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abated, from a visit to Kowloon in the afternoon and from the first reports I had received from the Harbour and Police Departments on the effects of the storm I had no doubt that it was necessary to open a relief fund at once. After discussing the matter with 20 Chinese gentlemen Directors of the Tung Wa Hospital and of the Po Leung Kuk and Members of the District Watchmen Committee and sub- sequently with my Executive Council on the 19th September I appointed a large and representative Relief Committee with Sir Paul Chater, C.M.G., as Chairman, Mr. H. E. R. Hunter, Acting Chief Manager of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation as Honorary Treasurer, the Honourable Mr. E. A. Hewett, Superintendent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company as Honorary Secretary, and various influential European and Chinese gentlemen as Members. In announcing the starting of a relief fund and the formation of this Committee to the Legislative Council on the following day I proposed that the Council should vote to the fund a sum equal to that obtained from private subscriptions, and suggested that the Relief Committee should consider a scheme for lending money on security but without interest to the former owners of native craft to