October 12, 1908.)
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-The term is perhaps a little misleading. It is a oleansing composition really.
Hou, Mr. STEWART -Il conveyed a different meaning to my mind.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I agree that the term is misleading.
Hon. Mr. GRESSON-Under education ia connection with Queen's College, why should the allowance for exchange ba so high?
+
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-They bay & large number of Europeans.
Hon. Mr. GRESSON - Is it correct that their salaries have been doubled owing to the fall in exobange?
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Every Europ an officer is pail on the basis of a 3. dillar conveiled into a 2/- dollar. It is now 19. The increase is undoublelly very larg›
Hon. Dr. Ho KAI-In dollars, The COLONIAL SECRETARY That is the system which has been adopted by this Council. Formerly salaries were drawn half a
a 3. dollar, and then this Council in A fit of generosity gave it the other half and made it 3/-.
The bill then passed through committee.
COLLÁ
THE BUILDING COLLAPSE AT
YAUMATI.
THE INQUEST AGAIN ADJOURNED.
Before Mr. J. H. Kemp, (sitting as coroner) and a jury, the enquiry into the cause of death of six Chiness who were killed in a collapse at 36, Portland Street during the July typhoon, was continued.
Mr. F. B. L. Bowley, Crown Solicitor, appeared for the Crown, and Mr. II. J. Gedge (of Messra. Johnson, Stokes and Master- represented Messrs. Palmer and Turner, the architects concerned.
Mr. H. W. Bird, recalled, said in answer to his Worship, he could find no record as to whether the contents of Mr. Tooker's letter of October 23rd had been communicated to the owners, The buildings would be inspected by member of his firm at least once a week, perhaps twice. There were fourteen tenders for this work, the highest being $101,000. (Witness furnished the Court with the various tenders received.)
You said you didn't supposs the mortar had been tested at all during the progress of the work. Is that usual or nousual-It is not usual to test mortar.
On your visit you would look at the mortar? - Yes.
Do you know if these houses are leased by
the owners?—I don't know.
You admitted that the bonding was not perfect, the mortar was not of first class quality, and that there were cracks after the collapse of 1902. Would you have passed the mortar at that time?-It was only sincs the collapse that I noticed the mortar was not good, Do you think you would have passed the walls if you were building the house for your, self? Yes, I do.
You cannot suggest any reason for the specification of "one line and one red earth" in the mortar-No, I cannot. It depends on who writes the specifications.
Might it be in connection with the found- ations?-No, the specifications were written before the foundations were started.
Mr. Bowley-I might mention that the foundations have been opened up, and found to be on hard sand, so the question of piles does not come in,
A juror asked witness how often building inspectors visited the houses in question in 1902-1903.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Tooker was in charge of works in July 1900, when the notice to build was given and Mr lagzard was assisting him. From 19 0 to 1902 Mr. Crisp was the only building inspector for the whole of the Colony. In January 19-3 txo fresh inspec ors arrived bringing the staff up to three. Witness could not say how often the building inspector visited these house, but his visits must have been very occasional, as he had а great deal of work in hand Time.
Mr. Bird said he did not know. He thought the houses would stand any typhoon with the addition of the tie rods which bad been put in.
at that
SHANGHAI TRADE.
268
Measch. Ilbert and Co.'s Piece Goods Market Raport is as follows:-
factory year finds the market in the same quiet The end of the third quarter of an unsatis-
if not dull s'ate that has prevailed for so long a period, that it may almost be considered its Here and there old stooka
normal condition.
Mr. Tooker had authority to sign the have bon exhausted and a healthy state of affairs has been established, more especially in necessary curtificates in connection with these honses. In 1901 there were a great number of acting with caution and are not disposed to the aru market, bat even there dealers are collaps sewing to the excessive rainfall and a
The rapid varia- Typhoon. Prior to these collapses witness had opere for distant arrivals, proposed to increase the thickness of walls
tiongio America cotton make it very difficult to form au opinion as generally, and by Ordinanc· 1 of 1993 the thick
to what is likely to uess was consid-rably increase, but that did not
prove a sife basis for spring supplies; the apply to these bouses. Witness had insp-c'ed
feeling of uncertainty is ioressed by the the foundations of No. 35. He found that a bar
absepos of any definite information about.
of prospec's
revival of trade in could be got down two and a half feet blow the
India, and the pr bible effect baltom of the foundations. but
no farther.
on exchange, IE A slab of cracret at th foundation restricted
one were to take place. American goods show and-pey towards lower prices; the long examination. The portion he inspected appe.red to be of the dimensions shown in the plans as far as ever; be the explanation expected improvement in Northern demand Assuming that the upper lay.r was a fi mo as the part where he had inserted the bar, there
what it may there is little doubt that notwith- was no ocexion for the use of plastating the excellent orops in Manchuria there is a feeling of want of coufidence about affairs bonding of the brickwork was lutorio”, tha
the, which has a mortar was decid-dly tuf«rior, and the bouling
very depressing influence of the cross walls in o the flink wall
| upon trade.
Sales of P. M, C. Drills are reported to have been made from New York to practically non--xistent. Witness noticed a number of cracks in different parts of te walls,
Bombay on the basis of 11, 4 o.i.f, which is about the equivalent of Tls. 5.15 bere against the some of which were old.
current quotation of Tls, 460 and yet prices here
Mr. Enos Seth, secretary to Humphrey's Estate and Finance Co., deposed that the sites on which the houses in question were erected cost the Company $26,326, and the contract price for the 26 houses was $74,000. The total cost, in- cluding extras, was $82,751,30. The whole block was leased for seven years at $442 a month. The property returned between 4 and 5 per cent, on the capital outlay.
Hon. Mr. W. Chatham, Director of Public Works and Building Authority, said Mr.
110
was
defective mortar, sud cracks in these buildings you cosider that the bad bo ding,
would render them more halls to c.llapse in a typhoco ?—Undoub' dly.
say the houses were in a s ual endition; if In reply to a juror witness said he could not they had ban they would not have needed the tie rods. He thought Mr. Tooker was justified in passing the houses. Previous to 192 there was always only one building inspector. Now there are three. buildings ought to have revealed the fact that An inspection of these
the bonding was bad. The mortar u-ed in the cous'ractiou of buildings Was frequently examined by Public Works officials.
Mr. Bird-Isn't it a fact, Mr Chatham, that during the last typhoon there has been more damage dons to building property than in the last twenty years?
Witness Yes.
In conclusion Mr. Chatham stated that when
he recommended a thickening of the walls the leading architects of the Colo y represented to Goverum ut that it was quite nou cesary, the thickness of the wall spacified in the old ordinance being, in their ; inion. ample.
Mr. Bowley informed the Court that the police had been searching for the contractors of these bouses for some time, but coull not find
any of them with the exception of one partner in the firm of Sang Kee, who appeared to have had unimodiat» couuection with the contract.
!
Mr. Gedge said be bad b---u instincted by Messrs. Palmer and Turner, and would I ke a abort adjourument to see whether his client intended to call any witnessOS.
The bearing was adjourne
The inquiry into the cause of the deaths of the people who were killed by the collapse of buildings at Yaumati was called on a the Magistracy on Oct, 6th, and adjourned sine die.
ALLEGED FALSE PRETENCES BY A MERCHANT.
ACCUSED COMM.TTFD.
At the Magistracy on Oct. 3rd before Mr. J. R. Wood, the hearing of the charge against B. 8. Holmes, of obtaini g $3,000 by false protences from Cheung Chim Long concluded.
was
Dixon (of Messrs. appeared for the Holmes represented
As before, Mr. C. F. Hastings and Hastings) pros-cation, and Mr. H. K. Lhe defendant,
His Worship intimated that he intended to commit the defendant for trial, and, application for increased bail being made by Mr Dixon, his Worship fixed the bail at $1,00; cash and $1,000 bɔnd,
80
are not strong.
ย small reduction
minor
The strike in Lancashire has created a good deal of interest throughout the trade bere, and Chinese, naturally enough perhaps, are mainly interested in its effect upon tuis market. Tuey look upon the effect of importance compared with that likely to be
of wages as of brought about by the stoppage of supplies even for a comparatively short period; if the strike is prolonged sufficient-long to give the market here time to work off the accumulation of old stocks adhereby bring about a return to healthy conditions of trade, there can be no question that Chinese would willingly pay the extra prices involved in maintaining the old standard of production suspended for a reasonable time. In wages, and therefore they would like to see
the meantime there has been a better feeling in the market for "spot" cargo, but no appreci able advances have been obtained by private sellers; the auction sales, however, have been advancing and the general tous of the market is rather better already.
|
WEEK-END BURGLARIES.
4u extraordinary series of burglaries is reputed during the week-end, and, as the open caigut has in several instances afforded admission to the thieves, the police are naturally auxions that householders, būt more partionlarly and see that these are shut when the premises shopke pers, should exercise care in this matter
are closed for the night.
Messrs. Brewer aud Company's premises were entered between Saturday afternoon and Suo- day ruing by way of the open fanlight and the thief or thieves took away seven B B B pipes, worth $7.59 each, and seven Meerschaum and amber agar aud cigarette holders, worth $3 50 each, the total value being 877.
At the same time, between Saturday after. noqu and Sunday morning, another shop in Pedder's Street was burglariously entered. This was the dressmaker's and millinery establishment at No. 2. In this instance the robbers forced open a window and made an extensive haul of cloth, crepe, calico, silk, alpaca, eto, in all valued at $140.
The Robinson Piano Company were also victims of midnight visitors during the week end The glass in the faalight above a door at the rear of the premises was opened and the rouber or robbers took away 125 ton-inch gramaphone records all Chinese, worth $120.
Ou Monday night the studio of the Japanese photgrapher in Queen's Road Central was also entered by barglars, who took away several articles of value.
In addition thera W18 the burglary at Bertoluce's refreshment reported yesterday.
rooms which We
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