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COMMERCIALISM IN MODERN
LIFE.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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makes for the success of the nation which is most imbued with it, and this becomes in. creasingly so as the commercial man drives out the military despot-a process now nearly completed. The acknowledgment of this fact does not involve the disappearance from the world of the educated man- educated, that is to say, as Mr. BALFOUR rather than Mr. ANDREW CARNEGIE would see him. Why should it! All cannot engage in commerce, nor is patriotism, the desire to see one's country in the front rank of nations, the only or even the highest human quality. There is still something left for those who regret materialism to do.
SHANGHAI AND ITS GOVERN- MENT.
L
(January 26, 1903. THE CURRENCY QUESTION,
Was
OD the 22nd inst. in the Board Room.
(Daily Press, 21st January.) (Daily Press, 23rd January.)
Though the currency question continues The remarks of Barou HAYASHI, the Jaran
to excite the utmost interest in so many ese Minister in London, at the anniversary
quarters of the world, including most meeting of the Birkbeck Institution on
places of importance in the East, it does Wednesday, showed a true appreciation of
not seem as if in Hongkong anyone is at the most salient feature of modern life.
present ready to come forward on behalf of The country which wishes to rank high, he
the gold standard. Writing six days ago insisted, must prove its superiority in its
on this subject we pointed out that there is work and products. In another column
far from being any universal acceptance to-day we publish a letter from our Tokyo
here of the view that it is impossible to correspondent, which deals at some length
establish a fixed rate of exchange. On the with the Japanese view on this very
other hand, there is a very strong recognition subject. In that letter, it will be seen,
of the evils of a fluctuating, yet constantly there is quoted a passage from an address
falling exchange. Since the publication of by Marquis Iro to his party last month, in
the report of the Chamber of Commerce which he declared it to be the end of all
committee meeting of the 23rd December. kinds of education to build up the wealth
(Daily Press, 24th January.) the subject has been much discussed in of a nation. Our correspondent deprecates Shanghai appears to have been rather business circles in the Colony, and it is this very materialistic view of life and goes amused by the suggestion made recently by well known that the general opinion has not on to point out the ill effects in Japan of Mr. POULTNEY BIGELOW that the Model been that it is best to shelve it for years to excessive adherence to this ideal. The Settlement" should be turned into a re- come. But it is unnecessary for us to Marquis's error, it seems to us, lay in public and allowed to rule itself, unaided remark that desultory conversations do not speaking of the end of "all kinds of from outside, while taking inside its advance matters at all. Nor can we imagine education as being what he declared it boundaries a certain portion of adjacent that the supporters of the fixed dollar to be. He thereby certainly laid himself Chinese territory. One critic unkindly propose to wait to see the report of the open to the charge of ultra-materialism, remarks that this is a very appropriate | Straits Currency Commission before taking but we doubt whether the words quoted suggestion for a globe-trotter to make, any steps. Procrastination is not a policy were what he really intended to say. It while others amuse themselves with imagin. | which should commend itself to business must be recognised that there are two kinds ing some of the possible consequences of men in circumstances like the present. It of education, one of the individual as such, the adoption of Mr. BIGELOW's scheme. is true that, as we said last week, the ques- the other of the man as part of the nation, But we can hardly think that the American tion is not one which can be disposcil of and it is the latter which renders tim a author voyager meant himself to be taken summarily. But this is all the more reason factor in the success of his country. We seriously when he made his proposal at for commencing work betinies. Even China do not mean to say that a SHAKESPEARE is Munich, for he has actually visited Shang. has before her, as we saw the other day, the of no importance to the progress of his hai and cannot but have seen how in so idea of a gold standard. Hongkong cannot nation, but he no more elevates that nation many different ways our Northern neigh-therefore be contented with simply repenting to the front rank than does a minor poet of hour can pride itself on rising superior to the arguments of five or six yea s ago. ordinary merit. One does not require to the intrigues of an independent state. The go deeply into history to be made aware of Shanghai papers last week commented with this. It was commerce, and not culture satisfaction, and we think reasonably so, on which made Britain the leading nation in the unanimous election of nine gentlemen the world. It is through commerce, and to the Municipal Council. As a writer in the not through culture, that the United States Mercury points out, some time ago an attempt and Germany have challenged that position, was made to introduce Western methods of and that the former country, for instance, electioneering into Shanghai, but without hopes to establish itself as the leading success. In the case of uncontested elections World Power. It would be a grave mis- there may be one of two causes at work; take, too, to imagine that Russia expects to either the honour is not sought after and dominate her portion of the world by the public does not care, or else there is a political means and not by couinierce. If general consensus of opinion as to the she is in her infancy as a commercial nation, suitability of certain persons to fill the it is still very evident that she is losing no vacancies. An abortive Sanitary Board opportunity of driving out of all parts of election which once occurred in Hongkong Asia where she has the power the trade of was an example of the former alternative; her rivals, in order to give her own trade it seems generally admitted that the Muni- the fullest possible opportunities of growth.cipal election at Shanghai was an instance Her vehement anxiety to build up Russian of the latter. We hear from time to time industries and extend her commerce are of abuses even in Shanghai. There was illustrated in almost every move which she the friction last year between the Consuls makes. If it were not for this, the British and the Municipality over the question of and other merchants concerned in Asiatic police court jurisdiction. The Settlement trade would have small reason for viewing was helpless in the matter of the evacuation with apprehension the advance of Russia's of the port by the foreign garrison. But frontiers, Then in the case of Japan, who such troubles are very small in comparison is it that can maintain the opinion that her with the substantial blessings which Shang- rise in power is due to the possession now hai enjoys through its almost unique position of an army and a navy on Western lines or in the world.
Of this fact Shanghai of a Constitution analogous to those of residents are well aware, and we should be Western countries? Again, does anyone surprised to hear a single voice raised in propose that China shall raise herself out the Settlement in favour of Mr. POULTNEY of the humiliation which is now hers except BIGELOW's suggestion. However, as by commercial expansion? That her rulers have intimated, we suspect that the gentle are unware, through their own blindness, man was jesting, as he appears to do on of this fact is what renders the rapid pro occasions other than when writing on the gress of China impossible. Those who ports of the Far East, rebuke the materialism of such statements and look with dread toward a bagmau's millennium," though we may sympathise with the cry of their outraged aesthetic feelings, we must regard as unscientific and unhistorical. It is useless for them to talk of the divorce of commercial and humane education, for the two were never united, It is the former which
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we
The Singapore Municipal Commission is likely to have before it soon a scheme providing that the Cminissioners shall be given the discretion of determining not only the manner in which buildings may be erected in Singapore, but also the nature of building to be so erected There seems to be at Singapore as well as at Hongkong a constant encroachment of Asiatics on the European residential districts.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary_Board held Present:-Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Civil Medical Officer (President); Hon. Dr. F. W. Clark, Medical Officer of Health; Colonel Webb, R A.M.C.; Mr. F. J. Badeley, Captain Superin. tendent of Police; Mr. C. McI. Messer, Acting Registrar-General; Mr. Fung Wa Chun; and
Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary).
ERECTION OF WATER CLOSETS.
WAS
Further correspondence
submitted relative to the erection of sixteen water-closets, sight urinals, and one Chinese latrine at the office block at the anglo of Chater Road and Des Voeux Road.
On the motion of the PRESIDENT, seconded by Hon Dr. CLARK, it was agreed to reply to the applicant that the Board only allows closets in yards on ground floors.
SANITARY MEASURES AGAINST HONGKONG.
The matter of Hongkong being declared an infected port by Batavia, owing to the presence of bubonic lagne in the Colony, came on for consideration.
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In a minute attached to the papers de ling with the subject the President said—" It seems to me that if the Consul for the Netherlands have occurred during the past three weeks, the was informed that only three sporadic cases necessity for such drastic measures would not be appa'ent.”
The papers were laid on the table.
LIMEWASHING RETURA8.
Out of a total of 2,006 houses in the Eastern district and 2,983 in the Western, 97 and 2,75+
houses respectively were limewashed during the fortnight ended Saturday, 17th inst. There in the latter there were ten, resulting in fines were no prosecutions in the former district, but
to the amount of $196.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
The nortality statistics for the Colony for the week ended 27th December, 1902, showed the death-rate per 1,000 per annum to be 15.2, against 238 in the previous week and 14.8 during the corresponding week of last year,
THE CONCreting of Å BASEMENT,
An application was read from Messrs. Butter- field & Swire for exemption from concreting the basement of “ Taikoo," the Peak, on the