:
or
October 26, 1908.]
&
er- ая
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
twice that
ten million rupees). Yet the Government exacts from Hongkong a military contribu tion of 20% and is satisfied with 51% from Mauritius. If financial difficulties in Mau-
287
"to
Some little comment, I am told, was caused at the Phak last week at the appearance outside the tram station of a nice put up by the Police authorites requesting the public not retain or detain the weekly t nais parties at Mountain Lodge. the public chairs on Tues lays as they are needed for conveying guests to The notice was signed 'By Order." It the notice was obliterated on Tuesday morning. is to be hoped that it was "By Order" that If the supply of chairs at the Peak on Tuesdays is insufficient to meet all requirements surely addi jons can be made to the r number on such
occasions.
"
so at times than is
adhere to the decision to close the so-called opium dens.
a remission of the military contribution on during the tiffin interval, but the supply of China having set the ample, it is only a question as to how Mauritius pays
an example Hongkong might follow. silk stockings was not so easily met, though soon Hongkong is to follow it. It would of 5 per cent. of its annual revenue plus and wild horses would not drag from me what a military contribution several gentlemen-ah, that is strictly private be interesting to know further whether R35,000 from the Colonial Treasury to
I was about to say. But I may mention, with the Imperial Government place limitations on the declaration that in deal- rebate, Hongkong pays 20 per cent. In Club have already been ransacked for “calves." the necessary reservation, the report that the any the military authorities in lieu of Customs properties belonging to the Amateur Dramatic ing with the opium question we must act other words Mauritius pays in all about up to the standard set by the Chinese £28,000 annually, while Hongkong pays Government." Does this commit the Co-about £125,000. Mauritius comprises an lonial Government to the policy or practice area of 705 square miles; the total area of of treating opium-smokers virtually as con- Hongkong and the New Territory is 300 victed criminals, as the Chinese authorities square miles. are doing in Canton? In the metropolis of great difference, and the strength of the In population there is no South China every individual who smokes garrison in Mauritius is about equal to opium is required to obtain a license from that of Hongkong. Finally, the revenue the police authorities, and, as if to emphasise of Hongkong is a little over four million the criminality of the act of smoking, he | dollars; while the is required to carry with him wherever is
revenue of Mauritius he goes
amount (a little over wooden badge, similar to those worn by convicted criminals. The smoker is apparently spared the indignity of wearing the badge about his neck, as the convicted criminals do: be may carry it in his pocket or up his sleeve so long as he is ready to produce it immediately it is demanded for inspection by a policeman a licensed retailer of opium who is required to register on it, on pain of forfei- ture of bis license to retail, the quantity purchased by the unhappy victim of police surveillance. We can hardly suppose that the Imperial Government intends to emulate the Chiuese Government in this respect, though the declaration made in the House of Commons by the Under Secretary ou May 10th seems to commit the Government to any interference with the liberty of the opium-smoking subject. Be it noted that the Chinese authorities are going much further than the mere closing of the so- called opium dens. They are, as we have said, requiring all smokers to take out li- conses, renewable annually. which show how much each smoker is entitled to purchase per day, and each year the license is renewed the smoker's allowance of cpium is to be reduced until the quantity reaches the vanishing point. Is this example which is being set by China in the neighbouring province to be followed in Hongkong? If so it means that we shall be required not only to sacrifice a large part of our revenue but add appreciably to our expenditure, as we presume the present police staff is hardly, adequate to give the supervision that would be necessary.
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ritius are deemed to justify an application to the Imperial Government for a remission of a military contribution which does not exceed 5 per cent of the revenus, we may well ask, in the circumstances, for the disproportionate military contribution ex- acted from this Colony to be reduced to an extent corresponding to the drop in the opium revenue which compliance with the Imperial Government's instruction will entail. On what ground is a contribution of 20 per cent. demanded from Hongkong when only 5 per cent. is paid by Mauritius? We 800 no sufficient
reason for this enormous difference,
RANDOM REFLECTIONS.
Shanghai to uphold the reputation of Hongkong Good luck to our oricketers who have gone to
Friday, and I trust they will not spend too at the cricket. They had a quiet send off of much time feeding the fishes. to make a good show, and retrieve the loss we sustained at shooting.
We want them
they had some grounds for feeling disgusted at Shosting men are proverbial grumbl rs, bat the way the Weather Clerk frowned on all attempts to bring off the shooting in the interport competition. Typhoons upset all fixtures, and the last day within the time limit could not pass without the signals being hoisted. An extension was granted, but when the Hong kong marksmen lay down at the King's Park range on Friday a black pall overhang the sky, imposable to do well at the largeis and with such a gloomy foreboding it Was better luck next time.
However,
There are
a number of Cadets in Victoria J-il-Don't misunderstand me, dear reader, they are not prisoners. They have gone there to reside with the Assistant Superintendent, and are ajdly bachelor party. Among other chattels excellent records. they have a gramophone and a selection of week a good song or a band march can be Almost any day in the beard either without or within the iron bars. heard a Police Court habitué suggest that the music must charm the prisoners. "No doub," replied a policeman This is the reason why there are so many larcenies. The Chinese know they can't gain admission to an everlasti g concert unless they distinguish themselves."'
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I hear that the small Polioa Court, over the designation of "Cuart of Discharges." which Mr. J. R. Wood presides, has acquired Certainly bis Worship is most humane to the Chinese offasader, mre apparently necessary, "Go and sin no more," say the magistrate in effect, thereby paralysing the native who anticipates a term of imprison- ment. But the leniency is misdirected, for the fact missed the reporters last week. A native offender offends again. A case confirming this with a dollar in his pocket went into Messrs. Sincere and Co.'s and asked to be shown some silk. The salesman placed a roll on the coacter to attend to in the meantime he left the man for his inspection. Having some other business examining the silk. On his return he missed it from the counter, and detained the intending silk purobaser as he was leaving the shop. The salesman and two other witnesses vore that they saw the roll of silk taken from under the man's cost, but his Worship preferred to believe the defendant's story that he took it out to the asked the defendant if he had any friends. Of light to examine it. Then the pus led beak
police officer was sent with the defendant a0:018 course be bad. He knew a man at Yaumati, A
His
the water to find this friend. When they la ided on the other side the defendant could not be bothered looking for his friend. He was not going to walk the streets with handcuffis on. announced the result of the search. When next placed before the Court the constable Worship thought, it quite possible that the prisoner did not care to walk the streets in by discharging the former. Some days ifter- handcuffs and surprised both prisoner and p lice wards the same man was arrested by Inspector Robertson and convicted for the larceny of $30. Had this man been committed in the first instance sad to all appearances the evidence was sufficiently strong-the second orime would not have been recorded. Bat the kind-hearted magistrate, in the magnanimity of his spirit, gave him the benefit of a doubtful doubt. However, he saw his mistake, and did not do it a second time.
The great interest the subject possesses for the majority in the Colony is the bearing it has on local taxation. Only by what is virtually a loan of $400,000 is the Colony able to balance its estimated expenditure in the coming year, and if, as seems certain. we have to sacrifice in the coming year a large part of our opium revenue, there is but Oue alternative to a reduction or remission of the military contribution-and that is increased taxation. In his Budget speech, His EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR recognised that it would be unwise to impose additional taxation, and Sir FREDERICK had not made up his mind that the Colony could reasonably ask for a reduction of the military contribution. In this connection it is interesting to learn that the Colony of Mauritius is financially The note" Court Dress," has been responsible embarrassed, and a Mauritius contemporary for some little misgiving among those who have says it has become known that the Governor had the honour to receive invitations to the (Sir CAVENDISH BOYLE) has written a Birthday Ball Ladies were appalled at the dispatch to the Secretary of State recom-
prospect of having to brave their husbands mending that the military contribution
wrath by asking for so entirely different costume be remitted for a period of two years, "and up, and gentlemen felt a litle uneasy at the to the beautiful creation they had just got seat also that the salary attached to his own post thought of knee-breeches, silk stockings and be reduced from R75,000 to R50,000." | backled shoes-reminiscent as it was of good little We do not press this example of personal boys at Sunday School Chines tailors, I believe, sacrifice upon H.E. the GOVERNOR, but bad got their premises specia ly prepared to draw attention to the recommendation for permit of ---hem !—unmentionables being fitted | ment themselves would reap a`rich hasfort·
Many readers may remember an interesting | lecture which the Portuguese Minister at Peking gave to one of his nationals who was brought before him on a charge of gambling at Tientsin, and, 85 a punishment, the acoused was deported to Mabao, “the Monte Carl of the East" What the Minister had to say about the laws of Portugal which regard gambling as a high crime and misdemeanou- osused those who knew Macao to smile a broad amile. Evidently opinion on the subject is changing in Portugal. I see that Benhor A. Silva, a Government
1 eputy, has in- troduced gambling. He proposes that a yearly tax of into the Cortes a Bill" legalizing
on every club, ossino, or kursaal which desires to add a gambling saloon to its attractions. The Civil Gover- nor of Madeira bas
the subject.
come expressly to Lisbon to confer with the Prime Minister on legalised gambling in the island would be The Governor believes that greatly beneficial not only to the inhabitants by reason of the numbers of visitors who would be attracted thereby, but that the Govern-
£600 be levied
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