Fab ruary 1, 1902.)
school ought to combine Primary and Secondary education, with an adjustment of the scale of fees accordingly; (2) that religious teaching should be obtainable; (3) that some arrangements for boarding should be provided. It will readily be understood that these suggestions do not by any means cover the whole field, and that though they may be accepted as general principles upon which to act they give a quite inadequate iden of what the parents who would utilise the new school desire for their children. It seems to us, we repeat, that the parents would do well now if they were to take Their petition has been met in a gratifyingly prompt and friendly way, and this deinands in turn that they
some action.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
MISSIONARY TROUBLES NEAR SWATOW.
(Daily Press, 28th January.) On the 27th November last we published a letter from our Swatow correspondent, in which were certain remarks on the subject of "missionary interference" in the Swatow neighbourhood. The North-China Daily News reproduced the story contained therein, and immediately received an indignant protest from a correspondent on behalf of the Roman Catholic clergy. On the 7th December we published the termination of the incident according to our Swatow corres pondent, and to this our Shanghai contem- porary alluded in commenting on the letter
shall not now sit down and wait. It would sent to it. We dealt with the whole matter
be exceedingly unsatisfactory if a spirit of indifference were now to gain upon them, and if, leaving the rest of the task to the authorities-assisted only by what evidence the Commission can collect --the parents were to wait to criticise the work done when it is too late. The position is now, if we may so express it, that it stands up to the parents to act. We are sure, from the keenness manifested at the time of the education petition, that there is no real indifference, and that all that is wanted is that the parents should clearly see that there is something waiting for them to do. It is urgent, however, that this "some- thing" should be taken in hand at once. The advantage of getting together the old committee, if possible, would be the saving of time on preliminaries. It may be held that the number renders this body cumbrous, especially as there are one or two who might with advantage be added to make it more
representative at the present moment. This difficulty might be met by the com- mittee selecting from themselves a sub-com- mittee to do the actual work necessary. We feel certain that, if this course of action be' taken, the European community will be benefitted, the hands of the Government strengthened, and the future of higher education in Hongkong made immeasurably brighter. It is not our intention here to point out what are the subjects which the revived committee would discuss. The previous deliberations of the old committee, which resulted in the petition to Sir HENRY BLAKE, covered, we believe, all matters of importance, and the time for recurring to them will arrive shortly. For the present what is needful is that those European resi- dents who have children to be educated here and all others who take an interest in the teaching question should see that work lies ready for them to do at once. We cannot believe that they will then neglect it.
Out of fourteen sailing vessels chartered in Java, last year, four were British. The steamers chartered a me to 294, of which 120
were British. Of these steamers, 120 flew the Dutch flag, and 50 the German. The total nett register tonnage of the steamers amounted to 599,689 R.T., against 667,804 R.T. in 1901, thus showing a decrease of 71,115 R.T. The tonnage used for the carriage of other produce than sugar, in regular services, amounted to 264.645 R.T. nett, against 311,163 in 1900 and 246,050 in 1899, used for the same purpose. The decrease is to be attributed for the larger
part to a smaller o op of coffee, tobacco, and copra. Prospects for 1902 are more favourable as far as coffee and tobacco are concerned, and the quantity of other produce shipped by these lines is steadily increasing. The Government coffee-crop shows only a small excess above the quantity sold at Batavia. Iuring a large part of the year many steamers of the regular ser- vices to Holland sailed with considerable open space. For want of cargo it was found neces- sary to alter the destination of some steamers which were first fixed for loading at Java and now had to seek employment elsewhere,
in our issue of the 21st ult., simply stating that we had no reason to doubt our corres- pondent's bona-fides and pointing out that the writer t the North-China Daily News admitted having no local knowledge of the affair. In its issue of the 22nd inst. the Shangbai journal published part of a letter from Père PENICAUD, dated Hongkong, the 5th January, which gave his version of the affair. This runs as follows:-
Warned of what
75
for a refutation. Père PENICAUD's response has been to send above-quoted letter to Shanghai. This tarly rejoinder is now before our readers, who may be left to form their own opinions on the "affair at Swatow.'
(Daily Press, 29th January.)
In connection with what we wrote yester. day on the subject of a recent affair at Swatow the letter which we publish to-day from our correspondent at that port furnishes au instructive commentary. Our correspondent writes informing us of a most regretable outbreak of fighting between Roman Catholic and Baptist converts at Tung Poa, in Kwangtung Province. This arose over an entirely secular affair-it is said that the ownership of certain paddy. fields was involved-and in no way differed from the clau-fights which are common in the Swatow neighbourhood. Five deaths resulted from the fighting, and the Chaoyang Magistrate, within whose jurisdiction the disturbance occurred, asked the Rev. Dr. W. ASHMORE, of the American Baptist Missionary Union, to settle the dispute amicably. Dr. ASHMORE, however, refused to take advantage of his position as local "A Christian Catholic boatman to whom head of the Baptists and requested the I had entrusted a number of packages for Magistrate to deal with the case according missionaries in the interior, having had the to Chinese law. This procedure is at once misfortune to collide with mother boat, just and honourable, and if all missionaries was promptly struck with a bamboo. A would equally abstain from intervention in Chinese struck under such circumstances
non-religious affairs the course of mission- never neglects to avenge himself by hurling bail words at his aggressor and my boat-ary work in China would be far smoother. No doubt the Chaoyang official feared, in man doubtless did not deny himself this the first place, to give offence to ર facile revenge. A battle followed, the
missionary whose converts were con- Catholic boat was attacked, and its cargo cerned in a troublesome affair and would reduced to fragments. had occurred, and satisfying myself that have been glad to shelter himself behind a the Mission boxes were completely des- foreigner in event of any untoward conse- troyed, I complained to the mandarin. quences. In this case, however, the for- Four runners were sent to the scene of action eigner, though he might have pleaded and, like my Christian, they got a good beat the Magistrate's appeal to him in defence of his interference, referred the Chinese ing; one of then was indeed dangerously cou-
official to the laws of his own country tused. Thus it came about that a double which deal with such occurrences as the charge-by the Swatow mandarin and by dispute in question, refusing to subscribe
sub-prefect's myself-was made at the
to the mischievous system of an imperium in Court, and that one of the assailants was im imperio, which has led so many missionaries prisoned. Seeing that they were in a mess,
astray. Those who really desire to the men who attacked the Catholic boat caine
better relations between foreigners and to beg me to settle the matter. I proposed to
natives in China will applaud Dr. ASHMORE'S them to pay for the damage done, but they action, and will hope that it will find many decline and preferred to call in a third imitators. Such conduct does much to party as expert. With my consent the advance the missionary cause. affair was so arranged and the charge at the Court was withdrawn. The expert chosen by the accused fixed the indemnity at $300 to be paid to the Christian attacked and the Mission whose goods had been broken. That is all. The $300 did not go into the coffer of the Swatow Mission, because the boatman who was attacked received 8120, and the balance was employed in replacing the goods destined for other Catholic mis- sionaries in the province. The man who was imprisoned was not so treated by my order or at my request, but by the mandarin It is pos- whose runner he had wounded. sible that the latter laid another charge, but as to this I know nothing. This is the whole story as to which the Daily Press has made such an outery.'
| MUSIC FOR THE PUBLIC.
Bee
(Daily Press, 27th January.) The notification published in another column under the title of "Music for the Public" is one that will generally be received with much pleasure. From this week onward a military band will play weekly on the new Parade Ground for the benefit of the public, and if sufficient appreciation be shown by the attendance it is probable that the band will play more often. This welcome innovation is due to the desire of H. E. the ACTING Governor to provide a form of public amusement, for late years lacking in Hongkong, but one which is enjoyed by most of our neighbours. We are glad to have the opportunity of One of the pleasantest features of social life publishing the above statement, since though at Shanghai is the daily music in the public we invited a refutation of the story as given gardens, and even Macao has its public by our correspondent no reply whatever band. It will no doubt be many years before was forthcoming until this appeared in the this Colony, which takes life so sadly, can columns of a contemporary. We may men expect to le as privileged as Shanghai; why tion that we have recently received from it is difficult to realise, but the thoughtfulness our informant at Ewntow an asseveration of of the ACTING GOVERNOR has provided a the correctness of the story as related by beginning. It is for the public to show him and not denied until now. The matter their appreciation by attending the weekly was made performances; for if the movement be well may be left here. No "outery by us. The correctness of our correspon-supported it possesses not a few possibilities. dent's report having been doubted, we asked We are sure it will be welcomed by all.
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