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December 6, 1909,1
JUBILEE OF THE GERMAN
CLUB, HONGKONG.
On the 27th ult. the German community of Hongkong celebrated the jubilee anniversary of the establishment of the Club Germania. H.E. the Governor, the members of the Hong- kong Club, and others had been invited to the "At Home" in the morning, when the occasion was honoured by a toast. The interior of the Club premises had been tastefully decorated for the occasion with greenery and flowers. On the façade of the building a huge "50" had been placed, and a new flag with a similar legend was hoisted on the flagstaff. Several German merchant steamers were in port and these dressed ship in honour of the
occasion.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
ask you to drink to the health of His Excellency the Governor, Sir Frederick Lugard, and our other British guests.
The toast was received with hearty cheers. His EXCELLENCY in acknowledging the com- pliment said :-Herr Becker and Gentlemen,-1 wish success to the Club and I congratulate you most heartily on the attainment of the fiftieth anniversary of the foundation of this Club. I understand that since 1902 you have been housed in this fine building which I have the pleasure of visiting for the first time to-day, and I hope it will not be the last. (Applause.) understand a speech is not required of me to-day. At any- rate, I have not the voice to make one in any circumstance. I wish to associate myself with Herr Becker in the hope that the good rela- tions and friendly rivalry which have existed between the Germans and the British will con- tinue to exist and that those feelings will ever promote the Colony of which we are the joint citizens. I wish success to the German Člub. (Applause.),`
A group photograph, with H.E, the Governor and Herr Becker as the central figures, was subsequently taken in front of the main entrance.
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Punctually at eleven o'clock, the Band of the Buffs struck up the British National Anthem by way of greeting the arrival of H. E. the Governor, who was attended by Captain: Mitchell aylor, A.D.C., and Captain Simson, private secretary. His Excellency was received by the committee of the Club and escorted to the spacious dining-room, where a large Many congratulatory telegrams were received gathering had already assembled. In the un- not only from German Clubs in the East- avoidable absence through indisposition of Mr. Tsingtau, Shanghai, and Kobe-but two from G. Binder, the President of the Club, the lead- Hamburg. One came from the German China ing rôle in the day's proceedings devolved upon Association, a translation of which runs :- Mr. A. Becker, the members of the Committee "On the occasion of the 50th anniversary supporting him being Messrs O. Wagner, T. celebrations, the members of this Association Emil Meyer, L. Ortlepp, O. Meyer, H. Warns- send friendly greetings and heartiest congratu- loh, C. M. Meyer and G. P. Lammert. Mr Elations and wish the Club continued pros- Niedhardt, the oldest member of the Club, was perity and perpetual permanence. A memento also associated with the Committee who received will follow from Old Friends of the Club. His Excellency.
The other, which gave simply, "Heartiest Greetings, "was signed by the following well- known Hongkong names.
-Friesland, Goosmann, Haupt, Heyde, Panzen, Katz, Lauts, Marchfelt, Melchers, Michaelsen, Rogge, Schell- hass, Schomburg.
Among the guests were Sir Henry May, K.C.M.G., and several of the Consuls. Com. modore Lyon was prevented from attending at the last moment. but was represented by his Secretary, Lieut. Blanchflower, Mr. H. P. White, Chairman of the Hongkong Club and many members of that institution were present.
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The celebrations were continued on Sunday by a picnic, for which the commodious river steamer Heungshan had been specially chartered
LICENSING OF PUBLIC HOUSES IN HONGKONG.
THE GOTHENBURG SYSTEM RECOMMENDED,
The following memorandum on the licensing of public houses in Hongkong was yesterday laid before the Legislative Council by command of His Excellency the Governor-
In 19 4 Government took into consideration a suggestion for improving the Public Houses of the Colony in introducing the Gothenburg System.
The system is briefly that public house licences should be transferred to a company, the shareholders in which should derive no profit from the sale of intoxicating liquors beyond a fixed percentage on the capital invested, while the actual managers of the public houses should be salaried persons having no share in the profit on the sale of intoxicating liquors. The Committee set out the object of the suggested syndicate and the manner in which the Public House should be managed by it as follows :-
The proceedings having opened with the loyal toasts, Mr. Becker, speaking in German, sketched the history of the Club. He said that the 28th November, 1859, German residents who had established them- selves in this distant British Colony, so far away from the Fatherland, decided on the formation of a Club in which they might feel themselves at home. The Club was started in a small way, at a time when the commerce of the Colony was in its infancy, and the German merchants had to battle against unfavourable trade conditions and an unhealthy climate. But energy and fortitude overcame these initial difficulties. The Club opened in a small house at Wanchai, but grew with the trade of the Colony, and after twelve years the small
In March, 1905, a Committee was appointed building was vacated for more commodious by Sir M. Nathan to consider the feasibility of premises in Wyndham Street, which the growing forming a syndicate to est blish, as an experi membership list necessitated. In these pre-ment, one Public House on this system. mises the Club existed for about thirty years, and there many happy hours were spent, and many festivities celebrated. German trade and shipping continued to grow and with them the German community and German interests. Consequently the membership roll and the financial stability of the Club Germania in- creased, and the premises in Wyndham Street lacked the necessary accommodation. Members then decided that it was desirable to have a Club House of their own, instead of renting a building, and thus came about the erection of the present Club-house, which was a work of considerable labour and heavy financial calls on members' purses. But their object was accomplished, and he thought they could be justly proud of their success. All The object is to promote the higher tem Club members were proud of their present perance by the conversion of the public house building, and they trusted that the Club from a drinking bar into a house of refresh Germania would continue to flourish. In ment for the supply of wholesome food and non- concluding, Herr Becker, speaking in En-alcoholic liquors as well as of beer and spirits glish, said:-Gentlemen,-I cannot let this The leading principle will be the elimina opportunity pass without thanking His Excellency the Governor and our other guests for having given us the honour and pleasure of their presence to-day at the celebration of our 50th anniversary. The members of the Club Germania have always been glad to welcome their English friends in their premises, and we trust that the friendship, and good feeling hitherto existing will continue in future. Members of the Club Germania, I
"It is proposed to form a Company to insti tute a Public House in Victoria which shall be managed on the principles adopted by the recently established Public House Trust Asso- ciations in England.
tion of the element of personal profit from the sale of alcoholic liquors. Accordingly the dividend payable on the capital subscribed will be limited to 8 per cent. per annum. Share holders will thus have a limited monetary in terest in the trade. All surplus profits will be applied to furthering the object of the Company by extending its sphere of action.
It is proposed to begin with one house only. It will be conducted as a refreshment house
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rather than as a mere drinking bar; food as well as non-intoxicating drinks, including tea, coffee and cocoa, will be as readily served to customers as beer or spirits: and the food and drink supplied will be of the best quality ob- tainable.
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will have no interest whatever in the profits The Manager will be paid a fixed salary. He arising from the sale of intoxicants, and will in consequence be under no inducement to push this part of the trade. On the other hand, he will be encouraged to promote the sale of food and non-intoxicants."
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Under date of the 20th April, 1905, they reported as follows:-
"We submit an estimate of the working for first year of a public house on the Gothenburg system.
The estimate of receipts may perhaps be somewhat low: on the other hand, the expen- diture will certainly not be less. The estimate is based on information of the working expenses of certain public houses in the Colony, and it must be remembered that when a man is working for himself he will manage more economically than when he is working as the paid servant of another.
We have, therefore, been forced to the con clusion that, without support in subscriptions and donations from the public, and in competi- tion with ordinary public houses, the Gothenburg house would not pay.
We have, therefore, to suggest the alternative methods set out in the enclosure hereto by which Government might improve the Public Houses in the Colony.
Of the three suggestions we favour the first with the addition of (a), (b) and (c) in suggestion No. 3 inserting words "or approved" between the words "from" and "Government" in (a).
(Signed) F. H. MAY.
C. P. CHATER, EDWARD OSBORNE..
Enclosure.
ALTERNATIVE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVING PUBLIC HOUSES IN HONGKONG, 1-(a.) Let Government take over the licens- ing of public houses and give notice to the pre- sent Licencees of Public Houses that after three years from next licensing date it will not renew. the existing licences.
(b.) Let it then reduce the number of licences to 10 (which gives about 1 for every 1,000 of the white population, including the Garrison), and issue these 1 to a Company to run the houses on the Gothenburg system; or
2. Let the Government only license a certain limited number of first-class houses at an in- creased fee for the sale of beer, wines and spirits as at present; and license another set at lower fees for the retail sale of beer only.
Let it at the same time alter a Grocer's Li-
cence so that sales may be limited to 3 bottles (instead of to 1 as at present); or
3. Let Government take over the licensing of all houses in place of having it in the hands of the Justices and reduce the number of
public houses, and at the same time impose new conditions on the remaining ones, e.g.
(a.) All liquor to be procured from Govern- ment;
(b.) Premises to be passed fit for use as a public house by Director of Public Works
and Medical Officer of Health;
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(c.) Licencees to be liable to immediate cancel- lation if drunkenness permitted
the premises.
* Not printed.
THE ARBITRATION BOARD.
The Board appointed by His Excellency the Governor to determine the amount of compensa- tion to be paid for the Government resumption of Kowloon Inland Lots 442 and 618 held a formal sitting at the Supreme Court on Friday. His Honour Mr. Justice Gompertz presided, and the Hon. Mr. P. N. H. Jones and Mr. R G. Shewan were also present.
Mr. F. B. L. Bowley, Crown Solicitor, ap- peared for the Crown, and Mr. P. M.-Hodgson (of Messrs. Ewens and Harston) appeared for the China Commercial Co., the owners of the lots in question.
The next sitting of the Board was fixed for January 5th.