334
HONGKONG.
The General Manager of the Kowloon Railway is to receive a salary of £2,000 a year The appointment of Mr. C. F. W., Bowen Rowlands as secretary of the Sanitary Board- has been confirmed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
We understand that two more natives have been arrested in connection with the murder of an Indian police sergeant and constable near Autan in the New Territory.
A lukong, who assaulted a colleague because he woke him up and informet him that a larceny had taken place on his beat, was at the Magistracy on Oct. 14 fined $25 by Mr. Wood At the Magistracy on Saturday Mr. J. R. Wood imposed a fine of $100 on Aryn, alias Yala, of Messrs. Sassoon and Company, for unlawfully attempting to levy a distress warrant and acting as a bailiff.
Oct. 10th was the anniversary of the birthday of Confucius, and an occasion for general rejoicings in the Chinese community. The principal thoroughfares of the city were bright with flags, the Yellow Dragon being conspicuous in the display of bunting.
His Majesty the King has not been advised to exercise his power of disallowance with respect to Ordinance. No. 19 of 1909, entitled- An Ordinance to amend The Stamp Ordinance, 1901, as amended by The Stamp (Amendment) Ordinance, 1902.
A party of detectives in charge of L. S. Murphy went on board the s.s Eastern on Wednesday in order to arrest a certain Chinese. They did not find the man they wanted, but they discovered six stowaways on board, who were brought before the Magistrate yesterday and remanded.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Mr. Mackie, first interpreter at the Magis tracy, having been transferred to the Supreme Court, Mr. M. Hussain has been appointed to the vacant post, and Mr. Sung Tsui. Lun has been promoted to the position of second interpreter.
From the draft Estimates we learn that the pension of Mr. Justice Wisc is £826 13s. 4d. per annum, payable at an exchange of 3s. 8d. His pension therefore amounts to $4,509.10. Mr. Dyer Ball's pension is given in the Estimates as $2,448. The total amount of the civil pensions in the Estimates for next $166,000,
X
year
is
Ten female gamblers were arrested for play- ing fantan at 54A. Peel Street on Thursday night, and on being taken to the Central Police Station were admitted to bail. Only four appeared before Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Magistracy on Oct. 8, two of whom were fined $250 each, and the other two $5 each. The bail of the six who did not appear, amounting to $75, was estreated.
Three men, captured in a fishing boat which had been stolen from Dumbbell, were charged before Mr. J. R. Wood at the Magistracy on Oct. 8th with larceny. Their excuse was that they took the boat to go in search of a man from whom they wished to borrow some money. The defendants were convicted, and each man was sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard labour and six hours' stocks.
An extract of meteorological observations made at the local Observatory during the month of September shows that the average maximum temperature was 87; the average mean tempera- ture, 82.2; and the average minimum tempera ture, 78.5 degrees. There were 202.6 hours of sunshine for the month, while the rainfall was 8.505 inches.
Return of the average amount of bank notes in circulation and of specie in reserve in Hong- kong, during the month ended 30th September, 1909, as certified by the managers of the respec-
tive banks, are as follows
BANKS.
AVERAGE SPECIE IN AMOUNT RESERVE.
Chartered Bank of India,.
Australia and China $3,782,562 $4,000,000! Hongkong and Shanghai
Banking Corporation 12,777,040 13,000,000 National Bank of China,
Limited
53,265 Nil. $16,612,867 $17,000,00
Total
Mr. de Margerie, the new French Minister to Peking, is at present staying in Hongkong.
Mr. J. Bribosia, the Belgian Consul in Hongkong, shortly goes to Seoul as Consul General at the Korean capital.
During the week-end twelve bolts of canvas were stolen from the godowns of Messrs. Shewan, Tomes and Company. Their value amounts to $201.96.
Two fishermen from Tai O were at the Magistracy yesterday fined $50 for fishing with dynamite, and two others for being in unlawful possession of dynamite wore fined $20 each.
Three shopkeepers whom Inspector Gourlay charged before M. F. A. Hazeland at the Magistracy on Oct. 12 with retailing goods with unjust scales were fined $35, $20 and $15 apiece.
The only cases of communicable disease reported in the Colony last week was one Portuguese case of enteric fever and Chinese case of puerperal fever,
one
A Japanese who was caught shooting at wild birds on the Wongneicheong Road on Sunday without a licence was fined $5 by Mr. J. R. Wood at the Magistracy on Oct. 12.
A Chinese salesman who had bought a con cubine for $200 on Thursday appeared at the Magistracy to prosecute her on a charge of having stolen $200 belonging to him. The case was adjourned.
Mr. H. H. Fox, late Consul-General at Canton, and Mrs. Fox, who for the last week have been the guests of His Excellency the Governor at Mountain Lodge, left by the French mail steamer for the North on Oct. 12, to take up the appointment of H.B.M.'s Consul at Wuhu.
Mr. F. A. Hazeland learned at the Magis tracy on Tuesday that it is too much trouble for Peak chair coolies, e ther in scorching heat of pouring rain, to attach the covers to their chairs. As the result of complaints to the police, twenty-four chair bearers were charged before his Worship, and each man was fined $1.
Two natives appeared before Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Magistracy on Oct. 12th on charges of contravening the provisions of the Arms Ordinance. One defendant, who was in possession of a rusty revolver and 107 rounds of ammunition without a licence, was fined $25 or one month's imprisonment, and a similar sentence was passed on the other defendant, who claimed 76 rounds of ammunition, which the police seized.
Not often are proceedings at the Police Court so protracted as they have been over the trade marks case at present before the Court. Yester day was the twenty-fifth day of the hearing and it was not concluded then. The case is one in which the King Wo firm of Canton. having patented their cough stop pills in the Colony, took proceedings against a shopkeeper in Queen's Road for infringing the trade mark.
[October 16, 1909.
SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on Tuesday at the Board Room. Mr. E. D. C. Wolfe presided, and there were present: Hon, Mr. P. N. H. Jones (Vice-President), Hon. Mr. A. W. Brewin (Registrar-General) Dr. Fitz- williams, Mr. Shelton Hooper, Mr. Lau Chu Pak, Dr. F. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), and Mr. W. Bowen Rowlands (Secretary).
CLEARING OF BRUSHWOOD.
A letter from the Sanitary Board, addressed to Government, was in the following terms -I have the honour, by direction of the Board, to report that the following resolution was adopted by the Board at a meeting held on the 31st August last: "That in the interests of the public health of this Colony it is desirable for the Government to clear up all brushwood from Crown land in the close proximity of dwelling houses which is likely to be detrimental to the public health owing to its harbourage of mosquitoes on the ground that the existence of such brushwood is a nuisance detrimental to the public health. The cost of such work to be paid for out of the public funds, and that where such brushwood is on private land the owners be called upon to clear it at their own expense.
"I attach the Daily Press report of the discussion of this matter.
awaro
The reply from the Colonial Secretary was as follows:-I have the honour to acknowledge your letter of September 2nd notifying the resolution of the Sanitary Board on the subject of the clearing of brushwood in the vicinity
houses. dwelling
You are DO doubt of
of the
arrived at arrangement year nearly a
ago between the Sanitary and the Botanical and Forestry Departments in regard to this question. The correspondence relating to that arrangement contained a pro- posal by the Medical Officer of Health that clearings around isolated dwelling sites should gradually be extended to a radius of 400 or 500 yards. In cases to which this recommendation is applicable it is probable that the whole or the greater part of the area contained would be Crown Land, and the clearing twice a year of an area of some 130 acres would involve a very considerable sum from the public revenue for the
+
benefit of the owner. When such isolated lots are sold, it forms no part of the sale conditions that the Government should incur this heavy obligation. In this connection I am to enclose a minute by the Superintendent of the Botanical and Forestry Department. (2) His Excellency has carefully considered the papers on the subject, and in his view the clearing of waste places which are in immediate proximity to the thickly populated areas in Hongkong and Kowloon, and unoccupied more particularly waste plots of Crown land which may not only form breeding places for mosquitoes but may also be insanitary for other The water return to the 1st inst. shows that should form part of the ordinary duties the storage on the island amounts to 575,529,000 | of the Sanitary Department staff. If in pri- gallons as compared with 747,340,000 gallons on
vate ownership it devolves upon the Sanitary the same date last year. The consumption was Department to take the necessary steps with 20.7 gallons per head per day during the month the same object in view. (3) In the case of of September as against 23.1 in the correspond-dwelling houses in the Hill District or else- ing month of last year. At Kowloon thewhere in detached situations, where any sur storage on Oct, 1st was 240,417,000 as against 196,700,000 on the same date last year, and the consumption during September 9.3 gallons per head per day as compared with 11.3 in Septem- ber last year.
a
A ricsha coolie was charged before J. R. Wood at the Magistracy on Oct. 12 with the larceny of a gold-mounted umbrella. A sergeant-major of the Royal Engineers and his wife took ricshas from Queen's Road East to D'Aguilar
Street.
umbrella in the vehicle. The coolie must have The lady alighted first, leaving her been attracted by the glitter, for he dashed along Queen's Road without waiting for payment. The umbrella, however, was not then missed, and the husband of complainant paid the other ricsha coolie two fares. Later the lady discovered her loss, and the matter was reported to the police. The missing coolie was apprehended, but denied stealing the umbrella. The police searched his house, and the missing article was found, under the staircase. His Worship sentenced the defendant to one month's imprisonment with hard labour..
reasons,
rounding vegetation is not alleged to be. insanitary, the recommendation of the Board in · regard to the removal of undergrowth on the grounds of its being a harbourage for mosquitoes will receive the careful consideration of Govern-, ment equally with any representations from the individuals concerned, and will be dealt with by the Superintendent of the Botanical and Forestry Department under the advice of the Principal Civil Medical Officer in such manner as may appear necessary and equitable just as schemes for training nullahs with the same object in view are now dealt with.
as
The minute by the Superintendent of the Botanical and Forestry Department was follows:-There are one or two points about the clearing of ground in the tropics which are well known to this department from long experience, but which would not perhaps be generally obvious and upon which I feel sure that the Sanitary Department must be under a misap- prehension. These are (1) That when ground has to be kept clear of superfluous undergrowth the first cutting may produce enough brush- wood to pay the workmen who do it, but that the