Page
April 8, 1905.3
consists of two distinct sets of apparatus, viz, the transmitting and the receiving apparatus. |
At Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co.'s station at Soy Chee Mills the serial conductor is attached to two tall chimneys, the wire stretch ing across a space between them, and being carried down to an apparatus room where messags can be received or transmitted. If the men-of war in the vicinity of Shanghai wish to tune their instruments they can do so by communicating with Soy Chee Mills. From the latter station messages can be easily sent 160 miles, and with additional power over three hundred miles. The station in Kiukiang Road is used principally for demonstrations, but messages could be sent from there to a consider able distance. A little time back an apparatus was erected from the China Telegraph Co.'s .offices to Hongkew, in order that a demonstra-
tion might be given.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
will extend to them.
Twenty-five runaway maid-servants were Most of the little admitted during the year. girls complain of ill-treatment, but it is very rarely that any signs of ill-treatment can be seen; when they are, the Police are at once communicated with. I believe that as a class, these Chinese maid-servants in Hongkong are aware of the protection that the Government The case is the same with the inmates of houses of ill-fame, though many of them feel bound in honour to serve their owner for the number of years-usually from one to three in Hongkong-agreed upon.
In 1888 the late Dr. Stewart, who was then Registrar General, introduced a system of securing the proper upbringing of certain girls who had come under his prote tion, by requiring their guardians to enter into a bond to bring them to see the Registrar General once every quarter until they were satisfactorily settl-d in life. In 1891 the number of these girls was 123. They were mostly little children found in disorderly houses. By the close of 1903 the number was further reduced to 13, and it is satisfac ory to think that no considerable increase is to be anticipated from the source
above mentioned.
The cost of fitting up wireless telegraphy shows a striking reduction when compared with the cost of a submarine cable. In military opers ions the labour saved by wireless tele graphy is enormous, although of course in the Lattar case the enemy may be able to tap the messages, should they be provided with instru- menta tuned to the same wave-length.
All the same, 18 more girls were added to the Messrs. Arnhold, Karberg & Co. are conduct-list during 1904. But they are an older class- ing negotiations for the fitting up of stations about 15 or 16 years of age-who have already locally, and we may soon have the wireless entered on an immoral life. No prosecution of telegraph in daily use in the Settlement.
their owners is possible, as proof of their real age cannot be procured All that can be done is to PROTECTION OF WOMEN AT bind their guardians, if any are forthcoming,
HONGKO G.
The Registrar General in his annual report states:-
One unsatisfactory feature of the returns is the number of women (58 per cent.) who are anconditioually releas d after a period of deten
divided into tion. These women may be
oom.
four classes-(1) girls who have been trained to lead an immoral life but who appear to be to young to be considered fre agents; (2) grown up women mostly widows and servants who have just commenced to lead an immoral life; (3) grown up women believed to
immoral life under be entering on an
intending pulsion; (4) grown up women, emigrants, claiming to be married women, but suspected of being induced to emigrate by fraud or intimidation. The difficulties in the way of forming a correct ju lgment on the first examination are very great. To begin with, the women and girls in olssses 1 and 2 almost invariably make a false statement, one which is taught them by their owners and by the keepers of disorderly houses, and which varies 80 6.8 to suit the idiosyncracy of the
What examining officer.
the Registrar General has to go by is the bearing and of the woman, their accent appearance and their familiarity with the life they state they are leading. If they appear to be very young, bearing in mind that 20 per cent. of these women do not consider themselves to be free ageuts, he has no option but to remove them temporarily from the influence of their owners and do his best to ascertain their real age and history. If they appear to belong to olase 2 he must satisfy himself that they understand they are not bound by any con- sideration given in China or any agreement made there. Class 3 consists of very ignorant women from the interior of the province or per- haps from Kwangsi. It has been possible to rescue a number of these, but the majority have been kept in Canton or some other oity by their owners until they have become reconciled to the life.
an
Special efforts have been made during the year to prevent young girls entering on immoral life in the Colony, and the success though not striking, is I think as great as could be expected. I hope however I may find it possible, with the co-operation of the Chinese gentlemen who are interested in this work, to reduce the number of women sent to the Po Leung Kuk, and thus lessen the inconvenience to the women themselves, and lighten the burden borne by the Society. The total number of persons admitted to the Po Leung Kuk during the year was 676, compared with 826 in 1903, a very satisfactory decrease, as there is no reason to suspect a relaxation of vigilance on the part of the Police or of this Department.
not to let them enter a disorderly house, but to keep them in Hongkong and bring them before the Registrar General at regular intervals.
""
Tho Women and Girls Protection Ordinance gives the Registrar General very full powers of protection, but unfortunately permits the criminal to escape unpunished. In every charge made under Section 3 (traffic in woman purpose of or girl), it is necessary to prove
This purpose is in many cases prostitution.' obvious, but impossible of proof, as naturally the victim is not consulted and the arrests are made on arrival or departure from the Colony, and not in a disorderly house. I question however wh-ther it would be wise to extend the nature of an offence under this section. Intimidation and forcible detention are also very difficult of proof, but no amendment of the law can render the proof easier. There are two points on which, if public opinion supports it, an amendment would be justifiable and advisable. At present abduction with intent is only an offence in the case of girls under 16, and At home the ages are procuration the same.
CantonESA respectively 18 and 21. Physically -- girl may become adult sooner than an English girl, but it cannot be denied that from the nature of her upbringing a Cantonese girl of 17 or 20 requires just as much protection as an English girl of the same age
DISTRICT WATCHMEN AT HONGKONG.
During 1904 the force of district watchmen at Hongkong has been increased by 13 men consequent on an understanding come to with the government by which a piece of land in the eastern part of the town was given as a site for a district watchmen's house on condition that the number of the force was increased. The site is in Nullah Lane not far from the Wan- obai Market, and a contract has been entered into for the erection of quarters at a cost of 84,500. The condition of the force daring the year was not quite satisfactory. It was found impossible to attract or retain good men, and it was decided to raise the rate
to the present figure which of pay approximately that of the Chinese Police. The increase in the pay dated from the lat The large increase in the of August. contributions, which were $23,241, a4 compared with 812,648 in 1901, has rendered feasible the increase in the number of the force and in the rate of pay. The large balance in hand has also permitted the construction of quarters in both the east and west end of the town, and will allow of a needful extension being made to the central district watchmen's house in Tai- ping-shan.
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297
Two and a half houses were purchased in Third Street, West Point, during theyear. By an agreement with the owner of the adjacent pro- perty the house of which one half was bought, was pulled down and the space is to be left un- It was proposed to adapt the built upon. remaining two houses for district watchmen's quarters, but on examination it was found that party-walls were not strong, and that the work of adapting the premises would prove costly. It was decided therefore to pull down the old buildings and re-erect a more suitable one. The contract for the new building is for $5,30", It will accommodate 31 men. The contributions to the fund for the year were $23,241, as against $22,495 in 1903, being an increase of $745. The expenditure was $22,347. The principal items of expenditure exclusive of wages were $4,078 for the purchase of Inland Lot 680, section 1 sub-section 1 and one-half sub-section 2, at West Point for a district watchmen's house $1,199 for uniform and equipment, and $692 for repairs to the central watchmen's house, and for painting and colour-washing. The balance to the credit of the fund on the 31st December was $15,938. Against that must be put ■ liability of $9,800 in connection with the erection of the two watchmen's quarters, Three hundred and thirty-five convictions were obtained before the police magistrate during the year through the instrumentality of district watchmen. One hundred and eighteen applion- tions for the post of District Watchmen were received during the year.
MISCELLANEOUS.
It is reported from Peking that having received information that Russia intended to lay a light railway through a portion of Mongolia traversing the Prince of Khorchin's territory, probably mainly for the transport of supplies for the use of the Russian forces in Manchuria, the Waiwupu has addressed a strong dispatch to the Russian Minister in Peking on the subject and declared that the General commanding the Chinese troops in the threatened vicinity had received strict instruc- tions to resist any such violation of neutral teritory, with force if need be." Native Notes" in N.C.D,N.
Our Shanghai contemporary is going to give a slightly American atmosphere to its Chiness news. It announces :—
To avoid the clumsiness of giving the names of the Chinese provinces in full, where the name of a town or city is mentioned, we propose to use in fature the following abbreviations :-
An. Kiangau Anhui
Che. Kuangsi Chi. Kuangtung
--
Ku.
Chekiang Chili Fukien
KL.
Kt
Fa.
Kasichon
Ko.
Honan
Ho.
Now Dominion
N.D.
Hunan
Ha.
Shausi
Sha.
Hupeh
Hp.
Shantung...
Sht.
Kansu
Ka.
Shensi
Sho.
Kianghuai.... Kh. Kiangsi
Szechuan
Sa.
Yunnan. ... Man.
Yü.
Ki. Manchuria
No. 2 of Vol. 1 of The Far East, the monthly magazine edited at Shanghai by Mr. (. Fink, is an exceptionally interesting number, if only for the ancient Chinese map of the world that is reproduced and discoursed on. A gantle. man describing a visit to Japan tells how he saw at Obama a lot of Japanese carrying water up a hill to a temple, where it was poured out in the hope of inducing the Supreme Being to send much needed rain. He addressed an English speaking Japanese who engaged, as follows:---
was 60
"I expressed my opinion that it would be far more sensible if he and his friends and com- panions were to use the water of the offèring for the benefit of their own rice and sweet-potato fields, instead of laboriously bringing it up the hill and pouring it out in a useless stream. With a smile he looked me over from head to foot, shrugged his shoulders and then turned his back on me, without vouchsafing a single word." We can imagine that the Japanese thought a great deal, if he was too polite to say anything. Mr. F. Boehm, the tourist concerned, has something to learn yet.