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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
MAJOR-GENERAL SIR WILLIAM | follow him and Lady GASCOIGNE, who has
GASCOIGNE'S DEPARTURE.
the
(Daily Press, 16th September.) Major-General Sir W J. GASCOIGNE, K.C.M.G., who took over-the command of the troops in this Colony in December, 1898, on Major-General BLACK's departure, is to leave us early this morning on the steamship Siberia, homeward bound. Nearly five years of military commɩnd have been the lot of General GASCOIGNE, diver- sified with two terms of administration of the government of the whole Colny. During this period the General has won for himself the general liking and respect of all, civilians and military alike. Some idea of his popularity may be gathered from the proceedings on the Siberia yesterday evening, when so many of his friends were present to bid him and Lady GASCOIGNE farewell. But there were very many more, who were not present on hat occasion, who yet have the warmest esteem for the late military head of this Colony. His personal character and amiability were chiefly responsible for this, but his success as commander of the garrison, couple with his efficient rule of Hongkong in April-Jun, 1900, and January-September, 1902, when H.E. Sir HENRY BLAKE was absent from Colony, contributed very largely also to his reputation here. Though not of disposition to put himself for- ward, General GASCOIGNE was forced by the circumstances of his period of office in Hongkong to take a prominent place on many occasions. In his first term as Acting Governor it was before him that the memor. able review of the crew of H.M.S. Terrible, just arrived from South Africa, took place on the 9th May, 1900; while it also fell to him to hold the last public reception in Hongkong in celebration of the late Queen VICTORIA's birthday. In the busy times which Hongkong experienced during the Boxer" troubles up North, General GASCOIGNE worked hard at his post, and in recognition of his services he was awarded the K.C.M.G., with which he was
the invested by H.E.
Governor at Government House of the 2nd Novem- ber, 1901. During the next year, 1902, General GASCOIGNE had a much larger burden of responsibilities thrown upon his shoulders, since Sir HENRY BLAKE was absent from the Colony more than eight months from the 4th January to the 9th September. He was therefore called upon to be the central figure in connection with His Majesty the King's coronation celebration, and among the festivities in connection with this notable event he had the duty of turning the first sod of King's Park, Kowloon, on the 4th August, 1902. It was in this term of his administration of the Colony that the great Water Bill was introduced into the Legislative Council, which has now been upset by a new Bill. General GASCOIGNE took a very keen interest in this question and felt deeply the way in which he was, so to speak, betrayed by a change of opinion on the part of one of the experts. In all ways during his acting governorship of Hongkong he manifested the fullest anxiety to meet the wishes of the community, just as in his capacity as head of the troops he paid careful attention to the welfare of his men. His support of the Soliers Club and many other schemes to benefit the soldiers will ever be remembered gratefully. Sir WILLIAM GASCOIGNE's departure from the Colony will create a blank which it will be hard to fill, and the best wishes of Hongkong will
K
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won for herself a place in the hearts of the community, and among no section more than among the garrison's womenfolk. Both leave behind in Hongkong the sincerest regrets for their departure.
A
26
THE CITY OF WAICHOW.
(Daily Press, 18th September) The twelfth section of Article VIII of the British Commercial Treaty of 1902 with Chins, commonly known as the MACKAY Treity, legins as follows:-"The Chinese Government agree to open to foreign trade on the same footing as the places "opened to foreign trade by the Treaties of Nauking and Tientsin, the following "places, namely:-Changsha in Hunan; Wahnsien in Szechuen; Ngapking in Anhwei; Waichow in Kwangtung; and Kongsioon in Kwangtung." Writing in July, 1902, soon after the announcement of this clause in Sir JAMES MACKAY's treaty, we expressed the satisfaction that must be felt at the opening of five new ports, and particularly pointed out that Waichow was an important ad·lition. Now we learn, ou very god authority, that while arrange wents are already being made to open the other places, including Kongmaon on the West River, it is not intended that Walchow shall be thrown open. The opposition of the Chinese officials has prevailed, and apparently the feeling on the British side is one of indifferencs merely. If this is true, a great error is being made, and the Hongkong Government is neglecting its duty in allowing a splendid opportunity to be lost to the Colony of opening up the territory at the back of Mirs Bay. The ques- tion concerns us in Hongkong more than any one else, and we cannot understand how the local authorities can remain idle and see the British Government consent to surrender a most important privilege promised by China, which should have very largely con- tributed to the expansion of our trade on the mainland. Hongkong is meuaced in the future by the establishment of a railway terminus at Whampoa, which might do no small damage to this Colony's interests. Yet it is proposed now to ne lect a magnificent chance of increasing our at present un- rivalled ascendancy in the trade of Kwangtung.
Waichow is a town hardly known at all to Europeans, and it is not possible to obtain accurate information about its actual size and population. It is, however, a Fu or prefectural city, the capital of ten districts which include all the country round, without actually touching Mirs Bay, while they reach the sea at Bias Bay and stretch to the North and West of Kwangtung. It is built on the East River at the junction with the Tamshui River, which is comparatively small but is navigable by small craft as far as the market town of Tamshui, only some twenty-five miles distant from Mirs Bay. Across the Tamshui, Waichow is joined by n peruauent bridge of boats to Kwaishin, an imposing-looking walled city. Waichow itself is an important garrison town. Were Waichow and Kwaishin to be opened, it seems hardly probable that trade could proceed by the East River, the route being too long, and the East River, though a fine and broad stream, being too shallow for any but native craft drawing very little water. No steam launch can get higher than Skeklong or Tungkuu, and then only at high-water SEASOUS of the year. It would never he possible to communicate between Hongkong and Waichow by steamer, and the distance would be about 150 miles. By land, on the
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[September 21, 1903..
other hand, Waichow is only fifty miles distaut from Mirs Bay, and the present roads are excellent for China, as those who On have travelled on them can testify. horseback the journey is easy, and it could be accomplished on bicycle without much distress. Between Waichow and Canton there is no road worthy of the name, the trade from Canton therefore stopping at Skekloong or Tungkun and being conducted thence to Walchow in shallov-draught untive bonts. This fact accounts for Waichow being at present quite overshadowed commercially by Shekloong and Tankung, which deal with Canton and supply both Waichow and the whole prefecture with all they require, except for a small quantity of goods which passes in through the Imperial Maritime Customs stations at Mirs Bay. All ordinary foreign imports, such as cotton, oil, matches, etc., now go through Shekloong, which is also the medium through which a fair amount of rice, sugar, timber, etc., is exported to Canton. If Waichow, however, were joined to Kowloon, it would from its position become the natural distributing- centre for the whole of the East River and right up to the borders of Kiangsi, whither the Waichow prefecture extends. At present the inconvenience of communication between Waichow and the outside world are so great that its trade is comparatively small for the large portion of Kwangtung province which it represents. The difficulty of joining Waichow to Kowloon is not worth men- tioning. As we have already said, the existing road is excellent; indeed it is the best in the province. Starting from Mirs Bay, it crosses the plateau at the back and descends to a plain reaching the entire distance to the East River. There is no water to cross, no hill to tunnel, and the surrounding country is rich, fertile, and well-populatel throughout. We have repeatedly advocated in the past the prosecution of the Kowloon- Canton railway scheme, but the concession- aries obviously have no intention of hastening to take up their rights. Such a line, though on the more mountainous side of Kowloon, | should offer many difficulties
engineers. But a line from Kowloon to
would Waichow
be infinitely easier. Whether it would be feasible in the future to carry such a line on to Swatow we cannot
ຄ Waichow itself, however, objective should be sufficiently tempting, if nly for the sake of the benefits which must accrue to the Colony from the opening up of the hinterland, quite unexploited so far, and bringing a new and vigorous labour- supply to Hongkong. Up to very recent times we have not felt the dearth of the latter, but it requires only a slight acquain- tance with the labour-market now to know that this is no longer so.
say.
not
to
an
Only a few more remarks need be added before we finish. Apart from the vast area which, as an open port in communication would tap, its with Kowloon, Walchow immediate neigbourhood promises lucra
returns for Irade. The lower tive East River, especially Tungkun and is celebrated for brick Shekloong, and pottery-making; nearly half the bricks used in Hougkong, we believe, come from the East River. If this river is ever opened up it must be overland, as the mouth, where it enters the Pearl River, is split up into innumerable small creeks, all useless for navigation. The country immediately round Waichow is a large plain, perfectly level and well watered, but not cultivated. It already supports thousands of head of cattle, being indeed a huge pasture ground. As a cattle-breeding centre it seems to offer unrivalled opportunities. The importance of this to Hongkong will be readily estimated.
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