3
1.
December 26, 1904.
the night of the fire. He was the first to in. form me of it. Shortly afterwards I handed the book containing a list of goods supposed to be in the godown to the Police. I could not say whether the electrical goods in the godown are saleable. I believe the book handed to the Police contained a correct list of goods in the godown at the time of the fire.
Cross-examined by Mr. Hastings: The last $16,000 insurance I took out with the Un On Insurance Company. They informed me after the fire that they had transferred the insurance to the Commercial Union and the Meiji Fire Insurance Companies. I required an insurance to cover a quantity of goods that might be in the godown at any time,
Leung Chop said: I am engaged by the Chinese Engineering Company. Prior to my recent trip to Canton I used to sleep in the West Point godown. I was not there on the night of the fire. Cross-examiued by Mr. Hastings I did not go to the godown to sleep, on my return from Canton, because I was told that another man had gone to sleep there."
Wong Ying Chi declared :—I was with Lo Wing Ming at a restaurant at Hollywood Road on the night of the 8th instant. Between twelve and one o'clock he left and went in the direction of West Point.
Cross-examined by Mr. Hastings-I could not say whether Lo Wing Miug was drunk. I do not know whether he won some money in the Wyshing lottery lately.
Hearing continues.
The hearing of this inquiry was continued before Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz at the Magistracy on the 22nd instaut, Mr. Hursthouse (of Messrs Dennys and Boyley's office) representing the Police and four Insurance Companies, and Mr. Dixon (of Mr. Hasting's office) appearing on behalf of Ho Li Cho, owner of the goods in the godown.
P. C. Cox, the first witness called, gave eri- dence as to the position in which the lamp was found under the case in the godown. He did not notice whether the wood of the case was burnt through.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
produced is mine. All goods taken into the godown I entered in it.
Inspector Collett gave evidence as to the things found in the godown. He estimated the damage done to goods at not more than $500.
471
I turn of gold by the results of the first crushing, and expressed the confident opinion that the mine would be paying expenses and showing a profit within three months. His lowest estimate of the average outturn to be expected after that time was 5 dwts. par ton, and expenses should Mr. Hursthouse addressed H's Worship with be covered by 2 dwts, leaving a profit of 3 dwts. regard to the suspicious circumstances sur-Taking 80 tons a day with only 20 stamps and rounding the fire. He said it was impossible 300 days in the year this represented a possible for His Worship to believe that the lamp had profit of 872,000 gold. fallen in the suspicious position in which it was found. Further, there Was the fact that Lo Wing Kee was the only person sleeping on the premises at the time.
His Worship said that no charge had been brought against anyone of any form of arson. As was usual in the case of a fire enquiry, the result was extremely inconclusive, and at the same time extremely curious and very suspi. cious. He saw no ground for taking action
under Section six of the Ordinance which em- powered him, if the fire were considered the result of a crime, to commit any person or persons connected therewith to prison to answer any charge which might be brought against them. If the solicitor representing the Insurance Companies and the Police had made any other charge, e should bave taken it into consideration. It was still open for him to do so. He would proceed under Section five and inquire whether there was any reason why the premises should not be released.
On the application of Mr. Hursthouse the inquiry was adjourned until to-day, to enable him to find out whether his clients wished to take any further action in the matter.
The hearing of this inquiry was continued beforo Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz at the Magis. tracy on the 23rd inst.. Mr. Hursthouse (of Messrs. Dennys and Bowley's office) represent- ing the Police and four Insurance Companies, and Mr. Dixon (of Mr. Hastings' office) appear. ing on behalf of Ho Li Cho, owner of the goods
in the godown.
On the application of Mr. Hursthouse, the release of the premises was deferred for a week, The charge against Lo Wing Kee, golown- Li Chin Tong, Secretary of the Un On In-keeper, of the larceny of certain goods from the surance Company, declared: Ho Li Cho in- godown, was withdrawn by the Police. sured certain goods in the West Point godown with the Un On in the name of the Chinese Engineering and Mining Company. The total THE WEIHAIWEI GOLD MINING amount of insurance was $35,000. Subsequently my company re-insured certain of the goods in the Commercial Union and Meiji Fire Insurance Companies. The list of goods put in is the list Ho Li Cho gave me when he effected the
insurance.
Cross-examined by Mr. Dixou: Ho Li Cho told me that the list would be copied from the godown book.
Sergeant Watt recalled: One of the cass in the godo.rn was burnt throngh, and several others were charred
the outside. оп
On opening one case it burst into flame inside. From the appearance of the case it did not look as though the fire had started from the inside. There was a marked smell of kerosene round the case where the lamp was picked up, was no place where a lamp might have been hung up in the part of the godown.
There
At this stage Mr. Murray asked His Wor- ship's permission to make a statement, as he was placed in a position be did not like. He said: Prior to, the fire I was never spoken to con. cerning insurance on goods supposed to be in the godown at West Point. I never made any list of oods supposed to be there prior to the fire, and did not know any insurance had been effected on the goods until after the fire.
Lo Wing Kee, who is in charge for larceny of goods from the godown, before giving evi dence, was administered the usual caution. He said: I was employed as shroff to the Chinese Engineering and Mining Company, and later as god wn-keeper in the Des Voeux Road Godown, was at a feast at the Yun Fung Loi restaurant until 12.30 on the morning of the 9th inst. From there I went to the godown. where I slept that night. I have slept there on three occasions be fore. I had been using a lamp in the godown prior to going out It was standing on the top of a box at the back of the godown. On re-- turning a 123 it was still alight, and it was alight when I went to sleep. I was awakened by a knocking above the godown, and found the godown was on fire. The godown book
CO,, LD.
The crisis in the affairs of the Weihaiwei Gold Mining Company is tided overs the result of an informal meeting of shareholders held Dec. 15th It was a largely attended meeting and on the whole a cheerful one. The general feeling, as indicated by the applause following a remark, was that the International Banking Corporation had been rather basty in driving the company in o an awkward corner, but the situation was one to be saved, and the only question was how it should be done. The direc-
zero avoided.
an
worded in less thus the sending of
been
Mr. F. E. Taylor, as a shareholder with consid- erable interests, who had looked into the situation carefully, made a decidedly optimistic speech.
There was an animated discussion as to how the money requir d should be obtained, many shareholders wishing to have a uniform call made in order to give all an equal benefit and interest. This, however, the Chairman ex- plained, was impossible as time was too limited. Debentures redeemable six months at twelve per cent. per annum were subscribed in the room with great eagerness, and the amount required to save the situation was rapidly more than subscribed-N.-C. Daily News.
THE PERAK SUGAR CULTIVA-
TION CO., LD.
The report for the nineteenth annual general meeting, to be held at Shanghai on Monday, 19th December, is as follows:
The Directors submit the following report for the twelve months ending 30th September, 1904-
CROP - Gular Estate.-The area under cane as stated in last year's report was 1,627.25 orlongs of this, canes have been cropped from 1,542.75 orlongs, leaving 84.50 orlongs to be carried over to next crop. The output of Sugar was piculs 56.072.93, giving an average of picula 36.6 per orlong (1.6 tons per acre); the proportion of No. 1 sugar was 94.8 per cent, and the whole output realised an average net price of $6.48 per picul.
Klompong Estate. The area cropped has been 829 75 orlongs, producing piculs 33,468,30 of Basket Sugar, an average of piculs 40.33 per orlong. The average price realised for this sugar was $3 33 net per picul
LABOUR.-For the greater part of the season the supply of labour has been quite inadequate to the requirements of the estates, with the re- sult that the cultivation has suffered from the want of sufficient attention, and it has been found impossible to extend the area under cane at Klompong to correspond with the capacity of the plant, which is capable of dealing with about 1,200 orlongs as against 877 already planted for next season. The difficulty is one which has been experienced in a more or less degree by all the sugar estates, and is due chiefly to the extensive Government works in progress, and to the failure on the part of the Goverament to import sufficient coolies for these works, the Government contractors avoiding the inital expense by offering higher
wages to time-expired coolies on the various estates. The Company has imported dur. ing the season 755 new coolies at a cost of $33,000; 635 of these arrived on the estate during the last four months of the season under two and three years' contracts, and a proportion of the cost of importation has therefore been carried forward as a charge on next year's account. The latest reports state that the supply of labour is now ample.
tors came in for some criticism. At the very outset of the meeting a shareholder expressed the opinion that the circular con rening the
been meeting might have alarming terms, and the share quotations down practically to Another point raised was that the Board had not taken the opportunity a few weeks since, when the shares were at a premium, to issus the balance of ordinary shares. To this the chairman (Mr. Marcus Wolff) could only reply that
error of judgment had cmmitted.
The Chairman in an introductory statement expl-ined how the crisis had arisen, through the Bank refusing to allow the overdraft to be increased beyond the present amount of $38.737.68, or to continue it unless satisfactory security, personal or otherwise, were deposi ed against it. They had, however, agreed to
CROP 1904-1905.-Gula Estate. -The area accept as part payment the $10 call on the 3,777 preference shares recently called up, under cane for this crop is 1,893.75 orlongs, of releasing their lien on the property. But in which 622.50 orlongs are under lease to Cane the meantime the company was without money.Contractors. The whole output has been sold to meet immediate liabilities, and unless the under forward contracts at prices which may be meeting adopted some extraordinary measures, expected to realise an average of $6.45 net per it was impossible to carry on.
picul.
од
Mr. J. R Duff, the expert adviser of the company. had written a letter based his examination after the first crushings, and this was read. It explained that many circumstances made it impossible to judge the probable out-
RUBBER PLANTATION. The reports with regard to this continue to be satisfactory. The manager expects to be able to start tapping- about 1,000 trees--next year. About 20,000 trees have been planted out and are doing well. About 15.00) will be ready for tapping in the year 1907.
Klompong Estate. The area under cane for this crop is 877.50 orlongs, of which 595.00 The orlongs are leased to Cane Contractora. whole output of Basket Sugar has been sold at $4 per pical.