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January 25, 1904. ]
REGISTRATION OF DOMESTIC SERVANTS.
The following is the petition which Hon. H. E. Pollock desired to present at the Legislative Council on Tuesday, and which was ruled but of order :-
1.—Your Petitioners, ladies of the European Community in this Colony, respectfully request that legislation may be introduced to cope with tho existing difficulties in connection with Chinese domestic servants, piz.. -bɔys, house- coolies, cooks, vehicle-toolies, and a Labs.
2. During the greater part of every day we are left alone in bar houses, and in the majority of cases the domestic servants, taking advantage of the absence of the muster of the house, dis- obey orders, are lazy and insolent.
3-Our husbands or brothers, owing to their business engagemats, have not the time to Epond in instituting and attending prosecutious at the Magistracy, and it is highly distasteful as well as most inconvenient to ourselves- especially in the summer season to take steps personally to have offenders punished.
4. Our only remedy is to dismiss the offend ing parties; but such dismissal is a poor remedy, for we must engage fresh serrauts, unless, is often happeus, we are boycotted, and such fresh servants come to us as a rule without any certi ficates of character. Even if they bring aarti ficates of character we are often unable to find out whether the character relates to the person presenting it, for there is no means of identifi. cation, and the perpetual fluctuation of the European community renders enquiry as to the bona fides of au applicaut impossible in many
OʻSEE.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
(b) Compulsory photographing of all domestic servants.
(el Compulsory taking out of registration gertificates,
(d) Compulsory entries of charge of services on the registration certificates.
(e) All the other measures embodied in the draft Bill which formed an Appendix to the recent Report of the Private Chair and Jiuricksha Coolies Commission,
The petitioners numbered about 270..
CHURCH MISSIONARY
ASSOCIATION.
--བ
ANNUAL MEETING.
The annual meeting of the Church Mission- City Hall, His Excellency F. H. May, C.M.G, ary Association was held ou Thursday in the
presiding. There was a large aj tendance.
The minutes of the last anonal meeting having been read by the Rev. Mr. Johnson
His Excellency said he had much pleasure in introducing Bishop Ridley of Caledonia, who missionary work in that far distant land. would presently give them some account of He had just been reading a short account of the cominencement of missionary enterprise in that quarter of the globe, and it was a very sterling little story. It appeared that in 1856 Captain Proboe, commanding one of brought to the notice of the Church Missionary H. M. ships on that station, returned home and Society the spiritual destitution of the Idians living on the Pacific coast of British North America, and the result of his representations was that a young schoolmaster, a 1-yman, was sent out to that regiou, and after much difficulty it became apparent in 1859 that very good results were ensuing from his work. The Society sent out various missionaries between that date and 1879, but owing to the difficulties in the matter of climato and the enormous territory to be dealt with it was apparent that some reorganisation of missionary work desirab e and some closer supervision; heuce in 6.-We respectfully assert that on relation 1579 the missing field was divided into three to domestic servants cannot be judged by that dioceses-Columbia, New Westminster, and which prevails at Government. House or Head-
Ú dedouin. The right reverend gentleman quarter Hous, or in bachelor establishments.
on his right (Bishop Ridley) thereupon, who had The perquisites and the status of servants at been in india for a long time and had suffered Gorerament House or Head-quarter House much in health from the trying climate, was tand to reuder them more attentive, respectful, made Bishop of Caledonia. He lind boen work. and diligent; whilst to pay in Bacheloring there vor since, and he would now ask the establishments is notoriously very high, and right. reverend geşiloman to address the therefore attractive, though in bachelor stablishments there are, we believe more often than not, grave causes of complaint on the side of the masters.
5. Some of us have liked for many years in this Colady, and cau state most positively that the demeanour and capability of domestic ser- vants hava deteriorated in recent years, with the result that domestic economy is a source of increasing abnoyance and stain every day to your petitioners, who have enough already to contend with in the climatic conditions.
17 We further submit that our experience should not be compared with, or rejected in favour of, the experi-nce of the few influential members of the community who obtain their servants though a Chinese compradore, who is respo sible for their e nduct, and whose interest it is to see that no cause of trouble arises in respect of incivility, or wages,
or any other matter.
8.-We would impress on Your Excellency that we represent the bulk of the European ladies of Hongkong, and that we have a right to have our grierauces seriously and impartially considered and legislated for.
P.We are not asking for oppressive legisla tion in our favour as against the interests of the Chinese; we are merely asking that every Chinese who offers himself or herself as a servant should come with credentials which can be relied upou. It must be obvious that any system which raises the standard of servants must
benefit the servant as well as the master, be he European or Chinese.
10. It is almost superfluous to remind Your Excellency of the large number of larcenies which have been committed by servants, or in collusion with servants, in the dwelling houses of Europeans and Chinese alike, during the last few months. Such occurrences would, in our opinion, be rendered far less frequent if the proposals set out in the next paragraph are given the effect of law.
11-We spactfully beg that Your Ex- cellency will initiate legislation on the following
of similar lines: ---
(a) Compulsory registration of all domestic
servants,
meeting.
was
see
The Righ Rev. Bishop Ridley, who was re- ceived with applause, open d his address by alluding to his experiences in India, where, he said, he had lived long enough to what a wonderful help was derived from the sympathy of those in authority. From the lips of some. four greatest soldiers and statesmen he had heard the sentiment expressed that the missionary influence in India was more beneficial for the country's welfare thun all other influences put together. These words he had heard from among others Lori Lawrence Japan the Bishop said that he had seen in its and Sir Robert Montgomery. Alluding to educational system little to criticise and much
to adinire.
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HONGKONG VOLUNTEER
CONCERT.
61:
the Theatre Royal on the 16th inst, and A Hongkong Volunteer concert was held at proved in every way a most enjoyable function. Mr. George Caldwell deserves the greatest behind the scenes, his assistance materially than 8 for his somewhat arduous duties
contributing towards making the function a success. Mr. H. A. Tozer, whose name appeared on the programme, through indisposi- tion was unfortunately unable to sing. Upstairs was pretty well packed; a goodly number of people being below also. By kind permission of Lieut-Colonel W. S. Birdwood and officers, the band of the 110th Mahratta Light Infantry played selections at the intervals, opening the. programme with "Love in Idlenes."
Mr. G.
receiving merited applause. H. Edwards then sang An April Birthday," Miss Murray Bain's "May Day" was well received; indeed,l an encore was insisted on. Next followed a comic song I have got something to be thankful for," by Bombardier Stephenson, who, in response to a call for another, also Bang What I've got I'll hold." Lieut. Geo. P. Lammert was very good with "Star of my Heart," an encore being called for. A violin solo, "Cavatina," by Mrs. A. Ough, was very sweet. Mr. P. W. Goldring next gave Phyllis is my only joy." This was followed in turn by a selection from the Rose of Persia by the band
After an iuterval, and after the band had played a section from The Country Girl; the laughable farce, Ticklish Times, by J. M. Merton, was given. The scene was a room in Bodkins's house, Weymouth, and the story briefly as follows:-Lancelot Griggs (Lieut. Northcote) was deputed to arrest Sir William Ramsay, & Jacobite leader (Corpl. Haye), who had been secretly married to Winifred (Mrs. Chichester). Winifred was a great friend of Mrs. Griggs (Mrs. Bunny), wife of Launcelot Griggs, and she asked her if she would pose as wife of Sir William Ramsey in order to effect his escape On Sir William Ramsey being greatly to the consternation of Launcelot Griggs, a rested, Mrs. Griggs did as she was asked,
who appeared on the scene. The farce was indeed very laughable, each of the characters being represented very creditably. The full rast was as follows Sir William Rainsay Bodkins Launcelot Griggs Janson
1st Constable. Mrs. Griggs Winifred
Dot
--
Corpl. Hays Major Chapman Lieut. Northcote .... Bom. Stephenson
Lieut. Danby
Mrs. Bunny
Mrs. Chichester
Miss Bunny
The proc:edings terminated shortly after eleven o'clock.
HONGKONG JOURNALISTS'
ASSOCIATION.
The inaugural dinner of the newly formed Hongkong Journalists' Association took place on the 16th inst. at the Hongkong Hotel, all the members being present. The President, Mr. T. H. Reid (Editor of the China Mail), took the chair, When dinner had been disposed of and the toast of the King had been duly honoured, the chairman started the speech list, proposing the health of the Association.
The Bishop then, in a few interesting remarks, told the audience of the great faithfulness of the converts in his own diocese many of whom had imperilled their lives and impoverished themselves
Reid the build-
for
S8A
with
the
ing up of the Church of Christ.
The Bishop of Victoria then followed with a. few remarks regarding the Missionary wark in China, along lines already referred to in these columns, coupling them advice to critics to go and work that was being done. His Lordship then formally proposed that the present com- mittee be re-elected. This was seconded by the Rev. Mr. Markham, and carried unani- mously.
His Excellency than addressed a few remarks to the meeting, enlogising the work of the mis- sions, especially in the educational line which had come under his own personal observation.
He then asked the Bishop of Caledonia to
pronounce a final benediction, which brought the meeting to a close.
Я
After
some introductory remarks, Mr. said that he would like to say little concerning the inauguration of this Association and the objects it has in view, thinking it just as well, at the outset of its career, to dispel some of the mistaken uotions with regard to the Associ tion. In the first place," he said, "the idea is prevalent that we have banded ourselves together to make an onslaught on Hongkong society. As your President, I think I may say that such an idea never occurred to us. As I understand the objects of this Association, there is no intention on the part of the jurnalists of Hon kong to indulge in aggressive notion against any class or individual in this community. We have joined ourselves together because we feel that we have common interests which can best be served by unity of action. We have formed this Assobia- tion because we felt that we could achieve certain