1931-02-27 — Page 1

Studebaker

The

Library, Supreme Court

MWih

THE SIX China Mail

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HONG KONG HOTEL

GARAGE

25, Queen's Road C. & at Stubbs Road.

The Hong Kong & Shangha! Hotels, Ltd.

No. 27,732

TRAMWAY COMPANY'S

BUS LOSSES

DISCOURAGING REPORT

UNIFIED CONTROL URGED FOR THE

A

KOWLOON SERVICES.

FRANCHISE SUGGESTED

At the annual meeting of the Hong Kong Tramways, Limited, held this morning in the Board room of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., Mr. A. B. Stewart, who took the chair, whilst sounding a more cheerful note as to the profits and traffic on the Company's trams during the year, regretted to report substantial losses on the bus services operated both in Hong Kong and Kowloon.

ESTABLISHED

1846

HONG KONG, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1931.

SECURITY OF CHINA

INDEMNITY BILL

Second Reading Passed by House of Lords.

OBJECT'S PRAISED.

LOCAL RACING SENSATION.

Cagayan Said to Be Australian Pony.

DEBARRED FROM THE DERBY

TO-DAY'S

DOLLAR — The

closing rate of the dollar on demand, to-day was 11d.

PRICE $3.00 Per Month.

PLOT TO RESTORE

CAPITALISM.

Counter-Revolutionaries to Stand Trial.

FINANCED ABROAD.

A SECRET 1.

An Irish Motorist thinks that the Dunlop Rubber Company possess a valuable secret. Road what he says:-

from practical experience

1 have been long since convinced that Danlop covers and tubes are the best made for cars, motor cycles and cycles. I say this from long experience."

"The Dunlop Company, I think, 'is Hke Guinness & Co. It has A manufacturing accrot, undiscovered by its competitors."

The Danlop Rabber Co., (China) Ltd. Pedder Bullding.

Telephone 24554.

STEAMBOAT COS

AFFAIRS.

Net Profit of Over $23,000.

LOSS ON MACAO RUN.

under:-

ITALY AND NAVAL

AGREEMENT.

Satisfactory Ending to Conference.

TRIUMPH OF DIPLOMACY.

London, Yesterday.

A local racing sensation of

Moscow, Yesterday. The report of the Board of The House of Lords to-day

first-class magnitude is in- Fourteen

Rome, Yesterday. members of the Directors of the Hong Kong, Can- Optimism prevails in connec- passed the second reading of the

directed in reports current to-Socialist organisation; the "Allton & Macao Steamboat Co., Ltd., tion with the speedy diplomacy China Indemnity Bill as by ar

day, that Cagayan, greatly Union Bureau of Central Com-to the ordinary annual meeting of carried on by "Mr. Henderson's rangement there will be no com-

favoured in some quarters ns mittees of Mensheviks," will shareholders to be held in the travelling conference." mittee

Signor or report stages

the potential winner of the stand trial in the Supreme Court ofice of the Company, on Thurs- Mussolini, of

accompanied by the Bill, which now awaits its Hong Kong Derby, has been on March 1, charged with counter-day, March 6, at 11 am, is as Signors Grandi and Sirianni, re- third reading.

discovered to be an Australian revolutionary activities.

colved Mr. Henderson and Mr. Lord Ponsonby paid a tribute to

pony, and as such is automati-| The organisation is alleged to The Directors have pleasure Alexander in the Pallazzo Venezia Lord Buxton and his signal ser-

cally disqualified from running have aimed at the restoration of in submitting the accompanying in the afternoon and discussed the vices in formulating lines on in the local classic.

the capitalist regime by means of statement of the Company's ac-draft naval agreement for an which various educational objects Cagayan, brought down from "wrecking" activities and foreign counts for the year ended Decem- hour. Mr. Henderson and Mr. ber 31, 1930. The net profit for Alexander were smiling when in China could best be stimulated, Shanghai for the meeting, open- intervention.

Lord Buxton said that the pro- ing to-morrow, had shown con- The indictment states that the the year, after deduction of inter- they left and arrangéd a sight- posals of the Bill fell short of the sistently good form in training. All-Union Bureau was organised est, repairs, depreciation, etc., seeing tour for to-morrow. This

1. The losses were particularly disturbing on the subsidiary Kai recommendations of the Advisory and had attracted the attention of in central economic institutions amounts to $22.395.67 which with is indicated as meaning that their Tack routes in Kowloon, where the deficit on the year's working was Committee, of which he is Chair- more than one "wise bird" over' and a number of counter-revolu- the amount brought forward from work is done and that the politi-

man, but the Committee cordially the rails,

tionary cella were financed by 1929 account, $19.123.10, gives an cal aspect of the negotiations has agreed to the conclusions reached The China Man is informed from; Mensheviks abroad and the in-amount of $41,518.77, which the been satisfactorily decided.

a most authoritative quarter that dustrial Party from funds sub- Directors recommend be carried technical side still remains, ani with the Chinese Government.

Lord Buxton concluded by pay-

the pony has been found to be of sidised by the German Social De-forward to next account.

experts worked furiously all day ing a tribute to his Chinese col- Australian origin, which would mocratic Party, the Second Inter- From the commencement of the long and start early to-morrow.— leagues on the Advisory Com-

rational, and the Paris Commer-year until the middle of May the Reuter. mittee.

cial Industrial Committee. All steamera were operated under the Banquet to Visitors, defendants are reported to have system of "farming" and from

Ragby, Yesterday. pleaded guilty-Reuter.

that date until June 30, they were, The Naval negotiations con- managed for the Company's ac- tinued throughout to-day in count by the former farmera. Rome. In the light of their re- A poll having been taken on June cent Faris conversations the For 24, ahowing a majority of 5,068 eign Secretary, Mr. Arthur votes in favour of the resolution Henderson, and the First Lord of Admiralty, Mr. A. V. submitted by certain shareholders at the the extraordinary meeting conven-Alexander, discussed the various ed on March 4, your Directors de-technical questions involved with cided as from July 1 to operate the Signor Grandi and Admiral. steamers under their own manage-Sirianni at the Palace Chigi for ment, and to this end a Chinese some hours.

over $47.000. The Chairman attributed this to a greatly increased price of petrol, augmented by the petrol tax, the increased seating accommodation tax, and the high charges on the service, due to the unfavourable rate of exchange.

TOO MANY

COMPANIES

compares very favourably with the majority of tramways I saw elsewhere. This particularly applies to the condition of the track and the appearance of the rolling stock."'

It was his opinion that it would never be economical or profitable, to run buses on the Hong Kong side alongside of the Company's trams. As regards Kowloon, the position was chaotic, with so many competing companies. He pleaded that the time had come As regards the operation of your for a system of unified control, to- company's. motor buses, however, gether with the grant of a fran- the report I have to make is not a chise of not less than twenty favourable one.

Loss On Buses.

•

Lord Ponsonby said that Lord Buxton's endorsement would give a blessing to the measure in China Reuter.

MOSCOW A SEPARATE ECONOMIC UNIT

Y

Produces 12 Per Cent of Total Production.

DISTINCT BUDGET. years, the grantees to have the After providing for depreciation

Moscow, Yesterday." option of running either trolley your motor-buses last your were run

The Regional Congress has de- vehicles or Diesel-engine buses, or at a loss of $21,665. As a well-cided to turn the City of Moscow both, if necessary, in conjunction known, these are ran in direct com- into an independent administra- with petrol buses.

petition with our tramers. Thore tive economic unit with a separ Mr. T. E. Pearce, seconding the is a parallel care in the much larger te budget and a separate execu- motion, asked for an early ex-city of Liverpool where the Cor- amination of the Kowloon traffic poration is reported to have lost that the population of the City is tive committee on the ground problem, so as to arrive at a £80,000 on the operation of its

The fol-3,000,000, and produces 12 per cheaper and better system of motor-buses last year,

duction.-Reuter.

Peninsula.

CHAIRMAN'S SPEECH.

The Chairman, in moving the adoption of the Report and ac- counts, said:-

and Railway World of November 1 is an interesting commentary on the position:-:

SILVER PROPOSALS.

*

Part Of Wider Problem Of Stabilisation.

London, Yesterday.

In the House of Commons at question time Mr. Philip Snowden stated that if any practical proposals for the stabilisation of silver were submitted by the interests concerned he would carefully consider, them but it seemed to be difficult to deal with silver effectively except as part of the wider problem of price stabilisation generally. ---Reuter.

CIVIL SERVANT MP. SUSPENDED.

Rises from Sick Bed to Question Chancellor,

SPEAKER DISOBEYED,

London, Yesterday.

The

mocager was appointed and the In the afternoon the British Mr. W. J. Brown, Labour left necessary compradore's staffs and Ministers discussed the Naval ac- winger and Secretary of the Civil Chinese branch offices' staffe en-cord project for an hour with Service Clerical Association, al-gaged.

Signor Mussolint when Signors though suffering from pleurisy. Adverse Exchange Effects.

Grandi and Sirianni were also pre- left his sick bed to attend the Had it not been for the adverse sent. It is anticipated that the House of Commons in order to rate of exchange ruling during the discussions will be continued to question Mr. Snowden in regard latter part of the year, which in-morrow, To-night Signor Grandi to othe cut in the bonus of Civil creased enormously the operating gave a banquet in honour of the Servants, operating on March 1, cost of the Company's steamers, the British visitors.-British Wire-

Dissatisfied with Mr. Snowden's results of the past year's working less Service. reply that he was simply carrying would have compared quite favour-

Earlier Report. out an agreement, Mr. Brown ably with thore of the previous

Rome, Yesterday. The British attempt to bring

+

transport for residents of the flowing extract from the Tramway/tent. of the total of Russian pro-appear to debar ita running at any pressed for a debate in spite of year.

of the races at the coming meet-warnings from the Speaker. He The comparative figures for the Italy into the full naval treaty be ing,

was named for disobeying the rul-Chinese freight and passenger gan in carncat at Chigi Palace at events in a state of obsolescence." that the owner, Mr. A. A. R. Snowden moved his suspension.

It is perhaps superfluous to add ings of the Chair, and Mr. business for the periods:

11 am. to-day, with a meeting be- It is true that they also say:-

(1) 1929 January-June (when tween Mr. lienderson and Mr. Botelho, naturally could not have "We are well aware that tram; the slightest inkling of the fact motion and the voting resulted:-

Left-wingers challenged the auch business was farmed out) and Alexander and the Foreign Minis- (2) 1930 January-June (when ter. Signor Gandhi, and the Navy cars still posscea certain advant-when he purchased the animal. ages over alternative forms of

from 11.30 to middle May such Minister, Admiral Sirianni.—Reu› road passenger transport. The was learned that an official state- Upon enquiry this morning; it

business was farmed out but there-ter. tractive effort of the tramcar is ment would

after until 30.8.30 was under farm- be forthcoming lower than in the case of vehicles "later" which tends to confirm

ers' management) show that Mr. Brown will thus. be sus- the receipts for the 1st period ex- propelled by internal combustion the correctness of the report repended for five days.Reuter.

ceeded those for the 2nd period by engines; they are comparatively ceived.

the sum of $18,086.58 for the Can-

In the chairman's speech Inst year you were told that receipts were less than in the previous! year by nearly three lakhs. On this occasion I can sound a more cheerful note. Not only are the traffic receipta up by over a lakh but-in spite of the serious de- cline in the value of the dollar- the gross working profit is up by nearly $28,000. The number of miles run-3,020,296—was the greatest in the history, of the company and the passengers car- ried (approximately 29,000,000) show an increase of about two millions on the previous year.

"Sir Thomas White declared that the tramways manager had not advocated the purchase cf omnibuses, which certain speak- ers had condemned; no had been overridden. It could not be too strongly insisted that omnibuses could never be made to pay while tramways were run at the pre- xent low fares, and no one had the temerity to propose an in- crease in tramway fares. In the course of a long discussion, Mr. F. C. Wilson, chairman of the quoted Tramways Committee, figures showing that omnibus fares In Liverpool were lower than in Merseyside and other boroughs and yet those other boroughs could not make thell omnibuses pay. Omnibuses, when run against tramways, would al- ways be run at a joss. Mr. Wilson cited a list of charges that had to be set against the revenue from omnibuses and con- cluded with an allusion to thosh

From the foregoing, it may rea-1 sonably be presumed that the year under review has witnessed a distinct turn of the tide and) that those "adverse factora" re- ferred to last year by my pre- decessor in this chair have large-bus ly disappeared.

engineers who are trying to "kid us" that they buses at a profit."

can run

the factors contributing most sub-

Apart from the above I have no In the opinion of your Board stantially towards these improv-particular knowledge of "Liverpool ed prospects are

But I do know that with the pre-

(a) The big work of fitting saloon Bent cost of tyres, petrol, etc., we top covers to all tramcars cannot, in Hong Kong, run buses at has now been completed. a profit along our tramway routes. (b) The reconstruction of the In the 'speech from this chair last

track between Arsenal Street year, Mr. Belth sild:- and Causeway Bay has also been completed.

"When I tell you it is estimated that had the 27,000,000 passeng- ers which Gur tramcars carried last year been carried at the sama fares by motor-buses' In- tead of tramcars not only should we not have had over seven Jakha. profit but we should not have made sufficient profit to pay any dividend at all,”

casy to drive, and hence to con- Should the report prove correct,

For Against

Majority

296

27

269

trol; and their high standard of as it almost certainly will, racing EXPLORING ARCTIC

acceleration

makes possible

and

deceleration fans will sympathise with the

appointment

a good average owner and jockey in what must speed. Electrically propelled have been a very grievous dis- tramcars eruplay energy which is obtained from home-produced fuel (an advantage which they share with

mecting.

Out of the Hunt/

OVERCAST:

OCEAN.

Sir H. Wilkins and His Jules Verne Craft.

SUBMARINE EYES."

#

BONUS BILL.

VETOED BY PRESIDENT

HOOVER.

[A Washington cablegram of

online and $20,963.30 for the Maro line. The comparative figures for the 1929 July-December period |

SUSTAINED BY HOUSE. (when such business was farmed [out) and for the 1930 July-Decem-

Washington, Yesterday. ber period (when the business was President Hoover has vetoed under the Company's own manage-the Soldiers' Bonus Bill but, in ment) show that, whilst the Com-view of the huge majorities by the railless trolley Cagayan; entered as a Chias vehicle), whereas motor omni- Pony, and bona fide Griffin, as

pany received $10,727.86 Jess which the Bill was passed in bath buses consume fuel most of which prescribed by the conditions of

in the Macao line when Houses, the House of Representa- the business has been imported.

managed tives forthwith decided to sustain New York, Yesterday. by the Company, it

received the measure.-Reuter's American "Provided that the vehicles and the Derby, will be unable to com-

The "eyes" of the submarine in $97,153.55 more in the Canton line Service. the permanent way are maintain-pete in the races for Australian

ponies, presumably, not having which Sir Hubert Wilkins will ex- during the period of the Company's ed in good condition tramcars

the Colony plore the Arctic Ocean and en-own management than the corres- February 20 stated-The Senate been imported into can be less noisy than motor under the conditions laid down deavour to reach the Pole have ponding period in 1929 when the has passed the Soldiers' Bonus omnibuses (though on the other for Australian pony races at the been tested and found satisfac business was farmed out. hand the noise emanating from a badly maintained system can be almost intolerable), and there are no offensive fumes. Contact be tween the smooth steel wheel and rail. and the absence of gear changing, tend to eliminate the vibration and jorkiness to which motor omnibuses ara subject. Tramcars are less liable to me chanical failures, though when s failure does occur many cars on the track may be affected, whilst an interruption of the power sup ply may disorganise the whole system. The average boating capacity of ramcars is sixty-one, while on the larger system the Beating capacity it about seventy- eight. In addition, they can carry a considerable proportion of standing passengers, and con- aequently are very useful at rush. hours," though recent develop ments in the seating capacity of omnibuses tend to equalise condi- tions in this respect.

They contain 6,000 watt

Bill, which has already received tory.

Canton Line. lamps of special glass capable of

the approval of the House of Re- Compared with the gross earn-presentatives, and which em- throwing a beam almost 100 miles in the air, but their radius inge of the previous year, the Can-powers "veterans" of the World under water is scarcely 100 feet. ton line showed a decrease of 5.2 per War holding adjusted compensa. Two will be mounted on the prow cent, for the first six months' work- tion certificaten to borrow from to enable the crew to see the ice ing but under our new manage the Government 50 per cent. of ment more favourable results, were their face value instead of 22% tongues extending from the sur- effected during the second half of per cent.. as at present. face ice. Another will be a mov-the year and an increase of 23:1 Mellon recently declared that the

So much of the old obsolete single track on the Shauki- ́ ́wan section has been doubled

that little more than: a mile) of single track remains, This enables us to operate a 4- minutes' service on this route a service which was physically impossible under No Betrayal of Passengers: the old single track, condi- I'should like to amplify' that tions.

statement and say that to contein- (d) The new township which is plate the substitution of trapicars red rapidly appearing on the by motor-buses in Hong Kong would Praya East Reclamation. De to betray not only the share- At this stage it is perhaps not out holders of, the Company but also

The Commission does not, how- of place to quote from the annual those passengers"; who - be

deal with the econom Bor report of the General Manager tween them--had more than 21, where he says: 000,000 rides last year, at only road transport and the necessity of "During my recent leave I in cents per trip and who are probably the lowest possible fares in large in- dustrial towns. If the Commis- spected number of City Tran- unable to pay a higher fare ion had said that tramways must sport Systems in Canada and That is my answer to the Royal way to other forms of trans Britain in addition to visiting Commission on Transport when port towns of poor or New York, Berlin and Cologne they say that medium traffe denalty one could and I am happy to say that the Tramways is not an obsolete Hong Kong Tramway, system form of transport

(Continued on Pegs 6.)

'at all

Ver

Slipped Up."

or even

To-day's weather report from the Royal Observatory. states:-

The anticyclone has weaken- ed alightly and is now central near Shanghai.

Fresh monsoon. prevails along the S.E. coast of China

and the N. China Sen.

Forecast? NE. winds; fresh generally overcast.

Rainfall

Rainfall for 24 hours ended at 10 a.m. to-day-nil. Rain- fall since January 1--0.87 Inch against an average of 8.04 Inches undefolt, 1. 2.17.

hes. inches,

Temperature... The temperature at certain specified centres this morning:

at 6 o'clock was

Hong Kong SA Macao Pratas Island Manila Foochow Chefoo Shangha

-58

able connection for divers' use.

Mr.

Sir Hubert Wilkins expects the per cent was recorded. Compared Bill would involve loan operations glow from the lamps to attract with the immediately preceding totalling £200,000,000 (G.$1,000,- marine life to the side of the sub-half-year, viz., January-June, 1930,000,000) in the next two years. marine, such as seals, polar bears, the ratio of Increase in earnings reto the Bill, but he will probably the result is even more striking President Hoover is expected to and walruses, besides fish. Reuter's American Service.

PILOT'S CALM LEAP

TO DEATH.

Switches Off Engine and

Jumps from 'Plane.

being 83.1 per cent.

gambe overridden by a two-thirds As regrds the loss of earnings on majority of Congress.] the Macao line of $10,727.86, It

should be pointed out that for shout

offer

themselves for re-

3 months during the period in question the Company had to com- ble, pete with increased opposition, Had election.

During the year the Hon. Mr. C. the business been farmed out, the farmers would have been entitled Gordon Mackle. Messrs. J. P. to substantial deductions In respect Warren, J. H., Littlo, J. M. Alves, of this increased opposition. If the R. E. Coxon, and A. B. Stewart re- amount deductible by the farmers signed from the Board and Sir was to be credited to the account, Robert Ho Tung, Mr. Li Tse-forg the result would have shown a pro- and Mc-M. Lo were elected as fit of approximately $9,772.14. Directors at the last onnual general The usual overhauls and repairs meeting, and the Hon. Mr. J. P. to Boma crashed at Bukana. The were effected to the Company's feet Braga and Mr. CA, da Roza werd fillot, evidently realising that a of steamers and are all In good invited to join the Board. " crash was inevitable, switched off running order.

PASSENGERS INJURED, Elizabethville, Belgian

Congo, Yesterday,

A weekly mail plane en route

his engine and jumped to death?

Five passengers and one mechanic

Directors.

NEONSN Apditors.

The accounts have been audited-

In accordance with the Articles by Mesars, Lluzbead and Davis and were injured but they were able of Association, Mr. R. K. Batchelor Messrs. Lowe, Bingham and Mat- to continue the journey in an- and Mr. Li Tss-fong retire from the "thewn, who offer themselves other aeropla Reuter.

Board by rotation, but, being, eligi- auditors for the present year.