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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
HOUSE-COLLAPSES IN HONGKONG. | at all. The only result of such persons voting would be that the party against whom the decision was given could have that decision upset and the whole thing would have to be gone through again.
A list of collapsed house; in Hongkong from 1st January till 3rd August, 1902, is published in the Government Gazette. The total number of collapses was 78, apportioned as follows:- Central Dis rict, 14 Eastern District, 4; Western District, 16; Cheuagehan, 1; Aber. deen, 4; Shaukiwan, 1; The Peak. I; Tsimaba- tsui, 1; Pingshan, 1: Yaumati; 10; Kowloon City, 1; Stanley, 10; Shateen, 5; Hunghom, 1 Saikung, 1; Au-tau, 1; Taipo, 1; Shanteen, 1 Mongkok, 2; Shamshu'po. 1. The collapses which resulted in fatal or other injuries to the person were as follows:- The Pines Peak Road, landslip, coolie quarters; 3 persons killed, injured, 4 rescued; contractors not known. 10, Old Bailey Street, side and cross walls: 2 persons injured, 2 rescued: architect, B. B. Harker; contractor, Leung Fat; building in course of erection; contractor fined. 8100 twice-first. on 28th April. and again on 19th May, 1902, for bad work. 37. Gough Street. collapse of cook-house; I killed; architects and contractors not known. 42, Queen's Road West, projecting brick cornies 1 killed; architects and contractors not known. 12, Cross Street, back-wall of kitchen; 1 injured; architects and contractors not known. 45, Praya East, roof, side and front wall to first floor level; 13 killed. 3 injured, 6 rescued ; architects, Leigh and Orange; contractor, Mów Wo. 33, Nullah Lane, roof of kitchen collapsed; 1
; 1 injured; architects and contractors not known. 2 and 4, Easteru Street, party wall; 1 injured; architects, Palmer aud Turner; contractor, Lin Wo; building in course of demolition. 56, First Street, cook- house; 1 killed; architects and contractors not known. 10 and 12, Second Street, partly collapsed; killed architects (for new story on No. 801, Denison 6 injured, 6 rescued; and lam; contractors unknown. 30 and 32. Kowloon City Road, both collapsed; 10 killed. 5 injured, 5 rescued; archi ects, Leigh aud Orange: contractor, Loong Cheong.
THE KING EDWARD HOTEL LICENSE.
A meeting of Justices of the Peace was held at the Magistracy on the 23rd inst. to con- sider an application from Mr. Dhunjeebhoy Dorabjee for a publican's licence for the premises situate at No. 3, Des Voeux Road Central, under the sign of 'King Edward Hotel. Mr. F. A. Hazeland (Police Magis- trate) presided, and the other usti es present ware--Hon. Dr. Clark, Hon. C. S. Sharp, and Messrs. F. J. Badeley, R. H. A. Craig, J. H. Kemp, C. A. D. Melbourne, S. B. C. Ross, A. Seth, F. Arculli, F. H. Arjanee, H. W. Bird, W. A. Cruickshank, W Danby, A. J. David, W. B. Dixon, C. S. Gubbay, E. A. Hewett, A. S. Hooper. R. K. Leigh, N. Mum. ford, J. Orange, W. H. Percival, A. J. Fay. mond, T. H. Reid, M. S. Sassoon. P. W. Sergeant, E. Shellim, A. G. Stokes, Dr. J. H. Swan, J. W. R. Taylor, C. H. Tuompsou, A. Turner, F. Maitland and H. P. White.
Mr. E. H. Sharp, K.C., barrister-at-law, appeared for the applicant, instructed by Mr. H.L. Dennys; and Mr. M. W. Slade, barrister- at-law, appeared in opposition on behalf of the Hongkong Hotel, instructed by Mr. Deacon.
Mr. SHARP said that at that stage he must take a preliminary objection, although his Worship might not be able absolutely to enforce it, and that objection was against any share- holders in the Hongkong Hotel, who were most certainly interested iu the subject-matter, taking any part whatever in these proceedings. He was quite aware that at that stage the withdrawal or non-withdrawal of the share holders of the Hongkong Hotel must depend apon themselves. He wished to protest against their being present, and in his opinion it would lie with his Worship to say that they had no right to sit as Justices.
Mr. SLAD: stated that he most fully endorsed everything Mr. Sharp had said in relation to this matter. Any shareholder in the Hongkong Hotel or any body who was interested by partnership or otherwise in any other hotel or ha l anything to do with the liquor business or was the partner of a man who was in the liquor business bad no right to sit in these proceedings
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The CH IRMAN said that that was the case. If anyone rote d who had any interests, pecuniary or otherwise, there could be no ques- tion at all that by application to the Suprem Court the whole proceedings could be set aside
[September 27, 1902.
The
of theirs was a most flagrant attempt to create a monopoly in this first-class business. Hongkong Hotel was uo doubt extremely well conducted. He would say in passing that in all probability it would not be very serionsly injured by the new hotel. He supposed the requirements wont be always increasing and thought that the Hongkong Hotel had been auduly disturbing itself in imagining that it would he injured. But ecen Mr SLADE remarked that of course any one it involved the rain of the Hongkong Hotel, whose name appeared on the register but only that would not affect the question now before held shares as a trustee was not incapacitated. | the Court, The Hongkong Hotel had
The CHAIRMAN -That is so.
practically a monopoly in the first-class hotel Messrs. Arculli, (ruickshank, Lewis, Mait-business. And how was it using it? Last year, interested partics. land and Dixon thereupon withdrow, as being
..
+1
if
he thought, it paid 16 per cent. Certainly st the present moment notices had been issued that residents' rates were to be raised from next mouth by about 12 per cent. The prospect holders, but how about the public? The one was no doubt extremely bright for the stare.
thing that was wanted in the first-class hotel business here was competition. If for any reason the Court refused th licence that day- even though one was grauted thereafter of a different sort--they would inflict essentially a very great loss upou the proprietors. The hotel was almost ready to be opened. If the necessarily ensue, during which time a very licence was not granted a serious delay would large capital would be lying idle, heavy main- tenance expenses would be incurred and mean- while the proprietors would be pa ing all enormous rent. He submitt d that the hotel would be an acquisition to the Colony. There was need for more first-class accommodation and to refuse this liceuce, to bump r it in any way, or place it at a di advantage as compared with the other 1 ading hotels in Hongkong, would be to do the proprietors a great injustice.
up
Mr SHARP, proceeding to address the Cour!, said that the present applicant had never hold been in the hotel business for something lik | a licence. His father, Mr. Dorabjee, sen., Lad
40 years, during which time he had been pro- prietor or part propr etor of most of the leading hotels here the Houg ong, the Peak and the Victoria. He was well kuowu in the business and bore a most excel ent reputation. There wore three partners only in connection with this hotel the applicant, Mr. Madar and Mr. had been Mr. Madar's partner for a good many Farmer. Mr. Farmer, who was to be mauager, |
years. Before coming here he was a hotel proprietor in Australia, had had a very long experience in the business, and bore à most excellent reputation in the Colony. There was been no objection against him, and none had made either by the police or the sanitary authori es: therefore no possible exception could be taken with regard to the probable conduct of the hotel. As to the duet it as a first class residential hotel. The hotel i self. the proprietors intended to con-
in view of its building was an excellent building; in fact, his learned friend, in asking for the granting In opposing the application, Mr. SLADE said
equipment and the like, it was the b st that vigorous picture of the selfishness of the Hong- up-to-dateness, its sanitary of a full licence for this hotel, had drawn a very had been devoted to this business in Hongkong.kong Hotel in the attitude it had take It comprised one-half of the new block on with regard to the application. That was not the south side of Chater Road, built by the ground of opposition at all.
As Mr. Shirp Sir Paul Chater. The need for more first- had said, there was room in the Colony for class hotel accommodati u in Hongkong another first-class hotel, and what the meeting was notorious; the City was certainly under had to consider was the best way of serving the hoteled. They all knew that in the tourist season Colony in that matter. Mr. Sharp had drawn -the Spring and Autumn-the hotels here were atient on to the position of the lar in over-full. Frequently for that reason people had this hotel as actually to leave Hongkong-when a crowded
ne of the reasons why the hotel should be granted a full public-house Empress" came in. for instance- and go away licence, but was not that a reasou also for mik- to Macao or Cantou to get accommodati n. The ing the es ablishment even better than the statement. Hongkong Hotel manager would bear out that proprietors wished to make it? Grant the He himself had perceived as many hotel an adjunct licence, and ther. by the pro- as 20 people being turned away from the long-prietors would be enabled to carry on the busi koug Hotel at such a season.
At this very
ness of the hotel and to supply liquor to every moment that hotel was reducing its capacity by conceivable p rson. The only thing they would 11 or 13 bed rooms, these being sacrificed for not be able to do was to take in casual custom. the purpose of establishing reading, drawing With an adjunct licence, any one could go to and billiard rooms; so that if we had been short the ho el as a guest, take a meal there, and bare of first-class hotel accommodatiou in the as much drink as he liked to call for, and at past what would we be now? It
was pro-
the same time he could take a friend with bim posed in this new hotel private bar and he
to have a small who also could have what he wanted to drink. took it that до objection could be taken to a good, well-con-
The application for a full public-house licence duc ed bar in the position of this one.
was simply to enable the proprietors to get customers off the streets-to make profit out of were perhaps too many low class public-houses the casual pa sr-by, the person who merely in the East and West of the town; but that question did not at present concern the Court. objection to air of that kiud, however well went in for a drink and nothing else. The 'This bar would be within the hotel, in a position peculiarly unobjectionable. It was not
it might be conducted was that there already were enough of them in the immediate neigh- on the street level and did not open directly bourhood-ample for
reasonable every upon th street. should be permitted in that district. It practi- area in which he said there were no public- It was the sort of bar which quirement. Mr. Sharp had drawn an artificial cally opened into the dining room. There was houses at all, but extend that area a few yards no licence at present in that large and rapidly on either side and one got in two such houses filling area bounded on the west by the Hongkong Hotel, ou the east by the Naval Yard, on the south by the sea and on the north ty Queen's Road. Not only would this at present be the only licence in that area, but it would be the only one would be asked to grant for a very long that the Justices time. A first-class bar, he submittel, would be a very great convenience there. It was in the knowledge of the Court that the Hongkong Hotel opposed the application. They were, of course, perfectly right in oppos ing it: he could have no objection to their doing so: but what the Court bad to do was not to look after the interests of the Hongkong Hotel but to look after the interests of the general public. And this without meaning any offence to the Hougkong Hotel-this action
Tere
re-
-the New Victoria Hotel and Thomas's Grill Rooms; if the application were granted the addition of the new hotel would make three. And yet Dr. Sharp had suggested that there was not enough drink accommodation in the
kong Hotel to this new hotel having a full neighbourhood. The objection of the Hong. public-house licence was not, as Mr. Sharp bad said, a flagrant attempt to create a monopoly,
bars. but an endeavour to preserve order in public hotel so well mausged as the Hongkong Hotel, It was difficult enough now, with an
to keep order, and it stood to reason that the more public bars there were in the neighbour. hood the more difficult it would be to keep order. That was one reason for opposing the applica tion-one in the interests of the public, and on that ground the granting of a full public-: ouse
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