the Public Works Committee on the 15th that, to the President's mind, involved a scheme inst. the proposal to erect three houses on a which would be found to be very expensive. site in the Taipingshan reserved ares Mr. MAY was afraid he could not agree with considered, the estimated cost being $18,000. the scheme, which he understood recommended The members expressed themselves as not the Government to build a four-roomed house for in favour of this proposal, and requested that each inspector. To begin with, it was not every a complete scheme might be submitted by the inspector who was married, and again, there was Sanitary Board for the housing of the whole a certain class of women recognised as ineligible staff of inspectors. I am therefore to request to live in married quarters. Therefore the ques- the Sanitary Board to be good enough to submit tion certainly required reconsideration. To his such a scheme for the consideration of H.E. the mind there ought to be a certain percentage of Governor."
married quarters given, and the rest of the The Secretary attached the following minute: men should live like the guol officials or police With reference to the submission of a | officinis—in barracks, or at least three or four complete scheme, I beg to point out that the in a house. He moved that the question be erection of the three houses on a site in the further considered at the next meeting of the Taipingshan reserved area would appear to be Board. the initial step of a scheme for providing Mr. BREWIN seconded. He did not see, quarters for the inspectors, which was recom- however, why there should be a limitation of mended by the M.O.HL and strongly endorsed by two stories to a house. Why not have three, the Board. Vide the last paragraph of the and why separate the houses in the married M.O.H.'s letter dated 25th November, 1899.' uarters?
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