}
48
Bs
|
that
|
|
|
|
Jaunary 17, 1903.
vermen: desired to do its best in the matter, but the Navy Leagno recognised that in order to mai tain our naval position in the world large sums of money would have to be exponded, and when pa ple realised that the natioual safety in one way deponded on the Navy, they would then see that the Government provided efficient and sufficient ships, and would willingly bear the taxation which was imposed upon them to provide efficient and sufficient ships. The whole task of the Navy League had been to 'ucato the people so that they might be induced to bring pressure to bear upon the Government. Lord Salisbury had said, and justly, that the uational defence was the business of the people. and the object of the Navy League was to mike the people realise that it was absolutely important for the welfare of the British Empire that we should possess a predo. minantly strong Navy. (Applanse) Conclud- ing, Mr. Pollock said it was very desirable that those of the British community in the Colouy not associated with the Navy League should at once become members ‹r associates of it. There was absolutely no entranca fe›, and for members the subscription was only $5ố a year, and for associates $2. Nobody there. fore could say it was an expensive matter to | join the Navy Leagne, and that they o uld not afford to do it. In moving the
the
statement report and adoption of of accounts. The spaker said that members and associates would very much facilitate the work of the Hon Treasurer if they would kindly send in their subscriptious, without patting him to tha trouble of sending out specially to collect subscriptions. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. A. R. Lowe seconded, and the motion for the adoption of the report and acconats was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN afta: wards movel that a sum of $10 be voted from the fauds, in rid of the Soldiers, and Sailors' Home, Aren! Street which he explained did good and usɔful work and was in need of funds.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND | matters? Well, he tho ght that by using a simple local ilinstra1ion be would be able to show that that was a fallacy. He thought he would | be able to show that simply becausa people wer paid to look after thing, it dil not in the least follow that the public would get that Perhaps ho noed hardly say that ho ioferred et the present moment to the w.ter question. (Applause.) We had bad in this Colony for year and years past a being known as the Water Authority-(laughter)—whose business it was to provide us with an efficient and sufficient supply of water. Those people who took up the position that because a thing was paid for to be looked after therefore the public got it, would, he supposed,argu-that because the WaterAuthority, was paid to get the Colony a sufficient supply of water therefore we had plenty of water. The absurdity of adopting such a line of argument | was obvious. (App'ause.) This water question also furnished a pa allel to the action of the Navy League, because ns had been seen from the correspondence in the Press during the past few months people who consi'ered they had not got a sufficient water supp'y agitated and wrote to the
g Press and the Water Authority demandi they should receive an adequate supply of water. The Nary League was in exactly the sims The League was convinced-aud position. they were supported upon that point by such anthorities as Lord Charles Beresford. Admiral Rawson, Adminal Hood and Admiral Fre mantle-that the supply of battleships and cruisers was insufficient, and was endeavouring, through the Press and by questions in the House of Commous, to secure that we should obʻain a sufficient naval strength to enable us to maintain that peace throughout the world so very important to us as a trading Power. (Hear, hear.) The Nary League was by no means a jingo body. Their whole aim and object were that Great Britain should maintain such a standard of strength as to enablo her to hold her position and to carry on her commerce in security throughout the world. It wou'd be easy to peint out much good work done by the Navy League, but, for the sake of brevity, mention would be mada of only one small but very important. example in which it seemed that the Navy League had done most excell at work. In the Navy some two years or so ago there were on the list kept by the Admiralty at home some 23 ships of an obsolete type, arm d with muzzle-loading guns, and the Navy League said, and parf et y rig fly, that these ships were little better than death-traps. For over two years past the League had worked cen- tinuously at that question, and only a menth or two ago was able to announce that every one of these dangerous and inefficient ships had been taken off the list. (Applause.) That was a very important result indeed to have acbiwe, and there could be no doubt, judging by the slowness with which Governments move in the ordinary way, that that action of the Navy League, ably seconded as it was by the Press, had been to a great ext nt instrumental in removing these obrolete ships from the Admiralty list. (Ap- pluse) In Hongkong lately we had been con- sidering and pondering over the so-called building collapses, and, as had been pointed out, it was
serious some 31 or enquiry that
40 people h.d lot their lives through the collapse of buillings. But what a namb r of lives would have been at stake if thes: 3 ships had remained on the Government list; it would not have been a question of 40 or 50 lives at stake, but one In such hundr. d times that ám uut, or more. matters as th se it was necessary that the Government should be kept up to the mark. for it did not in the least follow that becanse certain people were paid for doing certain work that that work would be performed efficiently, These views had the support of no less an authority than our late Premier, Lord Salisbury, than whom there was no other statesman of recent times more guarded and cautious in the us of his words. When the Conservative
In July 15 pupils sat for the Oxford University Administration was being attacked upon the inefficiency of the preparations in connection Local Examinations of whom 12 passed, or 80 per with the South African War, Lorl Salisbury | cent.--namely 2 in the Senior, 5 in the Juni r, and said that the Treasury exercised a very restrain- | 5 in the Preliminary. The percentage for the ing effect upon the Government, and added the | Colony was 53, and for I'n glaud 69. L. le Breton was pl ced in Honours, The Local Eecretary's very important remark that the defence of the Empire was part of the business of the people. report states that dur ng the 15 years these ex- Such was the position that the Navy League had aminations have been held in Hongkong, only on been maintaining all along. Certainly the Go- four bccasions have candidates attained Honours,
bearing upon the decision of a big action. The committee had also during the past year, as they had doue for many years pist, boon pegging away upon the subject of piracy in the West River. That was a very important question. It not merely had a bearing upon the commerce of this port; it also had to be | looked at from a political and therefore a naval point of view. Disturbances in the neighbour ing provinces ought so far as possible to be kept within due limits. No doubt there was some risk that if disturbances of this kind were allowed to go unchecked certain Powers might be tempted-we ourselves might be tempted to interfere in the internal affairs | of China, and it was obviously desirable that befor things got to that stage rigorons staps should be taken to keep tho e piracies within due limit. He was glad to see that the Govern cent of Hongkong had recently bean interesting themselves in this matter, and they must hope that effective action would be taken in future and that those piracies, which had occurred so near our owu wat rs in the past, would not recur, With referenca to Weihai- wei, he thought since they last met various papers had been laid on the table of the House of Commons by Lord Cranborne, and it was quite obvious that all idea of making Weihaiwei into an armed base had been abandoned. He did not know that that was altogether au undesirable decision if it meant that the anthorities were going to do their very nfmost to place Hongkong in an absolutely safe position (bear, hear)-as regards forts and putting powerful moderu brreclifbo ding guns into these forts. (Applanse.) He thought i must be recognised as a fundamental principle of naval strategy that it was the business of a fleet in war to keep at sea and pursue or watch the enemy's fleets; and it appeared to him absolutely necessary that Hongkong should be put into such a position to be capable of defending itself for some weeks at all events during the absence of the fleet. (Applause.) He wished to see the forts at Devil's Peak proceeded with very shortly, but so far as he had been able to see for himself lately, it wou'd seem that matters there had come to a standstill. He hoped they would very shortly have the satisfaction of seeing guus mounted there, as there was no doubt it was a very important pesition for the de- foucs of the Colony. They would very soon havo amongst them Mr. H. F. Wyatt, who was coming out as an envoy from the Navy League in London. Mr. Wyatt was doing this work parely out of patriotism, receiving no remuneration whatever for his effort, and they had to thank Messrs. Gibb, Livingston & Co.. agents for the Eastern and Au traliau line, and Messrs. Butterfield and Swire, agents for the China Navigation Co., for having promised to give a free passage to Mr. Wyatt from Japan to Australis. (Applause.) There was one point in connection with Mr. Wyatt's visit to which he wished to draw attention, and that was the fact that at the Board of Trade meeting he addressed at Montreal ons and all the members present nuanimously agreed to join the Navy League. Since then.r. Wy it had been the means of establishing three tow branches of the League in Canada. (Applause.) His earnest hope was that they would be able to secure the adhesion here of more members and associates in that Branch of the Navy League At the present moment there were' som 257 members and 38 associates: He did not think that was altogther satisfactory having rega d to the fact that there was an adult British male population in the Colony of over 1,200 people. They ought, seeing the importance of strengthening the hands of the Government, to do all in their power to secure more members and associates out here. In that connection he might mention that the head office of the Navy League hid more than once daring the past year written out arging them to get new recruits for the League, and, as a quarter of the subscriptions was sent home, the League desired more funds for carrying out its purposes and objects. Therefore it was import nt thit they should secure the adhesion of more members and associates.. He knew it was said by some, "What is the use of the Navy League? Are there not people who are paid to look after these things? Why should we trouble ourselves about these
|
|
a matter for
This was seconded and agreed to. Mr. GERSHOM STEW. RT proposed the election of Mr. P. llock as Chirman for the ensuing Mr. Pollock for years past had been year nutiring in his efforts for the furtherance of the Navy League, and had thrown his whole heart into the work. (\pplause.)
The motion having been du ́y seconded, it was carried nuanimously.
Mr. POLLOCK thanked the members for the honour they had done him.
The Committee was afterwards re-elec ́ed, and the proceedings ended with a vote of thanks to the Chairman.
DIOCESAN BOYS' SCHOOL
AND ORPHANAGE
PRESENTATION OF PRIZES—APEËĽH BY SIR WILLIAM GOODMAN.
The annual di-tributi u of prizes in con- nection with the Diocesan Boys' School. Bonham Road, took place on Thursday in the Slool. His Honour Sir William M. Goodman presid d, and was supported by Mr. Gao Piercy. jan., 'I here headm stor, and Rov. F. T. Johnso 1. was a large attendance of ladies and gentlemen. The proceedings were opened by the cheir singing “Hearts of Oak.'
Mr. PIERCY then read the annual report, prefacing his remarks by saying that as senior member of the Committee of Management and one who took ́n great interest in the work of the Sobool, they were highly gratified to see . Sir William Go, du an in the c air, and offered him their hearty congratulations on the knight- hood which had been conferred upon him by His Majesty the King. (Applause.) The report was in the following terms:--
We are thankful to say that the past year has been characterised by good heal h, steady prog ess and marked succesS