CORRESPONDENCE.
INTERPORT CRICKÉT.
THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.”
HongKong, 26th Angost, BIE, -- A lot has been said lately with regard to the Interport Cricket week at Shanghai, and ms to the likelihood of Hongkong sending up a tout to represent her. From a rumour current morning it appears that taipane have not ed so obstinate us was before supposed, the result that very probably the end of September will see a dozen odd represen- lives leaving Hongkong for the Northern port to strive to uphold the prestige of thể Colony at cricket, and possibly tennis. This leaves us with about a month in which to practies (Shanghai have been playing for two or three months now) and our cricket
committee has not yet seen it to provide nels
for those aspirants to Interport honours at which to practise. Besides, since the end of last season, now cricketers of merit may have arrived in the Colony, who will hardly have time to prove the'r mettle and who may posibly be excluded from the team by sheer want of practice and nothing elsa I notice the Cricket Ground is roll d nearly every evening, presumably for lawn-bowls; why not get out the nets and then ree who will be in the majority. lawn bowlers, oʻ 6.ioket bowlers and batter? Give it a trial, you energetic committee, and perhaps you will find there is some merit in the se gestion of→Yours, etc.,
M. C. C.
CRUELTY IN HONGKONG.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS;'
Hongkong, 27th August. SIE--In view of the approaching formation in this Colony of a sodiáty for the prevention of cruelty to animals, may I suggest through the medium of your valuable columas for the consideration of its committee that a portion of their benevolent and merciful feeling should also be extended to the speaking animals? As towards the dumb ones we have to be kind and gentle, I am sure, in dealing with our own fellow-creatures, we ought to be mora 80,
Innstances such as those enumerated below the time and money of the society would be well spent if the members are authorised to prosecute the perpetrators. I don't say they are of frequent oc-urrence, but no one can deny that they do not sometimes occur. Drunkards are dragged long to the Station and when nearing the gate they are kicked and pressed down so that their knees are bumped against the concrete or stone slabs. Crowds gathering in the street or at the whtries are slapped, kicked and thrashed in a manner that, I am sure, will put to the shade any ill-treatment of the dumb animals. Thieves and suspicious characters, who, it may be said, deserve no compassion, when arrested on board boats of at the wharves are beaten nud kicked before they are hauled пр to the Station. On the way up they are held very tightly by their cues, so tightly, in fact, that their heads are pulled right back with their faces sky ward-tbus inflicting unnecessary suffering Hawkers when they sight a police- man take to ‘heir heels with the latter in hot pursuit Their wares are scattered about and trampled upon and when caught they are given a good drabbing and then dragged to the lock-up. Sickly beggars are shuffled and pushed along at a rate that would even tax the enduring power of an ordinary athlete.
Any one of these instances is just as bad as tying the legs of a bird and carrying it with its head Langing down. When dumb animals are treated cruelly we know that their sufferings are terrible though they cannot seak; but do we not know that the sufferings of a human being, who, though able to speak and yet dares not speak or is hot given a change ts speak, must be far more terrible?—Yours, eto,,||
CA HEARTY SUPPORTER.
THE PUBLIC GARDENS.
11
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS,'
--- Hongkong, 27th August. BIRA visit to the Public Gardens led me to a few vulgar, reflections. Of course public
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more 80.
[August 29, 1903,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND gardens are favourable to reflection, sad doubt account coming to your notice for the first time, less ours in Hongkong will become more and the Board decided the first half-year's contribu- Thus reflection gathered and circled tion should be dealt with in the appropriations, around the new rules and regulations as affect- as you will doubtless have observed, but in ing the Gardens as a public resort. Children future the contribution will be passed to the and their amahs were numerous and in cheerful debit of working expenses. Turning to the ignorance of rules and regulations, and we revenue account, it will be seen that towage would only wink at rather than curtail their account shows a loss. This is accounted for by liberty, very large liberty. I am only a semi- the cost of heavy overhaul of the Fame in respectable party and cannot present my oard, March last. On the other side is shown the sum therefore I am deprived of my former free-written back in connection with the settlement envious gaze at the extremely respectable During the period from January 1st to June 30th, element adorning the grounds twice a week. of steamers and vessels of all kinds, except Now my semi-respectabl, brother is arrayed launches and lighters, we have dooked upwards to-day in a waistcoat in place of a fully-respect of half a million tons, the exact figures being able coat, a fatal error on this hot day, for it 550,189 tons, of which 87,541 were war vessels bars entrance in the eyes of the executive This constitutes an increase of 20 per cent. of of дет rules and regulations. Yet that tonnage over the corresponding half-year of youth who presumed to enter the gate was 1902. The increase is entirely on merchant mild and hopeful demeanour, and shipping; the tonnage figures for war vessels of might have been saved by the civilising and all nationalities being within a fraction the same refining atmosphere, the neat and orderly for 1903 as for 1902. My predecessors in the walks, the beauties of trees and flowers; but no! chair have referred to the difficulties experienced he is outside the pale of respectability.
in satisfactorily fulfilling our docking engage- We have in a moment of weariness, put our ments owing to the calls upon our No. 1 dock, feet on a seat, not our muddy boots, being and I have now to inform you this difficulty is in slightly respectable; but the wholesome fear no way lessened. It is only by most careful inspire by the rebuke of a constable has manipulation that we are able to give our regular constituents even partial satisfaction. entir-ly cured us of again committing such enormity. Finally, I seriously reflect that for As you are awar, the No. 1 dook has been persons utside the extremely respectable, that lengthened to 576 feet to accommodate such is the large majority, ordinary judicious sensible sizel steamers as the Korea and Siberia for police surveillance could have obtained without docking, but it is still too short to permit of restricting liber y of access to Public Gardens, the p opeller-shafts of these steamers being
Yours, etc,
withdrawn, and to enable us to do this work, it is absolutely necessary that it be further lengthened. It is manifest that if we cannot
dom of access to the Gardens and look on with of the account with Messrs. Houston & Kidd.
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of a
GRAMPUS.
HONGKONG AND WHAMPOA
DOCK CO., LD.
HALF-YEARLY MEETING.
As
undertake the work of withdrawing their propeller-shafts, such steamers will have to dock where it can be accomplished. briefly notified in the report, we have now ordered the engines, elecʻric motors, and conden- The ordinary half-yearly meeting of share- sing plant for the electric power extension at holders in the Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Kowloou. The two boilers for this service Co., Ld., was held at the offices of the Company, will shortly be placed in the power-house. The have been satisfactorily testal at Kowloon and Queen's Buildings, on the 24th inst. The Hon. Sir Paul Chater, C.M.G. (chairman), presided, old engine-works has bean cleared of most of and the others present were Hon. C. W. Dick the machines and they have been transferred to son and Messrs. N. A. Siebs, E. Gostz, C. the new shops into suitable groupings for the Michelau, J. H. Lewis, E. S. Whealler, D. E.
electric drive. The building will be shortly re-roofed and renovated. The brass-shop and Brown, J. S. Van Buren, E. W. Tilson (directors), W. B. Dixon (chief manager), store, which formed an annex, is being pul brass-workers' shop is T. I. Rose (secretary), A. V. Apear, A. led down, and the F. Arculli, G. M. Bain, J. P. Braga, already transferred to a spacious floor in the west annex of the new building. W. E Clarke, W. Danby, Albert Den- ison, Fok Kim Yim, Fong Taz Chit, Fung This will greatly improve the frontage of the Mak Heang, A. R. Gubbay, Ernest David engine-works and widen this road there. It is Haskell. E. A. Hewett, Ho Fook, Ho Kom expected that the whole of the plant above en- umerated will be delivered before the end of Tong, Ho Tung, Henry Humphreys, W. M. Humphreys, J. W. Jameson, E. S. Joseph, this half-year, and we have great hopes that 2. A. Joseph R. K, Leigh, J. J. Leiria, Li before the next half-yearly meeting, the electric Yik San, Lo Chenng Shiu, Donald Macdonald, drive of the engine-works will bз installed. J. R Michael, S. J. Michael, R. Mitchell, A. G. We have turned out three large-sized and Morris, E. J. Moses, Pun Chee Ting, T. II. successful launches, two of which, one for the P. & O. Company and the other for the Stu- Reid, C. W. Richards, C. H. Rogge, Handard Oil Company, are at work in this harbour. Schubart, Frank Smyth, R. C. Wilcox, W. G. Wiaterburn, and A. G. Wood.
The SECRETARY having read the notice call- ing the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said-Gentlemen,-With your permission, we will take the report and statement of accounts, which have been in your hands for some time past, as read. It affords your directors pleasure to be able to lay before you an improved report, the result of the past six months working comparing favourably with thos of the previous two half-years. The net profit for the six months ending 30th June last is $476,838 29, so that after including the amount brought forward and deducting directors' and uditors' fees there remains to be dealt with | $3 12,395,13, which the directors recommend dis- tributing in a 12 per cent. dividend to sharehold- ers, absorbing 8300, 00; by writing $36,579.39 off the value of Kowloon Docks, and $2,772.04 off the Cosmopolitan Dock; placing $8,750 to the ored t of a marine insuranos account to cover
ordinary harbour risks on our floating plant (excluding the dredger Canton River, which is separately insure), and carrying forward to the new account the balance, $314,293,70. The Board trust the appropriation recommended will meet with your approval. Since our last meeting the directors decided to open a marine insurancs account to cover ordinary harbour risks on tugs, launches, lighters, &c., the annual con- tribution to be 5 per cent, on their value. This
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The Bangkok lighters are well in hand for We have quite recently delivery to date. secured an order for a passəngər steamer for the West River steamship companies and are deal- ing with other enquiries. The general question of a development of shipbuilding has our atten. tion.
You have a tract of unutilised ground available for this purpose. So long as steel and iron and other materials have to be procured in Europe, the cost of freight and insurance is a charge which enhances the cost of ship- building. On the other hand the cost of bringing vessels built in England out here is a sat-off against that, and with proper appliances there is no reason why you should not compete successfully for ships for the local and coast trades, though you would have to be satisfied with a small percentage of profit. The agents of the 8.8. Pembrokeshire having invited us to tender for the repairs to that steamer, we sent our representatives to Shanghai, which was accepted. As you are all aware, she and upon their inform tion submitted a tender is now at our Kowloon establishment, and the work of repairing is progressing rapidly. The steamer was successfully brought down to us from Shang ai, under the superintendence of Mr. Mawford, in the face of many difficulties. climatic and otherwise. I sin pleased, Gentic- men, to be able to tell you that the prospects for the half-year are satisfactory. Before
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