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THE EXTENSION OF SHANGHAI SETTLEMENT.
The difficulty experienced by the Municipal Connoil in collecting a rate from a section of the inhabitants in the Paoshan suburb to cover the cost of a modified form of lighting, scaven- ging and police protection has been temporarily overcome, states the N.-C. Daily News. Ă proclamation has been issued by the Taotai enjoining Chinese residents who make use of the Waterworks Company's water supply to pay through their landlord the necessary rate. The following is a translation of the proclamation, which has been posted up in various parts of
the district :-
"Notice is hereby given that the Municipal Council cannot levy taxes outside Settlement; limits. Recently, however, owing to the landlords of the premises in the Tien-pao-li, and Nanling-li, North Szechuan Road; Ju kong: jao, Yang-shon-li, Teh-sung-li, Chenteh-li and Lai-on-li. applying to the Waterworks Co. for supply of water to their houses without first reporting the matter for the Taotai's con- sideration and instructions, some trouble ensued when the Council went to collect the water rate from the tenants.
The Taotai having now carefully considered this question is of the opinion that it is a good idea од the part of the landlords in obtaining the supply of water for convenience of the residents and that it is therefore reasonable that a fee should be paid for it, as they can derive therefrom the benefit of protecting their health as well as preventing the outbreak of fires. But in accordance with the regulation existing in the Settlement the water charge is added to or included in the house rental and under these circumstances this rate in the above-said localities should also be paid by the landlords, so that the same system may be adopted therein. The Taotai will communicate with the Senior Consul in-
forming him of the fact that the water rate in question shoull be paid by the land- lords, and in the meanwhile this pro- clamation is issued and the residents
in the said districts are hereby notified that here- after with the exception of those who do not use water, and who are therefore not required to pay the fee, the water rate should be paid by the landlords, so that foreigners may not lose this fee while the residents will have the con- Tenience and use of waterworks water; thus both parties would be benefited thereby. It is to be noted that a Works Bureau having now been established in Paoshan outside the Settle- ment, when applying for or before getting & water supply to their premises, all residents should report the matter for its approval from time to time, so that any trouble or complica tions may be avoided. A special notification. Let all obey."
ANTI-OPIUM ARGUMENTS.
HALF A CENTURY AGO.
Agitations against the opium trade are not new. The following excerpts are from a transla- tion of bills posted on one of the walls of the Foreign Settlement of Shanghai, fifty years age How ridiculous it is for Barbarians to come to Shanghai thinking by preaching to gain the hearts of the people. For us to deem this a good deed is alas! too late. Twenty years previously they might have preached with more chance of success. But in the first place opium, the originating cause of the evil, has ruined the minds of the people; and then, having deliberated with no good heart, soldiers came out and without any reason brought desolating sorrow upon the place, reduced the city and suburbs and slow ten thousand people. Their hearts penurious, their counsels short-sighted, formerly they erred. Now they circulate tracts; but their doctrine is not good. The people in their hearts hate them-aye, detest then to the very backbone. They should speedily assemble and destroy these spes.
If you would discourse concerning sin, tell of your own misdeeds, which are pre-eminent Though every one of you were cut in twain the punishment would be too light,”
THE HONGKON› WEEKLY PRESS AND
WHOLESALE MURDER IN
KWANGTUNG.
SUPPOSED MURDERER ARRESTED IN HONGKONG.
soon 81
some
[September 3, 1906. the Nam Ti route as the railway advances along the latter.
The consensus of opinion seems to be that the line will probably bă completed for traffic in three or four years. A closer estimatə cannot be given and even this depends upon the continued absence of any causes that might interfere with the supply of labour. When it will carry a considerable import into Yunnan is opened Mr. Carlisle fully anticipates that it
transit through Tongking have to pay only 20 of goods from Hoogkong. Foreign goods in per cent. of the Freach general tariff. In addition to this they would have to pay, of course, the Chinese import dates.
turbulent province of Kwangtung was made A blood-curdling story of crime in the
Chinese Government applied for the extradition known to the local police last week when the of the alleged murderer. When the case comes before the Police Court, we believe the follow- ing details will be found fairly accurate. It
Mr. Carlisle continues: But even granting appears that the tragedy occurred time ago at Pichung village in the that the districts of Yunnan lying south of the Namhoi district. The meat market in this capital receive the bulk of their foreign imports village is said to be run by a company in by way of the railway, will such traffic be which the alleged murderer was a shareholder. At a rowdy meeting of shareholders the man
sufficient to make the latter pay in view of what under arrest is said to have shot another who Local French opinion seems now to doubt it, it will have cost by the time it is finished ? strenuon ly opposed some proposition he and to hold that railway connection between murderer, being a member of the most powerful vided somehow to give sufficient traffic to the
at the meeting. brought forward
The Yannaafa and Szechuan will have to be pro- clan in that district, was not called to task for Haiphong-Yannaafu line. If one regarded the his misdeed, it is said, because the villagers actual course of the railway alone, one would feared the vengeance of the clan. This first have little hesitatian in coming to this con- murder caused the meat company to be dissolved, clusion also, The portion from Laokai to and a new company was formed, the name of Mengtse (161 kilometres) contains no promise of the accused not being included in the list of future trade whatever. From Mengtse north- shareholders. After a lapse of about two wards the prospect is considerably brighter. months, during which time the business was carried on profitably, the defendant appeared lies through unproductive country, such as the But still a great part of the course of the railway before the market arme with a Winchester repeater rifle.
narrow valleys and gorges of the Poi Ta Ho. He fired two sho's in the
Had I left Yunnan, having seen only air, which brought the managar the
of the course of the line, I should have gone away market out te learn the cause of the trouble. As
with the impression that it was a country too the defendant is alleged
he appeared poor to make it worth while to build railways in to have aim and fired at him. The manager fell down
taken it. But my return journey by the route of the dead, being shot through the brain.
west of the trace showed me that there was Then the murderer turned and fred at an Indian watch reach of the line, and I understand that a considerable population there within easy man, the bullet entering his shoulder. The there is a similar belt on the east. Between watchman promptly closed with the murderer.
these two regions and with the country immedi. and a fierce hand-to-hand encounter took place.ately on its route, together with the more A small boy engaged in the market, who had remote parts of the province, which are sure to been a witness of the scene from the beginning, contribute a certain amount of traffic in time armed himself with a chopper and rushed to the there should be enough business for the railway, watchman's assistance. He plied his weapon provided that the French Custom-house and on the murderer's body and inflicted several railway officials do not hamper traffic with nasty wounds.
Then, when he saw the watch heavy duties and freights and vexatious regula- man being overpowered, he took to his heels. tions. I still do not regard Yunnan as a rich The defendant is alleged to have disembowelled country, but of course, I have only seen the watchman, after which he fled, running in the tion of it. I may possibly contain great mineral direction of the river. When he arrived on the wealth in the hills and mountains with which a bank he bailed a sampan which was occupied by great part of it is covered, but this remains to two women; there was also a baby lying on the be proved. I believe that Monsieur Lantenois, deck. He asked the women to run alongside Chief de Service des Mines, in the Pablio and take him aboard, but they, seeing he was Works Department of Indo-China, has expressed covered in blood, refused. At this, the brute is alleged to have levelled his ride and shot both. great value of Yunnanese mines. (The tin of an opinion unfavourable to the ides of the One of the women when shot, fell on the body Ko Chin is, course, a valuable asset). of the child, which has since succumbed. The man then made good his escape and ultimately arrived at Hongkong, The wrath of the populace, however, when the full extent of his crimes became known, was sufficiently unanimous to move the magistrate to action, and the clan, of which the alleged murderer was a member were threatened with extermination if they did not deliver him up. They took prompt steps, and as a result one of them traced him to Hongkong, and the nec asary steps were taken to secure his arrest.
was brought before Mr. H. H. J. Gompertz at the Police Court subsequently, when the Chinese Govern. ment applied for his extradition, and the case was remanded for a week.
The man
FRENCH INDO-CHINESE KAILWAY.
An account of a journey recently made by the British Consul at Hanoi (Mr. T. F. Carlisle) from Hanoi to Yunnaufa, is interesting. The railway from Yenbai to Laokai was opened to public traffic on 1st February, putting thereby the frontier of Yunnan into railway com- munication with Haiphong, tho port of Tongking. After reaching Laokai Mr. Carlisle proceeded along the Nam Ti valley to Mongtse, which is the course followed by the Indo-Chinese railway, and continued along the route of the railway to Yunnanfu. On his return he took the route via Manhas and the Red River; which has been the usual route for travellers between Tongking and Yunnan. This, he says, will doubtless be gradually abandoned in favour of
a por.
Whether or not there is enough wealth in the province to make the Yunnan railway a financial success, I have no doubt that there is enough to purchase a considerable quantity of foreign goods when they can be brought up by train in two or three days' journey from Haiphong instead of having to submit to the cost and risks of the long voyage overland or by the Red River, and I confidently expect therefore, a large increase in the import of foreign goods into Yunnan. I make no doubt, too, that a large proportion of these goods will be of British origin and imported from Hongkong.
SHANGHAI COUNCILLORS
DIFFER.
CHAIRMAN RESIGNS.
A Daily Press telegram from Shanghai, dated August 26th, said:
Mr. C. W. Holliday, Chairman of the Municipal Council, has resigned.
Mr. H. Keswick, of Mesars. Jardine, Matheson and Co., has been elected to fill the vacancy.
The difference of opinion in Council leading to the resignation was a slight question of
tactics, not principle.
The Council was unanimous that a Chinese criminal jail should not be constructed in the Settlement.
Mr. Holliday disagreed with the mathod of attaining the end and thwarting Chine scheming.