210
of
towards making good the 1188 revenue from the opium farm: our need seems likely to be great and we hope that the compensation will not fall short of the
need.
RANDOM REFLECTIONS.
When I saw the Volunteers marching to church yesterday I was reminded of the sensa tion which is being caused at home by the performance of that new play" An Englishman's Home." Nothing short of a declaration of war has aroused the country to such a deep interest in military affairs and the state of our defences. It has evoked fresh discussions as to the inade-
quacy or otherwise of our system of defence, and the value of the Territorial Army is being debated in all seriousness. Some papers describe the play as a potent recruiting agency for the Territorials, while others regard it as a calumny, a reflection on our voluntary defenders quite undeserved. At any rate there seems to be little doubt that it points to the inevitableness of some form of compulsory military service. But the subject is too large and too serious for Roderick Random.
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One thing which occurred to me was why our Volunteers here do not fall into line with
is
the home movement by adopting the name of
Territorials. Now that an Imperial army being contemplated there seems no reason why the Hongkong Volunteers should not seek for that closer amalgamation in deed and in name which is so earnestly desired. The name would not make any great difference in the fighting force but it would give that sentiment of greater unity which is not without value. It would be the proper step to take at a time when there is so much talk about cementing the bonds of Imperial unity.
The unexpected happened yesterday. One volunteer in church was heard remarking to a companion "I'll bet you a bottle of beer we will sing 'Onward Christian Soldiers. As the service was completed without the well known hymn being sung, the rash man found that he had let himself in for a matter of liquidation which was not disa reeable to his companion.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Biblical knowledge is apparently not the forte of our Hongkong barristers. Sir Henry Berkeley in addressing a jury the other day employed the argument that the shroff charged with embezzlement need not pay over at once money he collected but could put it in the bank, illustrating this with the parable of the man with the ten talents who was not upheld because he had not made use of the talents. The Attorney General discovered that it was the man with one talent who had not invested the the money entrusted to him and the Chief Justice, apparently anxious to prove that he had more than a nodding acquaintance with the Bible, added that the man was censured for, not putting it out to interest. As the reporter described it, the incident ended. It remends me of the American pressman who was pre- vented by his editor from reviewing the Bible, a copy of which had just come in to his hands, as a new book.
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Hongkong ladies have had a great time this week. Bargain sales have held their attention for several days and it is not too much to say that those who absented themselves from such fascinating scenes must have had powerful counter attractions, I have heard it whispered that several friendships have been broken because Mrs. Gottit was mean enough to bid again Mrs. Keen-on-it when the latter had made
up her mind to get something cheap, and the other wouldn't let her have it. Aye, human nature is very curious, and more so when it is
feminine.
How many
bitter disappointments and blighted hopes the wet week-end was responsible for it would be difficult to estimate. The big programme of sport on Saturday was com. pletely spoiled, and all outdoor exercise was prevented. No wonder smiles were not 80 numerous. After all, it makes us realise what a great part the sun plays in our lives.
I see the griffin has been complaining again. This time his effusion appears in a Straits journal to whom he confides that he has been " had.” The journal in question refers to the unwisdom of young men at home who jump at offers to come East without making proper inquiries and who believe that they can have a good time and save money out of the seemingly princely salary offered. Disillusionment does not come until they have been about a month in the East. Then they feel that they have been badly let in. But," asks the journal," are the firms entirely to blame? We think not. Apart from a business instinct which makes men pay no more than is necessary to get the assistance they require, it may be questioned whether it is an obligation of em- ployers to go into all the details of living abroad. It is the duty of the seeker after an
engagement to see into its real conditions. Any sensible man should know that when three or four times the home salary is offered for service abroad there must be counterbalancing dis- advantages somewhere. The climate may be unhealthy or the position dangerous in some way. If not the cost' of living makes the difference."-Such a view is not all unreasonable.
11
Some folks down in Ceylon are indulging in what has been termed "baiting the governor." Apparently some thin skinned members of the that the word community have got the idea into their heads padre used to designate a priest or Excellency the Governor was lacking in good a chaplain is slang and that His taste when he made use of such an expression. The Catholic Union of that place is very much annoyed and threatens to refer the matter to the Secretary of State. It is difficult to understand any sensible folks becoming excited over such a trivial thing and we can only deplore the lack of intelligence which was responsible for the matter attaining such publicity. It resolves itself into "Much about nothing.
RODERICK RANDOM.
HONGKONG.
Orissa ports against arrivals from Hongkong.
Quarantine restrictions have been imposed at
competition by reducing the price of ice from The Hongkeng Ice Co., Ltd are meeting
this date to half-a-cent per lb.
At the Magistracy on Saturday Mr. J. H. Kemp committed a native for trial for being in possession of sixteen spurious $10 bills.
Sir Henry Berkeley, K.C., is acting as Attorney General in the absence of the Hon. Mr. Rees Davies, who has gone home on urgent private business.
The appeal issued by H.E. the Governor for donations towards the endowment fund of the Froposed University in Hongkong has, we notice, been translated and published in full in L'Avenir du Tonkin.
The Parsee named Marchant whose extradition was asked by the American Government for the embezzlement of 650 pesos has expressed his willingness to return to Manila to take his trial
there.
The lesson of staniping receipts is still being taught in the colony, On the 10th inst. at the Magistracy the compradore of the s.s. Kirany Tai, sailing between Hongkong and Wuchow, was fined $20 for failing to stamp a ship's receipt for goods consigned to Wuchow, the value of which was only twenty cents. tive Sergt Murphy prosecuted.
We
(March 15, 1909.
e are informed that Mr. Lau Chu Pak, at the invitation of His Excellency the Governor, has been elected a member of the Hongkong University Committeė.
The meteorological observations made at the Hongkong Observatory during the month of February show that the average maximum temperature for that month was 64.3 degrees and the average minimum tempera ture 57 degrees. The total rainfall for the month was 1.660 inches, while we had 85.6 hours of sunshine.
The Colonial Secretary's Office notifies us of the receipt of a telegram from the British Consul at Batavia stating that Hongkong has been Consul-General a.i. for the Netherlands, in-
[Mr. Bakhuyzen. declared an infected port.
forms us that he has received telegraphic information from H. E. the Governor General of Netherlands India that he has declared Hongkong infected with plague.
A European reported to the police that he had lost his gold watch and chain at the Races on the 17th February. A few days later the police arrested the man who pawned the watch, subsequently they discovered the thief, and not long afterwards they captured a boarding house keeper with the chain and the pawnticket in his possession. All three were brought before the Magistrate yesterday and remanded.
Lovers of classic music had a rare treat last
gave three concerts at the City Hall. week when the Herbert Withers Company As is already known, this combination is composed of leading artistes in the musical world, whose reputation is not confined to one country, and their appearance in Hongkong must therefore be regarded as a noteworthy event.
Exemplary punishment was on Mar. 11 meted out to Private Hanson of the Buffs who was convicted of an unwarranted assault upon a ricsha coolie, The soldier offered the coolie ons cent in payment of his fare and when the latter protested he struck him on the cheek, knocking out two of his teeth. Mr. Kemp ordered the defendant to go to prison for one month and to pay $15 compensation or in the alternative an- other months' imprisonment.
His Excellency the Governor laid before the Legislative Council on Mar. 11th an important communication from the Secretary of State for the Colonies in which a complete abolition of opium divans in the Colony is insisted upon after the present contract with the Opium Farmer expires; and stating that the Home Government were prepared to ask Parliament for a substantial contribution towards making good the loss to the Colonial revenue which the carrying out of these instructions involves.
An Indian who visited the Post Office the other day accidentally left his purse behind, and when a schoolboy came along a little later to buy a stamp for his school fees he was asked by the attendant who just then discovered the purse if it belonged to him. Nothing loth, the boy replied that it did and the purse was handed When the Indian returned for his to him. purse, the attendant informed him of what had happened, with the result that the police were put on the track of the boy who was on Mar. 9 brought before Mr. Wood at the Magistracy and ordered to receive 12 strokes with the birch.
At the Magistracy on Mar. 9th Arthur Zeitch was sentenced to three months' imprisonment for obtaining from the proprietor of the Stag Hotel food and lodgings by means of a forged Detac-document and also by means of false pretences. Apparently prisoner, representing that he was engaged on the Canton Kowloon Railway and that that undertaking would guarantee his expenses, obtained accommodation at the hotel a few months ago, and shortly after he had been installed there the proprietor received a type- written document purporting to be a guarantee of the prisoner's expenses. living there for some time he asked the landlord to advance him some money as he wished to go to Canton. This was done but the prisoner did not return and when the landford wrote to the Resident Engineer asking for payment of his bill he was informed that nothing was known of the mall.
The case in which the British-American Tobacco Company proceeded against Kan Tuk Kai, partner in, and manager of, the Chinese Brothers Tobacco Company, for falsely applying to packets of cigarettes marks resembling the trade mark of the defendants, has been amicably settled, the defendants having given an under- taking at the Magistracy to destroy all the trade marks, labels, wrappers and packets seized in the proceedings, with all facsimiles thereof, and agreed not to use nor apply nor cause to be used nor applied such trade marks, labels, wrappers, and packets like those seized. Mr. . J. D. Stephens, who appeared for the prosecutors, said his clients were willing to withdraw the summons on such an undertaking being given and Mr. G. K. Holmes consenting for the defendants, the case was settled.
After he had been
Prisoner now said he was sorry and offered to pay the landlord back $20 out of the money which he had but on receiving his sentence he declared that the proprietor "could sing for his money”.