60
merely out there for a cruise, but they may be waiting for the final word to seize a stray Russian war-vessel or a steamer they know to be laden with munitions of waj. But although the horizon looks dark, we still hope and believe that Russia, as is her wont, will cave in at the very last moment.
yen.
The Yoródsu states that the Japanese Govern. ment has decided to float war bands to the amount of 100,000,000 yen bearing five per cent. interest, at the rate of 96 for every 100 The bonds will be floated in Japan in the event of an outbreak of hostilities between Russia and Japan The floating of the new bonds will be officially announced. In the meantime all preparations are being made for the issue of the bonds.
'I he Japan Herald, in the following paragraph, shows by example the result of the Press censorship on the vernacular press:- rumour, probably originating in the Stock Ecohange, was o rculated in town this afternoon that a naval battle had taken place in the
I. between a
and ship, with the result that the latter was driven ashore. We have been unable to obtain any confirmation of this rumour. The report is said to have emanated from
Olving to the Press regulatious we are unable to publish fuller details.
war.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
warships moored on the other side of the har- bour. This having been found an unsatisfac- tory arrangement the Admiralty recently entered into a contract with Messrs. Punchard, Lowther & Co. to construct a coaling pier and jetty projecting from the coal-sheds. The work, which has to be finished in three years – it may be finished in two-is estimated to cost £100,000. In shape the pier will be something like the trunk of a tree well bent over on one side. From a broad base it will gradually assume a width of 18 feet, the length being about 200 feet. At the end will be concrete and granite wharf, dimensions being about 250 feet long by 90 or 100 feet broad. It is on the off side of this where men-of-war are to go alongside. Depth of water there is about 25 feet, but dredgers are busily at work, it being intended to have 30 feet at low water. The pier itself will be of foreshore stone and hard rubble; some 15 25-cubio-yard boats dump their lo da there daily. Concrete blocks will be made at Messrs, Punchard. Lowther's extensive works at Matau- kok. Blocks made there up to date are being sent to the new dockyard works on the Hongkong side, where 1,00 a month are utilised. The granite comes from quarries and blastings down the Mataukok bills. On the lumps being brought to the works, they are lifted by a crane on to a platform, and then thrown into the wedge- shaped jaws of a stone-cra-hor. There they are quickly chewed up. One jaw of that wedge. shaped gap is always on the move, working to and fro by machinery. The crush ings fall into trucks below; when filled, these are towed away by an engine-there are three powerful locomotives in all. Ou the trucks reaching the summit of an incline, the crashings are emptied on to a platform, from where they are taken in measurements and put into a revolving mixer, to be stirred up with measure- BRITISH ACTIVITY IN THE FAR ments of sand and Green Island cement, From
EAST.
the mixer the concoc'ion is emptied info smaller trucks to be taken off to moulds; it remains in the moulds a fortnight or so before being taken out in the form of blocks. Blooks are conveyed to Hongkong in block-barges; they are put down by divers. Many great naval undertakings at Hongkong are of recent date. Let us hope that England's motto with regard to Hongkong as a base will be "Progress."
L'Echo de thine in a recent isane reports that M. Delcassé stated in a meeting of the French Cabinet that the situation in the Far | East appears to be improving.
The Russian Budget, it is said, has nowhere caused any special remarks in Europe, Under the heading of " Expenses in the Far East is the amount of seventeen million roubles for the construction of a railway going round Lake Baikal.
· HONGKONG AB A NAVAL BASE, ¡
Hongkong, being Britain's Far Eastern nava and military base, is now a great centre of War Department activity. Go where you may, slong the foot of the hill, on the slopes, in the harbour and even over on the Kowloon side, military or naval bugles are to be heard. There is no great display, but the men-numbers of themare always there, ready for embarkation or other orders at a moment's notice. Every now and again a British warship dodges in or out of port with as little ceremony
as the departure of an ordinary freighter;. tiny destroyers, too, ard always on the move. Periodically, a transport arrives from India, or farther west, shortly afterwards making a departure for more northern places; on the return journey they again look in to pick up detachments of time-expired men. Several mail steamers calling here are ex-transports, having acted as such during the outh African war; at a moment's notice they could be fitted up as ideal troop-ships to pou in soldiers from India or other parts of the Empire. Though Britain has been accused-rightly focused, perhaps of taking a deep sleep in Extrems Asia, it looks as if she is waking up. She has wonderful resources out here-resources which are difficult, if not impossible, to equal. Hong- kong itself may well be termed the " Gibraltar of the Far East ; if it is not impregnable it very nearly approximates to that. Large ammunition stores concealed on the hillside are connected with numerous batteri-s at different parts of the island by small-gauge rails. Abreast of the man-of-war anchorage is the Naval Yard, where, from Queen's Road, may be seen long tiers of latest pattern breech-loading guns of every size and condition. Near by are large stacks of common, shrapnel, and armour-piercing pro jectiles, besides other munitions of war too numerous for detail. Nearer citywards is encountered the new naval dockyard, now in course of construction; when this is completed the Admiralty will be entirely independent of ontside concerns, On the Kowloon side is a torpedo depot where smaller oratt are cared for At Yaumati. also, we find Admiralty coal and fuel-sheds; there is more coal, and broad- arrow-marked patent fuel there than one would sare to speculate about. At present warships are coaled by means of junks. Junks take in coal by going alongside a rough wondon pier pro- jooting from the water-front, and convey it to
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INCREASE OF THE 'HONGKONG, POLICE FORCE.
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[January 25, 1904.
utilised to cover some of the new ground. Consequently after making dus allowance for mea sick and on leave it is calulated that au addition of 60 constables will amply suffics for all present requir-ments. From this number, 10 already provided for in 1904 Estimates (2 of the 12 men actually provided are r quired for Capsuimun Station) can be deducted, leaving 50 as the number to be provided.
4. The Acting Captain Superintendent of Police recommends, and I concur with him, that the 50 men should be Chinese constables
the 2nd class, and I attach a statement wh ob shows that the cost of this addition to the Force and of appointing 6 more Chinese Detectives will be $10,360 for next year.
5. The Colonial Secretary also made certain recommendations for improving, the conditions of service of the Chinese Land and Water Police. I approve of all of these recommenda- tions and I have included them in the statement attach d. If they receive your sinction the total additional expenditure involved will be $4,215, including certain increases to the Chinose Barrack and Station Sergeants in the Water Police, which have been recommended by Captain Lyons.
6. In order to house these additional Police, I recommend that another storey be added to the Central Police Station.
This will give accommodation for 54 addi- tional Asiatic Police besides providing, by a, re-arrangement of rooms, increased store and office accommodation, both of which are much needed owing to the large increase in numbers of the Force since the acquisition of the New Territory, and the addition of an Assistant Superintendent of Police for Victoria, who has at present no office.
This The
The Barracks are at present so overcrowded that some 25 Chinese constables are housed in a matshed in the compound of the station. is a very unsatisfactory arrangment. additional storey will enable these men to be brought within the building and will also afford accommodation, for those of the extra Police (25) who will be allocated to the Central District. Room can be found in the Eastern and Western Districts of the City for the additional men allocated to them, while in the Kowloon Penin- suls some additional socommodation can b⋅ pro- vided at small cost at Yaumati and Hanghom.
7. The cost of an additional storey to the Central Police Station is estimated at $28,000, while $500 will be required to accommodate some 50 of the Police who must vacate a portion of the Barracks during the alteration.
I have to ask your authority to inour this expenditure, together with the sum necessary to defray the cost of increase of Police and of salaries shown iu schedule. (Schedule not
The following paper was submitted at the meeting of the Legislative Council on Tues- day
Government House, Hongkong, 6th November, 1903, Sir, I recently referred the question of in- creasing the police force to the Colonial Seore-printed). tary and Acting Captain Superintendent of 9. I attach copy of a report (not printed) Police for report, and 1 have now the honour which I called for from the Senior olice Ma- to inform you that this question has been care-gistrate and the Acting Captain Superintendent fully considered by the Colonial Secretary and Captain Lyons, who had, under date of the 29th September, asked that 50 Chinese Police might be temporarily engaged and paid for out of lapsing salaries in the Department in order to tide over the season immediately preceding the Chinese New Year, when there is usually an accession of crime.
2. It is found that, owing to the ext nsion of the area of the city by the Praya Reclamation which is now largely built over, the extensive building that has taken place on the new roads on the upper levels (Macdonnell and Conduit Roads) and extensions of the city eastwards, the addition of 21 night beats and 17 day beats in the City of Victoria is required. To keep these beats covered 55 men are required, while 14 additional men are wanted to cover new bate and patrols in the Kowloon Peninsula rendered necessary by the large additions of buildings that have been made there recently.
Owing to the increase in the Chinese popula tion, which it is estimated is greater by 33.000 persons than it was in 1901 when the last census was taken, and to the increased number of steamers running between Hongkong, Canton and Macao, all of which have to be watched by the Police, an increase of 6 men is required for the Chinese Detective Staff. This makes a total of 75 men.
3, he Police in the New Territory have, however, during last year and this year, been reduced by 21 men, and these men are slready
of Police on the increase of crime and increased number of prisoners in the gaol. This report shows that there was a large increase in crime in the first quarter of the current year and a still further increase in the third quarter of the year.
This increase in crime is, in my opinion, largely due to the increased number of steamers ruauing between Hongkong and Canton and Hoogkong and Macao and to the reduc ion of fares as the result of competition in the traffic.
Six steamers run daily now to Canton, where- as formerly there were only 3, and the fares have been reduced since the end of last year from 60 cents to 30 cents for Chines: 2nd olaw passengers,
A thief can visit Hongkong from Canton for 60 cents now, and this no doubt tempts many to do so, while the increased channels of escape make the detection of orime more difficult.
10. I consider therefore that the increase in Police is urgently required, and should you approve of the recommendations made I should be gla if you would telegraph your sanction in order that steps may be taken to increase, the accommodation at the Central Station during the dry season and for recruiting the necessary men. I have, &c.,
H. A. BLAKE, Governor.
Secretary of State's approval received by telegram dated the 14th December, 1903.