100
At the present time it is merely a question of systematizing the charitable work of this charitable society. If anything further remains to be done there is not the slightest doubt the Government will take it in hand.
HIS LORDSHIP THE BISHOP; I wish to add a rider to Mr. May's motion, only on the understanding that it is intended for a tem- as porary measure and beg to move so follows" that the meeting approve of the above scheme, only on the understanding that it is intended as a temporary measure adopted for a period not exceeding one year in order to give the Government time to organise a permanent system for meeting the difficulties referred to." SIE H. S. BERKELY: You want to make the Government a charity organisation society.
not or
or
HON. MB, STEWART: I beg to second the motion, and at the same time should like to recommend the Benevolent Society to publish in the Directory the names of their reference committee. With regard to the remark about turning the Government into a charity bear organisation society, it is well to in mind that the Government of England
and
man cannot have & Poor Law, starve in the country,
Sir H. S. BERKELEY: I think that in the discussion nearly all members wandered away from the real question before this meeting,
whether
the society which Was should be entrusted with the distribution It of funds made by charitable persons.
whether
not is not & question of charitable persons ought to provide for the wasters of the colony. The Government provides for the waster by the House of Deten- tion, and also for the distressed seaman by the Merchant Shipping Act. This scheme has been founded whereby certain charitable people inquire of persons deserving relief, and through their agents distribute funds. In no civilised country in the world does the Government, properly so called, distribute charity. The meeting is not to decide whether this scheme is wise or foolish, simply to sanction the Benevo- lent Society being made the medium of relief have not to be provided by persons who necessarily anything to do with the society. The only objection to the scheme ladies of the committee being brought into but undesirable
persons, contact they will not be brought into contact with any There is no use of mincing such persons. matters. My view is this: this mey is subscribed, not for what most of you here Distressed seamen do call a des-rving sailor. not require it. The money subscribel is to be devoted to help men who some way or other got out of employment through their own fault; men who have no claim on the Shipping Master. Hon. Mr. May's motion was carried, also the Bishop's, which he moved be added as a rider to Mr. May's.
with
was the
H.E. the Governor has agreed to furnish the wherewithal to keep five destitute men, while the Hon. Mr. May, Hon. Mr. Stewart and Messrs Gedge and Looker have each promised to stand guarantor for one.
CORRESPONDENCY.
A GRUMBLE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.'
3rd February.
SIR,-Since the last occurrence of burglars visiting the Belilios Terrace in broad daylight which is still vivid in your readers' minds, I perceive that no notice has ever b en taken by the Police to keep a strict rigilance in that locality.
It appears that yesterday evening between 7.30 and 8 o'clock a dead body was casually discovered by a servant living in one of those houses. Now, how could that dead body have been plumped just at the foot of the steps and allowed to remain there unnoticed by the police I am at a loss to understand.
The place which I allude to where the corpse was found is in a corner of the Lower Belilios Terrace, where the chair coolies stationed there frequently commit nuisances, another point to which attention should be paid.—Yours, &c.,
MICROBIO,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
$2 DAILY PRESS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE
AN EARNEST REQUEST. DEAR SIR,-Will you be kind enough to permit me, through the medium of your columns, to call the attention of His Excellency the Governor to the ridiculously small number of days in the year observed as holidays here in contrast to those enjoyed by other Crown be Colonies and settlements in the Far East gener- ally. The regular annual holidays here may briefly summarised on an average as follows:-
New Year Day China New Year Race Holidays Good Friday Easter Monday Whit Monday First King's Birthday Regatta Holidays Xmas Day Boxing Day
11
*
in August
1
2
11
1
12 days I have not taken into account Saturday after. noons, which are utterly disregarded by a certain section of the mercantile community, and exist nominally with the rest, whilst occasionally, when such a day as China New Year for instance falls on a Saturday, as was the case this year, an extra day or two is thrown in, so that the actual number of days on which business is suspended may be roughly and reckoned at 15 days or even less. This hardship is further accentuated by the Banks Insurance Offices closing on half holidays such as Race or Regatta days at an hour which is the enjoyment of the too late to render holiday possible. If we compare the existing state of things here with conditions prevailing elsewhere it will be seen that, considering the flourishing condition the colony is in, and the importance it relatively ho'ds, we are far would also respectfully behind the times.. point out to His Excellency that the present Holiday Ordinance was enacted as far back as 1875, that the conditions then and now will not bear any useful comparison, and that the time has come for the existing Ordinance to be so modified and amended as to allow for a larger number of days under less stringent
HOLIDAY. conditions, Yours, etc.,
ARMED ROBBERY AT PO HING FONG.
An Hang, Ho Shing and Mak Sang were again placed before Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz at the Police Court on Feb. 8 to answer the charge of holding up the inmates of house No. 8 Po Hing Fong with offensive weapons, and robbing them of jewellery and clothing to the value of $2,400, on the 30th January last. Chief Detective Inspector Hanson prosecuted.
start."
Au Chan, one of the ama's of the house, stated: - Defendant on entering the house, said they had come to repair the water pipe. The second defendant then said 'Let us make a The second and third defendants each had a knife. One of the defendants said to the other awah and myself "If you make a noise, I will chop you." The firstefendant tied our While the first bands behind us, and gagged us. defendant gagged us, the other two went out of the kitchen. I was bound and gagged for about The other two men then
a quarter of an hour.
called out and the first defendant went away leaving us both gagged and bound. Immediate- ly after they went away I left the kitchen, and with the other amah went to the stair door. We thought defendants were coming back, so held hard against the door. The people outside said they were Police, so we let them in. They brought back the defendants. I saw the second defendant at three o'clock that afternoon. He entered the house saying he had come to repair She said "He a waterpipe. While there, he asked the mistress where the master had gone. has gone out." He then went away. After gone on the night of the the men robbery, I missed a quantity of my jewellery. I found on entering my room, that everything was in a state of confusion.
had
Other witnesses corroborated the evidence of the last witness, and the case was adjourned.
[February 11, 1905,
HONGKONG CRICKETERS AT
SWATOW.
was in
went the
The Hongkong cricketers on Feb. 8 returned from Swatow by the Douglas & Hatching, after a very pleasant holiday. On arriving at Swatow on the 4th February the men landed After breakfast they changed and and were put up at various private houses. to the cricket field. This grounds, described as "an awfully nice place resembling on old country residence," of Mr. Richardson, the Taipan of Messrs. Bradley and Company's branch office. All the ladies of Swatow, a couple of dozen or so, turn- ed out to watch the game. Besides "the usual ' refreshments, tea was served on the field at half past four. Play concluded somewhere about five o'clock. After dinner some of the visitors played bowls at the Kialat Club, while others were entertained by their various hosts.
were
There was a tennis (doubles) tournament on Feb. 5th, and this ended in a win for Messrs.
Those who Hancock and Butcher. not occupied at the tennis courts went out The shooting to a place called Sun Lai. bag was small and mixed. Everyone knocked down a goose, but many were lost.
On Feb. 6th the return match was played, `It resulted as follows :-
HONGKONG.
G. E. Morrell, not out W. Dixon, b Bevington A. Mackenzie, b Bevington
N. H. Rutherford, e Somerville, b Bat-
cher
H. Hancock, b Butcher..
100 2
14 8
R. R. Horley, R.N., st Willis, b Hilliard 32 J. Rodgers, c and b Butcher A. C. Butt, R.M.L.I., not out
Extras
4
11
Total (for 6 wickets) 198 (Innings declared closed.)
T. C. Gray, G. P. Lammert and A. O. Brawn
did not bat.
Hilliard
BOWLING ANALYSIS.
M. R W.
14 2 43
1
Bevington.
12
47
2
Butcher
12
64
Sullivan
15
Macgowan
6
.Harrison
Currie
SWATOW.
Sullivan, e Dixon, b Rutherford Harrison, run out Brackstone, c Gray, b Hancock Anderson, o Brawn, b Mackenzie.. Pegge, b Rutherford Bevington, b Rutherford Willis, o Hancock, b Rutherford Currie, hit wkt., b Hancock.. Hilliard, o Hancock, b Rutherford Macgowan, run out... Wallace, b Lammert
Somerville, o Brawn, b Hancock Dupree, not out Young, b Mackenzie Butcher, b Mackenzie
10
0
Extras
16
Total
73
BOWLING
ANALYSIS..
0. M. B.
W.
13
2 30
9
4. 14
5
4
2 6
H. Hancock. N. H. Rutherford G. P. Lammert... G. E. Morrell A. Mackenzie
3 2 2
3 1 5 3
Umpires:-Mr. Frank Smith (Swatow) and Mr. J. W. C. Bonnar (H.K.)
The cricketers dined at the Junior Customs' There was afterwards a concert at which Club, where a very jolly evening was spent. some of the Hongkong men, including Mr. G. P. Lammert whose singing was particularly Numerous speeches appreciated, contributed. were made.
1
The first part of Tuesday was spent "recover- ing," and the steamer left for Hongkong at four o'clock in the afternoon.