F4
"
L
+
+
*
October 7, 1901.]
|
|
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
283
the district surrounding the Harbour, population was, on this occasion, taken by [15, is 58: which is a significantly eloquent Beyond affording protection and bringing | day; and, owing to the precautions taken, testimony, were one indeed needed, of the home to the people the fairness and justice as Mr. P. P. J. WODEHOUSE the Census want of a purely European School in that of the British system of government nothing Officer remarks, in all probability gives the part of the Colony! The Colony's floating can be done in the New Territory until the most accurate census of the boating popula-population amounted to 40,100, an increase Amid in above that of 1897 of well over 26 per cent.. land claims have been settled." Sugar- tion that has yet been taken. cultivation in the Territory is thought creases on all sides, it will be a surprise to although this may be partly attributable to capable of great improvement, sericulture most people to learn that the Portuguese the greater efficiency of the enumerators One of the most noticeable will probably he tried onta large scale, and community is dwindling; it was slightly this year. Sir HENRY BLAKE sees no reason why, over 300 smaller in number this year than features in this part of the Report is the with the further propagation of succulent in 1897. No reason is alleged, although fact that there are 200 launches in the grasses already growing in the Colony, the abnormal rents and the greatly enhanced, harbour-a number probably exceeded in hills north of the Kowloon range and the cost of living are the two chief contributory no other port in the world. It is satisfac- island of Lantao should not support a factors. Alone among the more consider-'tory to note that the enumerators and other sufficient number of cattle to render Hong-able sections of our cosmopolitan community, officers engaged in the by no means easy kong independent of the supplies now the Portuguese show an excess of females task of distributing and collecting schedules, procured from the West and North Rivers, over males: the proportion works out to 35 met with neither opposition nor obstruction. That the Governor's anticipations will be males for 8 females. In a total of 1.956-The Report, with twenty-two carefully verified will be the hope of all. The Gov- Fide Table V, although paragraph 18 of the compiled tables, is sufficiently exhaustive; ernment's methods have certainly been slow, Report says 1.948- 1,097 (the Report gives and, several trifling discrepancies in figures so that it may be trusted they will be sure. 1,095), or 56 per cent., were born in Hong-apart, due to changes in the clerical staff in Que more point we wish to call attention | kong : while 750, or 38 per cent., were born the middle of the work, as well as to the to in the letter before us, and that concerns [in Macao, Yet very few of them, it seems, departure of the Census Officer himself, the steamers trading between Hongkong | claim British nationality. The European Mr. P. P.J. WODEHOUSE, before the laborious and the West River ports. Sir HENRY and Americau divisions show large increases' tabulations had been completed both of BLAKE thus sums up the abortive negotia since 1897 and 1891; but, as certain impor- which facts are mentioned by the Hon. A. tions:-"The Companies interested asked tant sections comprised in them, for some W. BREWIN, the Registrar-General, in his no more than that they should have the unstated reason, were not included in the covering letter--the entire series of docu- liberty to carry passengers to and from last deceunial census, aveurate comparative ments is of liveliest and timeliest interest. any place on the river, undertaking to deductions cannot be made. The British, The total population resident in the Colony, “confine the carriage of cargo and parcels resident civilian population has nearly on Sunday, 20th January last, Civil, Naval "to the ports and stages already agreed, doubled in the last decade, having risen and Military, was 297,212. If to this be The added the people on the leased land known upon, and being prepared, if necessary, to from 1,448 in 1891, to 2.708 this year. carry a Customs Official on board and to Americans in our midst, in the same in- as the New Territory, we get a grand total conform to every local regulation as to terval, have more than doubled in number; of 399,566– say, in round numbers, 400,000 inspection, &c. This proposal, which I but this in great measure, is doubless due souls. made personally to the Viceroy Li HuNG- to the proximity of their first colonial
JAPAN'S PROGRESS. CHANG when on his way to the North, to acquisition. The proportion of adult females the Tsung-li Yamen, and to Sir ROBERT to males in the British section is steadily
(Daily Press, 30th September.) HART, was accepted by all three. It was rising, and may be looked upon as a highly
A visit to Japan two years after the aboli- referred to a Committee in Canton ap- gratifying sign of the times: the place is pointed by the Acting Viceroy, and, for beginning to be regarded more as a home. tion of extra-territorialty opens up many **some reason that I have not discovered, it Of the purely non-Chinese races, other than topies of interest. Rightly or wrongly, the was recommended by them that the pro- Europeans, Americans and Portuguese, concession of unlimited jurisdiction over the posal should be rejected." H.E. hopes, Indians, Japanese, and Philippine Islan- persons and properties of their nationals however, that the proposal may yet he ders show big additions: Malays alone to Japanese judges trained in dissimilar accepted. It is indeed to be trusted 'that give evidence" of a decrease. Eurasians social and legal schools of thought was this will be one of the details to be .con- are difficult to number. The word, here looked upon as a grave experiment by the sidered by the Powers and China in set- much more so than in the not listant majority of the European Powers; and tling the question of commercial facilities Straits Settlements, is looked at askance, serious complications were, not unuaturally, consequent on the recent conclusion of and is regarded as a term of contempt and anticipated by the residents, who were to be
reproach.
large mumbers of handed over without appeal to the new and Eurasians who dress, live, and are brought scarce fledged courts. It is characteristic of up as Chinese, have been returned as Chi- the thoroughness with which the Japanese nese. Under paragraph 25, either the Government and people have entered on or the numbers referring to the the new civilisation, that in the main these Salyingpun District are not in strict order. apprehensions have proved groundless, and Of the land population of the four biggest that no substantial grievance has arisen, Chinese villages on the Island, that of and but few international differences have Shaukiwan shows a substantial increase of needed adjustment. Certain well founded 1,721, of 23 per cent, more than in 1897 : the complaints were indeed raised of the manner extensive works inaugurated by Messrs. in which alleged assaults on Japanese coolies BUTTERFIELD and SWIRE at Quarry Bay by Europeans had been converted into mostly account for this. Aberdeen, with crimes by inexperienced and possibly pre- (Daily Press, 1st October.)
2,787, is practically stagnant. Stanley, judiced native judges, but the feelings The student of comparative statistics will, with 805, has lost 239 since 1897. The excited by these miscarriages of justice have revel luxuriously in the Report and Returns inland hamlet of Pokfulam has gone up for the most part had time to cool, and they of the latest decennial census of the Colony, from 384 to 610 in the same period. The seem to have led to a better mutual under- as published in the Government Gazette of considerable floating population of the first standing than if they had never occurred : 28th September. The census of the four three named places, in each instance, shows the foreigner has learnt that he is far more British Kowloon, quite likely to gain his ends by polite considera- hundred and odd villages comprised in the heavy increases. New Territory, mainland and islands, was exclusive of the New Territory, as might be tion than by a hectoring assumption of taken by the Police authorities; and its expected, shows up well. Its population in superiority, while the native, finding no ascertained population of 102,254 shows 20 years has more thap quadrupled. This utility in self-assertion, and content to how closely accurate was the estimate phenomenal growth hay be set down to accept the position, has returned to his the change arrived at by the Hon. J. H. STEWART the activity implied by the existence of the natural politeness and amiability. Amongst LOCKHART, C.M G., in his Report to the Naval Depot there, of the Briquette Factory, the Japanese themselves Colonial Office, as Special Commissioner, of the Kowloon Wharf and Godown Com- is equally marked; the excessive forni- dated 8th October, 1898, although that pany's extensive establishment, of the newly ality engendered by centuries of depen- calculation was based
on nothing more opened Cement Factory at Hok-in, and of deuce of one class on another, and the reliable than enquiries on the spot, combined the Dock Company's extensive workshops, bowings and prostrations that used to with pe sonal inspection. The difficulties to make no mention of the numerous other attend the chance meeting even of equals met with this year in the outlying districts | hives of minor industries that have sprung are now things of the past; and without and among the boating sections, chiefly into busy being on the peninsula opposite losing their native politeness, the Japanese →ascribable to nothing worse than simple during the two last decades. The number in their intercourse with one another have ignorance, were admirably tackled and over- of European and American children on the learnt to be courteous without a trace of come. The census of the native harbour' Tsimshatsui promontory, below the age of the former suspicion of servility. With all,
$4
prace.
Such are the main points of interest in the Governor's letter to the Colonial Secre. tary. It will be noted that the question of sanitation is, not dealt with. Are we to look for this in a year's time? It is true that the agitation for reform belongs to 1901, but nevertheless the evils existed in 1900, and we should have preferrel to see some official comment on the matter
THE CENSUS.
+
years
Hence