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Mistake not this. Our brethren of Islam at Canton do not bow down to nor adore that Imperial tablet. They are not compelled to do Imperial command willed its presence there; and they but render unto Cmear the things that are Cesar's. Until Mr. Ball brings more evidence than he has done to show that Mohammedanı (or, to retain his alternative spelling, Mahomedans) adore tablet, he rests under the stigma of being unjust for prejudice's sake, and owes apology to those who, after all, worship quite as sincerely, and much more rationally, than his own people do. "Not less elevated are the silent prayers and the simple devotional sots of the Koran when compared with. [some others not necess ry to name. Ed.]
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EX-TRÍTHEIST. [The spelling "Mahomedans is not Mr. Ball'*. We are responsible for it. "Mahomet' seemed more familiar than Mohammed," so we preferred the form used in reporting the lecture. We hope that in publishing the above letter, there will be no risk of arousing the odium theologicum. We have suppressed part of the conclusion in this hope. Those who have read the well-known chapter in Carlyle's "Heroes" will, like ourselves, sympathise somewhat with our correspondent's point of view. Perhaps Professor Ball will try to support his statement with regard to the praction at Canton! W have a poor opinion of Chinese converts to any faith; but understand that it is scarcely s question of converts, Mahomedanism ranking now as one of the native religions. Ed.]
A LABOUR DIFFICULTY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
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818-With regard to the recent articles and correspondence in the Daily Press relative to
the all round "
I should like to em- squeeze phasise its seriousness on the Colony's immediate and future trade prospects. The increase in the price of rents together with the extensive emigration of late has made the cost of Chinese coolie and skilled labour very much greater. Our success as a manufacturing centre solely depends on the cheapness of our labour. Un- like our neighbours in China, and our formid- able rivals in Japan, all our rough material has and will have to be imported, so the bandicap, a big one at present, promises, unless there is some way of solving the problem, to throw us in the background altogether. Hongkong's only natural produce is a little granite (I will give the timber a rest). Our shipping yards of late have experienced the greatest dificulty in obtaining Chinese apprentices, the youths complaining that the allowance, formerly con. sidered liberal, is not sufficient to keep them. I have been given to understand that other busi- nesses are in a similar plight. Something really must be done.—Yours, elo.
SHIPWRIGHT.
THE S.S. "KONGNAM" ASHORE.
On April 5th, about five minutes to nine, at about high water, the West River bost Kongnam (owned by Wilks & Co.) went ashore on Mah wan Island, in Pirate Bay, beyond Capauimun Pass. Apparently she must have left her course, which should have taken her along Caprimun to the west of Mah- Wan, where the white lights have been changed for a red light, which some of the sem- faring folk do not find so helpful.
When the s.s. Hankow was coming in from Canton on April 5, those on board heard a lot of whistling, and on picking up Green Island light, hauling up the middle of the Pass, they could see the st-amer ashore on Mah-wan. She was burning deck flares, and firing off rockets. On clearing the pass, the Hankow sent off a boat in charge of Mr. Willoughby, second mate, to render assistance. He went on board, and found that the Kongnam was pleroad forward, with six feet of water in the forward hold. He could stop from the bow on to the rocks. The wrecked "crew includes three Europeans. At
low water there is danger of the water breaking through the bulkheads and spiling oargo; but the ship isbelieved to be safe enough from fur
ther hurt.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
✯ It is now gleaned that she is about three parts | full of water. Her cargo sonsists of about 200 tons of general merchandise and must be badly damaged. The Kongnam is a steamer of 400 toms burden, Messrs Wilks & Co., her owners, expect to be able to get her off the rocks when the necessary appliances are conveyed to the wreck.
A VERY SUSPICIOUS CASE.
PIRES AND INSURANCE.
Mr. W. H. T. Davis, the obairman of the Fire Association, on April 4 unfolded to a Daily Prees reporter a tale of a very suspicious case. As we are advised that no charge can be laid against the man concerned, we are obliged to refrain from publishing many of the particulars
gleaned.
It appears, however, that a certain fire in- surance policy has been cancelled, in consequence of trustworthy information received "from the police.
The insurer was, as a matter of course, & Chinese tradesman. He not only removed the bulk of his goods, hut he also advised his tenants on another floor to move. Neighbours, learning this, and fearing for their own safety, gave information to the police.
The police went to the house and found all things ready for a pretty blaze. Two hundred dollars worth of goods were left to be burned, and these were insured for more than ten times their value.
Inspector Collett left a constable in charge, and communicated with Mr. Davis, who himself visited the place, and found a lot of shavings on an upper floor, all the shutters closed, and the insured stock-in-trade depleted as reported.
He spoke warmly of Inspector Collett and the police, but for whom more fires would occur, If there is any way of punishing the rascal con- cerned, by banishment or otherwise, we hope
it will be availed of.
THE RETIREMEnt of SIR HIRAM S. WILKINSON.
The N. C. Daily News says :- -After nearly forty-one years of most faithful service to his country in the Far East, Sir Hiram Shaw Wilkinson, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of China and Cores laid down his office, and bade farewell to the Bar in the Court on March 31st. From student interpreter he rose through all the ranks to Acting Consul in Japan, passing through and being an actor in the stirring times that preceded the restoration. He came to Shanghai as Acting Assistant Judge in 1899, and was Crown Advocate here, and Aoting and Substantive Judg. in Japan, closing a brilliant career during which he has made orowds of friends. as the last of our Chief Justices. He retires full of years and honours indeed, but in full bodily and mental vigour, and when the time comes for his departure for home he will be followed by such tributes of respect and affection as none of his predecessors has ever earned in large measure, and as his successors will be fortunate if they gather as fully. In him we lose a good and faithful friend, and a most able, rarnest, and conscientious Judge, as well as a strong link with the days of Sir Rutherford Alcock, Sir Harry Parkes and the great British Proconsuls of the past. The melancholy that must cling round was brightened by the exceeding gracefulness of the speeches that were made to and by Sir Hiram, speeches that were evidently heartfelt, in which there was not the slightest jarring note, and the tone of which will be echoed by all in the East who know ir Hiram. Warmhearted, kind, cour teous, and obliging to all, he has made himself a home in all our hearts; he has identified him self with the best interests of Yokohama and Shanghai, and we shall long miss him; and the consciousness of this will, we hope, do some- thing to mitigate the sorrow he must feel at leaving the bench he has so adorned.
such & ceremony
Mr. Platt, noting crown advocate, and Mr.
W. V. Drummond, the doyen of the Shanghai Bar, as well as Mr. Duncan MoNeill, (who had recently had some disagreement with his Lord- ship, and took this opportunity of making par)
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[April 8, 1905. all spoke in high terms of the Judge. Mr. Drummond ssid (in part) :—I have known your Lordship for a very much longer period than any member of the local Bar; I have also known and praotised before every one of your Lordship's predecessors in this Court; in fact I may may, I think, that I was practising in this Court at a period when some of my learned friends who are here to-day had not yet seen daylight in this world. Shanghai has been born as a place of residence for western people during the last sixty years, and this Court has been founded for about forty years,, and during that period the increase in the population of the place and its volume of business has been enormous. A corresponding increase in the work ot this Court has followed as a necessary result, and the most rapid increase of all has been during very recent years and has consa. quently fallen upon your Lordship's shoulders.
understand that your Lordship has lived and worked in the Far East for a period of about forty years. This, and the fact that you are now conducting your business with energy and success up to what is practically the eve of your departure for liome, speaks
volumes not only for the much maligned Shanghai climate but for the vigour of your Lordship's mind and body. There is one fact I would like to refer to for a moment, for although it lies outside the immediate work of Chief Justios of this Court, it has become practically an appanage of the office, and it affect practically the lives and we'l-being of the residents in the Settlement. The Bar is proud of the fact that it has become a custom in Shanghai for the Chief Justics to be invited to preside over the annual meeting of our local Parliament. The Bar is prouder still of the fact that your Lordship has be n oalled upon frequently to perform this duty and has always complied with readiness and cheerfulness, carrying out this extra duty in a manner which has won the approbation of your fellow-residents. It only now remains for me to add to what I have said one final word, "God speed.”
His Lordship, replying with evident emotion, said (in part) -I regret very much that the office which I now hold is about to be shorn of some of its outward dignity. I regret it ex- tremely, and my desire is that it may be restored at as early a time as possible. I hope it may please the authorities to restore it speedily; but, whatever title the judge of this Court may bear, I feel quite certain he will carry on the tradi tions, which you have said that you think have been carried on up to the present time.
"WIRELESS " AT SHANGHAI.
the N.-C. Daily News:-Messrs. Arnhold, Here are three extracts from a long article in
Karberg & Co. have been appointed the agents for China and Manchuria for the “ Telefunken " system, which is an amalgamation of the Braun- Siemens and Blaby-Arco systems. The firm has a central depot in Shanghai for the Far East (extending from India, to Japan, and including Singapore, Bangkok, and Hongkong), where a large stock of wireless telegraphic instruments are kept, rendering them able to fit up land or sea stations, and to supply portable military field stations.
At the rear of their (Shanghai) promises Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg have two serial con- ductors erected on the roof of their godown. These wires are suspended by insulators attached to bamboo masts, and lead down to the apparatus room on the ground floor of their
offices.
It is not our purpose to describe technically the instruments in this apparatus room, but to refer to only those which must be mentioned in describing the method of transmitting and receiving messages from and at the station. As this station is only for communicating with a second testing station, situated at the Soy Ches Mills, a distance of some three miles, the serial network is of ample dimensions.
Electric power for the supply of the apparatus is obtained from the private central station at the rear of Messrs. Burkill
and Sons' godown, which supplies this block of buildings with electricity. It may be noted, however, that all currens from the Municipal supply is equally suitable. Each station
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