308
Boat Slips at Sai Kung
and Tai O
$1,500.00
Road from Sam-shui-po
to Lai-chi-kok
20,000.00
Road above Bowen Road,
joining Magazine Gap and Peak Roads ..
Extension of Plague Hos
10,000.00
pital, Kennedy-Town, 15,0 0,00 Park in Western District
of City...
10,000,00
House for Private Nurses, 12,000.00 Store Account
Total
100.00
802,316.68
...$3,739,312.26
COLONIAL SECRETARY'S DEPARTMENT. Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I observe a large increase in this Department. I should like to know why?
The CHAIRMAN-It is partly due to the increased staff in the Colonial Secretary's Department working in the New Territories. You will notice an increase, for instance, under the head of "Passed Cadets," whose services are partly required in connection with the New Territories. These cadets are included in the Colonial Secretary's Department during the time they are acquiring Chinese. You will also observe there is a rise in the office of Chief Clerk, it having been found that the work of the Department renders it absolutely necessary to engage the services of a chief clerk,
PUBLIC WORKS Department. Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I notice-and I
am not sorry to see it a considerable increase under this head, but I should like to know whether the Department will be fully able to cope with the very large amount of work being provided for next year.
The CHAIRMAN-As hon. members will per- haps recollect, His Excellency intimated, at a recent meeting of Council, that he had deter- mined to appoint a commission to enquire into the working of the Public Works Department That commission has now been appointed, and will be gazetted this week. One of the duties of that commission will be to ascertain whether the staff of the Public Works Department is sufficient to discharge the manifold and various daties accruing to it. If it is found not to be sufficient, I presume the commission will make recommendations to that effect, with a view to having the insufficiency made good.
POST OFFICE.
The CHAIRMAN-With regard to the Post Office, I wish to recommend a certain charge. If hon. members will turn to page 23 they will observe that provision for "Teachers for Clerks
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-The reason I ask is because Inderstand that young cadets have been appointed to the position.
The CHAIRMAN-Will you kindly mention when young cadets were appointed?
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I can't say. but I am glad to know that it is an expert officer who fills the position.
The CHAIRMAN-That is not the point. The hon. member has made a statement-will he kindly say on what grounds ?
HOD. T. II. WHITEHEAD-I took it for granted from what I saw in the local Press.
The CHAIRMAN-Well, I don't think it is
the case.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-I am glad to hear
it is not.
POLICE.
The amount under this item was increased to $539,261.80, making, with the increase under the item Botanical and Afforestation Depart- ment,” a total of 82,937,615.58.
•
QUARANTINE AND SEGREGATION CAMP AT
LAI-CHI-KOK.
"at Lai-
The CHAIRMAN-With reference to this item, I would suggest that the words chi-kok" be struck out, as H.E. the Governor has decided not to establish a quarantine and segregation camp at Lai-chi-kok. It has not yet been decided where to establish such a camp, but the idea is that it ought to be on an island.
the OFFICER COMMANDING
H.E.
the
TROOPS-I agree with that decision. I don't
think Lai-chi-kok at all suitable.
PARK IN WESTERN DISTRICT OF CITY.
The CHAIRMAN said the Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforestation Department bad estimated that $5,000 would be sufficient for this work, and recommended the Committee to reduce the original estimate of $10,000 by
that amount.
This was agreed to.
HOUSE FOR PRIVATE NURSES.
The Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD asked where the house was to be erected, and was informed by the CHAIRMAR that a site had not been definitely fixed upon.
to.
All the items of the Supply Bill were agreed The total sum under "Public Works Extraordinary now stands at $799,3:6,68, and the grand total at $3,724,982.26.
This was all the business.
SWATOW.
(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Swatow, 3rd October. THE OUTBREAK IN KWANGTUNG.
i
}
[October 12, 1901.
TONKIN NOTESĮ
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Hanoi, 1st October.
TRAMS AT WORK.
The engineers of the Hanoi Electric Tram- ways Co, a few days ago began the daily trials of trams, from the works to Negrier Place. The gearings and engines work very well, but these trials aim at accustoming the native and Chinese hands to the manipulation of the electric engines. Asiatics learn very quickly; though they don't know the elements of electric phenomena, their progress will permit them in a very short time to undertake the working of the first established lines.
THE YUNNAN LINE.
The company formed for the constructing and exploitation of the Yunnan and Indo- Chinese Railway has taken as its title "Com- pagnie Française des Chemins de Fer de l'Indo-
Chine et du Yunnan.' The administrative
conncil is composed of MM. Baron Hely d'Oissel, President; 'Alexis Rostand, Vice- President; Stanislas Simon, Administrator; Alfred Bourgeois, Dumouling, Gerard, Lefevre,
and Pontalis.
OBITUARY.
M. Le Roy de Mericourt, formerly head. naval doctor and a Commander of the Legion d'Houneur, member of the academy of medi- cine, and correspondent of several learned societies, died in Paris, on the 12th August, M. Le Roy de Mericourt was formerly head of the Service de Santé" in Indo-China, where he left affectionate memories.
GENERAL.
M. Doumer, our Governor-General, will embark on the Kersaint in time to arrive at Hanoi about the end of the present month.
John A. Booth, an American “globe-trotter gave at the Hanoi Hotel a very interesting talk on his journey as New York Herald reporter round the world. Doctor Le Lan acted as interpreter to the young American journalist. Many were present at this interesting affair.
The increase in the price of opium causes a great excitement amongst the Tonkinese smokers. The Press commenting on this increase says that its only result is the recru- descence of native smuggling.
M. A. Prezauls, Director of Customs has been called upon to act as Conseiller d'Etat at Paris.- M. Canalle, head Colonial Doctor, is appointed head of the medical staff at the Palais Luxem- the French Institute is in charge of a special inspection of schools in the Far East.-M. Wehrung, Director of the Russo-Chinese Bank at Shanghai, formerly a trader in Hanoi, and father-in-law of M. Malan, a contractor well known in Annam, is appointed an Officer of the Legion d'Honneur.
There departed by the Hatching, which left has been made in the Estimates for 1902. For here for Hongkong on Monday last, Dr. and merly the Postmaster-General never considered. Mrs. Maier, the Rev. and Mrs. Ebert, and Mrsburg, in Paris.-M. Emil Senart, a Member of it necessary to insert this item, but Captain Has-Schultz, of the German Basel Mission. This tings, since his return to the Colony, has deemed
party fled from Piang-thong, their mission it advisable to insert it, and I propose to insert, station, where a disturbance had broken ont, the figures $180, making $15 a month.
which at the time was very grave. Owing to the place mentioned not being in regular communi. cation with Swatow. very meagre information Various rumours The CHAIRMAN intimated that two changes of the occurrence reached us. had been suggested under this item by the of a calamitous nature were
very soon cir- Superintendent of the Department-(1) “As-culated, to which, however, full credence could sistant, New Territory," instead of Assistant not be attached. I learn from a reliable source Superintendent, New Territory, and (2) Kow- that the rebels burnt one mission chapel and loon Park" instead of Public Recreation, looted two houses belonging to German converts,
BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION DEPARTMENT.
Ground, Kowloon."
-nine acres.
The ACTING DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, in reply to questions, said the park was situated on the north side of Austin Road, and that, so far as it was at present laid out, its size was about The park, he added, was capable of extension at a later period.
It was decided to augment the sum under this item to $4,726.24-an increase of $200 over the original sum.
EDUCATION.
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD-Before passing that item, I should like to ask who at present fills the office of Inspector of Schools ?
The CHAIRMAN-The present Inspector of Schools is Mr. Irving, an officer who was transferred from the Federated Malay States to Hongkong. I may mention in connection with this that the officer who is to discharge these duties must have a knowledge of Chinese, and therefore the choice of candidates is a limited one, although I don't mean to say that the ohoice in the case of Mr. Irving has not been an excellent one.
H.E. TAO MU ON THE QUI VIVE.
As soon as the Viceroy of this province heard of the outbreak he wired to the local Taotai, urgently instructing him to protect all missions and afford every safety to the missionaries and their converts, and also to use all means in his power to quell the emeute. A batch of soldiers has been despatched from Chowchow-foo to the scene of the uprising. It is reported from Kiaying-chow that the situation looks more hopeful. I also hear that Mr. Schultz is in perfect safety.
Swatow, 4th October.
ARRIVAL OF TROOPS FROM CANTON.
At the request of the local Taotai, the Viceroy at Canton despatched 500 soldiers to this place, and they arrived here on board the Chinese gunboat Fuckpo this morning.
MR. KUTTER SAFE.
From enquiries made in the proper quarters I elicited the information that Mr. Kutter, of the German Basel Mission, was quite safe, but his exact whereabouts could not be stated.
According to a Victoria (BC.) telegram, Mr. William Whyte, Vice-President of the Canadian Pacific Railway, who recently return. ed by the Empress of China from a trip across Siberia, after a mission to investigate the trade probabilities of Siberia and Russian Asia, in order to determine whether it was advisable for the Canadian Pacific Railway to put on a new line of steamers between British Columbia and Vladivostok, although he was impressed with the possibilities of trade with the Russian East, will not make public his decision in regard to the establishment of the steamer service. In an interview given at Victoria he said the tariff imposed by Russia on all imports, which was higher on American goods than on any others, was likely to go a long way towards the endeavour of Russia to secure the trade for itself, but the tariff does not apply to Manchuria, although that province is distinctly under Russian control.
Goods for Manchuria are landed free and bonded through to that province. The people are very poor in Siberia, he said, but the country is rich, and with any nation other than Russia owning it, its great resources would be developed and it would be a rich country.