June 27, 1904.]
wealthy Chinese fully recognise the value and advantage of railways, and are appar. ently eager to invest in enterprises of this kind. In our yesterday's issue we men. tioned the report that Chinese cipital hal been subscribel in Swatow, Hongkong and Singapore for a projected liue of railway from Swatow to Tsao-Chow. Incidentally we may again meation the possibility of Waichow being soine day connected with Swatow by rail; but of first importance will be its conuection with Kowloon, and this fact serves to emphasise the necessity for the immediate commencement of the long-delayed railway which must one day connect Canton with Kowloon. We trust the opening of Waichow will prove to the British and Chinese Corporation an in- centive to begin operations, for when once the Canton-Kowloon line is working it would probably not be difficult for the Corporation to obtain the necessary powers to construct those branch lines which will be necessary to develop the trade of the East River districts, of which Walchow will become the principal distributing centre.
HONGKONG JOTTINGS.
(Daily Press 20th June.)
64
It is with feelings amounting to something more than ennui that one now and again takes up his morning paper to be confronted with correspondence dealing with the alleged bar- barities of Hongkong's brutal police." The European constable, acting in collusion with his brothers in arms-the lordly Sikh and the complacent lukong. are again accused of unheard of severities when dealing with a recalcitrant "Jack or Tommy" who, doubt less with his mind inflamed with the fumes of had whisky, has been perambulating the principal thoroughfare with the express inten- tion of "looking for trouble.“ Naturally the first person who appeals to his warlike spirit as a worthy opponent is the poor unoffending ricksha coolie, who at once seeks refuge behind the Sikh or Chinese policeman, and the gauntlet is then thrown down to the full accompaniment of unadulterated Jack Tar logic. The inevitable Chinese crowd completes the interesting scene, and Jack, despoiled of his war paint and struggling like a fiend, is hauled before the authorities-not before he has viciously slashed out at his captors and received his well-deserved quietus in return. To the uninitiated he poses as a terribly ill-used British subject hence these misguided appeals on his behalf that constantly appear in the morning papers.
Of course, to some extent. one sympathises with Jack, but the law. both in its conception and execution, is intended to be a terror to evil. doers, and any person, whether European or Chinese, who contravenes it suffers the pres cribed punishment in consequence. To anyone conversant with western methods the assertion that the Hongkong police make use of unneces- sary violence is simply ridiculous. In the London City police force resistance on the part of a frenzied drunkard promptly meets with an effective taste of the truncheon, and the delinquent is either frog-marched to the station or conveyed there on a shutter. Compare again the methods in use in New York. I very much doubt whether the genial Irish Bobby that has his beat in 23rd Street or the Bowery would extend kid-glove treatment to any unfortunate that happened to get into his clutches. Finally we must not lose sight of the fact that a drunken person is not only a disgusting sight, but a menace to the public peace; and as such our local representatives of the law are quite justified in using extreme measures, if such are necessary, to remove such offensive objects and place them for the time being under restraint.
I notice in one of the Service papers a com- plaint about the fleecing of service men in Hongkong by the ricksha coolies and sampan men. The excessive fares, above legal tariff, paid by sailors is remarkable," the writer says, "and
A4
and
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. although it speaks well for Jack's' generosity, it must have a bad effect on the sum total of his savings, to say nothing of establishing monetary! precedents detrimental to the public, and not easily redeemed from the native mind." The remedy is in Jack's own hands. Every ricksha legal tariff which the fare may demand to see, every licensed sampan carries a copy of the but the fac. is Jack is often stupidly generous, and the effect is decidedly bad. No ricksha coolie will offer his services to a resident if a sailor is in sight. I have no doubt the sampan men are a worse set of rascals, and the corres- that playing at extortionate fares is a losing pondent suggests that the way to convince them
use of the ships' boats for a week. That would no game is for the naval authorities to allow the doubt be a wholesome lesson to the sampan men.
It has been decided at the Magistracy this week that coolies may carry their bamboo carry ing poles on the crowded pavements of the Colony to the inconvenience and danger of other people with perfect impunity. There is nothing in the legislative enactments, so the magistrate says, which inhibits this. If that be so it is a matter to which the Government may well give early attention. There are far too many coolies using the crowded side-walks with their carrying-poles on their shoulders, and I have myself witnessed many of the "inevitable accidents" which result usually in a disturbance.
|
A Straits Settlements paper mentions that the Opium Farmers there are losing money on their contracts, and would be glad to get quit of their farms. In Hongkong those acquainted with the opium business say that the same remark applies to the local Opium Farm. The tremendously enhanced price at which the farmers have undertaken the lease of the monopoly surprised most people, and it is freely stated that they are losing per month a sum well up into four figures. But after all, when 300,000 Chinese are habited on the Rand mines the farmers will more than recoup their losses and reap a handsome profit, for all the opium shipped there has to pass through their hands.
THE WAR.
[JAPANESE OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.]
NAVAL OPERATIONS.
469
JAPANESE TRANSPORT SUNK. ANOTHER TORPEDOED.
1
TOKYO, 17th June, 12.20 p.m. On the morning of the 15th inst., the Vladivostock squadron, consisting of the Rossia, the Gromboi, and the Rurik, appear
ed off Genkai and attacked our ports.
trans-
The Hitachi-maru was sunk, and there are but few survivors. The Sado-maru was torpedoed, but not sunk, and the majority of the men are believed to have been saved. The Idzumi-maru's fate is unknown.
The squadron was sighted off Oki Island on the 16th.
TOKYO, 17th June, 3.15 p.m. Admiral Kamimura's fleet started on the morning of the 15th inst. in pursuit of the Vlad vostock squadron.
Yusen Kaisha steamers. The Hitachi- “aru' [The three transports named above are Nippon
life apparently, was a twin-screw steamer of which has been sunk with considerable loss of 6,172 tons, well known in Hongkong, as before the war she was on the Company's European line.
She WBB built in the Mitsu Bishi
dockyard at Nagasaki, and is the largest prosching the size, which has been built in and we believe the only steamer ap- Japan. squadron torpedoed, was also before the war The Sado-Maru, which the Russian engaged on the European run.
She is a twin- whose fate is at present unknown, is a steamer screw steamer of 6,223 tons. The Idzumi Maru, of 3,230 tons which used to be employed on the Bombay run.-ED.]
•
while a number on board this vessel were 150 men on the Hitachi-Maru were saved, shot.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] I think I may safely say that the principl topic of conversation at the four o'clock tea
KOBE, 17th June. tables during the past week has been the
The torpedoing of the Japin se trans- announcement that Lady Nathan is accompany-ports Hitachi-Maru and Sado-Maru by the ing the new Governor to Hongkong. It has Russian Vladivostock squadron took place been generally understood that Sir Mathew off Okinozhima (Corea Strait) on Wednes. Nathan is a bachelor, and rumour hath it that day. The Sado-Maru was saved. there has been much searching among the marriage announcements in the back numbers of the London Times during the past week for a possible expianation of the announcement that a passage has been booked for Lady Nathan. Such searchings have been in vain. however, and it is concluded that the lady referred to is the Governor's sister, who should have been described as Miss Nathan. A contemporary has stated that in the latest list of the Moldavid's passengers the name of Lady Nathan has been withdrawn, but I have before me a list published on May 20th-- the latest mail date-in which Lady Nathan's name still appears.
BANYAN.
Robert Hart's recommendations to the Throne The Empress Dowager has approved Sir for the registration of trade marks, and a special Bureau is about to be established under the supervision of a Japanese expert. Lord Lans- downe last month informed a London firm of patent agents that in accordance with the under- taking given by China in the Mackay Treaty :- "A working scheme for patent and trade mark protection is now being evolved, and in the meantime a provisional registration office for trade marks has been established at the Custom House at Shanghai, where we have a registra. tion agent and the Chinese Courts will ably afford, as they have done in the past, substantial protection against counterfeiting trade marks on the part of Chinese subjects The French, Italian, German and English {representatives have mutually arranged for the punishment in the Consular Courts of France. Germany, Italy and England, of subjects of these countries who infringe registered trade marks. and in all probability the remaining Western nations will shortly do likewise."
presum.
Most of the officers committed suicide. The captain and purser jumped over- board, but whether they were drowned or not is unknown.
LATER.
sinking of the Hitchi-Maru
It is estimated that the loss of life by the was about 1,000.
The loss on the Sado-Maru was very small.
[The captain of the Hitachi-Maru was Captain Campbell.-ED.]
(JAPANESE OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.]
VICE-ADMIRAL KAMIMURA'S
REPORT.
SHANGHAI, 21st June, 5.25 p.m. In his report Vice-Admiral Kamimura
states:-
informed by a picket-boat, at Tsushima At 8 a.m. on the 15th inst. we were
Island, to the effect that the enemy's fleet had been seen in the neighbourho›d of Oki Island.
Our main fleet steamed at full speed in that direction and passed the southern part of the Tsushima Island. In the course of advance we, being joined by a destroyer flotilla, steamed to the north of Oki Island with a view to oppress down [sic] the enemy's squadrou. In the meantime, the Tsushimu was keeping the enemy in sight, whose movements she endeavoured to
F