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admittance. His Excellency found it out, and ordered the lictore to punish the doorkeeper with 80 blows with a bamboo.
THE PLAGUE AT CANTON.
With regard to the prevalence of plague in Canton mentioned by our Canton correspondent we have received from another source the following contribution :---
Plague is prevalent this year in the districts of Honam, Fatshan. Tungkun and Fati to an alarming extent, and practically all those who are attacked die from it. In a recently published medical report it is stated that a preparation of carbolic acid timely administered to plague patients had obtained the best results. The percentage of recovery amongst Europeans has been found to be about 70 per cent., while the recovery in Chinese cases has been some 30 per cent.
With a view to render aid to the people in the infected districts in the vicinity of Canton, Mr. Ho Kom Tong has obtained the assistance of Dr. Jen Hock. of the Tung Wa Hospital, to
prepare some 2,000 bottles of the carbolic acid for free distribution to the Chinese in the districts above mentioned. Printed directions for taking the preparation are affixed to each bottle, which can be had at certain appointed
places.
CORRESPONDENCE.
A STONE-BREAKING NUISANCE.
TO. THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS,”
SIR-Robinson Road, at the point where the Glenealy ravine debouches, is just now occupied by about twenty coolies breaking stones for the road. There is just space enough between the heaps of stones for a chair to pass, and a perfect hail of chippings rains upon the chair as it proceeds. As I have occasion to pass at least twice a day through this fusillade I should be glad if you or any of your readers will tell me whether. if a person gets his eyesight rained by these chippings. he can claim adequate compensation from the Public Works Department?—Yours.
PROTEST.
THE BOTANIC GARDENS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS
|
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND doing the management would find that a good | many Europeans would make the gardens their afternoon resort during these hot days, both for scientific and other purposes. They are now really driven from them by these crowds of dirty and evil-smelling Chinese and their still dirtier and abominable habits.—Yours, etc,
be
Hongkong, 27th June. SIR-Not having for a long time been to our beautiful Botanic Gardens, and happening to be near the other afternoon, I went in for a short rest and to enjoy the cool breeze and sweet aroma of the flowers as I was wont to do some years ago. I found the place, particularly the old garden, full of dirty and very scantily dressed Chinese, mostly of the coolie class, who were squatting there enjoying the cool breeze in typical Chinese fashion, viz.no coats on, barefooted, with their legs on the benches. As soon as they saw a Sikh constable come along they put their feet down. I saw also crowds of Chinese women of very doubtful character who seemed to make the place their recreation ground. In short the scenes were such that I left the gardens perfectly disgusted and sur- prised that such a state of things can tolerated in a British Colony. If it should be thought that I am in any way exaggerating, I would suggest that one of the two Chinese members of the Legislative Council should visit the gardens one fine afternoon and see for him self. Can nothing be done to remedy this state of affairs? What is obviously wanted is a larger number of Indian or European park-keepers and some permanent restrictions as to the class of people to be admitted. The Botanical De- partment are aware that of late years the gardens have become crowded by Chinese visitors, and it was deemed advisable to restrict their visits to some extent. The two gardens were accordingly closed once a week during August, being September, and October, admission granted only to those presenting their cards. Why cannot this exclusion from the gardens of all undesirable Chinese, particularly those of the coolie class, be made permanent? By so
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A RESIDENT,
Hongkong, 28th June. 818-As the remarks of 8 "Resident" relative to the Public Gardens so c'early denote one of a stamp, a class that cannot be equalled by mean mortals of other races, I can possibly give another side to the picture presented in
the Gardens.
A mean Chinese mortal, full dressed notwith- standing, might have been seen one Sunday afternoon forcibly ejected from the Gardens y an Indian constable, and not only ejected, but dragged off, possibly to get a beating in a lonely spot, or at the station-and why? Not for creating a disturbance of the peace, but merely for ruffling the dignity of a sable custodian of public order, a man who had seen martial service, but desired to use his great power extravagantly. How many desire to go to the Gardens for scientific purposes? Are they not resorted to by the public generally to gratify a taste for beauty, as a pleasant resting place after the
irksomeness of business?
The few scientific gentlemen cast ashore in Hongkong can enjoy the Gardens, and benefit their health as well, by visiting them before breakfast, while the crystal dew yet lingers on the passive petal.
Possibly a "Resident never imagines that there are some, even Britishers, who so far from objecting to the presence of Brother John, con- sider that he often adds greater interest to the scene, and that others also are students of the language of the lower mortals, and find in the Gardens the best opportunity for hearing and improving colloquial Chinese. having to present a card would effectively deter your humble servant, which might not be a pity to the dwellers on the heights. Yours truly.
•
The fact of
TRAMPUS.
Hongkong, 29th June. SIR-Referring to the letter which appeared in your yesterday's issue re the Botanic Gardens, I quite agree with the remarks made by
A Resident."
The
Hongkong in itself does not afford any means of recreation and enjoyment to Europeans and foreigners with limited income; it seems unfair that there should not be some place after the style of the Public Gardens where one can enjoy the benefit of fresh air and breezes in the cool of the evening without having to rub shoulders with audesirable Celestials. present Public Gardens are almost exclusively patronised by Chinese, and especially by the coolie class with all their disgusting and filthy ways. Almost all the benches are occupied by such Chinese, who jeer and laugh at any foreign ladies who happen to pass. What with this and the nauseating habit of expectoration they indulge in. who on earth would expect Europeans and foreigners to sit or walk about among them?
So long as this state of affairs continues, the closing of the gardens to Chinese on certain days of the week will not make them popular. and I am certain there will never be an increase of European visitors under the present arrange. ments. A stroll in the gardens is generally indulged in when one has nothing in particular to do. When it is possible to wend your way there whenever one feels inclined, without having the trouble to keep a note of special days, it will be found that habitués will slowly but surely increase in number.
May I suggest that Government should devote one of the gardens to the exclusive use of the Chinese, and the other one to the foreigners ?
Thanking you for allowing me space in your valuable columns.-Yours, etc.
KATOO.
Hongkong, 30th June. SIE,It is clear that the average European resident is unreasonably prejudiced against the Chinese, for on reference to the correspondence that has been published on the above subject in the correspondence column of your valuable
(July 2, 1904.
paper and in that of your local contemporaries, one cannot fail to grasp the present position of affairs. Some correspondents have stated that it is undesirable to allow Chinese, irrespective of class, to visit the Botanical Gardens, but I cannot see why respectable and well-to-do Chinese should be excluded. Every rational man knows that the Chinese gentleman and the street coolie are as distinct from each other as the English gentleman and the English navvy or gutter-snipe, and it is absurd to class them together.
I*
The above also refers to the Parade Ground. There is no reason whatever why Chinese gentlemen should not be allowed on the grounds during the military band performances. would like to know if Chinese gentlemen who dress in European style are allowed to have the same privilege as Europeans on the Parade Ground on such occasions; if so, why? They are still Chinese, no matter what style of dress they adopt.
With regard to European residents being unreasonably biassed, mention may be also made that even the local Young Men's "Christian Association is divided into two departments, a Chinese and a European. In Christianity all men are supposed to be on an equal basis, but it is somewhat singular why Chinese members of the Association are not allowed to enter the European department. Christianity indeed, and so-called British justice! Why are Chinese allowed to live in Hongkong at all? -Yours
etc..
L. W. L.
OUR POLICE FORCE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS." Hongkong, 28th June.
with SIR.--I have noticed
interest in the papers lately several severe remarks on the police of Hongkong. I think they deserve all that has been said about them. In Hongkong, it is utterly impossible for a stranger to find his way about, as in the first place the ricksha and chair coolies understand nothing of the names of streets or places, and in the second place the Police, especially Sikh and Chinese, are quite unable to tell you the whereabouts of any street but Queen's Road, or thereabout. I had occasion last night to visit a friend in the higher levels. whose domicile I had not visited before. Two Sikh policemen and a Chinese, though they were stationed in that district, were quite unable to tell me where the street was. I have had similar experiences before. Why are not the Police in the different districts taught to know every street, terrace, etc., in their district, as the
police at home are? I have also noticed, among the foreign police, the great difference there now is in the physique as compared with some years ago. We seem to be getting a lot of half- grown, weedy-looking boys, in place of the handsome stalwart men we used to have in the old days, when we had that giant of 6 ft. 6 in. on Pedder's Wharf. Apologising for taking up your valuable space (but I couldn't help having a growl on this subject).Yours, etc.,
DISGUSTED.
CANTON-HANKOW RAILWAY.
THE DISPUTES OF BELGIAN FINANCIEKS.
W88
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The Brussels correspondent of the Globe writes: There has just been published what appears to be an inspired account of the disputes of the Belgian financiers over their railway This account glosses over enterprises in China. the money question, and attributes the diffi- culties which have arisen to the machinations of England. It says that when the first part of the Hankow-Canton railway, which personal undertaking of King Leopold's, was änished, England raised objections to the construction of the second part of the line by Belgians because that part would pass through her sphere of influence in the Yangtaze district, and that it was then that the Belgians entered into an arrangement with an American company to continue the enterprise, and reserving the most important part in it, and making a convention with the American company by which the construction of the railway was to be carried out by Belgian engineers and workmen. The account" I quote seems to hint that for
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