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October 17, 1904.]
of them Japanese--are at work on it. Here the mountains narrow to form a gorge hundreds of feet in depth, at the bottom of which the river dashes on its way over huge boulders.
Dogura is the first of three posts built on the bank of the river. At the second of these I had my first view of the savages, who had come in to taste the sweets of civilization in the form of samshu and tinned stores. In return for these they had brought in deer-horns and hides. They wore nothing except a loin cloth and were all armed with long heavy knives two feet long; their rifles had been left behind, as there is some risk of their overpowering the guard. Two or three women had come in also, and their dress and appearance marked them as being of a different race from Chinese and Japanese alike. The married women wear only a petticoat, but the maidens are dressed in very stylish fashion-their garments being a bright scarlet colour, while to add to their beauty they wear carved and painted pieces of bamboo through their enrs. Men and women alike have their faces painted in a peculiar fashion, green being the fashionable colour.
I was as interesting to the savages as they were to me; for it seems that foreigners have only on one or two occasions penetrated to this part of the border. I was received in a very friendly way, but at the same time I felt that no trust could be put in the savages, whose faces bore the stamp of treachery and blood- thirstiness.
Thanks to the kindness of the chief inspector, with whom I was fortunately able to converse in Japanese, I went up to the remotest post. With an escort of sturdy little Japanese, I followed a path leading for five miles along the
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
PATENTS IN HONGKONG.
285
point out that the “Ordinance to consolidate and amend the Law relating to the grant in SIR,-I have a simple little invention for this Colony of Letters Patent for Inventions supplying a cheap article that is used largely in (No. 2 of 1892) is perfectly clear as to the possi the Colony and other parts of the East, and Ibility of doing what " Subscriber" wishes. want local protection for it. I am told that
Sec. 2 Sub, sec 1 reads:-"It shall be lawful before I can apply to the Governor for a patent for the inventor or for the owner
must first have an English patent, which used in Europe, and preliminary expense is an would be of no use to me, as the article is not
you or any of your readers tell me if there is no item cannot afford to any large extent. Can simply local protection available ? formation would greatly oblige, yours truly.
Any in
SUBSCRIBER.
ing to patents, our correspondent has been cor- [Apparently, reading the two ordinances relat-
rectly informed; but it is really a question for the lawyers. Perhaps some local patentee will give him the benefit of his experience. We think if our subscriber has an idea for supplying a popular want, he should protect it at Home as well as here, if it is something that can te imported.- E. ]
WHARF COOLIES.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.
SIR. Can you explain why in Hongkong the coolies who hang about the wharves to carry luggage are not licensed?
It is a source of annoyance not only to new arrivals but to old residents to have to employ them on account of the impudence that they give and the excessive payment demanded by them.
}
of any invention or of the `ox- clusive right thereto in this Colony to petition the Governor for Letters Patent for any been granted in ► invention for which Letters Patent have already
ngland. It may further satisfy your correspondent if I say that a short while back I was asked to consider the question by a client, but I was of opinion, after oing thoroughly into the matter, that unless the pat nt was first registered at home it could not be registered here.
Yours faithfully,
1
AREH
A COMMERCIAL PROBLEM.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS."
Hongkong, 12th October. SIR,-I shall be glad if any of your readers will give an expression of opinion on the follow- ing commercial problem, or refer me to some authority on the subject:-
1st. In the case of goods to a neutral port in a neutral vessel contracted for on a cost, freight and insurance basis before the outbreak of hosti- lities, is the seller or buyer responsible for war risk?
2nd. In the case of goods to a neutral port If the Government are so anxious to raise in a neutral vessel contracted for a cust, freight revenue that they have to endanger the and insurance basis after the outbreak of hosti- heal sum charged for a porter r l trees, surely lities, is the seller or buyer responsible for war
small license would risk? be of assistance to them.
Enclosing my card.-Yours, etc.,
valley, through which the foaming river dashes its way
The hills here are covered with vegetation so dense that it is impossible to make one's way through it, where the unfriendly savages might be lurking, so that altogether it was an uninviting forest, though the variety and rich colour of the foliage made it very beautiful. The whole scene-1 the lofty hills, the roaring river, and the dense green forest, was most romantic, and the sense of hidden danger added to the feeling of adventure.
At length, shortly after passing a sulphur spring, we reached the last post, where I was received with the unfailing courtesy of the Japanese. One cannot but be impressed by these gallant policemen, who live in the midst of danger no less real because it is unseen, and are constantly exposed to attacks of fever in this lonely spot: but who are always cheerful and happy in the performance of their duty. Beyond this spot no-one can go; the silent forest stretches for mile after mile beyond the ken of civilised man, its denizens, man and beast alike, savage and unapproachable. Such was my visit to one of the few places in the Far East where civilisation has not yet laid her hand.
CORRE-PONDENCE.
SHOPPING HOURS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE
DAILY PRESS.
SIE,--One is rather surprised to see one of the oldest and most progressive European stores in the Colony taking a retrograde step by extending their hours to 6 p.m., thus compelling smaller European stores against their own desires to follow their example.
By mutual consent the Colony has fixed the hour of closing as five o'clock, and since time immemorial this custom has been duly observed. To many this divergence from hoary custom may seem a trivial matter, but experience in the past has proved that often these of the wedge" movements have in the end in thin end fluenced the community at large.
CE
Surely the hours are already long enough for such an enervating climate, and the hour between 5 and 6 is just the one most required —either as a rest before the dinner preparation, or for the purpose of exercise. It is to be sincerely desired that the shopping public will discourage a movement which tends to lower the standard of European stores, and bring them down to the level of a Chinese "catch-penny."-Yours faithfully,
TAI-PAN.
If the coolies were licensed a proper scale of charges could be drawn up which would enable one to know what to pay and would also enable one, by taking their number, to report any offence of theirs to the Police; but at present it is impossible to do anything else than submit to insult and extortion. Yours truly,
· SHOCKING HOURS
1+
+
VICTIM.
S. B. A.
SCURRILOUS PUBLICATIONS IN EKING.
We have been waiting for some time past to see whether any notice would be taken in Peking of the insignificant looking little sheet published in the simplest vernacular that all may read, the China Hua Jih Pan; but TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS. apparently neither the Chinese authorities nor SIR.- Taipan's letter in your issue of the Foreign Legations have recognized its Saturday last is a righteous outburst against pernicious influence. In any other country an attempt to level the white worker to the the absurdity and obvious inaccuracy of the plane of the Chinaman by curtailing his time statements made would suffice to defeat its own for recreation. Confinement in a store, attend-ends, as among European peoples an exaggerated ing the wants of a very difficult class of and burlesque style of journalism rarely customers from 8.30 a.m. to 5 p.m., is quite long achieves anything beyond its own discredit. enough; and a little healthy outdoor recreation is an essential both from the employee's and the employer's view point, as better equipping the employee for the next day's work.
And with, approximately, 50 lights burning at a cost of, say, 83.50 for the hour, the dollar, or thereabouts, trade that has been done each evening up to the present proclaims the
scheme a failure.
The draper's clerk has in the past borne his burden long and patiently, but even a camel will "hooshta," if his load be in excess of his clerk, like unto the camel. is universally re- estimate of a fair thing. Now the draper's garded as a docile creature, but there is a limit to human forbearance, and the recent action of the knights of the counter in Belfast is the bending
of the camel's knee.
un-
meeting of the shareholders of this very If my memory serve me rightly, at the last estimable establishment a motion was animously passed conveying to the employees the shareholders' appreciation of their zeal and close attention to their duties. May I ask is their gratitude P-Yours, &c., the extra hour infliction a material token of
PAUL POSSUM,
[Both an employer and an employee have now expressed their views of what we are informed is an innovation. What have the customers to say on the matter? The subject presumably has more than one side.-ED.]
PATENTS IN HONGKONG.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “DAILY PRESS.
12
24
SIE,-Adverting to the letter of "Subscriber in to-day's issue of the Daily Press, I would
But in China it is otherwise, and no assertions with regard to foreigners or Western institu- tions and doctrines are too far fetched and ludicrous to admit of acceptance. We must always remember in considering Chinese questions that we are dealing with a people who in the mass can still believe a posse of soldiers can travel in a Saratoga trunk, and the banging of a tin can save the moon from premature destruction. What more readily digested, then, than the much more reasonable suggestion that the men carried away over the unknown seas are going to certain tyranny, bondage, and untold suffering? Though the emigration work is an exclusively Anglo-Chinese interest, we have alluded above to the Foreign Legations collectively and not to the British Legation exclusively because we consciously or unconsciously excited by one have also to remember that an indignation
Power acts indirectly on all, and insults and falsehoods permitted against one class of "foreigners" are apt to come home to roost, like curses, on all irrespectively. The condition of the country at the present juncture is distinctly tin- dery. Any spark however small may fan into a flame, and it behoves all nationalities to preserve a unitedly firm front and resolutely quell any. thing which savours of popular excitement and hostile prejudice. We fear that there is once more an inclination in Peking to say 'it is naught' when significant indications are drawn attention to, and once again, we reiterate our ory of four years ago that timely action will HAYO trouble. This sourrilous sheet which is permitted to breathe forth its lying fables in the ears of the masses will stir up a feeling of alarm and an hysterical apprehension