THE HONGKONG. TÈLEGRAPH,
TUESDAY.
AUGUST 16, 1927.
G. N. C. DEADLOCK CONTINUES. ANXIETY PREVAILS IN FATAL COLLAPSE. TRAFFIC SUMMONSES
GUILDS STATEMENT ON THE
BREAKDOWN.
SOME SHANGHAI COMMENT.
li
The CN.C. dispute continues ened at the cavalier attitude of blank so far as news from either the Company, had left or were of the parties is to be had, either making arrangements to leave as to the present condition of affairs or the likelihood of a settlement. A Shanghai paper states that the situation is practically the same as when the dispute started on June 30, and a local member of the Guild told a Telegraph representa tive this morning, "that just about sums it up."
.
R
CANTON.
EFFECT OF CHIANG KAI- SHER'S DOWNFALL.
IMPENDING RESIGNATIONS.
(Our Own Correspondent.).
Canton, Aug. 15. The situation. here is full of
nertainty consequent upon the
downfall of Marshal Chiang Kai- shek. It is rumoured that many officials connected with the Nan king group will now tender their resignations. Despite a previous denial, General Tang Yin-wah, Commissioner of Police, will give up his post, as he is a fol- lower of Marshal Chiang.
There are several civil officials Mr. Koo Ying-fan, Minister of who also desire to dult their jobs.
ment, who is in Canton, has ex-
SHANGHAI BUILDING BURIES HUNDREDS.
OVER 80 PEOPLE DEAD.
Shanghai, Aug. 10. With a roar which reverberated from end to end of the building
and within the space of two
011
HEARD.
QUESTIONS OF PARKING
AND SPEEDING.
TWO INTERESTING CASES.
Summonses for traffic offences were heard before Major C. Will
son this morning. There was an
unusually Jong list, besides a few cases which were adjourned from the previous week.
tion with his
minutes from the sound of the first snap of the timbers, the entire structure constituting the Dong Ka Wau market situated at
Mr. Edward Ho Tung was China. Accordingly, through the
the end of Rue Pere Froc, bor- charged with causing an obstruc good offices of n local business
doring Chinese
territory,
ear No. 2304 in man, Mr. H. T. Byrne, three in
collapsed yesterday morning kill Queen's Road Central. formal conferences were held on
ing 80 Chinese and injuring ap
An Indian policeman, who was July 30, August 2 and 4 between
proximately 300 others, Then patrol duty on August 3, state the Company's representatives
tragedy occurred when marketing that he saw the ear for about & and the Guilds, with Mr. Byrne as Chair
that has happened in the city for driver to appear, but eventually Secretaries of these
was at its height, and is the worst quarter of hour near the Asiatic
He waited building. nian. The main points at issue finance of the Nanking Govern many years outside the sphere of decided it would be better to copy pressed his intention to leave poli- war. The complete mystery which the number and take out a sum
collapse is even more battling in Wyndham Street after having view of the suddenness with copied the number, Mr. Ho Tung which it occurred and the strange ran up to him and asked what he manner in which the entire build- intended to do. He asked defen- ine tumbled to the ground in dant to produce is license but such a brief space of time.
which were discussed were:-
(a) The Agreement of 1916; (b) 10 per cent reduction of
Salary: (c) Reinstatement of all ranks.
Of "Doubtful Value."
Lam Wei-koi, who is a
trusted
ties. The Mayor of Canton, Mr supporter of Mr. Koo, may also Other officials closely connected with the Nanking faction are Messrs. Li Man-fan, Commission
follow suit.
er of Civil Affairs; Chen Yung.
surrounds the cause
of
the
mons.
for
the
As he was walking up
We were informed that except for the officers who had been paid off on the expiration of articles, as reported in these columns last Fri- day, there were no other such cases to report. These officers are still in Hongkong, but what their future plans are could not be ascertained. They have, it is believed. had the Regarding (a) it was eventual.
defendant refused to do so.. Suddenly and without the opportunity of joining local Chin-ngreed by both parties that a new
Mr. H. Leo, who appeared for the ese companies, but owing to the Agreement be entered into but as Commissioner of Justice; and slightest warning there was
defendant; stated that the mere car was left in. poor conditions under which work the Company still insisted on the Tseng Yang-po, Commissioner of crash at one end of the market; fact that the has to be carried out, and the sta- principle of "matual arbitration
Reconstruction. It is understood pieces of timber slipped away Queen's Road Central was not suf tus as compared with B. and it is extremely doubtful what value that these officials do not intend from their supports and cataract- ficient to prove that obstruction S., the opportunities have gone beg the new Agreement will be as a
to remain long in their respec-ed on to the unfortunate Chinese was caused. He quoted many medium for the mutual adjust-tive positions.
below: huge wooden uprights authorities to support his argu ging.
Our informant suid the Chinese ment of future major disputes in The military phase appears the tumbled to the ground bringing ment. His Worship, intimated that companies would take men, "if they view of the fact that the Company more important and interesting. with them the overhead beams, Mr. Lo had a case to answer and would work for $5 or $10 less, and still adheres to its attitude that No one seems to know the where-heavy iron and timber joists and that he would like to hear what they are not going to do it." "Any- they shall be the final arbiter in abouts of General Li Chai-sum, a deluge of jagged black tiles the defendant had to say. way," he added. "They're third any disagreement, and declines to the chief military figure here. From the roof. With a rapidity In the box, Mr. Ho Tung said class ships."
admit the suggestion of these Although the local papers are ab which prevented all but those that he proceeded to Queen's Rund The shins which were Jaki up in Guilds that such final arbiter shall solutely prohibited from publish fortunate few near the edge of the through Pedder Street. He tried Hongkong, are still here, we wore be a neutral party. However, the ing the movements of the General, building from making their escape to park his car in Pedder Street informed, some maining at Kow-Guilds agreed to the Company's it is learned from certain sources and jumping clear of the falling but there was no room. He saw loon Bag and the others at Taiko suggestion of a concilation board that he remains in Canton but ruins, section after section of the friend in Queen's Road and dockyaril
The Shantungin principle in spite of its dubious refuses to see any callers. structure crumpled up and crash- beckoned to him to look after the bound from Shanghai to Hongkong, safeguards, in the hope that the
Outwardly, General Li is main-ed to the ground pinning beneath car for a moment while he went has arrived with a scratch crew.
On Cuquits at the Company's Company, wond, in turn, recipro-taining a natural attitude on as the masses of timber and other to the Blue Bird shop to buy some of Chocolates. He was not away for offices we were informed that there este in the matters of the 10 per count of the presence of. 10,000 building materials hundreds
Cent, reduction and the reinstate-Chekiang troops in Kwaugtuig helpless market folk anë their more than three minutes at the ment of all ranks. Unhappily, the who owe allegianco to Marshal customers.
most. Company maintains its original Chiang Kai-shek. IIis subordin- attitude on the former point whilst ate Generals in Kwangtong are An official communication to with regard to the reinstatement Chin Ta-kwan, Ho Chup-ng, Wu Shipping and Engineering by question they persist in their fim, and certain officers of the W. B. Kirby, secretary, China Coast declaration of intention to penalise Whampoa Military Academy. Officers' Guild, and Mr. J. Watson,eertain master and chief engineer secretary, Marine Engineers Guild ranks, which cannot be agreed somewhat terise as some troops of China, gives fully the reasons by these Guilds, as to accept surbare influenced by seditionists who for the breakdown in the Shanghai discrimination would be a viola conference last week, as briefly tion of the constitution of both
The statement, Guilds enbled by Reuter:
provides for which is dated August 11, reads "reinstatement of all ranks with
The public bas, been made out prejudice." aware through previous state-
The desire of these Guilds then ments issued by these, Guilds of the dispute, which exists between endeavour to seek an hour the above Company and theseable way out of the present dead Guilds on the interpretation and Implication of drawn up between both parties in May, 1916..
was nothing new to report.
The Breakdown.
Agreement
question The Agreement in expressly provides for Arbitration as a medium for adjustment of disputes between the Company and these Guilds. and letters address-1 ed by the late Sie Everard Fraser to the Guilds previous to the signing of the Agreement clearly
which..
lock has been mullified by the arbitrary attitude of the Com- any and in consequence we are instructed by the members of these Cuilds to hand you the foregoing statement for publication.”
A Shanghai Comment,
In the course of a leading article it prior to receipt of the Guilds statement, Shipping and Bagineering, declares:
Unless
there is
radical *
The military position appears
In less than two minutes all that: was left of the building was a confusing pile of material over which a thick dust haze hovered
and beneath which human beings writhed and squirmed in frantie efforts to extricate themselves from horrible death. are taking opportunity to create crowd of people who had been in The large trouble.
Anxiety pervades the the vicinity of the market before whole city. Hongkong banknotes the catastrophe, and hundreds of are in great demand.
others who later gathered in sur ment on one point only no comprising manner, stood horrified at the tragedy which had been enact- ed before their very eyes, helpless promise,
and terrified, gazing mutely at ruin, others crying, moaning and running to and fro in feverish search for friends and relative.
It is more than serious: it is the first tragedy, tragedy of magnitude, the end of which is certainly uct yet in sight, and the effect of which probably neither the Guilds nor the Company can. visualise.
With all our advanced theories
teach masters and men what not
EfTorts At Rescue.
His Worship dismissed the aum- mons, saying that there appeared to be a conflict of evidence.
Speeding Charge Dismissed.
Mr. E. W. Somers, who was re- manded from last week on fore the Magistrate, charge of speeding, was next be- The police alleged that Mr. Somers took the bend near the Wong Nel Chong Police Station at a high speed and that he must have been travelling
least 25 to 30 miles per hour, which was dangerous.
At the previous hearing. Mr. Somers explained that he had a clear view of the road in front of him and the Magistrate expressed his desire to see the spot.
This morning the police brought the lorry driver into court to give evidence of Mr. Somer's speed. The lorry driver stated that the speed of Mr. Semers' car was at least twenty miles per hour.
In dismissing the defendant, Major Willson, said that, he had
show that the spirit and intention change in the attitude of hol to have been possible. That there slitute further. daniger, the crowd examined the focality and had ar-1
and existed since June 30 last.
both by
sides,
80
There is still no development in the dispute between the China Navigation Co. and its officers, and inquiries made yesterday afternoon of the Guilds and Messrs. Butter- field and Swire failed to elicit any further information beyond what is already known.
Reckless Driving.
The Indian ehauffeur of Car No. 1965 was summoned by Inspector Pitiful scenes were witnessed Cotton for reckless driving around during these rescuing operations the traffic post at the Star Ferry and it required the combined Wharf, Hongkong. efforts of the police and soldiers Inspector Cotton stated that he to keep the huge crowd from in- was in plain clothes on August 4, terfering with the work of rescue. at 8.25 p.m. At that time he was Ambulances were rushed to the standing near the Ferry Wharf scene from all parts of the French and a number of people were com- Concession and the Chinese Citying out of the wharf. The con- and the bodies of the victims who stable on post duty had signalled taken to a motor car te proceed along were beyond relief were away to the morgue or to several Connaught Road when suddenly adjoining houses where they re- the defendant's car took the bend at a high speed and dispersed the mained for ident!lication.
people who were just emerging (Continued on Page 14.)
Dead Discovered.
In less than two minutes 80 and learning, and with a thousand Chinese were dead and over 300 hastly examples in the past to others injured, some seriously and to ilu under certain conditions, others with but minor hurts, After the first shock and when it such a state of affairs as is con-
was realized that there was noth- vulsing British shipping on the China Const to-day ought never ing left of the building to con-
rived at the conclusion that Mr. of the Agreement was to prevent parties, the dispute between the will be a day of reckoning for maile every effort to save as many by recourse to Arbitration,
of the victims as were then alive, Somers had plenty of room to pass open breach between the parties in Navigation Company and its both sides is inevitable and un- such as has regrettably occurred masters and officers in 1927/-avoidable. Let us hope that that Police, soldiers and, hospital work- the lorry and that the read there will probably go down as,a major day is not too far distant and ers were soon busily engaged tear-was wide enough., lie did, not away the heavy timbers, think there was any danger in Mr On December 11, 1937, the industrial dispune in which, one that when eventually it does come ing
the dispute started the pub-to pass the bitterness which now shovelling away heaps of building Somers passing the lorry., China Navigation. Company in ali generally and thone not apparently envelops the trouble debris and dragging to safety communication to these Guilds directly concerned were given, will be interred fathoms deep in scores of Chinese who had been advised that "future arbitration
extremely the grave where it belongs."
pinned beneath but who were still must be by mutual conscnt." A a minimum of information as to
Latest Northern Position. alive. brief review of this declaration be utterly negligible and to conver
Commenting on the deadlock, the must convince anyone familiar to no one outside of the dispute North-Chine Daily News of last with the settlement of industrial the slightest information as to Saturday states: disputes, that "mutual arbitra what had transpired, was trans- tion, which is solely arbitration piring, or was likely to transpire at the option of one of the parties It must be admitted that in conflict, is emphatically not a couple of weeks ut so rien both the method which can inspire mutuel Guilds and the Company graciou confidence, a quality which mustly whispered to the world that dis- be present if the
relations beessions "had opened and were tween employer and employee are proceeding between the Guilds and to be such as will promote and the Company, but that it had been Asked if it was their intention to. further the best interests of both.agreed that no information of any reply to the statement by the Guilds kind should be given to the press;" which appeared yesterday, Messrs. "Optional" Arbitration.
and we can assure any who are Butterfield and Swire replied that The Guilds during the past ten in doubt that no information of it was not; and the only comment years have consistently refuted, any kind, apart from such thrill they would make way to the effect through the medium of correspon ing matters as the movements of that in the Guilds' statement there
of the three ships, and the like, has been dence, the contention Company for mutual or optional given. Day after day and week arbitration as such procedure is after week there came from both impossible of fulfilling the obli-partics the same bland answer t gations called for in modern methods of adjusting amicably, to the mutual satisfaction of two parties in conflict; any major dis- a wage question, pute, such as upon which divergent views exist between the parties.
that 16 deck and engineer officers Throughout the day the work of The Company however, insisted
who were in the service of the C.N.clearing the debris was carried that their decision must
Co. had left the China Coast, with along and large crowds of interest- 'accepted and as they, by this de-
no intention of returning, during ed spectators remained to watch claration, denied the Guilds' claim for arbitration as a peaceful But out of this all-pervading in- the last few days. All the vessels the efforts of the workers. The solution to the present dispute, clination and determination of of the company which were laid up dead, dying and injured were all the only method of protest avail- Guilds and Company to incarcerate at Swatow, and which were held up removed from the ruins before noon able to the Guilds, apart from the details of the progress of the by typhoon weather on their way but the task of removing timbers the prospect of endless and costly conflict in the domestic bosom, as to Shanghai, have now arrived and and other building material was many hours litigation, was the antiquated and it were, there is one vastly im-have been laid up together with the continued through
Skeleton services are still being last night. The police and Chin abhorrent strike weapon and in portant fact to be gleaned; and other ships of the company.
masters and one soldiers kept the crowds at a consequence approximately 90 per that is, that far from the situation
improving, it has, if anything, got maintained
from the cent. of the Company's foreign worée, with apparently as little officers who did not come out on convenient distance loating staff ceased work on June prospect of either side giving way strike, the Shantung being employ ruins by barricades and a cordon, in any of its contentions as of ed on the Hongkong run, the Tung- but this did not prevent many of On July 28, 1927 as no advances Peace and. Goodwill descending chow to Tientsin, and the Poyang, had up to that date been made by upon that portion of the Earth Tatung, Ngankin and Shasi on the the Company it was felt by those which is China. The trouble has Lower Yangtze service.
Generally speaking, the situation Guilds that some movement should now got beyond the stage of an or be incepted to endeavour to ex-dinary strike, say people what is practically the same na when the plore a path out of the existing they will: it has become an affair dispute started on June 30, and so deadlock as many of the Com-of attrition, solely ad simply; and far as can be gathered there is pany's former officers, disheart-with both sides wholly in agree not the slightest probability of an
carly settlement of the troubla."
30 last.
As heap after heap of rubbish had been one important omission was removed dead bodies were namely, any reference to the com- brought to view many of them in
review the pany's willingness to
# 'battered condition." Coolie situation quarterly and to pay back labour was brought to bear on the request for information: the ten per cent. at the end of each heavy timbers and struggled man- "There is nothing new to repert." quarter if the results of the quar-fully to save the lives of scores
And then, two or three days agter's working justified it.'
who lay pinned beneath. Broken The Guilds stated that there was arms, legs and bodics were found there came an insistent rumour, which slowly but surely trans- no news in addition to what had ul-on all sides and the owners were formed itself into news, that ready appeared, and that the officers quickly removed to hospitals for negotiations had broken down and were remaining firm. It was stated treatment. that no further discussions were beido take place for the time being..
"Situation Worse."
with
2
noon
and for
the after-
the poorer class santching up odd bundles of vegetables, fish and
anything edible, which caught their eye.
HOW MUCH DO YOU KNOW?
TO-DAY'S QUESTIONS.
The following general know- ledge paper has been taken from the Daily Express.
Anayers, for those who need them, will be found on Page 14 of this issue.
1. What great public school was
founded by an actor?
2. What is a nephoscope?
3. What was the name of the first
Look printed in English?
4. When and where wore. tramways Kirat introduced for passenpor traffic?
5. What is a minim
4. How much ground does the
Tower of London cover!
r. When were carpets first intra-
duced into England?
8. Why is Friday considered on
unlucky day?
9. What is mater
The catastrophe occurred at ro. What is a sol? about 8.15 o'clock at the height
of the marketing business and it
11.
was only the fact that many of 12.
(Continued on Page 15)
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