CLAIM AGAINST HOTEL COMPANY.
PLAINTIFFS TO CALL MANY MORE WITNESSES.
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF EXPERT WITNESS ENDS AFTER FIVE DAYS.
An indication that there are still five witnesses who will giro evidence for the plaintiffs, making this part of the case last about another week, was given at the Supreme Court yesterday in the action brought by Messrs. Andersen, Meyer & Company against the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels, Ltd., to recover a sum of 395,000 due for installation of refrigerating and ice plants.
"
Mr. Hacker, the expert witness for the plaintiffs, spent his" fifth day in the witness-box.. His cross-examination concluded in the afternoon, when Mr. Eldon Potter expressed regret that the proceedings had been so lengthy.
DEFENCE TO CALL AN EXPERT.
Mr. H. G. Sheldon, instructed by; whatever payments the defendants, Messrs. Johnson, Stokes & Master, had made were entirely without is appearing for the plaintiffs. Mr. prejudice to their rights and that Eldon Potter, K. C.. with Mr. F. C. they were entitled, to 'set-off any Jenkin, are for the defendants. claims against them on the ground' that the plant was not working in a satisfactory manner according to the terins of the contract.
Rosuming the cross-examination of Mr. Hacker, it was put to him by Mr. Potter that as the amount of refrigeration provided in the con- tract was 40 tons, and withess had estimated the load on his calcula tions at '30 tons, there would be a reserve of ten tons.
il
Mr. Hacker replied that that was so in figures, but not in actual practice. They might get a little better transmission, which would give a little more load to provide for a margin of about six tons in- stead of ten tons,
Mutton Room Capacity. Mr. Potter: I put it to you that taking room No. 1, the mutton room, you could load in that room
Mr. Potter continued that Mr. Turner, their expert witness, had been three weeks in Hong Kong
HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 1930.
43
REHEARING NOT LOCAL GOLD RUSH. A VILLAGE FEUD.
GRANTED.
MAGISTRATE UPHOLDS FORMER DECISION.
ECHO OF HEALTH " BUREAU CASE,
An application was made to Mr. A. W. G. H. Grantham yesterday by Mr. E. S. C. Brooks, appearing on behalf of the Health House Washing and Disinfecting Bureau, that the case against Kwok Chau Sing, a former manager of the Hong Kong branch of the Bureau, be reheard.
WHOLESALE DISPOSAL OF PERSONAL ORNAMENTS.
STRANGE SIDELIGHT ON EXCHANGE SITUATION,
A rush to sell jewellery on the part of many Chinese residents in the Colony is one of the interesting delights of the present low ex- change on silver. Native gold- smiths and jewellers are doing a thriving business-not by selling golden ornamenta and jewellery, but by purchasing gold from their cus-
tomers.
POISONING OF DUCKS 'CAUSE OF QUARREL.
ACCUSED'S ATTEMPT TO PROVE AN ALIBL
Extradition proceedings against Tang Ying for the alleged murder of Tang Sik Kwan and Tse Sui Wong at Yuet Tong Village, Tung Koon District, on April 25, were con tinued before Mr. R. E. Lindsell at the Central Magistracy. Follow ing his submission that he was actually in Hong Kong on the date of the alleged outrage, the accused In Queen's Road West, between proceeded to tell the Court of the Awok, it will be recalled, was the old fire-station (now Ho Tung grave feud between two sections of discharged on Thursday on various Building) and the Ko Shing Theatre, the "Tang" family and the fatal counts of alleged embezzlement.
are found most of the native gold-consequences that followed. In dismissing the case, the Magis- amith shops in Hong Kong, and it trate had then observed that no
is to this district that most of the fraud had been shown by the pro-anxious sellers of golden ornaments secution and further opined that had now find their way. the complainant gone over the books with the defendant, it was possible that the charges would never have been brought into Court.
Mr. Brooks yesterday stated that the grounds for the application were (1) that the Magistrate's de cision was against the weight of evidence and (2) that further, evi- dence was available with regard to eight of the charges relating to 8520
and he wished to ask Mr. Sheldon and 892.50. how many more witnesses he would be calling. Mr. Sheldon replied that he had Ave witnesses, but their evidence would be short.
Mr. Potter: I am afraid that Mr. Turner will have to wait for another
week.
"
Con.
The Social Value of Jewellery, Until recently in all Chinese social circles it was considered that a woman or girl was very poverty stricken if she did not display some articles of jewellery on her person on all important occasions. sequently every woman, whatever her station in life, would have some jewellery in her possession-rings, bangles, bracelets, pendants, ear rings and hair ornaments-which they displayed on their persons when dressed" for an occasion; the amount of jewellery worn vary
Mr. Grantham: When did this further evidence become available ľ
Mr. Brooks: Only now, your Worship, because then we did apting according to the capacity of the know what the defence was going to be and so had no opportunity of calling this evidence,
Continuing, Mr. Brooks said:
Patience Not a Monopoly.
Mr. Sheldon: Patience is not the As I did hint at the commence- monopoly of the other side. Mr.ment, my client regards this case Hacker has been here about a
as very important ---. month.
Mr. Potter: I don't suppose Mr. ̈
Mr. Grantham: Thit has 110
Mr. F. C. E. Rendall, for the defence, stated that the defendant came to Hong Kong in September last year, since when he had been employed here as an odd job ecolic.. The man did not return to the village since then, and on the day of the alleged murder, he was actually employed in Hong Kong in delivering goods to a steamer.
Mr. Rendall added that three per- 109s would be called to give evi. dence supporting that statement.
Prisoner's Version.
The accused then gave evidence substantiating the point made by his solicitor. He explained that there had been some disagreement between his section of the Tang " family and that of the "Dik Yin " branch on account of one Tang Lok purse of the father or husband. Ching and his sons. He said that During the last few years the Tang Lok Ching became annoyed custom has been modified by the when witness father, received a higher and educated class of Chilease from the village of a piece nese, but is dying hard among the of ground used for rearing ducks. poorer classes.
Tang Lok Ching bad attempted to poison 20 ducks belonging to wit-
Because of certain acta of Tang called a meeting, which ended in & fight. In the mêlée that follow- ed, five men from Tang Lok Ching's section and one from witness' branch were killed. The dispute was eventually settled when 81,350 indemnity money was paid out by his section.
A Rush to Sell, It looks, however,
as if the lowes.
10,000 lbs. of fresh mutton -Not Hacker wants to get away. He tolt bearing at all on the decision. Be exchange on silver is going to deal Lok Ching, the defendant said he
muttan
hanging on the rails as "should be hung to be properly stored. You might load a great deal more than that by throwing it on the floor with the carcases
touching but then it would not be properly stored.
You would not agree to stacking it on the floor --No, not in a room
-like that.
Frozen mutton is stacked on the floor at times 1-Yes.
Why not on this floor?-Because the temperature at which you are holding it is 20 degrees and where it is stacked on the floor it is held at 15 degrees.
Why 1-Because you have to keep -it frozen harder. It is a different type of storage entirely to that con- templated here. In any case, you don't really stack it on the floor but
on dunnage.
ua. the other day that Hong Kong had one of the best climates in the world-I mean in the winter-and I don't suppose he would want to
go
away.
Anyway, Mr. Hacker would not like to go through the
Red Sen in July. (Laughter.).
Dealing with the question of leakage from the ammonia pipes, Mr. Potter remarked, "You don't need a policeman to tell you that
cause your client is very interested in the case does not mean that my
decision was wrong.
Mr. Brooks: My client employs several people like the defendant, in places of trust, and if they can put their hands in the till and help themselves to money and then come here and tell a story, the position of employers →→→
Not Buficient Ground.
a death-blow to the custom. In the district mentioned above the goldsmiths are surrounded by a con tinual flow of customers anxious to sell their gold ornaments at the high price in silver which they now command. Much of the jewellery now being sold to the goldsmiths had been purchased when the 'dis- parity between gold and silver was
Got so
terms of dollars Hong Kong dallara great and, calculated in -the price of gold has almost doubled within the last twelve months.
it is leaking. Mr. Hacker agreed | Mr. Grantham: How does that that there was a leakage in one of show that my decision is wrong?
Workmanship Ignored. the pipes, which was remedied, but It is not sufficient ground on which value the articles solely by the Jewellers buying these ornaments the leakage was not in the mutton to base an application for a rehear-weight of the gold they contain, room as a result of which the meating, and the ground of additional had to be removed.
evidence automatically fails.
In answer to another question, witness agreed that the four com- pressors could not work and, there- fore, the ice plant could not tura out 20,000 lbs. of ice a day.
Mr. Potter: The job was not I put it to you that we can pro- completely finished until June, 1999, perly store 17,600 lbs. against your 6,000 lbs. of frozen mutton and until then workmen were endea- vouring" to make the plant work efficiently 1-No, we had workmen only up to the end of March, 1929,
would say that you cannot in that
room.
I put it to you that the fair total load which we can "expect this plant to do, especially in view of the complete contract, including the emergency clause, is 47.45 tons 1-1 deny that.
Submission by Plaintifs. In the afternoon, Mr. Sheldon submitted that it had been put to the witness by Mr. Potter that the load was 47.45 tons, but no details had been given to show how this figure had been arrived at.
Coun.
They were constantly entering the rooms and it was impossible to run the plant as it should be run by reason of their presence --No,
You had some trouble with your Chinese workmen. They were poor lot 1-Yes, we had to go over a lot of work which the sub-can- fractors did.
As a matter of fact, the Hotel Company gave a lot of assistance to help you along ?—Yes..
You regarded the workmen as so sel said that he raised the point inefficient that at times you felt to as Mr. Backer, once be left the be thoroughly fed-up with the job? witness-box, would not have an-No, very frequently I felt to be opportunity of dealing with the fed-up with the bunch of workmen, and I would express it in stronger £gures
language.
"Mr. Potter: I was going to put it to you that the Court procedure must be observed.
Mr. Grantham: Yes.
Passing on to a later date, he said that members of the opposing sbots, from which he recovered. party attacked him and fired several They also robbed him of 510 ducks, and burnt his hut. Because of these losses, accused said, he received 8950 as compensation from the villagers.
men occurred.
occasion, when he and his brother Proceeding, he said that on one were at a creek looking after their paying no heed to fineness of work-ducks," a number of men fired at manship or uniqueness of design, and killed his brother. He himself and attaching so importance to the escaped, and shortly after came out Mr. Brooks: You refuse my ap age of the jewellery offered. In to Hong Kong, where he had since connection with the latter of these been staying. He did not return plication f
two phases, it is learned that quite to the village and was not present a good proportion of the jewellery when the alleged murder of the two now being so hastily disposed of indicates, by its age, that it must have once formed the marriage many years ago. Some very opondence, his Worship asked the dowry of women who were married fashioned bangles are finding their way to defendant if it was true that he the shops; apparently sentimental contemplated making an armed raid considerations have to be sacrificed on the cattle of his enemies in the village. The prisoner replied that it or financial grounds.
was his intention to do so, as he could not forget the murder of his brother.
The case was adjourned,
Mr. d'Almada: I was going to comment that the evidence referred the first instance and not reserved to should have been produced in
to be used as rehutting evidence. May I ask your Worship to give
certificate 1
Mr. Grantham: Do you require
it now t
Mr. d'Almada: Noy not in the
meantime.
な
We have no more trouble with the brine circulation in this plant than with any other new plant.
Referring to the plant at the Hong Kong Hotel, Mr. Potter asked if it was not true that the eight- ton compressor could not do the work contracted for and the four- ton compressor had to be also work. ed at times. Witness replied that he did not find any necessity for running the small compressor in the
summer... Tee
Witheas agreed that the eight-ton compressor was originally intended for the Feninsula Hotel, where the electric current was 60 cycles. It was brought across to the Hong Kong Hotel, where the current was 50 cycles. This was known at the time the transfer was made. Owing to the difference in the electric supply, the eight-ton compressor would be reduced to five-sixths of its capacity, or six and two-thirds tons.
hair ornaments and
It seems unnecessary to add that during the present rush some jewellers are making a handsome and occasionally unfair-profit out of "some of the deals, but the average Chinese is a shrewd man of business, and the weights and mea- Bures of the jewellers present no puzzling conundrum to him. In this business, however, as in every other, there are always some who affect a deep knowledge of the subject but in reality know little. These go
way satisfied, but victimised.
Th
YOUNG THIEF SENT TO
PRISON.
MOTOR OYCLE TOOLS THE CAUSE.
A Candid Reply. After perusal of certain corres
* LEAVING WITHOUT
PERMIT.
TRADING JUNK OWNERS
FINED..
At the Marine Court yesterday, the mistress of a trading junk was charged with leaving harbour dur. ing prohibited hours without first obtaining a permit. Defendant pleaded not guilty.
+
Sergt. Moreton, who prosecuted, said that at about 10 p.m: on June 15, he stopped the defendant's junk between Stonecutters and Ching Before Mr. T. 8. Whyte-Smith at Hue, after having followed her Kowloon Magistracy yesterday, a from the Central Fairway, The Chinese youth aged 18 was charged junk was then outside the harbour with the theft of four spanners, a limits.
This evidence was corroborated tyre lever and a screw driver fram
motor cycle owned by Mr. by the Chinese coxswain who was Griffiths, of 41, Humphreys Build-on duty on the launch at the time. ings, Kowloon.
Defendant said that she was not Détective Bergeant Humphreys leaving the harbour limita She stated that the articles were taken was merely proceeding to Cheung- from the cycle when it was parked ahawan, and the flow of the car- outside the owner's house on Friday rent then made it imperative for A detective was com- her to go a little beyond the har afternoon. municated with, and he proceeded bour limits in order to get to her
where be found the leg and effected. His work to a marine store dealer's shop, destination.
Worship: Do you expect. Witness agreed that that was in This site Werenu kad bent and y contention.
articles for 15 cents.
A fine of 850 or one month's im This closed the cross-examination. Mr Sheldon pointed out that his re examination would be short, and the Court adjourned until this morne ing.
Mr. Potter said that the calcula tions of the defence would be proved by Mr. Turner, their expert witness. He pointed out that the plaintiffs, Alleged Faulty Work. on their part, bad not provided
Anawering other questions, Mr. any figures, and what had been ob- Hacker did not agree that two com tained only came out in the cross- pressors got out of alignment owing examination of Br. Hacker. Coun- to the wooden wedges sinking.
After a reference to steel con He also could not agree that locally- sel said that Mr. Sheldon could made pipes were, badly made. The denser tubes, Mr. Potter asked if cross-examine the expert witness pipes were clumsy in appearance, witneas still maintained that if Mr. but they wero wall made. They did. Brearley's representations had been for the defence on the figures."
not have any trouble with locally lived up to, and other points, such At Mr. Sheldon's request, his raade pipes, though the fitters hadas tampering with the valves and Lordship, made a note and in agenda top-long, did not matter Lordship made a note of the sub- spoiled the threads of some of the leaving the top of the ice plant Inission, dung tut ALER
Mr Potter: And the plant had had said he would consider the to be shut down for several hours
matter.
at a time in order to attend to these matters --No, the only time we stopped the plant was when we had to connect it to the ice plant. (Continued at foot of next column).
Dealing with a remark made by Mr. Sheldon that the onus was on the defence, Mr. Potter said that
In addressing the boy, Mr. Whyte-prisonment was imposed, and the Smith said: Well, you are only same sentence was passed on Chan 18 years of age, and you got two You Tung, the master of another months last year. Five months' trading junk, who pleaded guilty hard labour.??
to a similar charge
POWELL'S
10, Ice House Street.
A large assortment of Gentlemen's
FOOTWEAR
has just been unpacked.
We have now one of the most comprehen- sive stocks in the Colony of
BRITISH FOOTWEAR.
In addition to our well-known "Bective" "Keltic" and "Fitwell " makes we have introduced another in the "Dome" Brand.
With these four lines-which are stocked in all sizes and fittings, we can fit almost any foot to perfection.
"Fitwell" Shoes Prices "Dome
$16.50
12
"
"
$19.50
"
B
$23.50
**
$29.50
"Keltic
"Bective"
J
Less 10% Discount for Cash. Call and let us demonstrate them to you; there is no obligation on your part to purchase.
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by the CELESTE OCIET
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SPORTS DEPT.