240
establishment of the Colony.-I have, etc.
A. M. THOMSON, Acting Colonial Secretary. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce.
The Chairman said the Committee would doubtless regret the inability of H. E. the Officer Administering the Government to carry out the Chamber's wishes, as the shipping community were strongly of opinion that it would be better to have two officers whosewhole time was devoted to the Government Harbour work instead of as at present, three, two of whom were for the better part of the day engaged in private practice.
It was decided again to address the Govern- ment on the subject.
EXPLOSIVES ON BOARD STEAMERS IN THE
HARBOUR.
The following letter was read:
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
MISUSE OF CHOPS BY COMPRADORES, The following letter was read :-
Hongkong. 5th March, 1904. The Secretary. Hongkong General Chamber
of Commerce.
DEAR SIR.Instances have occurred for some time past of misuse by compradores in European employ of chops bearing the firm's Chinese characters, which chops are understood to be used only in connection with the firm's business. As this may lead to serious trouble and possible heavy loss to foreign firms, who by reason of their dealing with native hongs, are under the almost absolute necessity of employing compradores in such business, we would ask you to bring this matter before your Committee, so that we may elicit their opinion us to the responsibility foreign firms are under in this connection. If firms allowing the use of chops to compradores are to be held liable for these chops and or signatures, it leaves the door open to infinite speculation on the part of compradores and their stuffs, at the risk of the firm, and no practicable security could be given | large enough to guard against such risk. As far as we can learn no case has come up in court to test this matter, which is of serious moment, and the sooner it is decided the better for the trade generally.
Colonial Secretary's Office.
Hongkong, 13th February, 1904. SIR. In reply to your letter of 26th ultimo suggesting that vessels should be permitted 10 carry certain quantities of arms and ammunition without being compelled to fly the red flag and lie in the special anchorage. I am directed to point out that during the two months following December 4th last it was not found necessary to resort to the provisions of the regulations which then came into force, while there has been one case of the arrival of a steamer carrying am.
-We have no wish to cast any reflection on munition without the knowledge of the master. compradores as a class, for they are undoubted- I am further to point out that the police and ly able and respectable men, but as a rule their the boarding officers can both grant exemption. office system might be improved, and less For these reasons it is unlikely that such diffi- license given to subordinates in the use of chops. culties will arise in practice as the Chamber and even the best of compradores ought not to seems to anticipate, and therefore I am to in-have too much latitude-We are, dear Sir. form you that the Government is unable to Your faithfully. make any further concession at present. ----I have.
&c.
A. M. THOMSON, Acting Colonial Secretary. The Secretary. Chamber of Commerce.
:
The Chairman said that the letter left the matter in the same position as before. The outcome of the whole correspondence had not been without gain, but the concessions obtained were dependent on the Harbour Office officials promptly meeting incoming steamers (carrying only small quantities of dangerous goods) in order to prevent delay occurring.
DECIMAL BYSTEM OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES.
(S) ALEX. Ross & Co.
After some discussion it was decided that though the Chamber was not competent to give a local opinion in the matter it was con- sidered by the Members of the Committee that contracts between Chinese hongs and foreign firms were not binding on the firms unless signed by them, and that the mere chopping of the contract by the compradoro was not sufficient.
MEMORIAL SERVICE
HONGKONG.
AT
LAST RESPECTS TO THE DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE.
A memorial service in commemoration of His late Royal Highness the Duke of Cam-
Correspondence between the Decimal As- sociation and the Chamber was read relating to the Bill for the adoption of the Metric System of Weights and Measures now before the Home Parliament. The Committee having unani-bridge, Honorary Colonel-in-Chief to the mously resolved in 1902 to support the compul- sory adoption of the Decimal System of Weights and Measures throughout the Empire, and this decision having been communicated by the Hongkong Government to the Secretary of States for the Colonies, it was felt that nothing further could be done to further the proposal at present.
DATING OF NEW YORK TELEGRAMS.
The Secretary reported that in accordance; with the decision come to at the last Meeting a letter had since been despatched to the New York Chamber of Commerce supporting the representations of the Shanghai Chamber regarding the non-dating of cables from America by the Commercial Cable Company.
OPENING OF KONGMOON TO FOREIGN TRADE.
The following letter was read
:
Colonial Secretary's Office. Hongkong, 5th March. 1904. SIB, I am directed to inform you that the port of Kongmoon will be opened to trade on the 7th instant. Mr. Fox is about to proceed thither to transact all necessary preliminary business and will remain there until the arrival of Mr. E. T. C. Werner, who has been appointed to officiate as Consular Agent for the present.-- I have, etc.,
(Sd.) A. M. THOMSON, Acting Colonial Secretary. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce.
The Chairman said it was satisfactory to know that after the many representations that had been made from time to time by the Chamber, Kongmoon had now been opened to foreign trade. He was afraid that there were still certain difficulties in the way before the advantages of the port could be fully availed of by merchants and river steamer-owners, and it might be necessary to make further representa- tions to H.M. Minister at Peking on the sub- ject.
|
Forces, was held at S. John's Cathedral on the 22nd inst. Proceedings were commenced at 9 o'clock, the It-v. P. Jenkins, Acting Army Chaplain, officiating. The service was a most impressive one, the building being well filled with uniforms? Those present included His Excel. lency Mr. F. H. May (Officer Administering the Government), Mr. . Ponsonby (private secretary to H.E.), Capt. Hurley (A.D.C. to HE.), Rear-Admiral Hou. Curzon Howe, His Excellency Vice-Admiral and Commander-in Chief Sir G. Noel. Admiral Vou Prittwitz, Capt. Borea (Italian Navy), and four officers, His Excellency Major-General Sir Villiers Hattou (General Officer Commanding), Rear Admiral Foote, Commander Dickens, Flag Capt. Hon. F. Stopford (H.M.S. Alacrity), Col. W. E. Webb (Principal Medical Officer), Capt. Tudor (H.M.S. Cressy), Capt. Windham (H.M.S. Amphitrite), the C.S.O.. Major French, Flag-Commander Berlick, Flag-Capt. F.semantle (II M.S. Albion). Col. Ferrier (C.P.M.), Major A. A. Chichester (D.A.Q.M.G.), Col. Brown and officers of Royal Engineers, Major Bunny, Lieut.-Col. Watts and officers of 1st Sherwood Foresters, Col. Webb and officers of R .yal Army Medical Corps, Col. Ferrier and officers of Army Pay Department. re- presentatives of the H.K.V.C., Lient. Col. Kent and officers of the Royal Artillery, Lieut-Col. Birdwood and officers of 110th Mahratta Light Infantry, Lieut. Col. Iremonger and officers of 93rd Burma Infantry, Major Caulfield and officers of 114th Mahrattas, aud members of the Legislative Council, including the Honourables Sir Paul Chater, Wei Yuk. Ho Kai, Gershom Stewart, and Sir W. M. Goodman (Chief Justice). Seats were reserved for officers' wives in the North Transept. Several foreign Consuls, in- cluding Senhor A. G. Romano (Portugal), M. Gaston Liebert (France), Mr. M. Noma (Japan), Chev. G. Volpicelli (Italy), and Dr.
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[March 26, 1904.
Otto Gumprecht (Germany), also attended. After the singing of the National Anthem, at the conclusion of the servic, the troops fell in. preparatory to marching off. The arrange- ments, which were made by the military, were as good as they could be.
His Majesty's ships in harbour half-masted their flags yesterday. The flagships Alacrity and Albion fired 3 min te gaas in succession, commencing at :1 a.m.
REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR
OF SCHOOLS.
EDUCATION IN HONGK NG IN 19.3.
At the Legislative Council on Monday afternoon there was laid on the table the report for 1903 of the Inspector of Schools (Mr. E. A. Irving). We make the following ex'racts: ----
STAFF.
Mr. W. H. Williams took up his ppointment as Head Master of the Sayingpun District School in January. Mr. C. Curwen was appointed Headmaster of the. Yaumati District School in March. Miss Colcu ́t resigned her appointment of Second Mistress at the Kowloon School in May. After several chang's Mrs. Hatwell was appointed in July.
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION,
Many steps have been taken during the year under review to give effect to the gener recommendations of the Commitee on Educa tion. A Sub-Committee of the Gov ruing Boly of Queen's Collego was appo uted to draw up a course of study for the Chinese Class in the College. Th same course has been adopted in the Anglo-Chinese Dis- trict Schools; and in most of the Anglo- Chinese and Vernacular Grant Schools a similar course is now being followed. Further reference to this course is made under "Grant School;' below. A Committee was appointed to consider the possibility of hold ng regular examinatious for the senior classes in History and Geography under the auspices of the Oxford Local Delegacy. The report of this Committee is now in the hands of the Government. l'he Commi tee on Elucation drew attention to the difficulties attendaut ou the co-education of young English speaking children with Chinese boys who are beginning the study of English, and finally the following dictum of the late Governor, Sir Heary Blake, received the approval of the Secretary of State for the Colonies: In my opinion the difficulty may be surmounted by arranging that Chinese boys shall not be tau :ht English in the same Class is nou-Chinese boys, until it is found that they have acquired sufficient knowledge of English to understau/l the teaching given to the class in that language. This will prevent the English boys being retarded, without violating the principle that education shall be given equally and indis- criminately to all races.'
THE GEANT CODE.
a
One of the most important changes recom- mended by the Cmmittee on Education was the substitution of a new Cod, for the thea existing Grant-in-Aid Code. Accordingly the present Grant Code was drafted at the beginning of the year. I met the Managers of the schools several times, and discussed its indebted provisions fully with them. I am to their criticisms for several beneficial amend- ments In its final form the draft Cide Was circulated among Managers and met with general approval.
It came into force on the Ist January, 1904; but Managers who cared to d so were permitted to bring their schools unde- it from the 1st July, 1903, and about one-half of them, including the Managers of S. Joseph's, the Italian Conreut, the Diocesan School for Girls, and most of the London Missionary Society's schools and the American Baptist Mission's schools, elected to do so.
KOWLOON SCHOOL The Kowloon School for european British subjects has now been open for nearly two years. The attendance during 1903 averaged 46.4 as compared with 39.3 in 1902, an increase of 18 per cent. The greatest number of scholars present on one day was 58. Mr. James in his report complains with reason of the irregularity of attendance. This irregularity seems inh rent in the schools of the Colony, and is much to be regretted. The revenue collected under Fees amounted to $1,854.50 as against
R