346
NORTHERN NOTĖS,
The following items are from the P. & T; Times of the 5th inst.:-
Sir Ernest Satow has gone to Shanhaikwan with General Creagh, whose guest he is.
General Ma seems to be a favourite with the foreign Ministers in Peking: we are told he is constantly being entertained at one or other of the foreign Legations.
The Japanese Government Printing Office has recently turned out two million sheets of bank notes for H. E. Chang Chih-tung, and is now printing a parcel for H.E. Yuan Shih-kai. The Chil Pao states that on the 30th ultimo eleven robbers were executed at a place named Dz Zau. After the men were decapitated, the officials ordered their heads to be hung up at the Peking market as an example to all evil. doers. One of the number was a prominent
Boxer.
We take it that as the troops of our garrison leave the public-house keepers in Taku Road will see it to their advantage to decamp for pastures new. We notice that one business is already for sale.
Prince Chin has directed the insignia of the various grades of Princes to be printed and distributed amongst the foreign Ministers, so that the wearers' rank may be able to be distinguished at sight.
Proclamations have been posted in Peking and Tientsin at the various Legations and Consulates, explicitly stating the facts of the Boxer rising, and expressing the apology of the Imperial Government.
The Peking-Hankow line which was commen. ced about three years ago has suffered much interruption, and only about 350 l from Hankow has been constructed; now, however, better progress is being made, and the line has reached Honan province.
House rent in Tientin native city has more than doubled since last year. This has been brought about by the extra cost of constructing new houses and the increasing activity of trade, but above all by the fact that large areas of tenements were destroyed by fire in 1900.
Owing to the arbitrary actions of the Officials in Honan the people are suffering much, more especially those who have houses when the temporary palace is being erect. The people are warned off at a moment's notice, and if they do not leave at once their houses are set on fire. No compensation is allowed for loss of their property.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
that the bricks and mortar of the suburb represent with fair accuracy the growth of British Tientsin during the decade.
The B. Battery of Royal Horse Artillery expects to embark for India on or about the 16th instant. It is understood that strong efforts are being made to make the home authorities reconsider the decision to send back the XII Battery R.F.A., and the Third Bom- bay Cavalry. Even as it is, General Creagh has none too many men for the long lines of communications he has to protect, and any lessening of their number in the present conditions of affairs in the Province violates the dictates of military prudence.
The Peking terminus at Chien Mon was first used on Tuesday last, and on the same day reil- head of the new Tungchow line reached the latter city. It is not generally understood that the French are also introducing the terminus of the great trans-China line (ria Panting-fu and Hankow) inside of the city, and that they propose to make a suburban station close to the Race Course. The hard-worked diplomats will now feel as if they running down to Epson or Sandown from Waterloo.
[October 26, 1901.
CORRESPONDENCE.
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
OFFICIAL EXTRAVAGANCE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE
says
DAILY PRESS,” 19th October. SIR,-I, with a great many others, thoroughly
Subscriber " endorse every word of what in his letter re above in Saturday's Daily Press. Would it not be far more creditable to the Hongkong Government-and more in keeping with a spirit of honesty and fairplay in its treatment of public servants-if, instead of giving 850,000 out of the Colonial funds towards a memorial to be erected in London, it would
with a portion of same-increase the present miserable wages of the subordinate members of the Civil Service? An increase, by the way, for which they have been begging since February, 1900, and were just as near getting then as they are now. When it comes to subscribing for memorials, etc., it does not take the Hongkong Government very long to set aside $50,000, bat when its public servants ask for an increase of pay it takes two years to give them a decided
auswer.
The Chinese plenipotentiarios have been urging the Ministers to reconsider their deter. mination not to discuss the handing over to the
With such ill-treatment and neglect Chinese the Government of the native city for 18 months. The Ministers, we are told, have on the part of those responsible, it is hard to agreed to discuss the matter when Chung Yen- expect men to perform their varied and dis- wan, formerly Vice-President of the Board of agreeable duties in a willing or satisfactory manner, for a mere existence in an unhealthy Revenue, who was fint degraded and then banished for advocating the usual official hints colony and climate, and under the most un-
conditions. that such a course was the line of least resis-favourable surroundings and tance, has now been pardoned. Doubtless the Yours, etc., reformer's shade duly appreciates the tardy Imperial clemency.
THE CHINESE EASTERN RAILWAY.
The Nagasaki Press of the 15th inst. says:- The rapidity with which the Chinese Eastern Railway Steamship Company has within the past few years augmented its fleet bears witness to the unceasing activity of Russia in these waters and to the volume of trade between the two principal Russian ports in the Far East. Contrary to general belief, the Company is a private concern and was formed in St. Peters- burg shortly after the acquisition of Port Arthur by Russia. Two lines are operated by the Company, the smaller vessels running between Port Arthur and Shanghai and the His Excellency the British Minister arrived larger between Port Arthur and Vladivostock, here from Peking on Tuesday afternoon last. via this port. All the vessels are subsidised and was met at the Station by General Creagh by the Government to carry mails, and and a number of British officers and civilians, during the lato troubles in North China of the vessels were chartered to amongst the latter being Judge Wilkinson, Mr. many C. W. Kinder, and the Chairman of the British convey Russian troops between Vladivostock Municipal Council. The Welsh Fusiliers pro-and Port Arthur. she frequency of the calls vided the guard of honour.
of the vessls at this port, where large quantities of cargo await transhipment either to Vladi- rostock or Port Arthur, has undoubtedly benefited local interests, and the expansion of the Company will still further add to the pros. perity of Nagasaki. The Company has now eighteen vessels running on the above-mentioned lines. The pioneer vessels were the Ningoota and the Spongari, two medium-sized steamers which were purchased in Europe. Fire new vessels were specially ordered from Europe, and while these were under construction, several well-known trans-Atlantic liners, which in their day had done good service, were also bought by the Company. The Harbin and the Hailar An order for two are among these vessels. small steamers was also placed in Shanghai, and the vessels-the Bareid and the Zeia-were launched early this year and are now running in these waters. The five yessels built in Eu- rupe have been delivered to their owners, but the increasing passenger trade between Port Arthur and Vladivostock made it imperative that larger steamers should be placed on the line. With this end in view, the Trieste Ship- building Company was entrusted with the con- struction of two vessels, which should embody the latest mechanical appliances and, from a point of marine architecture and general com- The first of these fort, be second to none. vessels, the Manchuria, which was launched in May last, reached this port on Thursday last on her maiden trip to the Far East. The sister ship, the Mongolia, is also on her way from Europe.
Mr. J. T. Skottowe sued Mr. John Cowen of the China Times for $186 for services, being work performed as correspondent and agent. The defendant brought a counter-claim for rent, &c. The Chief Justice before whom the case was brought delivered judgment on September 28, 100 dollars in favour of plaintiff and 33 dollars for defendant, each party to bear their own costs. The Je Je hears that the State lottery will probably be allowed by the Court; that it is to be issued only once; that there are to be 10,000,0 chances at 10 Tls. each which will ropresent 10,000,0 30 Tls. Ten million is to be allowed for expenses. Half of the remaining 90,000,000 is to go to prizes, the other half towards paying the indemnity. Comment is unnecessary.
Gradually the ruins caused by the Siege are being cleared away and new buildings erected in their place. Messrs. Butterfield and Swire intend erecting another godown on the spot where one was destroyed by fire, and we observe that Messrs. Mackenzie's godown, that was set on flame by shell-fire, is almost rebuilt. The Italians have also restored the godown at the Wool-mill.
1901 promises to be a record year in building in the Municipal Extension as far as residential houses are concerned. We counted as many as seventeen new foreign houses in course of erection this week, and as the foundations of another two are being dug, we shall see nineteen before the New Year. The first houses in the Extension were begun just ten years ago, so
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ONE UNABLE TO SUBSCRIBE.
WILLIAM POWELL, LIMITED.
Captain Tillett presided on the 19th inst. at the first statutory general meeting of the share- holders in William Powell, Limited. The other gentlemen present were Messrs. H. Humphreys, T. H. Reid, A. G. Stokes, W. H. Gaskell, and R. G. Heckford (Manager).
The Manager having read the notice conven- ing the meeting,
with
are
The CHAIRMAN said-Gentiemen, we meet to-day in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Ordinances of this Colony, which lay down that a meeting of shareholders of every new company must be held within four months after registration. Your directors have therefore called this statutory meeting in com- pliance with the local Ordinance. There is no particular business to lay before you on this occasion, but if any shareholder desires to put questions to me I shall be pleased to answer them to the beat of my ability. The capital of the Company has been fully paid up
As you the exception of 75 shares. doubtless aware, the profits of the business which was carried on by Messrs. W. Powell and Co., accrued from the 1st July, 1900, to the new company, and those profits, I may say, are very satisfactory. These profits will be duly considered and dealt with by your directors at a future date. I do not know, gentlemen, that there is anything more I can usefully add, beyond that our intention is to develop the business to the fullest extent, and to endeavour to meet the requirements of the public in all departments. There being no further business before the meeting, I will conclude my remarks by thanking you for your attendance.
The meeting then broke up.
A Yokohama contemporary learns that the work of reconstructing the railways in Formosa has been commenced. About a month ago the Wanri to Kagi section, in South Formosa, which forms a portion of the trunk line extend- ing from the southern extremity to the northern end of the island, was resumed under the direction of the island authorities. The laying of the rails on that route, measuring twenty- eight miles, was almost completed on a previous occasion, and it now only remains to constract a number of bridges of a temporary nature which are to be replaced by iron bridges in the course of next year when the material arrives The work is expected to be from abroad. finished by the middle of March next and the traffic on that section will then be opened.