26
One, Li Tak, owed him $625, but he put the amount down-as a bad debt as the man had disappeared.
Mr. Grist applied for the debtor's adjudi- cation.
Mr. Master made a similar application and applied for costs.
His Lordship closed the examination and adjourned the case until the Official Receiver furnished his report.
ANOTHER EXAMINATION.
Wong Tseung-cheung, alias Wong Choi, cz parte the debtor.
The Official Receiver also conducted, this public examination. Mr. R. A. Harding appeared for the debtor, and Mr. G. E. Morrell (of Messrs. Dennys and Bowley) for 24 creditors. Wong Tseung-cheung said he was sole owner of the stationery business which started in 1903. When the business started there were 13 part- ners, but twelve had retired.
Mr. Wakeman-What was the reason of the other partners retiring?
His Lordship-They left him to run the show.
Debtor-The business was not a paying one; they lost money every year, so decided to retire His Lordship-Why didn't you retire too? Debtor-If I did there would be no one to take the shop over.
Mr. Wakeman-And these partners, when they retired, took out $100 each?
Debtor-Yes, I paid them that amount. Mr. Wakeman-And at the time you couldn't pay your debts, could you?
Debtor-There were no debts. Mr. Wakeman-You said y1 u had been losing all along.
Debtor-Although there were losses each year I settled up the debts in full,
His Lordship-What are his liabilities Mr. Wakeman-They total $38,294.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
A DISTINGUISHED CHINESE VISITOR.
10th July.
[July 14, 1906.
“No flattery, I assure you.. We liked its govern- meat and we liked the beautiful country.”
Did you not like Paris?
Yes, Paris is very nice. It is fine for a holi. day, but you see more in London.
And you had a pleasant time?
Yes, very much indeed. But the weather was very trying.
What, too cold?
+
No, we are used to the best and t› the cold, but it is so changeable.
A distinguished visitor arrived in Hongtong yesterday. His Imperial Highness, Prince sai Tae, accompanied by the other members of Europe with the object of studying the various the Chinese Commission who have been touting
institutions there, is now on his way home afteran absence of six months. Travelling by the French mail, Armani Behic, which reached port early yesterday morning, he was greeted] on boarded by Captain Colman, A. D. C. to His Excellency the Governor, and afterwards prepared to land.
The reception of the Royal guest was official.
Had you a pleasant voyage P
Oh yes, except after we loft Jibutil and enter- the Indian Ocean. We were received, partly officially, at Colombo, Singapore, and Saigon.
I suppose the Commission will prepare a report and present it to the Throne?
Yes.
Will the Commission recommend changes!
any
We have no power to make recommendations. Perhaps we may make suggestions.
The Armand Bekic left last night for Shang- hai and Hankow, whence the party will entrain for Peking.
FOR 1905.
WORKS
When he left the steamer and boarded the Government lausch Victoria a royal salute was fired from the land battery. At Blake Pier a guard of honour furnished by the 2nd Royal West Kent Regiment was drawn up, and as the Prince stepped on shore the band of this "The World's Delight". regiment played After being received by a royal salute, H.I.H., who was easily distinguished by the yellow jacket which indicated his rank, entered a chair, and was escorted by a posse of Indian police past the EXPENDITURE ON PUBLIC WORKS throng of interested sightseers who had assembl. ed to Government House. He was followed by Captain Colman and the other members of the party, which was made up of H.E. Shang Chi Heng and several of the attaches. The other Commissioner does not return, baving been appointed Chinese Minister at Brussels. Captain Armstrong, hon. A.D.C., was also the visitors at Government House, where an in attendance. His Excellency received official luncheon was held. This was attended by a representative company. described in the following official list:
H. E. the Governor Sir Matthew Nathan K.C.M.G.), H. I. H. Prince Tsai-Tse, H. E. His Lordship---Has he incurred the whole of Chang Ngen Tao, H. E. Li Ching Tao, I. E.
that since June.
Mr, Wakeman-Since June 3rd.
His Lordship - He has done very well. Continuing, debtor said the greater part of
his liabilities were in China; 267 debts were
due to his shop since last Chinese new year. The debts owing in the previous year were not incinded in his statement of affairs because they were all bad. Since his partners went out
Major-General Villiers Hatton, C.B, Hon. Rt. Rev. the Bishop of Victoria, Commodore H. P. Williams, His Honour Mr. Justice Wise, Hon. Colonial Secretary (Mr. T. Sercombe Smith), Hon. Colonial Treasurer (Mr. A. M. Thomson) Hon. Attorney-General (Sir H. 8. Berkeley), Hon. Mr. W. Chatham, Hon. the Harbour Master (Capt. L. A. W. Barnes-Lawrence,
works were, maintenance of
In the current Gazette appears the annual report of the Hon. Mr. W. Chatham, Director, of Public Works. It shows that the actual expenditure for the year was 82,378,540.45, or $450,265.38 less than the amount voted. A saving of $45,254.44 was made on personal emoluments and other charges, and this was largely due to the rise in exchange, the estimates having been prepared on the basis of a 1s. 8d. dollar, as against an average actual rate of 18. Ild. On the annually recurrent works the saving on the original vote was $17,951 94. plus the supplementary vote of $401,750. The Principal excesses in the annually recurrent $7,589.31, and maintenance of Praya wall and telegraphs,
the introduction of metallic circuiting on all piers, $5,329.33.
necessary by the establishment of the electric. the Government telephone lines, rendered tramway service on the trolley system; and the latter to the extension and repair of the
The former was due to
he borrowed over 820,000 to pay off the firm's R.N.), Hon. Sir Paul Chater, Hon. Mr. L. A. public pier opposite Observation Place, Praya
debts.
His Lordship-The other 12 ought to come in to pay a proportion of that, surely. It is absaid to suppose he borrowed on his own account to pay off their debts.
Examined by Mr. Morrell, debtor said he knew he was insolvent on June 3rd. He was then informed by a man who came from San Francisco that his shop there had been destroyed by fire, so knew he could not pay His Lordship-The other partners appear to have left him as the proverbial rats leave the ship.
his debts.
The examination was closed and an adjudi- cation order granted.
A SHIPPING COMBINE.
Messrs. Shewan, Tomes & Co., agents of the Shire Line, have received information from Messrs. Jenkins & Co., Ltd., London, that they have just definitely concluded an arrangement whereby the following steamers belonging to Messrs. Brocklebank & Co., of Liverpool, will be ran regularly under the Shire Line. The steamers referred to are the Ameer, Gaskwar, Marwarri, Bengali, and Pindari. The arrange- ment was to come into force from 1st July, and these five steamers after that date will be re- named as follows:- Glamorganshire, Cardigan shire, Montgomeryshire, and Pembrokeshire. By this new arrangement there will be considerable development in the Shire Line business so far as Hongkong and China is concerned.
THE GOVERNMENT COMMISSION.
CHINAMAN COMMITTED FOR CONTEMPT. We are authorised to publish the fact that at the sitting of the Government Commission on the 11th July a Chinese witness named Sham Loi was committed to prison for three months for contempt.
M. Johnston, Colonel Darling, R.E., Hon. Registrar-General (Mr. A. W. Brewin), Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, Hon. Dr. F. Clark, Hon. Mr. Wai Yuk, Hon. Mr. E. Osborne, Hon. Mr. E. A. Hewett, Mr. A. P. Wilder (Consul-General for U.S.A.), Mr. Gaston Liebert (Consul for France), Lt. Col. Fitton, Consul❘ for Sweden. Lt. Col. Aitken, Rev. Father
de Maria, Mr. Woodward, HN, Rev,
Irving. Consul for Austria-Hungary, Consul A. G. Stevens, Lt. Col. Sparkes, Mr E. A. for Belgium, Consul-General for the Nether. lands, Consul-General for Portugal, Consul for Spain, Dr. E. Krueger (Imperial German Con- sul), Lient.-Col. Seymour, D. Mr. A. Seth, Bateson Wright, Mr. A. Hunter, Consul-General for Panama, Imperial Japanese Consul, Mr. F. J. Badeley (Capt. Supt. of Police), Consul for Norway, Mr. H. R. Phelips, Mr. D. R. Law, Capt. Smith, A.D.C., and Mr Cooper.
The party left Government House shortly after three o'clock and embarked on the Victoria, their departure being witnessed by only a few
persons.
Japan
It will be remembered that the Commission left Peking in January of this year. was the first country visited. Thence they crossed to America, but did not stay any time in the United States, and soon landed in Eng. land. There they made a fairly comprehensive tour, studying the various forms of Government and inspecting many of the large centres of industry, with their various enterprises. Crossing the Chanuel, they visited France and Belgium, noting particularly the industries of both countries. Then they returned to England and were received by His Majesty King Edward VII.
The Prince does not speak either English or French, but the secretaries can express them
One of these salves very freely in English. gentleman discoursed to a representative of the We Daily Press on the events of the trip. liked England best of all," he declared. Then detecting pechaps a trace of suspicion he added
others. The total
East, which it was considered advisable to carry disposed of. The excesses on these and a few ont before the Praya reclamation plant was other votes were nearly balanced by savings on amount voted for ex- traordinary works was
$2,162,197.83, and of this the amount expended was 81,775,138.83, being short of the amount voted by $387,059. The works on which the expenditure fell
much below the estimate were-law Courts,
889,429.50; Post Office, $85,599.75; and Kowloon Water Works, $78,290.56, The principal items on which expenditure occurred in excess of the provision made in the estimates, or for which no provision had been made, were:-Tytam Tak water works sobeme, $39,075.32; Kowloon-Canton $64,463.31; Forming and kerbing streets, railway-surveys and preliminary expenses, 824,746.45; resumptions for widening Salisbury Road, Kowloon, $17,286 75; and rainstorm damages, $12,768.43; gunpowder depot, $20,003.44; miscellaneous drainage works, balanced each other, the expenditure only fall- $14,673.15. The savings and excesses nearly
ing short of the amount provided in the estimates by $40,031.17, or less than 2 per cent.
The gross expenditure exceeded that of the previous year by 8367,102.68, practically the whole of the increase being due to extraordinary works.
DROWNING FATALITY.
A Portuguese, named Augusto Navarro, em ployed as a clerk by the Hongkong and China Gas Company, was drowned où the 8th July in the harbour. Along with several friends he went to Kennedy town, where he usually fished from the Praya. He entered the water for a swim, and after a little he was seen to be in..... trouble. However, he, sauk before assistance could reach him.
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