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July 25, 190]
HONGKONG.
Army news from Simla includes the announce. ment that the reliefs for China will probably be sent out in March and April next.
The City Hall Library and Museum were visited, respectively, by 228 and 98 foreigners last week. The Museum attracted 1,796 Chinese, and the Library 68.
Members of the V.R.Č. are getting up another launch party to go exploring when there isn't sufficient water for bathing near the Club.
Capt. Stewart, of the s.8. Catherine Apcar, on arriving at Penang reported that a passenger jumped overboard and swam ashore while the boat was leaving Hongkong.
The total death rate during May (not includ- ing soldiers and sailors) was 22.4 per thousand. Among foreigners alone, it was 13.9 per
thousand.
A house in Ripon Terrace was entered by a burglar during the early hours of Saturday, the 23rd inst. One of the occupants of the house jumped out of bed; the robber ran on to the verandah, “swarmed" down the storm pipe, and got clear away.
The Communicable Diseases Return for last week shows 20 Chinese dead of bubonic plague. one Japanese of cholera, and one Chinese of enteric. There were two cases of small-po, not in Victoria, both Chinese, and neither
fatal.
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Apropos the recent correspondence in our columns concerning the theory that the Japa- nese are the lost ten tribes, a writer in the Shanghai Mercury adduces an amusing bit corroboration. The first Emperor being Jin Mu Tenno, he says, and jin meaming man, and mu
no more," there you are, no more than ten, oh!"
In the last Government Gazette the Officer Administering the Government notifies that His Majesty does not disapprove of the Hill District Reservation Order, 1904, which there fore comes inte operation on the 15th inst. On and after that date the Peak is dedicated to the use of foreign residents only for residential purposes.
This item, taken from a home paper of June 16th, has interest locally. Mrs. Ball-Irving, of Whitehill, Dumfriesshire, wife of Mr. John Bell-Irving, and sister of Sir Robert Jardine, has just died in her eighty-second year. Mr. and Mrs. Bell-Irving celebrated their diamond wedding in November last. The family's ancestral connection with the county dates back to the twelfth century.
Revised regulations for the licensing of passenger boats in the harbour are published in the current number of the Government Gazette
together with a tariff of fares. It is a frequent complaint especially among the naval men that the sampan men demand excessive fares when taking them off to their ships, but the remedy is in Jack's own hands. According to the revised regulations the boats between the Har-
bour Office and Ship Street Pier (which, by the way, must carry as part of their crew, at least two males between the ages of 15 and 60) are entitled to charge 40 cents per hour for two passengers; 20 cents per half-hour for two passengers; each extra passenger 10 cents per half-hour; and between sunset and sunrise they are entitled to 10 cents extra per passenger.
At the Naval yard on the 16th inst. Messrs. D. G. Bridger and W. G. Bridger were presented by the Commodore with transport medals and clasps. Mr, D. J. Bridger, who is at present chief officer of the s.s. Tainan (Messrs. Butter field and Swire), received his medal and two clasps for the South African and Chins Wars, he having been chief officer of the 8.8. Southern, Cross which conveyed the Australian contingent from Australia to Durban, and afterwards chief officer of the 8.8. Antillion, which conveyed the siege train from Cape Town to Tientsin, and thence to Hongkong. Mr. W. G. Bridger, at present supervising the construction of the 8.8. Shanghai recently launched for Messrs. Butterfield and Swire, got his medal for transport service in the South African War, he having been third engineer of the 8.8. Upada (British India Co.) which took the Volunteers from the Indian regiments from Bombay to > Durban. The Commodore in presenting the medals to the two brothers complimented them upon the services they hul rendered.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The weekly return of plague cases shows 20, all fatal, and all Chinese. This brings the total for the year so far to 428 cases, 413 of which have been fatal. There has been no
European case so far.
In the Summary Court yesterday Captain Merlin, of the 8.8. Charles Hardouin, was sued by a steward for 818 for wages. Mr. Justice Sercombe Smith held the defendant had nothing to do with the taking on of the servants-this being done by the Company-and he accor- dingly dismissed the case.
69
Undoubted testimony is forthcoming of junks daily smuggling in food supplies to Port Arthur.
M. G. Laferrière has been appointed to the Secretaryship of the French Municipal Council of Shanghai.
The Chinese Imperial Customs authorities, according to a Shanghai telegram to the Straits Times on the 14th inst., report that four hitherto unreported mines, and several water. logged junks, are adrift in the Gulf of Pechili.
A complaint in the Kobe Chronicle was to the effect that a motor-car had been driven too fast A small fire occurred at the Australia Board-along the Moto-machi there. A street witles ing-house, situated near Central Police Station, name like that ought, prima facie, to be reserved on Thursday at about 10 p.m. Though the for such traffic, "Still, a good deal of life has Brigade turned out, their services were not
been lost before now in motor matches. required. The conflagration was confined to Three hundred, out of the 1,500 sampans at the ground floor, and started, it is understood, Shanghai, have now been numbered and with the falling of a lamp. Damage done is registered. Unlike Hongkong, Shanghai estimated at $90. The premises are covered by has only recently undertaken this important the Union Insurance Co. for $6,000.
duty, being awakened to the necessity by the mysterious death of a passenger.
The Ceylon Observer commenting on the appointment of Mr. H. C. Nicolle as treasurer of Ceylon says:-While. Mr. H. C. Nicolle is doubtless an exceedingly fortunate man to be coming to Ceylon from Hongkong, where as Local Auditor he drew 5,100 dollars or about R7,000, as against R18,000 that he will draw in Ceylon, there is considerable reason for satisfac- tion in the despatch of the Secretary of State elsewhere. It will be seen that the ground for local agitation and indignation at an outsider being brought in to take up one of the plums of the Civil Service is cut away; for the new comer is not to be appointed over the head of Mr. Ellis.
Mr. Nicolle may be regarded as Sir Henry Blake's first selection in the matter of leading appointments, and his work will doubtless be keenly watched by the Colony till it becomes convinced of his special qualifications for the post which he will doubtless not refuse." The following is the short record of Mr. Nicolle's 24 years' services -——“ Nicolle, H. C. Assistant Auditor, Cyprus, Feb., 1880; Auditor-General, 1883; B, deleg, of Evkaf, in addition to his other duties, June, 1886; local auditor, Hongkong, Jan.; 1890."
MISCELLANEOUS.
A special telegram from Peking states that the Emperor of China is dangerously ill with dysentery.
Lord Curzon was suffering from an attack of neutritis, and had been ordered to take a com- plete rest for a short time.
Capt. Troubridge, recently naval attaché at Tokyo, has been appointed to the President for service at the Admiralty.
The heaviest rainfall ever registered in Manila happened on the 11th and 12th inst., when 17.19 inches fell within 27 hours.
The wreck of the C.N.S. Hoangho is to be sold by auction at Amoy, as she lies, on the 25th instant.
An additional sign of Chinese enlightenment is the petition by a censor that the Imperial Government should publish Blue Books.
We learn, says the Shanghai Union, that Mr. R. W. Little, editor of the N.-C. Daily News, is retiring. He joined that paper in 1886 as sub-editor.
A Captain Valgunoff has betted a brother officer, a wealthy landowner in Podolia, 50,000 roubles that France and England will be em. broiled in hostilities before July 1st, 1905.
The Chinese authorities are trying to induce the foreign syndicate to remove its Peking Tientsin telephones, on the ground of the Government's intention to institute a system of its own.
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We now learn that we had insufficient facts go upon in deciding that justice in Shanghai had in a certain assault case marched too hur riedly. It appears the defendant, seen by thet Chief Justice to strike a coolie, elected to be so summarily dealt with.
At an extraordinary general meeting of the Shanghai Electric and Asbestos Company, Ld., held on the 14th inst., the series of resolutions already advertised in connection with proposed increase of capital were duly carried, together with an additional provision that the proposed new shares shall, in the first place, be offered to the shareholders of the present company.
The Shangpu, or Board of Commerce, has authorised the establishment of a Company which intends to fish along the sea coast by means of steam trawlers, after the English method. In addition it is proposed to use electric lights to entice fish into the nets during the night. A former Chuangyuan, or Optimus named Chang Chien, who is also an adviser of the Shangpu, is the head of the new Fishing Company.
The Board of Trade have received information, through the Foreign Office, that the specific duties leviable under the Chinese Import Tariff of 1902 on margarine and on silk-piece-goods and ribbons have been abolished, and an ad valorem rate of five per cent. substituted there- fore in each case. It has also been arranged that printing and writing paper shall be dutïable, at importers' option, either at the specific rates contained in the Tariff or at five per cent ad valorem.
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Our northern contemporary the N.-C. Daily News on the 15th inst. dévoted a three column leader, accompanied by a sketch map, to a new and "very practical" scheme for improving the Huangpu river for shipping. The scheme is being pushed by all the chief Shanghai firms and shipping offices. The shoaling and silting. up to which the river is subject are due in a great measure to the varying velocity of its current, which in its turn is due to the irregular- ity in the width.
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In connection with the recent announcement that "the Japanese Government has declared the termination of the special silver currency system in the Island of Formoss," a correspond- This ont of the Westminster Gazette remarks: news is very interesting, inasmuch as Japan's gold currency standard has been spoken of since the present war as unstable by those who are not well acquainted with the state of finance of Japan. Japan, quick to grasp the opportunity to make use of silver in Manchuria, has now brought Formosa to the same gold standard as Japan proper. Since Japan soquired the island in 1895, the silver basis was continued as during the Chinese regime, as trade with the Chinese Continent with the same basis would be convenient, and as Japan had some surplus silver which she could make use of in the island, H.M. Consul at Chinkiang reports that to which the Japanese Mint supplied 'Marked amongst the miscellaneous foreign imports into Yen." The value of the "Marked Yen' that port during 1903 may be noted the follow-fuetuated approximately between, say, 85 per ing-Looking-glasses (67,550), the spread of cent. to 95 per cent. Gold Yen, of Japan. The which is desirable, a goodly portion of the present step on the part of the Japanese Gov. population of China never having seen their ernment will be for the final good and stability own faces; toilet soap (14,840 dosen), an import of trade and commerce of Formoss with Japan, influenced, perhaps, by that of mirrors; and as well as with other markets." And so, we patent medicines, which a Chinaman absorbs may add, it will be for that of Hongkong, when with some avidity when he has been educated the people in Downing Street allow us a gold up to that point.
standard.
a
M. C. Fernando, Indian merchant, sentenced at Yokohama to nine years imprisonment on charge of incendiarism for insurance, has been released by the Tokyo Court, on the ground of insufficient evidence.