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Trusting that the Government will see fit to consider the matter seriously, and apologising for the length of the lettir.Yours, etc.,
PALMAM QUI MERUIT FERAT.
INFORMATION WANTED.
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TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.
Hongkong, 24th May. BI,-Can any of your readers kindly inform me on the following points, concerning a "Tug | of War" rope?
(a) The correct length.
(b) The correct diameter, or circumference. (c) The correct weight.
(d) The correct material.
(e) The correct number to form a team. Thanking you in advance for kindness insertion.—Yours, etc.,
WATER POLLUTION.
SPORT.
TO. THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS."
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Whit Monday, the 19th instant. The specified time has now elapsed, and as the nuisance is still going on unabated, I beg respectfully to draw the attention of the authorities once more.
This is the company that has taken no notice of the many representations made by the people of the San Francis community, that has dared to disobey the Sanitary Board's order of 25th February, 1902, and now has set the law at defiance in openly refusing to abide by the Magistrate's decision. I trust that the Govern- ment in applying the screw will not overlook the adjoining sweet meat-factory, which occupies a whole block of buildings, as their several funnels, which are daily issuing dense volumes of black smoke, have passed the Rubicon of toleration, and to spare them is a of į false and a dangerous pity,—Yours, etc.,
M. FERNANDEZ, Messrs. Kelly & Walsh, Ld.
Hongkong, 24th May. SIB,-Your correspondent" Peskite " called attention recently to the constant pollution of the Pokfulam water supply. The following is from an eye-witness: The other day (Thursday, I think it was a chair-coolie had just landed his fare and naturally felt somewhat hot and moist; a lovely stream of water was flowing freely down the hillside into Pokfulam reservoir. Now here was the very thing for the unwashed and perspiring coolie, so off went cost and into the stream to act as a sponge, then a good honest mop all round, to end finally with a thorough rinsing out of the coat in the stream- and yet the water is of excellent quality.- Yours, etc.,
ANOTHER PEAKITE..
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRE88.” Hongkong, 24th May. SIR,-We have had rain and the Colony has been flooded, in places except, perhaps, the reservoirs, as we still can get little or no water from the pipe. Between March and April, my "water account" ran up to very near $80 and during the current month $20 more has already been added to that account. If things are allowed to go on like this-it seems to me they are-I shall not be surprised to find myself in the Bankruptcy Court (3 s debtor, of course) before many months.
Now, as regards "purity" of water. The water I get from the coolies sometimes looks so very dirty that I all along had expected to get either plague or cholers, but so far I must consider myself lucky, and I thank God. The coolies certainly do not draw their supply from the pipe, as there is none to be obtained from that source. I happened to pass along Old Bailey yesterday sud saw soores of people scoop- ing up water from one of the side channels between Staunton Street and Caine Road. The fountainhead of this water is what appears to be a storm water pipe under the pavement outside the gaol, and I understand that the supply here is practically inexhaustible. The water seems rather clean. From enquiries made I discovered that I, being a resident in that locality, have been buying this water from the coolies for weeks past! And the wonder is that I managed to escape both the plague and the cholers. Now, well water is condemned by the Banitary Board people as unfit for portable purposes: why then do they allow coolies to draw water from a side-channel P
Thanking you for inserting this letter, Yours, etc.,
OWL.
SMOKE NUISANCE.
}
** DAILY PRESS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE
Hongkong, 26th May. consequence of my letter which in your paper of 9th ult, the ment have summoned the Tin Hing Co., and shipbuilders, for smoke nuisance their big funnel, and when the case for hearing at the Police Court on ril. I was asked by Mr. F. B. L. the Crown Solicitor, to be a witness for poation. At the conclusion of the case, defendant firm, was convicted, fined, and top the nuisance before noon on
LIMITED.
The first annual meeting of the China Light and Power Company, Ld., was held on the 24th alt. Mr. R. Shewan, chairman, presided, and the others present were Messrs. D. E. Brown, J. H. Lewis, and Fung Wa Chun,
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June 2, 1902.
have been the usual difficulties in starting plant were Chinese who have to be newly trained for the work are employed, aggravated: in this case by the situation of the station in the midst of Chinese and remote from any foreign influence; and much credit is due to our manager, Mr. Belden, for the patience and determination with which he faced these obstacles and set himself to teach and train the raw, native workmen. As a general rule, the Chinese do not have a complete installation made in any hone or shop, but have a light put in where they would otherwise burn a kerosene lamp all night. The present in- stallations average three 10-candle power lamps each, but, as consumers become more accustomed to the light and as we prove that it is more to be depended upon, we feel sure our customers will become more generous in their installations. No installation has yet been made in any of the official yamens as they are remote from our pre; sent mains, but, as lines are extended to within CHINA LIGHT AND POWER CO., | reagh of the yamens, there is every probability that the officials will take the opportunity of having electric light installed, the ever constant dread of fire being a great factor in our favour. So much for Canton, where I think we have “ seen the worst of our troubles. As for Kowloon we have been in the hands of the contractor, and the work has dragged along and not been done, as only the Chinese contractor know's how not to do it. Every kind of threat and entreaty has been used to urge on the werk but to little purpose, and it is still a case of hope deferred and exonse after excuse for more men not being employed. However, the end is approaching, and we have some hopes that, in three months' time, we shall have the machinery all installed and the works running. We have a valuable piece of ground of about 60,000 square feet on the Des Vœux R.ad, and, although the plant is at present only on a very moderate scale, provision is made for any future additions and extensions. With the uncertainty as to when we should be ready, we have not made any contracts, but we have little doubt that, between the Government, the mili. tary authorities, the Dock Company and other factories, and private consumers, it will not be long before we have found a market for all we can supply with the present installation, and shall next be thinking of extending the works, There is nothing in the accounts that I think requires any explanation but, before moving their adoption, I shall be pleased to answer any questions you may wish to ask,
The CHAIRMAN said-Gentlemen, as the report and accounts have been printed and in your hands for some time past, we will now take them as road. The result of the year's work at Canton is a shortage of $7,378.23, and taking all things into consideration, and the difficulties we have had to encounter there, I do not think this is at all unsatisfactory. Those who are familiar with the management by Chinese of industrial concerns like this can alone form some idea of the state of utter neglect and confusion that we found the place in when we took it over, and much time and money had to be spent before we could get things into anything like proper working order. When this was done, our next care was to add another engine and generator to be a reserve in pase of accident, and also another new boiler. The old Company had only one generating set, and in the event of this breaking down, their customers had simply to go without the light till it was repaired. We are very cramped for room at the Factory, but we have made the most of what ground we have there, and we have kept room for one more engine and generator which we shall no doubt require in course of time. To ske out the space, we have bought a small piece of ground, about 25 feet by 75 feet, near the station, which will be very useful to
08.
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and
All these changes and improvements took time, and we have to thank our customers at Canton for the patience with which they have borne frequent break-downs, which were almost invariably the result of the careless and incom- petent manner in which the works appeared to have been ran by the former proprietors. But, in spite of all, business was steadily pushed in the divotion of new customers, and, to give you some idea of our progress, I may tell you that as against 225 Chinese and 460 foreign lamps on the 28th February last year we had 1,240 Chinese
1,150 foreign We lamps on the 28th of February this year. are now covering our expenditure at Canton, and as our output increases there our expenses will diminish in proportion and leave a good margin of profit. But it is by closely studying our expenditure that this result can be reached. Our coal consumption, to mention one item as an instance, has been excessive, and this was to be expected, as at first the station was running with a very light and wasteful load, there was only one boiler which could not be kept properly cleaned, and, finally, the storage for coal was so bad that we could not prevent it from being stolen. All these points are being attended to and remedied, and we have now added a condenser and fuel-economiser which will make a material saving,in coal. Besides the electric lighting machinery at the station, we have a large pump for forcing water from the river through a line of water-mains for fire extinguishing purposes in the City of Canton. As the danger of fire is greatly feared in Canton, we hope in time to increase this service of water-mains and derive a steady income from them, the cost of working the pump not being very great. Of course, there
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There were no questions, and the CHAIRMAN moved the adoption of the report and accounts. Mr. J. H. LEWI+ seconded, and the motion was carried.
Mr. D. E. BROWN moved the re-election of Mr. C. P. Chater to the Consulting Committee and proposed the appointment of Mr. J. H. Lewis in place of Mr. H. P. White resigned.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN seconded, and the motion was carried.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUR then proposed that Messrs W. H. Potts and T. Arnold be re-elected auditors.
Mr. D. E. BROWN seconded and the motion was carried.
This was all the business,
The Council of the French Bettlements, Shanghai, voted in their last meeting the amount of 90,000 Taels for the building of s street tramway-line from the Place de l'Est via the French Bund and the Rue de Consulat to the French Camp. Tho Purrey automotor system will be adopted. The line, which-will be built first, is 38 kilometres long. It is estimated that the rails of a single-track will cost 28,000 Taels, the laying down, etc., 11,000- Taels. cars with 24 seats each will cost- 30,000 Taels, and for other expentes 16,000 Taels are provided. The French Council must be heartily congratulated for their enterprise, says the Mercury, as they will practically experi ment thereby if tramways are needed in Shanghai or not. If it be found desirable to raa tramways, there will be no dimeully in selling the then existing line tos tramway company, but at theme time it will be possible to calculate how much a tramway concession is worth, so that the amount of the royalty to be paid to the City Council can easily be determined.