Angust 1, 1903.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Among the passengers who arrived by the s 8. The ordinary half-yearly mesting of the Gaelic on the 25th nlt, was Dr. F. II. Kew, who HK. and Whampoa Dock Co., Lu, will be has just complet din successful course of dent-held in the Co.'s officer bu tb. 24th inst, istry study in America. He will join in practice | at noon.
with his brother. Mr. C. F. Kew. Dr. Kew Mr. George Forster, one of America's ablest was accompanied by his wife. It will be re-judges, who arrived here on Tuesday by the membered that Dr. Kew was a fine goal. Empress of China from Japan, where he was keepeer for the H.K... some years ago.
holidaying, occupied a seat on the Bench at the In addition to the names in the Birthday Magistracy Wednesday beside Mr. T. Sercombe Honon s List already reported, we notice Smith, and displayed much interest in the that of Dr. Patrick Manson, LL.D., M.D., proceedings of the Court, F.R.B., C.M.G.. Medical Adviser to the Col- onial Office, who was an old hand in Formosa, Amoy, and Hongkong before he settled down at how. He receives the honour of K.C.M.G. for special services in connection with tropical diseases.
At the Magistracy on Thursday three Chinese workmen were each fined $20 and bound over in the sum of $10 for blasting rook during pro- hibited hours at Mount Kellet without taking proper prec utions to ensure the safety of the operations. Only on Wednesday a Chinese house-boy at the Peak escaped grave injury by the merest chance through this cireless way of working. A large stone projected into the air fell on bis opened umbrella, and, just missing his head, inflicted an ugly gash ou the thigh. His wound was dressed at the police station, where a summons against the offending parties was taken out.
We are informed that there was a meeting on
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It is not a pleasant fact to have to note, says the 1. & C. Be rese, nor are there any comfort- iug reflections to be gained from the fact, that in the annual tea report of Messrs. W. J. and H. Thompson there is bardly a word devoted to Chins tea. Poor China! It is almost ignored, and certainly does not receive any encourage- ment.
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A special corespondent of the Shangkai Mercury, writing from Manila on the 10th ult, tells of the development of a movement calculated It is with much satisfaction we note at last to add to the production of soldiers of fortage. preparations for action on the site of the In the last month, says the writer, upward of Law Courts. The new contracter is evidently20) men, mainly non-commissioned officers or not going to loza tim in commencing His privates, whose terms of military service have baily erecting hoardings round the scene of rau out or who could obtain discharges by other operations, and has even commenced bringing means have goue to China nader engagem ul materials. Let us hope that a heavy time for military work. Their promised pay is 82013 penalty may kep him up to the mark all gold per month, a multiplication by ten or more through his contract.
for men of that class in the American army, with assurance of s-rvice so long as they may prospect of incr ase of pay. No instance is prove valuable to their employers, and with
reported in which this tempting bait has been refused. There is no office to which men may go to offer themselves as recruits for this sorviðž.
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We notice in the Tim the announcement
that Lord Meath has received a letter from Sit Henry Blake, Governor of Hougkong. in forming him that he suggestion as
to 80
May will in due course be added to the list of Empire Day" has been adopted, and that 21th public holidays at present & ttled by Ordinancet
-At the Legislative Council m eting to-morrow a bill entitled Au Ordinance to set apart & holiday to be known as Victoria Day in loving remembrance of Her Most Gracious Majesty the late Queen Victoria, will be read
MISCELLANEOUS,
The movement is engagingly mysterious. Its promoters take no chances either of being over- run with undesirable applicants dr of bringing themselves under the eye of Chines)' consolār or other authority; they evidently mark out. the men whom they want and whom they know
to be willing to accept their terms,
the 29th ult, of the members of the hinese Com- nerical Union-Mr. Fang Wa Chan presiding over an attendance of about thirty--to discuss what action should be taken in view of the enforcement of the provisions of the new Buil inga Ordinance regarding the abolition of windowless cubicles in domestic houses, and to-day a petition from the Chinese inhabitants in No. 5 Health District will be forwarded to The Government asking for permission to re- erect cubicles already demolished by the sanitary authorities. Some days ago the ten Merchant (Huilds of Hongkong also petitioned the Govern2 ment to withdraw the ew provisions relating to the abolition of cubicles in existing buildings. old gasboat Monoency, now lying at Taku, and the whole of the East Asiatic market. The
The mail brings news of the death of Mr. Jacob Phillips, of Birmingham, who came out to the East after the close of the first war with Chins. In the short space of eight years he established at Hongkong the firm of Phillips, Moore & Co., with branches at Shanghai, Tientsin, and Manila Mr. Phillips returned to England in 1851 and for seventeen years, the obituary notices state. he carried on a large trade with China. In the public life of Birmingham he was a conspicuous citizen and was a generous supporter of the local chari ies, Had he lived till November Mr. Phillips would have reached h's hundredth birthday. In extreme old age, it is stated, he manifested extraordinary powers, and his memory was beth prodigions and accurate. Though his eyesight failed a year ago, the newspapers were read to him daily as well as all the sterling literature of the day. Mr. Phillips had never-married.
We regret to have to announce the death of Mr. W. Robertson, assistant engineer of the Fire Brigade, at No. 5 Police Station, Queen's Road Central on the 25th ult. The end came very suddenly. Mr. Robertson, a bale, learly man of 34, was alive and well on Satur: day afternoon; at about nine o'clock in the evening he was found lying in bed in an une nscious condition, breathing stertorously and showing every symptom of heat apoplexy, Assistance was immediately summoned and In ambulance procured, bat before hospital was reached Mr. Robertson was dead, a victim to one of the
tiest days, if not the hottest day, that the Colony has experienced this year, He was a native of Banffshire and numarried, and had been 13 years in the Colony. The funeral took place at Happy Valley on the 26th ult., and was attended by repres-ntatives of every rank in the Police Force and Fire Brigade. The wreath-, covered coffin was followed by, amongst others Captain Lyons, Acting sptain Superintendent of Police; Mr. P. P.J. Wodehouse, Assistant Superintendent of Police; Mr. D. MacDonald, Engineer of the Fire Brigade; Chief Inspector Baker. Inspectors Robertson. Macdonald Ford, Collett, Warnock, Smith, Withers, Gourlay, and numerous other members of the Force from almost every neighbouring and outlying station in the Colony.
H.E. Sheng Kung Pao after inspecting the electric light plant at the Buss-Chiness Bank at Shanghai placed an order with Mr. Dari g. the Shanghai Mercury sɩys, for electric-light installations for both Imperial Palaces at Peking, amounting to about one and a balf lacs, these plants bin a present to Her
Majesty the Empress.
According to the Jiji, the United States naval authorities have decided to condemn the
to dispose of her. This vessal first came out to the Far East in 1865, two years after she was built, and has served the U.8. Government for a period of over forty years. Lat-ly she has been as d as a guard-boat on the Peibo river.
In the annual priz-firing at Weihaiwei, the Cressy fired 28 rounds from 9.2-inch guns, and made 13 hits. From the 6-inch guus 129 rounds were fired and 69 bits made. The Albion from 12-inch guns fired 2 rounds and scored
18 hits, and from the 6-inch guns 149 rounds and 95 bits. Comparing the Albion's results with those of last year she has more than trebled the hits from the 12-inch and doubled the hits from the G-inch guns.
Notable in the anonal prize-firing of the cruiser Blenheim, writes a correspondent on the China station to the Naval and Military Record, was the firing of the after 9.2 gun, w ich was In six fire by Leading Seaman Gourd. minutes he fired seven rounds and sco.ed seren hits, thus holding the world's record for guns not fitted with telescopic sights. The six-inch guns als distinguished themselves by firing twelve rounds in two minutes, and each gun made eleven bi's. Great credit is due to the guunery officer and his staff for this splendid performance.
The British Consul at Copenhagen, in his report ou the trade of Denmark. for 1902, remarks that the business carried ou by the enterprising East Asiatic Companys during 1902 was most satisfactory, and in spite of low freights, which appear to have been däiversi!. the shareholders have received 8 per cant.. much the same as in former years. The Comp ny say that trade in China has not improved as much as was expectel. Thé decreasing value of silver and the want of a gold standard have been much felt, and the absence of these has caused auctuations, etc., in trade in the various woods, especially teak, has been very satisfactory, and the Company's salon in Europe, America, India, China, and Japan Company has launched two small steamers for are continuously increasing. During 1902 the
the casting trade in the Far East, and two large assen er and freight steamers, Prince Valdemar and Princess Marie, of 6,00 tons each. In these four steamers liquid fuel has been used for bunkers, and it is said to have taken up less space, thereby allowing more cargo room. They have also begun trading some chartered steamers, and they hop that a operations in South Africa with ss. Siam and profitable busines; may be worked up in time
Respecting new railways in French Inilo. China, a despatch has been 100eived at the British Foreign Off from H.M. Consul at Pakhoi, reporting that the construction of the network of ra lways in Indo Cuina, for which the loan of £8,00 1,000 was voted in 1898 by the French Chamber, is making good pro- gress, but
adrahced has scarcely yet sufficiently to be of any great benefit to trade generally, although the movement of goods in two or three districts bas, no doubt, been considerably facilitated, The line from H uoi to Vietry is finished, but at the time of writing was not yet formally open to traffic A Blue-book giving an acconut of the work owing to an accident to the bridge at that place. performed by the surveying branch of the The rection to Yenbay (about 8) kilow.) was The route British Navy in 1902. records that in the China expected to be op ued in June. seas the Rambler, under Captain M. H. Smyth, selected from Leokay to Yüquan-fu has turned continued the surrey of the East Lamma out to be impracticable, and the line will now pass Channel, rear Hongkong, completing this on a some distance from Mengizu, to which a brauch scale of six inches to the mile. The ship was will, however, be made. The Langson line has next engaged off Taku for two to three months, been carried right up to the frontier at Nankusu, aft rwards sounding in the Yellow Sea. The ut trains only run to Dongdang, 33 kilome. crow enjoyed an eight weeks' stay in Yokohama distant. The section from Ninbinh to Thanhoa while charts were being drawn. On the way will be finished this year, and the continua. Vinh shortly afterwards. The back to Hongkong Captain Smyth found a new tion to rok in the Saapwan Pass, which is much saction from Saigon to Bienhon is already frequented by coasting steamers. Some sound.open. There is a short branch from Ticau to ing was also done off Amoy, with useful results, the busy river port Dapcau, one of 2 kiloms. On the same station Lieu. Commander E. C. from Namdinh to its port, one of 5-kiloms. Hrdy assumed command of the Waterwitch from Vinh to its port Benthuy, one from the and carried out surveys in Mirs Bay and at Ninghson coal mines to. Tourance, and one for Weihaiwei-our discredited "secondary "base. portage purposes across the Isle of Klone, on Two lieutenauts of this ship were invalided the Mekong, where navigation is obstructed home, which refarded the surveys.
by rapids.