50་་་གས་པའི་ཁང་གང་མི་ཐུག་ག་མ་ག་དང་གར་དབང་
Page
May 29, 1909.]
EMPIRE DAY.
CELEBRATIONS IN HONGKONG.
As in the other parts of the Empire, the anniversary of the birthday of the late Queen Victoria, which was celebrated so long that it was felt the day should still preserve its especial significance and which has now become Empire Day, was duly observed in Hongkong. The day was set apart as a holiday but unfor- tunately the contiguous rain spoiled all plans for outdoor enjoyments until late in the after. noon. The British ships in the harbour dis played bunting in honour of the occasion, and in other respects the special character of the day was remembered.
THE GOVERNOR ON DUTIES OF EMPIRE.
HIS EXCELLENCY The GoverNOR attended at the Kowloon British School, where were gat- hered the children of both British schools, in the 'morning, and delivered an appropriate adddress. His Excellency was accompanied by the Hon. Mr. F. H. May, Mr. E. A. Irving, Mr. T. F. Hough, Dr. Pearse, and among the others sent were Mr. A. Shelton Hooper, Bros. Christian and Cyprian, of St. Joseph's College. | Mr. P. P. J. Wodehouse, and a number of parents and others interested.
pre-
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
453
The children having sung Kipling's Re- cessional Hymu, His Excellency stated that he had received the following telegram from Lord Meath: Empire blesses the King."
With the singing of the National Anthem the proceedings terminated.
I
development. The key-note of the British add to the army and navy of the empire. Hong- empire, of British rule, has been that each of these kong at present is not able to do anything in different races should enjoy and develop along that way. We occasionally hear complaints of their own lines thorough freedom of speech and the amount which we pay towards the army, but freedom of the press, provided that these are seeing it is half the amount of the cost which is not misused to create sedition, and while wo incurred of the force which defends our own have thus fostered independent thought and colony, we shall regret, if over it comes that the action, and given full means of expression of existence of the empire is put to the trial, that thought to every race, it has been the aim of the we did not realise our responsibilities sooner, British wherever they have set foot to influence and Hongkong will be one of the first of the and promote this liberty and this freedom by oversea colonies to feel the brunt of the strain. encouraging a system of impartial justice. You boys of the Victoria School have a cadet That, boys and girls, I would like you to corps of which you have every reason remember as the key-note of the British Empire. | to be proud, and I trust that every one It has been founded on justice. And it has been of you will become an efficient volun- the object of the British in all their colonies to
teer in the service of the empire. I endeavour to teach the subject races the value will add only one word to those who hear me of this priceless boon. Slavery disappears, for and to any who perchance may read my words overy man is equal in the eye of the law, bribery reported in the papers, and that is that I and corruption cannot exist under these condi- earnestly beseech you to take these matters to tious. It is because the empire has been found-heart in no method of scare or panic but, in that ed on this great principle that it has lasted for sober, dogged, serious way which is natural to the so many years and has prospered as no other British and which is the way in which our fore- empire in the world has ever done. It is because fathers dealt with these matters, as matters it has been founded on no selfish motive that we worthy of the serious consideration of every
British can all be proud to belong to it and the noblest
subject. Let the words of the men the nation has produced have been content to recessional hymn which we are about to hear give their lives to its service. Under the British sung find an echo in every British subject flag we claim that all men of whatever race or in this British community to-day. colour, whatever religion, no matter whether Mr. R. JAMES, B.A. the headmaster, opened the they are wealthy or poor, enjoy greater freedom proceedings. He said-Before we share in the than they did before the flag came. That is privilege of hearing an Empire Day address from the reason why we venerate our flag and are & living Empire-builder. I will ask His Excellency prepared to give our lives to defend it. It is a to present some prizes which have been awarded | stirring thought that to-day there are over fifty in honour of a dead Empire-builder. I can different colonies all over the earth where that the Nelson Essay Competition. This competi-flag.will be unfurled, and that the national tion was the outcome of a lecture delivered to anthem, which you have just hoard sung. will the pupils of the school by Lient. Davies of be heard in all those different parts of the H.M.S. Merlin. There is one thing which | world. But this British Empire, of which wo may require some explanation-all three are so proud and from which we dorive prize-winners are members of what is often these benefits of freedom and opportunities incorrectly termed the weaker sex. The explan for a world-wide trade, can only exist while ation is that boys who are over 12 years of its citizens are worthy men and women, and age are not allowed to attend this school, while each one is willing to contribute in his or Two boys of ten years were considered her own degree to maintain its truditions and for prizes. In one case the spelling and defend it. Ì do not limit what I say to those of composition were so perfect that the ex- British birth, for every British subject is a aminers came to the conclusion that he citizen of the British empire. If we confine our mast have received outside aid. In the aspirations to personal advancement, personal second case the writing and spelling were wealth. if our ambition is solely to obtain imperfect, as they often are, in a boy of 10, personal distinction and personal pleasure, if we but the subject matter was so good that had are not ready to make some real sacrifice for the the essay not been left half-finished. the ex-empire, we shall not continus long to enjoy its aminers informed me that he must have won benefits and it will pass from us. There are the first prize. I found his reason for not those who say that the British citizen of to-day finishing the essay & perfectly natural oue- is unworthy of the great trust and heritage Please Sir, mother said it was time to go to which has descended to him, that we are wrapped bed." Το show how ancient animosities up too much in money-making and in pleasure have disappeared in the reign of King seeking, that we are too absorbed in our own Edward the Peacemaker, I quote a pass- concerns to remember that the ideal of empire is
from age
the essay of 2 competitor that every British citizen should endeavour to who is of French descent and who also won the make kuown to those around him the benefits second prize; If Napoleon has been great ou which he enjoys, to mitigate the distress, to land, Nelson has been great on the sea. He provide education. to check the evils from won the admiration not only of his countrymen, drink and other forms of self-indulgence by but of the entire world, including even his providing healthy recreation. In short, by enemies. All the life of this illustrious admiral respecting ourselves and endeavouring to was like that of our French knight Bayard - teach self-respect and self-improvement "Sans peur et sans reproche." The first prize to every other British citizen, that is the presented by Lient. Davies. R.N., goes to way in which the traditious and ideals of the Ena Taylor. The second presented by Lieut. Empire may be maintained. Each one of us Duke, R.N., goes to Trinidad Boutinou. The can bear our share in maintaining these tradi- third, presented by Mrs. Main, goes to Fredations either by personal service or contributions Schmetz, who has left the Colony.
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to such institutions as I have described. In HIS EXCELLENCY said-Ladies and gentle that way we shall prove that we are not un- men, boys and girls of the British Schools:-A worthy of our forefathers and that British short time ago when I distributed the prizes citizens are not decadent. There is another here I said that I hoped that we might have the duty which devolves upon us and which we pleasure of going to-day for a water picnic, but should share, and that is the defence of the it was intimated to me that it would be prefer-empire. I hold it to be the clear duty able if I came here and addressed you as the of every able-bodied man to prepare himself weather has turned out most unpropitious. I have fallen in with this arrangement. To-day is Empire Day and we observe it as a public holi- day by ordinance in this colony in order that there will be one universal holiday throughout the whole empire to stimulate patriotism, and to remind us of our duties as free citizens and, as Kipling says, lest we forget" our heritage and its duties. You have all heard of the enormous extent of the British empire, that it covers over 11 million square miles of the surface of the earth, about one-fifth of the whole of the globe, and that it includes some 410 millions of people, about one-fifth of the whole human race, speaking innumerable languages and living under varying conditions of
should occasion arise to defend the empire. I hold it to be the duty of every employer to incur some loss, some money loss, in order to enable those he employs to thus prepare themselves. I hold it to be the duty of every British matron to teach her sons the benefits they derive and are deriving and the duties they owe to the Empire. And those who are called upon to contribute to the army and the navy must do so freely and without grudge. It is the least they can do. Looking at it on the lowest basis, it is an insurance on their property. We have had some splendid ex. amples lately of voluntary taxation incurred by some of the self-governing colonies, New Zea- land, Canada, Australia and others in order to
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The
THE HONGKONG CLUB. At noon the members of the Club assembled to meet His Excellency the Governor who had been invited to attend and when glasses had been charged Mr. T. F. Hough, on behalf of the President, whose absence he regretted, proposed the toast of Our King, our constitution and our flag, and in doing so referred to the pleasure which they all experienced at having His Excellency present. He added too that they were pleased to see present to share in their celebrations gentlemen who were not of British birth and he thanked them for the good feeling which they showed_by coming to join in their celebrations. toast having been honoured, the Governor replied. He remarked that it was particularly gratifying to take part in a celebration which had not been arranged in the ordinary way, as there was then no mistaking the enthusiasm behind it, and he went on to say that on Empire Day they ought all, as in a business concern, to take stock of where they were and what were their duties to the empire of which they formed a part. His Excellency then proposed the toust of Our Empire,' which having been acknowledged, the proceedings terminated with three cheers and a tiger for His Excellency called for by Mr. Hough.
DAILY MAIL CUP.
Shooting in the Daily Mail Empire Cup Competition took place at King's Park Range yesterday afternoon, when the conditions militated against good scoring. The highest cards handed in were :—
Sapper H. Haines Prt. Stewart Corpl. Bullock Corpl. Sorby Corpl. Crawford Gunner Anderson Lt. Andrews Sgt-major Rodger
Total
25 33 30 88 29 31 27 87 28 28 28 84
26 29 27 82
30 24 26 80
27 27 26 8)
29 21 30 80
30 25 24 79
660
The pupils of the Saiyingpun_Government School, showed their loyalty to the Empire under whose Flag they temporarily reside and are educated, in a befitting manner.
Notwithstanding the threatening state of the weather, which could not damp the ardour of such a party, two large launches crowded with boys under the care of their masters, left Jardine's Wharf, West Point, at noon for Tün Mun, which was reached after a run of about 24 hours.
During the trip refreshments (cakes and lemonade) were dispensed with a liberal hand, and the time was pleasantly passed in listening to selections on Chinese musical instruments. After the party was landed a programme of sports in which the comic side was catered for