March 2, 1908.]
Rev. G. H. BONDFIELD said the Society's object was to translate the holy scriptures into ail languages and to distribute them amongst all peoples. The Society had been engaged in its work for over 100 years. The matter of the price, mentioned by His Excellency, bad engaged attention for many years. The ques. tion of the price was fixed by local considerations, bat they had, prao ically a uniformity of prica throughout the great Empire,
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
To my mind, and speaking with an exper ience of some twenty years in the Indian trade, I should say the one man who stands out pre- eminently as the fittest for the seat on the Committee, would be Mr. A. J. David, of Me-srs, S. J. David and Co,
owners'
147
some of the Directors of the Kowloon Wharf and Godown Co. and not by any individual firm!
་་
"Indian is misinformed when he says that he majority of the Indian merchants are in favour of Mr. David's election. If Mr. "Indian would only take the trouble to inquire of these Indian merchants be would speedily be disillusioned and be would find that almost all of them would be very pleased to see Mr. Shellim elected.
The firm which Mr. 8bellim represents is not only interested in the Indian trade but is a'so one of the largest property owners in this Colony besides being interested in the shipping trade. In almost all questions that had always risen from time to time concerning the Indian trade, MesSER,
David 8188OOUS have always taken the initi‹tive and I am sure that for this
reason alone, if not for any other, all the marobsats doing trade with Ia lia will be pleased if the able representative of one of the oldest and pioneer firms in the Far Eust as the Sassoons, is elected a member of the Chamber of Commercs Committee. - I am, Sir, Yours faithfully,
David, is not only a director of a great number of other mills, but is Ch irman of the Mill. Association, and whose voice carries great weight in the councils of that Association. It is, of course, well-known that Mr A. J. David's firm has been the largest importars of Indian yarn for the past twenty years,
Ag showing the leading position this firm holds the question of the storage of yarn in the Godowns Company's godown at Kowlon, a most important noe for that Company, was brought about by the initiative of Mr. David. It required no small amount of courage to take the initiative in this matter, when it is remembered that the Chinese dealers had been accu-tomed for years to take deliveri a from this side of the harbour, and whose prejudices against any change had to be most carefully considered. I merely mention this incident in the history of the yarn frade to show the grasp of affairs, of which Mr. David gave ample proof on that occasion, a qualification, I fear.qualificati ns, we think it as well to publish it. possed by for others.
This gentleman has had a wide and varied experience in the Indian trade, having been the senior resident partner of his firm in Chins and Japan for over twenty years. His firm in The BISHOP of VICTORIA moved: (1) That all Bombay, Me-srs. 3,8soon, J. David and Co., are ministers of religion, resident in the Colouy,large mill-owners, while his brother, Sir Sassoon who subscribe to the support of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the following representative laymen, be asked to form with the officers already elected the General Com- mittee of the Auxiliary:-W. G. Humphreys, J. M. Beck, Dr. Atkinson, Mr. G. Piercy. (C) That the General Committee appoint, annually, two of its members to be vice presidents and two others to serve as representatives of the Auxiliary on the Joint Depot Committee. (3) That the following ladies nominatal by the local churches be asked to form the Ladies Committee of this Auxiliary for the year 1908 That the Ladies Committee have power to add to its number, and that it appoint its own secretary and ceilectors:-St. John's Cathedral, Mrs. Tooker and Miss Stewart; Union Church, Mrs. Auld ; St.
Peter's Church, Mrs. Piercy; St. Andrew's Church, Mrs. Maine; Wesley Church, Mrs. Browne; German Church, Miss Von Weichmar. With two additional members of the Ladies Committe to be nominated by the Hongkong Missionary Association at its next meeting. (1) That an annual meeting of this Auxiliary be held unt later than the end of March in each year, for the purpose of receiving reports and advocating the claims of the British and Foreign Bible Society. His Excellency had told them what a grand book the bible was and he trusted that soon every Chinese lad and Chinese girl in the Colony should have a definite education in the bible.
Mr. HANS DOBRING seconded the resolution. and a vote of thanks to his Excellency the Governor for presiding, n oved by Rev. C. H. HICELING, and seconded by Archdeacon BANISTER ended the proceedings,
CORRESPONDENCF.
THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE MEETING.
C OF THE DAILY PRESS
are
[TO THE EDITOR
SIR.-I feel sure that all those who interested in the Bombay Trade will have read with pleasure the notice of the Chamber of Commerce, to the effect that it is proposed to increase the number of the Committee by noe member, who is to represent the Bombay Trade.
Considering the volume of the trade between Bombay and this port, a trade which represents more than half in value of all the rest of the Colony's trade put together, it seems strange that hitherto it has not been represented on the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce, and the action of the present Committee to rectify this omission will no doubt be fully appreciated by those merchants whose large and valuable interests will now be adequately represented.
As I have said, the trade is a most important one to this Colony, amounting annually to millions of dollars, particularly that portion of it known as the Yarn Trade. How vital to the Colony's prosperity the Yarn Trade is, I need only recall the crisis through which this trade passed some eighteen months ago, when every other trade suff-red in sympathy. I merely mention these facts in order to show what great care will have to be ex- ercised in choosing the right man. It is not to be doubted that the Committee, with their long and ripe experience, after taking the sense of the various Indian firms, will m ke a good ohoice.
I think I vnion the feeling of the majority, if not all, of the Indian merchants when I say that it will afford them great satisfaction to see Mr. David on the Committee, and in proof of this, I may only cite one instance to show how he is regarded by all the merchants engaged in the Indian ir de, and that is, that during the crisis of 1, when he was, aufortunately for all concerned, absent from the Colony, all the foreiga merchants and ail the ('binese dealers cone rued unanimously agreed to come to no decision regarding the proposals made, pending
the arrival of Mr. David.
In thus advocating the choice of the gentle. man mentioned, I should like to be permitted to add that I have no p∙rsonal interest to serve nor have I any connection whatever with Mr. David's firm. My only interest is in common with that of all the other Indian merchants, and that is, that the man most qualified for the seat should b chosen. - I am, etc.,
}
INDIAN.
Hongkong, 22nd February 1908.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND BOMBAY TRADE.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS,
Hongkong, 25th February, 1904, SIR,-I have read with much interest 'Indian's letter in your valuable columns of yesterday, but I am sorry I cannot agree with him on several points,
|
|
|
In my opinion, the representative of Messrs. David assoon and Co. Ld., (a firm which has been established in China before Hongkong was ceded to the British has decidedly in the course of his business career with such excep tional advantages of gaining a thorough kool-dge of the intricacies of the Indian trade, a prior and better claim to be appointed on the Committee of the Chamber than anyb dy else.
Mr. Sh-llim was at one time a muncipal councillor as well as a member of the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce Committee and it goes without saying that he would not have been offered these positions unless the Shangbai community had every confidence that he was well qualified to safeguard their interesta.
Therefore should a man of Mr. Shellim's wide experience and business acumen be elected, I am sure no question affecting the Indian trade would be in abler and safer hands.
The general volume of trade passing through this firm's hands greatly exceeds that of the What, however, I would take the liberty to firm named by "Indian" and this fact is patent arge is that the choice should not be made to any merchant of repots in this Colony according to clo Custom." bat dan weight be
Your correspondent has further remarked given to the qualifications of the member about the storage of yarn at Kowloon. Assmitter selected,
of fact this arrangement was brought about by
[
"FACTS."
MR. SHELL'M BLROCED,
The foregoing letter was in type before we learned that Mr. Shellim had been actually selected by the committes of the Chamber of Commerce. As it sets out the reasons for the Chamber's choice, and Mr. Shellim's claims and
'There is no room for controversy now, and wo bope that the Bombay traders will all endorse the choics and support th chosen.
SHORTHAND IN HONGKONG.
The certificates won at the first examination conducted by the new shorthand committee for Hongkong, together with theory certificaten gained part from the committee, were presented at St. Joseph's College yesterday afternoon by Lady Lugard. Mr. E. D. C. Wolfe, chairman of the committee, presided, and there were present His Lordship Bishop Pozzoni, Consul-General Romano, Mr. A. J. Brackenbury, Mrs. Justi, the Very Reverend Father D. Maria, Pro-Vicar Apostolic, the Rev. Father Augustine, military chaplain, and others.
I
|
The CHAIEM N extended a vory hearty welcome to Lady Lugard for kindly consenting to attend that first distribution of speed certificates since the Дат committee -- appointed, and also for kindly agreeing to present the three speed certificates won at the eximination. Two of the certificates were for notes taken at the rate of 80 words per minute and transcribed, and one certificate was for 60 words per minute with transcription.
Her Eroellency had also consented to present other certificates, two full certificates of proficion sy and several other certificates for theory. As they were all aware, the speed committee had only been recently appointed and had held one examination. As a result of that examination the three certificates which he bad mentioned first would now be handed to those who bad gained them. They hoped to hold another examination at the end of Jane and trusted that not only the boys from schools, but also the students from the Technical Institate, who he anders ood were busy working at shorthand at the present moment, would on opsta, He hoped that the first distribution of certificates would
:
encourage all those who had been thinking of going in to take the matter up seriously.
Lady Lugar then presented the certificates, after which she requested two of the successful students to take a shorthand note of the remarks of Mr. 9. Kingsbury, the hoa secretary, who said that the boys wished to pressat Lady Lugard with ■ silver trowel of shorthand, ▲ fountain pen, in recognition of the founda- tion work in shorthand that day. Ho then in trod good Mastor Sequoien Carlos, who had e me first in the 80 words test.
Master CARLOS presented Her Excellency with
■ Swan fountain pen in a silver ons and neatly expressed the gratitude of the boys to Lady Lagard for the encouragement she had given them and for the honour conferred upon them.
LADY LUGARD, who was received with load applause, thanked the boys from her heart for their most beautiful present -a “silver trowel.''