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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[November 3, 1902.
If we
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augmentation of our water-supply, but af - Door in what was once known as the British course we cannot consider the situation sphere of influence in China. France changed at all so far. Dr. Clauk is of the ruly seems in this case to have been follow- opinion that a four hours' supply will b- ing her more powerful neighbour's lead. sufficient for cleansing purposes, but we If the explanation is right which is given fear
certain amount of waste in the telegram, H.M. Minister at Peking may hey encouraged. if fresh water objects to a stipulation guaranteeing the alone is to be used. As Dr. ATKINSON absence of preferential advantages in consillers that salt wa'er is suitable the Yangisze Valley only and not for the scrubbing of floors, cannot the throughout the whole of China. Sanitary Board make arrangements, when judge by past history, the lack of the stipulated month begins on the 15th guarantee about the rest of China might be instap, for salt water to be supplied for twisted, at some future date, into an admis. such purposes? There will be no apprecision that preferential advantages elsewhere able extra cost to the Colony and the are perfectly in order. Such a line of potable water-supply will gain greatly argument would well suit the hook of thereby. A heavy rainfall just may would Powers who have already secured a strong render such a step unnecessary, but in basis in one part of China, from which they default of that the Sanitary Bour? might are anxious by urging concessions from well feinsider the advice of its President. China to spread themselves farther and We have always suffered in past years from further inland, and who see that in the lack of foresight with regard to our supply Yangtsze Valley their position is not yet pro- of water, and if we vrr this time it will be tected against à similar action on the part Fir better to err on the side of excess of of another Power. In fact the argument" precaution. The dangers and inconveniences might be put thus: We have got our own of a water famine in such a city as this are individual slice of China, to which we are too notorious for us to hesitate when opp quite willing to add, but we wish to protect fuuities offer, carly in the season, of doing the best remaining part from becoming something whereby to curtail our expendi alienat d to anyone as that was to us. Such ture fot an element so essential to the well a policy, however, it must be recognised, is being and even life of the whole community, an impossible one in the interests of in- ternational comity. The Powers have all professed their desire repeatedly, during the events which succeedel the "Boxer " outbreak, that the perfect integrity of China shall be maintained. The sincerity of this profession is now put to the test. The conditions asked of China before the pro- 'mise to evacuate Shanghai is kept are in the first place unnecessary, and in the second, if asked at all, incomplete. If it were needful to make China promise not to favour one Power unduly in the Yangtsze, it would be just as necessary in the rest of China. We said last week that we failed to understand the attitude of the German Government in connection with the question of Shanghai's evacuation.
We are no clearer now, still assuming that Germany is not trying to act otherwise than honestly toward her allies.
THE EVACUATION OF SHANGHAI,
(Daily Press, 28th October),
dirty let the Board, step in and undertake the work. In pursuance of this suggestion Dr. ATKINSON moved on Thursday last, and the Sanitary Board unanimously adopted the resolution that the Board obtain authority to insert an advertisement in the English and Chinese newspapers, requesting the occupiers of domestic buildings to co-operate with the Board in its efforts to combat plague by thoroughly cleansing their dwellings between the 15th November and 15th December next; and informing the owners and occupiers of domestic dwellings that the Board pro poses after December 15th to strictly "enforce the provisions of the Bye-laws governing *Domestic Cleanliness and Ventilation,' and that the Board will, if on inspection it he found necessary, "direct its officers to cleanse and disinfect "premises under the provisions of the Bye- ! laws for the Prevention or Mitigation of Epidemic, Endemic, or Contagious Dis- 'ease." The idea underlying Dr. ATKINSON'S proposal is that a trial should be given to voluntary as opposed to compulsory cleans- ing of premises by the Chinese, in accordance with the strong representations made by the Chinese members of the Sanitary Board on the 16th-ultimo. The Chinese, said the President of the Board, should have an opportunity of undertaking the work of eleansing their houses themselves. month is to be allowed them, during which fime not only must every Chinese houses be thoroughly cleansed, hat also -and this Some fresh light has been thrown on the every European resident would do well to subject of the difficulties connected with keep in mind-the servants' quarters in the vacuation by the foreign garrison of European houses must also be made clean. Shanghai, which should come off on the 1st After the expiration of the mouth, on the proximo, in accordance with the arrange 15th proximo, if it should be found that men made with the late La KUNG-VI any premises have not been put into the When we wrote about this matter last week, necessary condition of cleanliness then it was not known whether we had the full the Sanitary Board's officers must step in details of Germany's conditions in return and do their duty, The President pointed for the withdrawal of her troops from out as the advantages of his proposal, Shanghai. The telegram of the Peking that the Chinese would he co-operating in correspondent of the Times, as summarised the cleansing work this year, the suggested by RECTER in a despatch of the 24th, method being less troublesome to then than instaut, says that Germany stipulates that that of last year; that the whole of the China will not grant to any other Power Colony would be cleansed in about one preferential, military, maritime, or economie month instead of in five, as was the case advantages in the Yangtsze Valley, nor the last year; and that instad of costing the right to occupy any point commanding the Colony money the cleansing operations | river. This is a somewhat more detailed would rather bring in money, as defaulters stipulation than that reported first, on the would be fined. This last point, we con-authority of the Norddeutsche Allegeine fess, did not strike us before, when Dr. Zeitling, by which China was to bind her- ATKINSON declined to support Mr. OsnoRNE self not to concede to any Power upon the at the Sanitary Board meeting on the 16th Yanggtsze any military or special advantages October. Discussing the rejection of Mr. | infringing the principle of the Open Door," OSBORNE'S motion on that occasion we suggested that the residents of Hongkong would prefer to repeat the measures of 1901-02, though not with so reckless au expenditure, rather than drop cleansing measures in the forthcoming winter. We also suggested that a voluntary cleansing scheine would result in countless progecU- tions for neglect. We think, however, that in his proposal to apply the bye-laws respecting "Domestic Cleanliness and Ventilation," etc., after giving the Chinese a whole mouth, duly advertise, in which themselves to put their houses in a properly sanitary condition, Dr. ATKINSON is making a straightforward attempt to enforce the cleanliness of the native houses of the Colony, while at the same time consulting the prejudices of the Chinese in a manner which seems to have met with the approval of their representatives on the Board,
The unfortunate coincidence of a shortage of water with the commencement of specia! sanitary measures, repeating the experience of last year, only emphasises what we said yesterday with regard to the water question. It is true that there is some promise of the
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BLAKE PIER AND THE CLOCK TOWER.
(Daily Press, 27th October.) From the statements which were made upon the subject at the latest meeting of the Legislative Conneil—the second during last week-it appears that we cannot yet con- There is, however, very little ultimate clude that nothing will be done with regard difference in the two accounts. Dr. MORRI-' to the erection of a shelter for the public oxadds the important point that France using Blake Pier during the course of 1903, has made similar conditions, omitting H.E. the Governor himself referred to the only the reference to "economic advantages.' matter and affirmed that auxiety with Such are the terms which have been regard to the erection of a shelter with demanded from China by two of the Powers which we have always credited him. Never- whose troops remain at Shaugliai. We theless he did not see his way to leaving have in RTER's telegram of the 25th the item on the estimates, without at the insthut, pul" died in today's issue, Al same time increasing taxation, and all ho explanation of the reason for Sir ERNEST could hold out was the prospect that, if Sarpw's opposition to the demands of the result of the year's proceedings later on France and Germany. He objects, accord, and the 1903 revenue appeared to justify ing to RECTER, because the stipulation for it, the permission of the Secretary of Stato bidding preferential advantages refers to for the Colonies might be asked to put a the Yangisze Valley and not to the whole vote before the Council with a view to of China. The objection seems valid. We carrying out the erection of a shelter. Sr have seen from the manner in which the HENRY BLAKE thought that. Members of the Anglo-French Agreement of 1896 about Coune.I would agree with him that no item Sian has been interpreted what the danger in the Public Works Extraordinary was of of arauteeing ong portica culy of the less importance than the Blake Pier shelter teritory of a weak state may come to.. —a view which may perhaps by right. But The unguaranteed part is in constant still it must be remembered that it was on danger of aggression.
but the 29th November, 1900, that Blako Pier aduire, as a stroke of policy merely, the was formally opened. His Excellency in manner in which Germany has gone about the speech which he made on that occasion to secure from China a promise of the Open | said :- —“I think it will be well for the pier to
We cannot
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