3
·
February 1, 1902.1
14. Connected with the removal of the sick from the healthy, I unders' and there are special difficulties owing to the Chinese having a dread of being taken to an European hospital.
It is believed, however, that thee difficulties could be overcome to a large extent by allowing the large firms to establish private hospitals with Chinese doctors and nurses to attend the sick. If such hospitals are erected and suitable sites, approved by the Medical Officer of Health, are equipped with the proper sanitary appli. ances requisite in an infections he spital and the necessary precautionary measures of disinfection carefully carried ont in order to prevent them from becoming centres of infection for the locality in which they are situated, I see no objection. For all sanitary purposes the hospitals would require to be under the supervision of the médical staff of the Sanitary Board. It would be an immense advantage to secure in this way the assistance and co-operation of the different firms in the early discovery and isolation of the siok.
HONGKONG
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
70
sea through inability to wait for the arrival of | to be good enough to once more approach the
Government on the question. the ash-boats.
5. While it is probable that petty theft prevails under existing conditions, it is more than doubtful whether this might not be succeed. ed, cn the event of a monopoly being granted, by an organised system of bribery, and a great evil be thus inaugurated.
6. The present system is of course far from perfect, but it has not given rise to any very serious complaint, and if the Police desire to obtain better control over the ash-collecting boats, my Committee respectfully suggest this might be done as readily by licensing the boats as by creating a privileged monopoly.
7. The greatly enhanced value of the ashes is causing a wholesome competition for the right to collect them, which ought to serve as a guarantee both against dumping and against misconduct by patty theft if the boats are
licensed.
8. Apart from other objections to the pro- posal, the Committeo earnestly deprecate the establishment of Chinese monopolies, on the
GENERAL CHAMBER | ground that they invariably lead to a serious OF COMMERCE.
PROPOSED ASHES MONOPOLY,
The following is the correspondence on the subject of the pro, osed ashes monopoly read at the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce on the 14th inst. :—
SIR,
Hongkong, 10th December, 19 1.
increase in state-created crime, greatly aug- menting the work of the Polivo, and because, though perhaps indirectly, they constitute & burden on legitimate trade.-I have, &c..
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary.
Hon. ACTING COLONIAL SECRETARY.
P.S. The copy of the draft Regulations and conditions of the proposed monopoly is returned herewith, as requested.
in
Hongkong, 11th December, 1901. DEAR SIR,
We observe by a notice which appears the Government Gazelle of 7th instant that Regulations are published whereby "all ships within the Harbour Limits shall dispose
It was with some surprise and no little regr.t that the Committee of this Chamber observed, in the pages of the last issue of the Government Gazette, the regulations and con- ditions under which it is proposed tɔ erect n new monopoly in the Colony for the collection of ashes in the Harbour, an i I am i structed to forward, for the information of His Excel ency the Governor, co y of a letter addressed by this Chamber on the 19th May, 1900, to the Govern- ment on this subject. I am to add that, in view of the fact that no acknowledgement had been received of this letter, it was concluded by the Committee that the project had been aban-printed, according to the last of which "the doned.
I have the honour to be, sir,
Your most obedient servant,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX., Secretary.
Hon. COLONIAL SECRETARY.
(Enclosure.)
Hongkong, 19th May, 1900.
SIB,
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 19th instant (No. 800) informing this Chamber that a tender had been received by the Government for the sole pri- vilege of collecting ashes from steam vessels within the harbour limits, and requesting their opinion upon the desirability or otherwise of creating such a monopoly.
2.-This question has had the prompt con- sideration of the Committee, who, as the result of careful enquiry and deliberation, feel bound to record an opinion adverse to the proposal.
3.-At first blush the project appears free from serious objection and calculated to obviate in some degree an admitted evil, namely, the dumping of ashes into the harbour, thereby causing the foreshore to silt up. The objec- tions to the creation of a new monopoly to be worked by Chinese are, however, not far to seek, and greatly outweigh any benefits which might accure therefrom. The Committes are opposed on general grounds to the principle of farms, but these are accentuated by the manner in which such privileges are worked by the Chinese. It is only necessary to refer to the working of the Conservancy contract to illust- rate the evils arising from these monopolies. This contract is sub-let to such a degree that complaints are constant of the abuse arising from the default of the contractors. There is no guarantee that these evils would not be repeated in the case of an ashes contract,
of the ashes from their boiler or other furnaces
by discharging the same into the boats of the Ashes Contractor and in no other way," and a set of rules relating to these Regulations is
master of any ship or steam launch from which any ashes shall be discharged within the Har- bour Limits otherwise than into the boats of the Ashes Contractor, and any person who shall commit any breach of these Regulations, shall be liable upon summary conviction before a Magistrate to a penalty not exceeding two hundred dollars or to imprisonment for not more than six months."
the
Further on in same notification are Conditions on which the exclusive privilege of receiving the ashes from ships within the har bour will be granted."
We
e are, Dear Sir,
Yours faithfully, BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE,
Agents, Ocean Steamship Co., Ld., China Navigation Co., 1 d., Nord. L. Orient Line, Taitoo Sugar Refining Co, Ld., California & Oriental S.S. do, Indo
GIBB, LIVINGSTON & Co.
Agents, Ben Line of Steamers, Eastern & Australian 8.8, Co. SHEWAN, TOMES & Co..
General Managers, China & Manila S.S Co., Ld., Agents, Shire Line, Mark Wood's Steamers, S. T. & Co.'s New York Line.
DODWELL & Co., LD.
(Geo. H. MEDHURST,
Acting Manager). Agents, Northern Pacific S.S. Co., Barber Line of steamers, China Mutual S. N. Co., Ld., Mogul Line of steamers, Warrack Line of steamers. A. R. MARTY,
Compagnie
de Navigation Tonkinoise pp. Macgregor Bros. & Gow.
E. H. HINDS
Agent, Glen Line steamers. CARLOWITZ & ( 0.
Agents, Nav. General I'aliana U. S., China and Japan S. L.. ARNHOLD, KARBERG & Co.
Agents, Shell Line. SIEM SEN & Co..
Agents, H. A Coast steamers
Flensburger S. T. Co.
AUSTRIAN LLOYDS S. N. C .
Sinder, Wieler & Co., Agen's. P. DE CHAMPMORIN
Acting Agent M. M Co. MELCHERS & Co.
Agents, Norddeutscher Lloyd
S.S. Co.
CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY Co. D. E. Brown, General A gent. BRADLEY & (o.
Agents Shan Line steamers. DOUGLAS LAPRAIK & C..
General Managers Douglas
Steamship Co., Ld.
PACIFIC MAIL S.S. Co. OCCIDENTAL & ORIENTAL 8.8. Co TOYO KISEN KAISHA
J. Van Buren, Agent, NIPPON YUSEN KAISHA
T. S. Takayam, pro. Manager. The HONGKONG, CANTON &
MACAO ST AMBOAT Co., LD.
Tho. Arnold, Secretary JEBSEN & Co.
It does not appear clear from the wording of the above notice whether the exclusive pri- vilege has already been granted, but, if the Regulations are now in force, it follows that this grant must also have been given, otherwise R. Chatterton Wilcox, Esq, the Regulations could not be complied with..
We would now respectfully ask the assistance of your Committee to approach the Government with a view to getting the Regulatious as they stand abolished or modified.
As will recollect, this proposal was sub-
you mitted on the 5th May, 1900, by the Goverument to your Committee for an expression of their opinion upon the desirability or otherwise of creating such a monopoly, and in your reply of 19th idem you set out in clear terms the serious objections there would be to any such proposal being carried through.
So far as we are aware these objections exist as strongly as ever, and nothing has occurred different view on this matter, and we cannot during the past 18 months to lead us to take a refrain from here stating that the sudden spring- ing of such Regulations on the shipping interests of the port after such an expression of opinion as your Committee gare when asked to do so by the Government has caused a feeling of great surprise and regret.
We need not here refer specially to be evils 4. There is a danger that, either from want of creating snch Chinese monopolies, as these of visits or inability to see the signals, specially have already been laid stress on by your Com- from steam launches, considerable delay in the mittee, and we would now merely confirm our movements of shipping might attend the esta-appreciation of the serious objections set out in blishment of an ash monopoly, or that steamers your letter of 19th May. 1900, to the Hon. Act would be compelled to carry their ashes out to ing Colonial Secretary, and ask your Committee'
SIR,
Secretary, Hongkong Gentral Chamber of Commerce.
17th December, 1901.
I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th instant, regarding the publication of certain Regulations concern- ing the collection of ashes in the harbour, and to inform you that your communication is receiving the attention of the Government, I have the honour to be, Sir, Your obedient Servant,
(Sd.) J. H. STEwart-LockhAE?, Colonial Secretary. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. J. Beethom Whitehead, who has been for
nearly three years Secretary of the British Lega- tion at Tokyo, having left Yokohama on the 16th inst. with his wife and children b the tion of Secretary of the British Legation is German mail steamer Prinz Heinrich, the posi now filled by Sir Brook Boothby, who arrived also a new Second Secretary at the Legation in at Yokohama by the Prinz Heinrich There is the person of Mr Thomas Beaumont Hobler, who arrived by the Peru, and who has served since 894 at Constantinople, S. Petersburg and Paris.