!
818
The accounts are as follows:-
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
This balance the Directors recommend should be disposed of as follows:-
To pay a dividend of $4 per share on 1,200
shares...
LIABILITIES.
Capital scoount
Permanent reserve fund
BALANCE SHEET. 31st December, 1904.
$:00,000.00 280,000,00
$4,800.00
Reserve fund to meet contin.
genoies or for the equaliza- tion of dividends
To carry forward to
905 account...
25,000.00
1,205,000.00
Local and general liabilitie
in the East and in America $167,038.75 Local and general liabilities
in Loudon
53,090.45
2.0,129,20
Mortgage on section E of In-
land Lot No. 19 and the buildings thereon.
$48,000.00
Mortgage on Marine Lot No. 2
Mortgage on remaining por
tion of Kowloon Inland
Cand the buildings thereon 125,000.00
Lot No. 550 and the build.
ings thereon
25,000,00
Advance against San Jacinto
property, Manila.
17,517.52
Bills payable, Hongkong and Manila Unclaimed dividends
Security deposits from staff
Profit and loss-
Net balance 1904 119,172.26
Forward
1903
from
$2,883.13
$122,055.39
Less interim dividend
of 50 cents per
share on shares
Nos. 1-60,000
paid in Novem-
ber, 1904 ...... $30,000,00
December, 19.4 3.649.00
Less amount nn.
claimed at 31st
A88ETS.
Total stocks in trade Building improvements, furni- ture, fittings and trade
utensils at Hongkong,
Manila, Canton, Amoy, Foochow, Shanghai, Han-
215,517.52
110,334.02 8,834.00 14,350.00
26,351.00
95,704,39 31,869,870.03
$ ,1,069,$61.32
kow, Tientsin and Native Branches
.3 95,413.86 Aerated water machinery and plant at Hongkong, Manila, Canton, Amoy, Shanghai and Hankow
110,267.12 Ice factory at Kulangsu Amoy. 10,560,25 Steam launches Tai Yeuk Dakin " and
Fong,"
stam lighter "Watson "...
Good debta due from Customers
Sundry debtors
Cash in hand
Cash in Bank..
?
10,640.00
10,247.59 7,606.62
Fire insurance Premis unexpired Investments in Public Companies:
North China Insurance Co., Id.. Hongkong Fire Insurance Co.; Ld. }
Section E of Inland Lot No. 19
and the buildings thereon.. Marine Lot No. 2C and the
buildings thereon Remaining portion of Kowloon
60,000,00
173,917.82
Inland Lot No. 550 and the buildings thereon............ 27,500,00 San Jacinto, land and buildings,
Manila
25,718.78
•
C.
226,831.23 241.970 58 16,671.38
8,185.71
1,200.00
1,075.44
$5,875.44
CANTON NOTES.
[From the Chung Ngoi San Po.]
BANDITTI.
The number of robberies is by no means decreasing, though a large number of robbers were recently captured and decapitated. On the 10th inst, a steam launch, leaving Sam Kong for Canton, having on board a great number of passengers, was attacked by pirates, while she was steaming near Kam Shan Chi. The booty carried away by them amounted to a large sum On the 29th ultimo a gang of about two hundred robbers broke into a pawn- shop in Pun-u district and carried away spoils to the value of thirty thousand dollars. Two of the fokis of the shop were taken as hostages. When they took their departure, they were completely hemmed in by the vi lage people and the watchmen, all well armed, and a fight followed. The encounter lasted from mid-night till dawn when the robbers succeeded in breaking the siege and made their escape. About thirty robbers were killed and ten were taken prisoners. Of the vi lage men ten were killed and wounded. Nothing has yet been heard of the two fokis carried away as hostages.
A SICK VICEROY———TAXATION-ORIGIN
OF CRIME.
Viceroy Shum has sent again a memorial to the Throne earnestly asking to be allowed to resign bis viceroyship under the plea of sick-
ness.
He furthers says that he intends to visit F rope and America for a change of air and to ask the advice of some clever European doctors, and also take the opportunity to study the affairs, customs and the mode of govern- ment of different countries. In the same memorial, which is a very long one, he says that under present conditions and circumstances the
robbers of the provinces of Kwangtung and Kwangsi cannot be completely rooted out, as the bigh authorities, hardly pressed by the Peking Government to send annually a large
sum
of money to Peking to pay indemnity, debts and other nec. ssities, are, therefore, com- pelled to impose taxes of every description 17,854.21 against their will, and every sort of gambling, which is the principal source of giving birth to robbers, is allowed; gambling paying a large part of the revenue. Consequently the people require to live a very costly life, the prices of the necessities of life, which have already been heavily taxed, getting higher day after day. Moreover, the majority of the people, who are out of employment, can hardly abtain a liveli- hood. The industries and trade of China are now reachin a lamentable state, for the people draw the supply of various kinds of goods from foreign countries. He says that unless a sound government be re-established and every sort of gambling, especially Fantan, be strictly prohi- bited perce can never be restored in the two Kwangs.
287,136.60
$1,869,870.03
PROFIT AND LOSS.
To balance...
CONTRA
$122,055.39
$2,883.13
119,172.26
By balance forward from 19 3
By net profits in Hongkong, China and
Manila for 1904
$122,055.39
J. LLEWELLYN & CO., LD.
. J
The report of the directors of this kindred Shanghai Company, to be resented at the sixteenth general meeting to be held on 18th May, says:
The Directors have now the pleasure to lay before the shareholders the audited accounts for the ye r ending 31st December, 1904.
The Profit and Loss Account shows & credit balance of $5 875.44, including $2 836.95 brought forward from 1903 account after al- jowing for 1902/1903 dividends.
E
THE COMING BRITISH SHIPS.
The coming of the Goliath and Cunopus, an- nounced in our telegrams on 18th May. signifies an important change in the status of the Ching squad.on. The Goliath is a twin screw battle- ship of 12,950 tons, i.h.p. 13,500 N.D., Ports mouth, held in reserve. Captain Hugh P Williams was appointed 7th March.
The Copus is a twin screw battleship of 12,950 tona, i.h.p. '2,500 N.D., flas ship, reserve division a Portsmouth. Fitzherbert was appointed 3rd January. These
Captain Edwar1 S two ships are of the same tonnage and speed as the Glory, Ocean, Vengeance and Albion, and should be a source of increased strength to the squadron, similarity in speed and construction being a most important consideration in the comp sition of a fleet of battleships.
{May 20, 1905.
AN ALLEGED CHINESE PIRATE-
APPLICATION FOR MITRADITION. Before Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Police Court on the 15th May, Mr. H. E. Pollock K.C. (instructed by Mr. R. A. Harding) applied on behalf of the Chinese Government for the extradition to China of Cheung Pat on a charge of armed robbery in the Heungshan district near Macao, Mr. P. W. Goldring represented the defendant.
Mr. Pollock, in outlining the osse, stated that on the evening of the 26th December last year, Li Chan, the owner of a cargo junk was journeying from Heungshan towards Macao. The junk contained a rather valuable cargo, having amongst other goods on board, Cassia oil to the value of about $750. Besides the
Chan, the prosecutor, Li
crow of the junk consisted of seven men.
About six o'clock on the evening aforesaid, on account of little wind and having the tide against them later Li Chan and his fokis turned in, leaving the junk anchored off the beach. Two hours
the watchman and assistant steersman on deok. About midnight prosecutor was awakened by a noise, and heard several reports of firearms, and he heard the watchman calling out "Wake and the men below reached the deck they saw up. There are robbers coming." When he
two boat loads of robbers alongside, and appar- ently considered discretion the better part of valour, and got back into the cabin. Shortly afterwards six men burst in; two carrying lighted torches, and all armed with firearms. to be the leader. Prosecutor had seen him Among the six was the defendant, who appeared before, as prior to this occasion he twice boarded the junk and levied a toll of $20 on each occasion--- apparently a kind of blackmail. On this occasion the defendaut carried a revolver, and told the junk's crew that if they moved they would be killed. On his order, a wire was run, through the hair of prosecutor and his fokis, and they were tied together. Defendant then asked prosecutor where his money was, and prosecutor told him, at the same time giving him the key of the trunk. The defendant extracted $60 and a silver watch, and put them in his own pocket. The robbers then pulled up the floor of the cabin and
found the cassia oil, which defendant ordered his followers to put on board the boats. The robbers also took a quantity of gunpowder and some firearms.
Evidence was led and the case adjourned.
THE HIGH LEVEL TRAMWAYS.
NEW COMPANY ACQUIRES THE EXISTING
LINE AND THE NEW CONCESSION,
We understand that the Hongkong High Level Tramways Company have agreed to sell their undertaking to a new Company which will also acquire Mr. Finlay Smiths' pro- posed concession and carry out the scheme as projected by him of a new line to the Peak.
The price to be paid to the shareholders of the old Company is $200 per share_payable either in cash or in shares of the new Company at shareholders' option. The new Company will be under the management of Messrs. John D. Humphreys & Son, with a Consulting Com- mittee consisting of Sir Paul Chater, C.M.G., Hon. Mr. C. W. Dickson, Mr. C. Ewens and Mr. A. J. Raymond.
The shares of the old Company stood in the brokers' lists on Saturday at $2271 sellers; yes- terday's quotation was $225 sales.
"WAR CORRESPONDENTS" AND
THEIR COMPLAINTS.
It was only to be expected that Japan would make enemies of those who failed to secure from the Japanese the deference and attention they, as White Men, and journalists at that, considered themselves entitled to expect. It is already historical how childishly some of the dissappointed reputation," decided to ones, including some who enjoyed “the bubble "make it hot" for Japan. Fortunately, public opinion is not so easily swayed now as it is said it used to be, and there is less risk of injustice being done by irresponsible scribblers. An article, entitled, Japan after the war. White man's prestige