G
August 15, 1903.]
A NON-EFFICIENT VOLUNTEER
At the Police Court on the 11th inst., before Mr. J. H. Kemp (Acting Police Magistrate). Aaron Ellis, a gunner in the Hongkong Volun- teer Corps, was summoned by Major Chapman, Acting Commandant of the Corps, to show cause why he should not make good to the Corps a loss of $25 which it had sustained through his failure to obtain an emisioncy certificate for the drill season 1902-3, M¿. HỊ Hursthouse, solicitor (Messrs. Deunys & Bowley), appeared for the complainant; the defendant was nurepresented, Mr. Hursthouse explained to his Worship that the prosecution was not a criminal one; its object was simply to recover the amount of the Government grant which the Volunteer Corps had lost through the non-efficiency of the defendant during the past drill season.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
|sured me, I should have mide an endeavour
to put in my drills.
Major Chapman, Acting Commandant of the Corps, was called. He said the defendant was a member of the Corps at the present. time. He had not obtained a certificate of efficiency for the drill season 1932-3, and in consequence of his failure to obtain such certificate the Corps had suffered loss to the extent of $25. That sum represented a grant paid by Government for each efficient Volunteer, and the defendant's name was amongst those on account of whose inefficiency the grant had not been paid. Witness wrote to the defendant on 17th Jaly last, after having been visited by the defendant in person, and received in reply the letter pat iu as an exhibit, which stated that the defendant, near the close of the drill season, had notified is intention to resign on account of his inability, through pres- sure of work, to complete the required number of drills. The letter also stated that Major Pritchard, Commandant of the Corps, to whom the defendant's application for permission to resign was made, asked the defendant to stay on until the general inspection, in the event of his attending which his shortage in drills would be made all right. The defend int attended the general inspection, and subse- quently was asked to explain why he had not completed the stipulated number of drills. No reply was received to that communication, nor to another which followed, and eventually a board of officers was constituted to enquire into cases of non-efficiency, included amongst which was that of the defendant. Con. tinning, Major Chapman deposed that a noa-efficient's resignation would not be accepted just before the close of the drill season except ing on very good rounds. Volunteers could always ascertain the number of drills they had put in by consulting the tables exhibited at Headquarters every month.
Sergeant-Major Power was the next witness. He said he had the custody of the various books and records of the Volunteer Corps, and produced forms of enrolment, including that signed by the defendant, who thus bound himself over to make good whatever loss the Corps suffered by reason of his non-efficiency. The defendant had six drills in, and he total number he was required to put in was 30. On 15th April last the defendant was asked to pay a non-efficient's fine, and a subsequent communication was sent on 28th May; no reply was received to either of them.
His Worship-Do you object to an adj ·uru- ment, Mr. Hurs house ?
Mr. Hursthouse-I object to any adjourn meat, your Worship, particularly if the defendant does not want to go into the witness-box and swear to what he has said. I can't cross-examine unless he does.
Defoudant-You want me to swear to what I have said? Oh, I'll do that, certainly.
D-fendant then went into the witness-box and was sworu in the Jewish fashion. hat on head. He said he was an assistant with Houghton & Co, tail 18 and catt-rs. He met Major Pritchard fully a mouth before the drill seas n closed, and asked him about his resignation,
which he had tendered a week before on account of his inability to put in his drills by reason of pressure of work, and as, further, he had not a sufficient number of drills in to entitle him to an efficiency certificate. Major Pritchard said he did not want to accept the resignation before the general parade, and that if the defendant attended that parade it would be all right. The defendant ther-fore attended the parade in question.
This was all the evidence for the prosecution, and the defendaut made a statement to the effect that about a month before the drill season closed he called on Major Pritchard to explain why he had not been able to put in his drills and to ask permission to resign. Major Pritchard told him that he did not want any resignations before the general inspection took place, and said that if the defeudant attended that parade it would be all right. "That was my only reason," defendant con- cluded, "for not paying the fine; Major Prit- chard gave me to understand that it would be all right, Majo Pritchard is. not in the Colony, and won't be back for ten days yet."
His Worship-Do you want an adjournment ? Defendant-Yes, I should like one until Major Pritchard returns
His Worship-1 don't see that all this is quite an answer to the charge. If you are liable to pay a fine for hot putting in a certain number of drills I don't see that Major Pritchard has power to give you the assurance that you say he gave.
Defendent-If Major Pritchard had not as
His Worship Why were you not able to put in your drills -I had too much work on haud. Cross-examined-Defendant would swear that he did not receive any letter from Major Pritchard on or about 15th April or 28th May; about that time le
received letters from
Major Chapman. When he did eventually hear from Major Pritchard he called on him and explained matters. It was not the case that Major Pritchard told the defendant he would not be allowed to resign before the general inspection. Expresses and circulars from the Volunteer Corps cime very i-regularly, and sometimes, defendant said,
did not he
receive them. at all.
Mr. Hursthouse having addressed the Court in support of the claim,
His Worship ordered the defendant to pay to the Volunteer Corps the sum of $25 within seven days from the date of the order, failing which payment a distress warrant would be issued and distraint made.
HONGKONG AND WHAMPOA DOCK CO., LD.
The following is the report of the board of directors of the Hongkong and Whimps Dock Company, Ld., to the ordinary half-yearly meeting of shareholders, to be held at the offices of the Company, Queen's Buildings, on Monday, the 24th August, at noon :-
Gentlemen, 'be directors have now to sub- mit to you' their report with a statement of accounts for the half-year ended 30th June, 1903 The net profit for the six months,
after paying interest due and all charges, amouats to
3476,888.29
*131
in the new roof, the annexe pu led down giving a wider frontage to the main road.
The dredger Canton River has fulfiled two hort terms of charter, and also removed several tho¬sand tons from the foreshore of Kowloon Dockyard.
The widening at the bottom of the entrance of the inner half of the Cosmopolitan Dock is nearly completed.
At Aberdeen, the ses Wall, having subsided, has been practically, P. CHAT:a. Chairman.
rebuilt.
Hongkong, 10th August, 193.
Tho accounts are as follows :-
CAPITAL ACCOUNT.
ASSETS.
3 th June, 19: 3. Aberdeen.
To value of Aberdeen Docks, as per last
statement
Kowloon.
To value of Kowloon Docks,
To
To
To
as per last statement ...1,930,4.0.54
Less amount since written off
$5,000.00
$1,831,420.54
amount paid on account
of removal of hill on the new extension, Kowloon marine lot No. 27..
hire of dredger Canton
1,915.65
River dredging foreshore
near shipbuilding depart-
ment
3.825.43
amount pri on account of
6.870.77
3615.00
two new houses for Euro- pean foremen
To amount paid on account of
new fitting shop To amount paid completing
office extensions
To amount paid completing conversion of spir shed into stores
To amount paid on account of removing hill at bact of new forge To amount paid on account of
new electric installation To cost of additional sanitary Attings for No. 1 dock To cost of machinery added to hydraulic and compressed air installations
*..
To cost of new machine tools
for sawmill
To cost of new machine tools
for engine shop
To cost of now machines for
electric shop
Cosmopolitan.
534.00
1,876.00
2.02$.00
713.0)
1736.10
631.00
1,039.00
1,352.00
2,027.40
To value of Cosmopolitan Dock,
as per last statement
315.797.70 Lesa amount since written off 15,40.00
To amount paid completing
four new houses for Euro. pean foremon...
To value of tugs, dredgers, launches and
lighters...
To sundry debtors
to which has to be added the balance
brought forward from last accɔupt 196,236.843
$673,145.13
and from this have to be deducted-
Directors' fees ...$10,000,00 Auditors' fees
750.00
10,750.00
To value of material on hand
th June, 1903.
100,000.00
1,886,579,39
30,797.70
,974.34
302,772.04
42),006.00 186,730.05
1,574,329.29
$4,479,416.77
0.
...2,5×0,0 0,0)
LIABILITIES.
By shareholders for 5 1,000 shares of $30
each, fully paid up
To Admiralty loan £20,000 00
Less repayments 13.552 17 0
£6,447 3 0 at 1/7 1-16th
81,170.68 1,225,100.96
By sundry oreditors By balance of profit brought
forward from last account $196,258.84 By proût
476,888.29
leaving available for appropriation...$662,395.13 The directors recommend that a dividend for the half-year of 12 per out. or $300,000 be paid to shareholders, that $36,579.39 be written from the value of Kowloon Docks, $2,772.04 from the Cosmopolita Dock, that a mar ne insurance account to cover ordinary harbour risks on tngs, Tauuches, &c., be op: ned by placinTo tire insurance.. $8,750 to its credit, and that the balance $314,298.70 be carried to the new account
The removal of the machines from the old
to the new engine-works at Kowloon, and their redistribution for the electric drive, has pro- ceeded with rapidity and but little interruption of business. The old building is now cleared and being prepared and renovated as a central electric power station.
The new boilers for this station are made, the engines, dynamos, electric motors, and con- densing plant ordered, and are all deliverable before the end of this half-year. The old brass shop, which formed an annexe of the old build ing, has been removed to a spacious upper floor
To interest...
673,145.13
$4,479,416.77
REVENUE ACCOUNT.
30th June, 1903.
To Crown rent
0.
39,224.51
3,062,05 4,28..88
49,062.94
19,768.76
2,032,03
lo office expenses, salaries, stationery and
rent of head office
To drawing office expenses and salaries To telegrama To legal expenses To towage To profit.................
1st Jan. to 30th June, 1003.
By net earnings of the Company's three
establishments": By dredger, net earnings by balance contingent.
baok
By bonus on insurance premis
810.90 5,151.81
476,828.29
$593,785.17
574,641.22 9,389.58
9,537.€4
216.79
785.17