48
and they were asked to resign. Numerous propositions were put forward and mooted, but finally the following propositions were put to the meeting by various shareholders and car- ried-Firstly, that Mr. A. Moller should be sent up to the mine to make a close investiga- tion of the working, his expenses being paid by the shareholders: second, that a sub-committee consisting of Messrs. Allan, McMurtrie, and Moller should examine and report on the ao- counts; third, that no further steps with regard to closing the mine should be taken by the directors without first consulting the share- holders; and fourth, that an advertisement should be put in the papers calling a meeting of shareholders to reconstruct the Company and elect new directors. The summary dismissal of Mr. Dawson by the Board called forth severe comment from several shareholders, who con- sidered that his services had been dispensed with merely because he gave an honest opinion of the condition of affairs at the mine.
SHELL TRANSPORT AND TRADING CO. (LIMITED.)
The report and accounts of the Shell Trans- port and Trading Company (Limited) for the year ending December 31, 1903, are in the hands of shareholders. The figures for the year 1902 were assessed in the report of September 9, 1904, as over-estimated to the extent of £11,296 198 8d. All differences in the accounts of that year have been merged in the accounts now presented
as for 1903, the profits of which are diminished to the extent that those of 1902 benefited. In- cluding the amount brought forward from 1902, there stands to the credit of profit and loss After deduction of manage. £339,330 7s. 4d. ment expenses and directors' and auditors' fees, £21,850; dividend on Preference shares, £50,000 income-tax, £12,031 188. 2d. ; the sum of £84,095 10s. 5d. as a provision for depreciation on steamers and installations, writing £10,000 from the cost and expenses of the Preference shares issue, and writing £2.500 from American ex- penses, there remains to be carried forward to the balance-sheet the amount of £158,852 18s. 9d. After providing for the dividend paid on January 1 of 1904, there remains to be carried forward the sum of £58,852 18s. 9d. These are the salient points of the documents.
SCHOOL REPORT.
·:0:-
ST. STEPHEN'S COLLEGE SPEECH DAY.
At St. Stephen's College on the 18th inst, His Excellency Sir Matthew Nathan distribut- There ed the priz s to successful studen's. was a large and representative gathering present, and a guard of honour was formed by the students, who were lined up on each side of the walk to the College as His Excellency approached.
The Head (REV. E. J. BARNETT) in his address said:-It may be questioned whether the influence of education in Hongkong will not be mainly, if not wholly, local; whether those who are trained in our Colleges will ever affect appre- ciably the mainland adjacent. That most of those who come to learn English are actuated by personal motives must perhaps be conceded. But here, nevertheless, is the teacher's oppor- tunity; for as the children in the home lands are taught to respond to the enthusi» sm of Imperialism, so may the claims of China be to Chinese students while brought home studying the condition and needs of their native land in the light of the history of our Empire. Some of these senior lads have devoted themselves to the study of History with a Parallels be-
the
soon
relish which has surprised us. tween certain conditions obtaining at present time in China and those which existed in England, say, in John's reign and later, are readily appreciated, and deductions are drawn. For why should not the benefits which Magna Carta secured for England be enjoyed by China if she too obtained her Charter of Liber- lies? Thus through this and kindred studies the needs of China become more apparent, and when the need has been located the remedy is nearer Further, Hongkong is accomplishment. Europe's door into China, and a distributing
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
centre whose influence penetrates into the heart | of the Empire. Hongkong, moreover, as a British Colony, is an object lesson of good government where the rights of man in relation to man are maintained, were justice is ad- ministered and oppressiou disallowed. In some measure, therefore, this ancient, immovable kingdom is being interpenetrated with new forces which make for change and the better. ment of the people. Yet again, some of our students have official connections on the main- land: some belong to the expectant class of degree men; others hail from the coast ports, while all are more or less associated with ancestral homes in China proper. In these ways the sphere of influence is widened, and we believe the result of our labours will extend beyond the narrow limits of Hongkong.
Our tried friends
and fellow-helpers remained with us-Mr. J. Lewis Byrne, M.A., in charge of much of the senior work, Mr. A. H. Mackenzie, and Miss Fletcher, who kindly devoted the whole of her time to her class. Even so, we lacked the num- berg necessary to carry out our principle-that +ach class should have its own English Form-master. In the early part of the year we were fortunate in obtaining the assistance of Mr. E. P. Burtt, a trained teacher, and when other duties called him away the services of Mr. Ray were secured, who has entered with en- thusiasm into the boys sports. Mr. Landemann, who holds a teacher's certificate, has lately joined us, and we expect to have the benefit of his help after the New Year. The Chinese classes have continued under the careful instruc- tion of Mr. Ng Tin Po, assisted recently by Mr. Lo Siu Kei.
H18 EXCELLENCY was then called upon, and distributed the prizes.
nor can
!
[January 23, 1905.
solution of the problem is in the opinion of our Chinese friends being carried out on the right lines is best testified by the support they are I am sure that we giving to the institution. all join in wishing the Col'ege in the future the greatest success. (Applause).
His Lordship, the Rev. Bishop HOARE, said: I am sure I am only expre-sing the feel- ings of all present when I thank Your Excellency heartily for coming here this morning, and for what you have been saying to us about the work of the College and education generally.
not
We have a large Government sys em of education in the Colony, but of course schools that are regulated by Government must be regulated for the masses, and it is always rather a problem as to what are the be t lines to regulate schools in a place like The College has a free hand-I do this.
mean to say the Government hampers work in other colleges, but educational they have to lay down certain rules and conditions--and Chinese opinion has very great weight, and it is a very great satisfaction to my mind to see that it goes very much with the results of the experience of the Government, and after all, this College is being run on very much the same lines as other schools where the Government lays down the rules. It is a mistake, even here, where we get
people of very mixed religions, to think that they wish religious teachings excluded from the schools. I am sure that the Chinese both here and on the mainland, prefer that a religion should be taught, even though it be not their own. His Lordship then asked the boys to show by acclamation that they hea tily thanked His Excellency for coming to give away the prizes. This they did by three ringing cheers, following with three for His Lordship the Bishop and three for the Rev. Mr. Barnett.
on
ELLIS KADOORIE CHINESE SCHOOLS SOCIETY.
In 1902
'be
con-
HIS EXCELLENCY'S SPEECH. HIS EXCELLENCY, having performed this duty, said - My Lord Bishop, Ladies and Gentle. men,-You will, I am sure, join with Le in for his interesting thanking Mr. Barnett report. In its political anticipations I have no intention of following him,
The prizes awarded to successful students I follow the parallel of England emerg-
the 13th century were presented by H. E. the Governor at this 8 civilizat in College on the 20th instant, when there was ing from barbarism in A.D. and China to-day after
a large attendance of parents and friends of the which we know goes back to the 13th centu y B.C. But I do understand and applaud young collegians.
After several of the students had recited, the statement in the report that the first ai of the College is to inculcate upon the Head Master (Mr. W. D. BRAIDWOOD), in pre- individual the methods of_right living.senting the fourth annual report of the Society's On the last occasion on which I had the hon. Hongkong College, said that o the 30th June our to present pr zes at one of the schools of last, the college completed its first year under this Colony I divided the purposes of these the Government Grant-in-aid scheme. schools into Training the Children' and 'Edu- amount of grant earned was $3,112, being cating the Mind.' On this occasion another,
an average of $16.74 per head calculated In teach- sub-division suggest itself, viz., that of storing
the average attendance. the mind and forming the reason. Both ideas ing elementary science they were are followed in every system of education, but in siderably handicapped during the year by varying degrees. The former method usually the want of suitable apparatus. This deficiency consists of teaching the works of ancient writers had now been rectified by the purchase of two first largely by rote and afterwards by explair cabinets of objects and apparatus for the ing their meaning. In the latter method science teaching of elementary science and Nature and logic play the foremost part and teach the knowledge, so that they were now able to deduction of one fact from another and illustrate the lessons by means of simple ex- the Committee of of generalisation from instance. Roughly periments. speaking, the first method tends to make Education in Hongkong having examined the men conservative, cultured, and courteous, course of study pr. scribed for the Oxford and the second to make them liberal, learn- Local examination, decided that "too much time was spent in the acquisition of dry facts re- ed, and likely to get on in the world.
first method overwhelmingly pre-lating to Early and Medieval English history The dominates in the system of education in China and to the geography of countries which are
entered largely into
the only remotely connected with the Far East' and formerly
of our large English Public The wisdom of this decision must be recognised curriculum
As a result of this schools. The second method is that to which by all who take an interest in education and modern Western education is rapidly teding, educational methods.
8 comit'ee appointed for the and is probably at present more closely followed declarati n in Germany than el-owhere. The problem which purpose drew up last year a scheme for a four this College is trying to solve is how to combine
years' course in those two subjects in which the two methods in the way best adapted to secure
an examination will be luld annually by the: the hi.hest happiness to the rising generation of China in this corner of the British Empire and in the adjoining Empire of China; how to add so much liberalism to the natural Chinese conservatism as will tend to steady progress without producing a generation of rash reformers or reckless enterpriser, how to combine so much learning with the Chinese culture as will make the lessons science for the improvement of the physical conditions of life and how in the best position to place scholars to get on in the world. without fishness nor too high a consideration of the material advan- tages of wealth, rank, and position. That that
practically available
Oxford Delerates and certificates awarded by the Hongkong Government. They welcomed this change, and adopted it as a decided advance.
The
pass
in science was the same as in 1903 (79 per cent), but with the apparatus already referred to they hoped to have better results during the current year. The Head, continuing, said:
Following a precedent of my own in connec- tion with anot er school in the Colony, I resolved to establish a circulating school library to foster the desire for reading among the pup ls. The boys in the senior forms showed such enthusiasm in the matter that with their assistance I was able in a very short time to raise the sum of $421. The result is that we
પિની પાસ