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A YOKOHAMA SENSATION,
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An anonymously written book of “Yokohama Yarns has caused a sensation in that place. It describes the "smart society there as an immoral lot of people; and it appears that everybody has been " fitting the cap" of the naughty characters on to the heads of actual residents.
Mr. H. J. Sharp, Manager of Kelly and Walsh, its publishers, was not inclined to discuss the book when seen by an Advertiser
man.
"You might say, however," he finally said "that the sketches are only types and that the irritation they have occassioned is integrally absurd. I myself have known five or six Mrs. Mastertons in Yokohama and the other sharacters in the book are as composite as this one. A much closer delineation of social Yoko hama could be made by anyone who cared to undertake the task and the result would undoubtedly be considerably more riaque than Yokohama Yarns.' The book on the whole is simply a freehand outline of conditions which old foreign resident of Yokobama is every cognizant of."
The Advertiser seems to hint. by an other- wise unexplainable quotation from Genesis, that the writer was a lady called Adam.
In an article on Society in Yokohama and other ports in the Far East, which appears in the Japan Advertiser, arising out of comments en the same book, our contemporary says that- In so small a community, where sooner or later everything is known by everybody, all legitimate social aspirations on the part of those accustomed to genuine society at home are smothered by indifference and contempt for what goes under the name here. The better people in this community stay at home and mind their own business, having intellectual resources of their own sufficient to compensate them for the deprivation of the social stimulus which they have found in other lands. All the same, the complete absence of anything deserving the name of society in Yokohama is greatly to be deplored, as the vital cause of the lack of moral tone which makes it possible for such a book as that just published to be representative of the conditions prevailing inˆ the community Furthermore, it should be noted as the most disastrous outcome of some of the stupid cliques which are here masquerading under the name
save
of society, that young men arriving here. and finding no social stimulus or resources those furnished by the bar-rooms, must needs be possessed of extraordinary strength of character if they avoid drifting into the moral maelstrom depicted by this unspeakable book. Whether they succeed in getting into pseudo- society or are kept out of it they are almost equally to be pitied.
BOYCOTT EXAGGERATIONS.
It is some time since Mr. Rosenstock, of Manila, passed through Hongkong: so that in the following interview with a journalist in Japan, we conclude that he must have exag- gerated considerably :-
"When I arrived in Hongkong," said he. "I was in need of some toilet articles which in my hurried departure from Manila I had neglected to pack in my trunk. I could not buy even a piece of American shaving soap at any Chinese shop. American-made collars and shirts were not to be had. All trade in Manila cigars and American made cigarettes had ceased utterly. A Manila cigar could not be had in a Chinese shop.
serve
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
AN EXTRAORDINARY CASE.
"I am an
Tso Sau, who was employed by a number of Dock painters residing at Wanchai as cook, was left in charge of the house on the 12th August after the residents had gone to work. One of the coolies, who returned home before his friends, found Tan coiled up in bed. On asking what was the matter. the cock told him that at eight o'clock he beard a knock at the back door, and some one called out: Excise Officer. Make haste." The cook opened the door and three men rushed in. One grip- ped him by the throat, while the other two pro ceeded to punch him on the stomach. They then threw him on the bed and proceeded to examine the household effects. Out of one box they took $32, and finding another box of silk clothes they departed with it. The coolie took the cook to No. 2 Police Station, where be repeated his story to Inspector Gould, who on risiting the premises found that one box had been removed, but that another containing silk clothes was lying open. The assaulted man was also found not to be marked. As they were returning to the station the cook gave a China- man who was passing in charge, declaring that he was one of the men who had entered the house. This man, however, established an alibi and was released. On Monday the cook, accom- panied by a detective, continued his search for the robbers. While walking along the Praya he said he felt unwell, and would return home. He did, and immediately went to bed, expiring about an hour afterwards. The police, who. after their inspection of the premises and sub- sequent events, did not place much credence in the cook's story. were again inclined to beliere there might be some truth in it. thinking that possibly the man had died from blows received. The postmortem, however, revealed the fact that death was due to beri beri.
HONGKONG TO BE RESTORED
TO CHINA?
The Atlantic Monthly says:-The era of aggression. exactions of so-called indemni- ties, and arbitrary seizures of territory, will be ended for
ever. This hardly need be said, but it is of such immense importance that it must be given place here. Russia must get out of Manchuria, and stay out. Further than this, the Czar must awake from and abandon his dream of empire upon the Pacific coast of Asia, at least so far as absorption of territory to the south of his present possessions there is a part of it. In like manner, France must cast aside that secret scheme of hers, secret in her imagination, but patent to all the rest of the world, the scheme of acquirement of the entire southern tier of Chinese provinces, by which she has hoped to rival Great Britain in her Indian empire, to put a French block between India and China,” and thus end the British plans of open trade routes for opinm and other English commodities, routes available to English commerce only. (fermany will recognize the limit to any further expansion of her colony at Chiao Cho in North China. Great Britain will doubless return Weihaiwei, seized by her wheu Russia took possession of Port Arthur, to its rightful owner. And it is not beyond the bounds of belief that Hongkong. for years the greatest smuggling depot in the world, may eventually be given back to China, from whom it was wrested at the conclusion of the first Opium War.
SUPREME COURT APPOINTMENTS.
The Gazette notifies that His Honour Sir F. T. Piggott, Chief Justice, has, by commissions signed by him. made the following appoint- ments:-
"When I arrived at Shanghai I found the same conditions extant. There the American merchants were in a state bordering on panic. The specific case of one man will
the to illustrate
condition. This individual has been for several years 80 J. W. Lee-Jones. Deputy Registrar and agent of a patent electric belt made in America, Accountant, and G. H. Wakeman, Land Officer, which has been especially popular with the to be commissioners for taking acknowledgments Chinese. In three years he made a comfortable by married women of the Deeds to be executed fortune selling these electric belts. When the by them, to long as they shall hold the said boycott was declared in Shanghai the orders for offices aforementioned. this commodity ceased at once and he had a large consignment on band that was a dead loss to him. Even a certain taotai who had taken a balt on trial returned it immediately with the word that he could not buy it under any circumstances.
G. H. Wakeman, Land Officer, and C. A. D. Melbourne, Assistant Land Officer, to be com. missioners to administer oaths and take declara- tions, affirmations and attestations of honour in the Court, so long as they shall hold their aforementioned offices.
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[August 21, 1905.
COPPER COINS.
Chou Fu, Acting Viceroy of Liang Kiang, has submitted a memorial pointing out the evil of trading in copper coins in the provinces.
The minting of copper coins in the provinces was originally intended for the relief of mone- tary crises and is by no means for gain. The original value of copper is of course less than that of the coin, this difference representing an enormous profit. More minting machinery has therefore been obtained and the output of coins has increased daily. The profits so obtained represent a substantial income for the execu- tion of such reforms as are in want of funds, and even the Lien Ping Chu depends greatly on this source. It is good if this is done properly, but as the coins increase, their valus decreases.
According to the estimate of a modern financier, the output capacity of the machines now in China is 16,400 millions of copper coins yearly, which equals 164 millions strings of cash. This will effect a great fall in the price of the copper coins, and damage trade. All the provincial authorities comprehend this fact, but simply on account of the demand for reforms and military organization. they adopted such methods reluctantly.
The interior has
At present, owing to the depreciation of the value of copper coins, the profits of mint- ing have become much less Those in charge of the mints take no consideration of the quantity already in circulation and think only of the ways and means of disposing of the coins in other provinces, which hastens the fall in price. In the interior parts of the provinces, no copper coins are used. which is quite contrary to the original intention, the relief of the monetary crisis. and unforeseen damage to trade will ensue. not received any benefit and the thriving ports have sustained disadvantage by the copper coinage. For instance, there are in Kiangsu three mints viz., Nanking, Soochow and Ching- kiang, the output offcopper coins being sufficient for use of the province, while there are in Shanghai, Chinkiang and other places, agencies established for the supply of Kuangtung, Hupei. Chêkiang and Fukien. On account of this. copper coins have fallen in value; formerly, were worth one tael. and 1,300 cash
For the now one tael can get 1,400 cash. dollar one used to get 84 or 850 but now 961 or 970 cash. The principal income of Kiangnan is derived from land grain and salt taxes and likin on all kinds of goods, which are all paid in cash and converted into taels for remitting to the Treasury. Once the value of cash falls, the loss in conversion is very great. The claims for the payment of indemnity and military expenditure can hardly be met.
'I he memorialist suggests that orders be given to the provinces where mints exists that each province shall mint and use its own copper coins and not be allowed to trade on such coins in other provinces. The Viceroys and Gover- nors can use their judgment in this matter, if one province is in want of coins, deputies may be sent to other provinces for a further supply. Chibli have already Now, Shantung and prohibited imports from other provinces, and the memorialist asks for the same right for Kiangsu.
Revenue were ordered to consider and report.
The Financial Department and the Board of
SIR GERARD NOEL'S LABOURS FOR NAVAL PROGRESS AND REFORM.
The correspondent at Hongkong of the Naval and Military Record writes thus:--- Few persons outside this command can realise the magnitude and success of Sir Gerard Noel's labours in the interests of progress and reform. Starting with cruising in company (a detail hitherto unknown on the station)," the arrival of 14 vessels at Woosung was the biggest squadron assembled at the port during the present generation, and it so impressed the British community of Shanghai that they feted the crews. Ventilation-that indispensable essential to health and comfort Sir Gerard's in warships-next received
were the rapid attention, and so marked improvements effected in the system that they surprised even those responsible for an efficient air supply between decks, whilst
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