1941-01-20 — Page 140

CHINA MAIL, PAGE 92

HONG KONG, CENTENARY NUMBER

1841

Cement THE Y.M.C.A. Began In

Industry

The Green Island Cement Co., Ltd., was founded towards the end of the last century and es- tablished its first cement making works at Macao, in Portuguese territory. in 1889. In 1899 the Company, which was always Bri- tish, extended its activities to the Crown Colony of Hong Kong and established in that year a battery of Aalborg kilns at Hok Un, in Kowloon, on the mainland of China situated in British terri- tory.

In 1904 and 1905 the Hong Kong plant was remodelled by The establishment of two early- type rotary kilns, working on the dry process, and these were dupli- cated shortly afterwards. These kilns were 87 feet long and the four still produce about 1.000 tons of clinker per week. In 1923 two of the Aalborg kilns were adapted to the mechanical-grate system, as an experiment to find if it was worth while modernising the other Aalborg kilns in the same way. Soon after this it was decided to establish an entirely new rotary plant, but when all the necessary investigations had been made and the preliminary plans prepared, a boycott and strike in Hong Kong in 1925 prevented further unme- date work. In 1926 the Aalborg kiln plant was demolished and the site prepared for a new polary. plant.

New Works

In 1929 the Company decided to build its

new works, and from that time the new plant began to

decided take shape. It was

to manufacture at least 100,000 tons of cement per annum with two new kilns and the grinding, crushing

ary

and

necessary mixing

machinery. In practice the output is found to exceed the guaranteed figure, and 100,000 tons of ordin- Portland cement can be manufactured in addition to 5,000 to 10,000 tons of rapid-hardening The new plant was sup- rement. plied

Messrs. by

Vickers- Armstrong, Ltd., and the works were completed in October, 1931, having taken sixteen months from the time the first foundation was put down until cement was pro- duced.

materials for the

raw

The manufacture of cement in Hong Kong are hard limestone and clay. The limestone comes from either the Canton districts or Haiphong, in French Indo-China, and as it is imported its cost is compara- tively high. A large stock of linestone is always kept at the works, sometimes amounting to 250,000 tons,

Wing On Co., Ltd

first The Wing On Co., Ltd., established in Sydney, Australia, under the name of Wing On Fruit Marchants with an original capital of £1,400, commenced business in Hong Kong in 1907 with a capital of $150,000 ̊and under the manage- ment of Mr. Philip Gockchin.

marked the Steady progress future of this Company, and to- day they are not only first class universal providers but they also handle insurance, banking and real estate.

The authorised capital of the Hend Once is now $4,000,000.

Gocklock,

Those who organised this com- pany in Australia, when it dealt in and exported Australian fruits and imported Chinese products, were Messrs. James who has been chairman of direc- tors ever since, Philip Gockchin, chief manager ever since, O'Young Man Hing, Leung Chong, Ma Joe Sing, Mark Shun Gee. Hing, O'Young Pun, Yung Taze Wing, Gock Quay, Pang Yung Kwan, William Gockson, Gock Chew and William Gock Young.

IT is difficult to realise, especial-

ly for those like Sir Henry Pollock, who have been connect- ed with European Y.M.C.A. since its birth in the Colony, that the Association had its beginnings 30 years ago.

The Association was first estab- lished on the top floor of Alexan- dra Building by the Rev. W. J. Southam, who was sent to the Co- lony as the representative of the International Committee of the Y.M.C.A. The organisation was, however, hampered by Inadequate accommodation and the dispersal of a considerable portion of its revenue in the form of rent, and when the plague in 1917 neces- sitated a change in quarters, it happened that the funds can- vassed for a building project by a Committee led by the late Sir Henry May had been sent to Eng- land and invested in War Bonds.

For a while, apparently, the As- sociation was moribund. Actually, a great deal of work was pro- ceeding behind the scenes and on January 21, 1924, the foundation stone of the handsome Y.M.C.A. establishment in Kowloon

-

No. 29 Des Voeux Road Central as a Club House for the 37 original members.

The object then, as now, was to educate young men to the Chris- tlan way of life. In those days, Christian converts were limited to men and women who had been to Europe or America or who were sons and daughters of the clergy and Christian workers or who were brought

in up

mission schools. The worship of the Em- peror was still fresh in the minds of the people and Christianity was much

'foreign' more

than it is to-day. Further, sport had not become the popular pas- time it is to-day. Nor did youth

take part very much In mass gatherings and social func- tions. In those easy, individualis- tic days, with the family and its needs absorbing almost all at- tention, it was no wonder that only 37 persons joined the new association.

To-day the membership is about 5.700. Many leading Christians in South China had their first con- tact of social life in the various It departments of the Y.M.C.A. was

laid by Sir Edward Stubbs, and the official opening, performed by Sir Cecil Clementi, took place in November, 1925. The West Wing and Swimming Pool were added in 1931.

The building contains 99 rooms for residents and there is a large section for the Services.

Chinese "Y"

THE Chinese Y.M.C.A.

was

founded in 1901 when the late Dr. Wan Man Kai, Mr. Tong Kai Sun and others rented a floor in

Philately

THE Hong Kong Philatelic So-

ciety was formed in 1921 by eleven Hong Kong Gentlemen, with Mr. H. W. Dick as its first President, Unfortunately Mr. Dick died in December 1921 and it is evident that the lack of his ener- getic activities was felt, as there is an entry in the Minutes of the General Meeting of September 1823 "that members be circularis- ed as to the advisability of con- tinuing the Society."

The Society has passed through To- a good many vicissitudes. wards the end of 1924 the ques- tion "to be or not to be?" again arose, After two attempts a Gen- eral Meeting was held at which the five members present elected themselves officers of the Society and reduced the entrance fee to $2 and the Subscription to $1 per annum at which figures they have remained.

The revival in interest was. short-lived however, and apart from a flash in the pan in 1920 little was done until 1935 when under the energetic Presidency of Mr. H. W. Hammond new rules were drawn up and the Society was placed on a more business- like footing. Under Mr. Ham- mond's worthy successors, Messrs.

Os.* Ohl, Sayers, Mitchell and borne, then back again to Mr. Pre- present Hammond (the sident) the. Society has now grown into a healthy youth of 19 years with a membership of 113, most of whom are active in support of the Society's activities.

Meetings are held on the last ~Thursday of each month in the Board-room of the South China Morning Post, to the management of which the Society owes a per- manent debt of gratitude.

The Society has held exhibl- tions annually since 1935 and in them the public has shown ‘a

has produced many fine sportsmen as well as leaders in thought and action in the social service of Hong Kong. It has done more than any other single institution in the Colony with a continuous history of over 35 years to give physical health as well as moral strength So to the youths of the colony. much has the work extended that in 1934 a Branch had to be opened in Kowloon. This Branch is now a flourishing scene of activity and many a future leader of China is now taking the first lessons in leadership within its walls.

Coincidence

Taikoo Club celebrate their 50th anniversary this year, and in this connection it is interesting to note that Mr. C. H. Summers, present Hon. Secretary, is the son of the first Hon. Secretary of that Club.

*

Mr. Summers, who attended as a pupil the opening of Kowloon remembers the British School, present Kowloon Cricket Club site the when it was a swamp and home of cranes, when Kowloon ended at Austin Road and when the Gripps was a billiard saloon.

A racing "miracle" occurred at the Valley some three years ago when two separate tickets each won two first prizes in Hong Kong Jockey Club's cash sweep on the same day.

**

✡

* *

*

When Hong Kong was taken over, allens were not allowed to The hold or deal in real estate.

Legislative Council, however, passed an Ordinance in 1853, making it lawful for alièns to hold and transfer real property.

*

XX ✰

The first cases of beri beri, which was previously unknown in Hong Kong

1854 occurred in when six Indian soldiers were stricken down.

10

A salt tax was instituted in

It 1844. Hong Kong in abolished in 1858, *

was

*

The first sitting of the Legis- lative Council took place on Janu- ary 11, 1844.

gratifying interest.

There is now no reason why the Society should not go`on from strength to strength with the con- tinued loyal support which the members have so generously given during recent years, ́

Matshed

The average person who to-day visits the firm of Lane, Crawford, Limited, will. And it hard to asso- ciate this modern shopping centre with a matshed on the harbour front of Hong Kong. Yet such was its humble beginning in 1850, when Messrs. Lane and Crawford established their business.

The project of founding the firm originated in the mind of Mr. Lane as early as 1848. The Colony was then only 7 years old and, Mr. Lane was the master of a sailing vessel trading to Hong Kong, but owing to the not unnatural diff- culty in those days of obtaining the necessary supplies for his ship, it was not until Mr. Lane next went home that he was able to put his project into operation and persuade his friend Mr. Craw- ford to become his partner in the new venture.

Once established, the firm grew apace and different departments were added as business improved.

By 1905 the firm boasted bran- ches in Shanghai, Yokohama and Kobe, branches that were later taken over by local managers and subsequently turned into limited liability companies. The Yoko- hama branch was destroyed in the earthquake of 1923.

The further progress of the firm was marked in 1905 by the giving up

of their premises between Queen's Road and Des Voeux Road Central and their establishment in more spacious accommodation in Royal Building, now known as Chung Tin Building. Here they remained until 1926, when a fur- ther move was made; this time to the present premises in Exchange Building.

From the time of their establish- ment, Messrs. Lane, Crawford, Ltd. have been very closely linked with the steady progress of the Colony, and there are records to show that on at least two occasions the Company has rendered splen- did service to the Government in times of emergency. It was the firm's bakery, for instance, that offered assistance when an attempt was made in the very early days to poison the troops, and in later years it was the firm's water-boats which brought the precious fluid, free of charge, from Kowloon Bay to keep the Colony provided with drinking water during the very severe drought some fifty odd years ago.

Sport

Sport in Hong Kong commenced soon after the occupation in 1841, when the present site of the Race Course was converted from a swamp into a flat stretch of land primarily for the exercising of the military horses but which soon used for gymkhanas.

was

as

Cricket was played on the pre- sent site of Hong Kong Cricket Club in 1851 and football was an almost regular feature at the Valley in 1864, although Hong Kong Football Club was not forin--- ed until 1886, when Rugby was first played out here. Swimming and rowing facilities were offered by Victoria Recreation Club early as 1872, and the third Club to be founded at Happy Valley was Craigengower Cricket Club, in 1894,

the To-day Hong Kong offers sportsman more opportunities than the probably anywhere else in world, including in its very form!- dable list Racing, Cricket,” Foot- ball, Rugby, Hockey, Golf - we have at Fanling possibly the best course east of Suez ---- Tennis, Badminton, Polo, Bowls, Baseball, Softball, Swimming, Yachting, Billiards, and Athletics and Box-. ing to a lesser degree.

1941