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THE NEW PORT OF HEUNGCHOW.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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! GOLD MINING IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Steps are being taken for the early settlement i of the newly-opened port of Heungchow. Over
teady progress sceny to be made in the gold two hundred builders and others have been sent mining industry in the Benguet district of the to make surveys with a view to the building of ↑ Philippines, and it is predicted that Philippine business houses and residences and to take sound-gold-mining shares will become the gamble of ings on the harbour.
A prosperous future is the East. The Benguet gold mining district predicted by the Chinese for this port.
comprises an area of about twenty-five square miles, and for the past three or four years a number of syndicates have been steadily working at "claims" they have secured in the district. Some of the Companies, like Clarke's Consoli. dated, and the Bua Mining Co,, are already well known to many of our readers. No dividends have yet been paid, we believe, by any company. The earnings of several of them have been good but work has been commenced in a small way. and the net earnings have been devoted to the development of the properties.
July 29th.
FLOOD RELIEF SOCIETY.
The Flood Relief Society has sent in their report to is Excellency the Viceroy. The following is a brief resumé :-
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The Flood Relief Society was inaugurated in the summer of last year, directly after the occurrence of the disastrous flood. The object ¦ of the Society was to collect subscriptions, and with the money thins raised to procure provi There is at present in Hongkong a gentleman sions, etc., for the relief of the poor people who who may be regarded as the pioneer of this had suffered through the flood. In the autumn of enterprise in the Benguet district-Mr. H. Another P. Whitmarsh, who was the first Governor the same year another flood occurred
of the province, His mission is to raise canvass for subscriptions was started and bazaars were instituted in Canton. Hongkong and acao. capital for the development of the properties Relief was thereby afforded to millions of home of the Headwaters Mining Co., which has less and starving people. After spending all twelve claims in this district totalling about the money necessary there was a balance of 250 acres.
or less.
This Company nearly $220,000. It was suggested that the was organise 1 by Mr. Whitmarsh, and its pro- money should be spent in dredging and widen-perties have been developed almost entirely by ing the river, but this suggestion was rejected Hongkong capital. He informs us that about in favour of another for the building of a 3,000 feet of underground development has been canal for the better egress of the water done now and that approximately half a million from Shuihing, through Sanning to Ngai dollars worth of ore is in sight. The ore in the Mun. It was, however, thought at the time district is a low-grade ore, but according to the that the funds were insufficient to afford the report of the experts the yield in the Headwaters mine is worth $36 (Mex.) to the ton. The (om- expense of engaging an experienced engineer to do the work. This difficulty was got over by panypurposes crushing and treating by the cyan. Mr. Jones, Assistant Director of Public Works ide process 60 tons of ore a day. or 1.800 tons a in Hongkong, kindly consenting to take charge month. The cost of mining and milling is shown of the work gratuitously. The departure ou by other plants working in the same district to leare of the Director of Public Works, however, be slightly less than 86 Mex. per ton, so that a prevented Mr. Jones from undertaking the task handsome margin of profit is given. soon enough. The Hongkong Government were then requested to approach the Indian Government with the view of the loan of an engineer from India.
They have now very generously lent Mr. Millson (?), an experienced marine engineer, for the work. Having regard to the generous spirit of the Fritish Government, every facility should be afforded Mr. Millson in this good work.
The balance remaining at present after paying all expenses is $116,173.63 in Canton, 850.599.78 These in Hongkong and $51,435.99 in Macao. amounts have been deposited in various banks to be kept till occasion requires.
EXPOT OF CATTLE.
.The President of the local Board of Trade, and the Provincial Treasurer have petitioned the Viceroy as follows, respecting the exporta- tion of cattle from China :-
言情
The exportation of cattle by Europeans has increased, and steps should be taken to ensure the needs the supply being sufficient for of the Chinese. Despatches should be sent to the Pritish Government and the Com- missioner of Customs, notifying them that hereafter the exportation of cattle is permit- ted only from Nam Hung, Lien Chow. Do Sing, Ling Shan and Wuchow. In those places only can cattle be purchased: and no purchase can be made without an outward trap sit pass, to be obtained from the Customs. Cattle can only be exported in batches of twenty or under; and the Prefects of these districts should be requested to send in reports of the annual export."
Cattle are exported to Hongkong in great numbers, and the Military Authorities get their supply of meat chiefly from these places.
DEPARTURE OF VICEROY CHANG.
This morning His Excellency Viceroy Chang departed from Canton on the Government cruiser Sun Ming. His Excellency had an unusual send-off. The streets from the Yamen te the wharf were lined by an enthusiastic crowd, who cheered as lustily as they could. All
the officials, the British Consul-General, Mr. H. H. Fox, and other Foreign Consular officials were assembled to ses the Viceroy off.
and His Excellency had to spend a full hour receiving congratulations and good wishes. There is no doubt that he was a very popular official, and his departure is regretted by all in
Canton.
The Headwaters Company was organised with a capital of £600,000, half of which went to the original owners. $160.000 worth of stock was placed on the market for the purpose of development and the remaining $200,000) is now required for the purchase of plant, &c.
A MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
A correspondent writes to us concerning the insecurity of life and property in the Philippines, and gives the following as an
instance: -
After spending a few years in the Transvaal and another few years in Australia. Michael Basila arrived in the Philippine Islands to carry on business as a vendor of groceries. In March, 1908, he left Mauila for the provinces with about 3,000 dollars worth of goods, leaving about an equal amount locked up on rented premises in Manila. Mr. Busila, who Was was a native of Alexanderatta (Skenderoon) and the father of five children, the eldest of whom is only twelve years of age, has never returned to Manila, though he expected to be more than a month. Nothing is away not known of his whereabouts, nor have any of the goods he carried with him been traced—although diligent search is said to have been instituted. The American Consul at Alexanderatta has in rain repeatedly asked the local authorities at Manila Lo furnish him with information about the missing man. Sonie of the missing man's relations are employed in the american Consulate there as interpreters and assistants. So far the mystery of Mr. i asila's disappearence still remains unsolved."
The friends of the missing man appear to have a further grievance against the official adminstrator with regard to the manner in which the property left in Manila has been disposed of. The goods are stated to have been disposed of at a mere fraction of their value.
of fter payment
the few claims the estate nothing remained to be remitted to the man's family.
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on
That a foreign merchant travelling in the Philippines can so mysteriously disappear and that the authorities have failed to trace the
property he carried with him, valued at $3.000. is regarded as clear proof of the inefficiency of the administration in the provinces.
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[August 2, 19′9.
RAILWAYS AND TRAMWAYS IN NORTH CHINA.
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The reports for 1907 and 1908 of the Imperial Railways, says a Consular report on the trade of Tientsin, of North China show that the Peking- Mukden line suffered by the general trade depression in 1907 and 1908; but in spite of agricultural distress and severe floods in 1908, the ratio of working expenses to earnings, which rose from 28 per cent. in 1906 to 37 per cent. in 1907, was kept down agaiu to 28 per cent. in 1908. The directors in their report for the year ended September 30, 1908, make the following note on the Peking-Kalgan Railway: "The satisfactory financial returns from the Imperial Railways of North China have enabled us to make substantial annual payments from the surplus révenue to the directors of the now Peking-Kalgan Railway, and it is a pleasure to note that the construction of this new line makes steady progress, and when completed will form a permanent testimony to the financial success of our line. The Peking-Kalgan line is a very important extension of the communications of the Empire."
Within the last two or three years the sys- tem of tramways worked by the "Compagnie de Tramways et d'Eclairage electriques de Tientsin." a Belgian company, has been con- siderably extended. Originally designed only to make a circuit round the Chinese city along the boulevards formed by the demolition of the old city walls, an extension along the Chinese Bund, the system was carried across the river to the Austrian concession by a bridge opened in November, 1906; and in May, 1907, an agree- ment was concluded with the Japanese conces- sion for running the line through the main street of that concession and thus providing a direct route between the foreign settlements and the Chinese city apart from the route through the Russian, Italian, and Austrian concessions on the other side of the river. Until this extension was carried out the tram- ways did not pay, but it is now believed that their success in the future is assured. There aro between eight and nine miles open to traffic, nearly all double tracks. The receipts from the tramways alone are given as £13,120 in 1907 and £19,400 in 1908, but the Consul has been uuable to ascertain the cost of working.
DEATH OF MR. H. W. FRASER,
The news of the death of Mr. H. W. Fraser, of the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, will be received with genuine regret by his many friends in this Colony. Mr. Fraser joined the Head Office staff in 1892, and for the following 14 years was well kuown, both here and in Japan, where he spent some portion of his time in the Far East.
member of the Hongkong St. Andrew's Society, He was an enthusiastic Scot and a prominent
in which he was an office-bearer for many years, making himself deservedly popular by his unfailing courtesy and geniality. In 1906 he left the Colony, and since then he has been attached to the office of the rank in New York. There he died after a gallant struggle against sickness lasting for nearly two months.
We feel sure that his many friends, most of whom had the pleasure of knowing Mrs. Fraser, will deeply sympathise with her in her sad bereavement.
DEATH OF MR. H. W. HINE.
We regret to record the death of Mr. H. W. Hine, of Canton, which occurred at the Peak Hospital yesterday morning. Mr. Hine had lived in Canton about twenty years. Origin. ally he was with the firm of Messrs. Rowe & Co, silk merchants, but since the firm was merged into. that of Messrs. Deacon and Co., he has been doing silk inspection on his own account, and had also held the posts of Secretary to the Municipal Council of the Shaméen and Canton Club. Death was due to heart failure following pnenmonia. Mr. Hine was about forty years of age, and his premature death will be sincerely lamented by all who knew him. He leaves a widow, who is at present at Home, and we need hardly add that deep sympathy is felt for her in her sad
bereavement.