1941-01-20 — Page 80

CHINA MAIL, PAGE 32

HONG KONG CENTENARY NUMBER

1841

Hong Kongs

Kong's Grand Old

HAVING been privileged to see

some 79 of the hundred years of Hong Kong's history, I may perhaps be qualified to give an outline of some of the changes which have taken place since the days of my youth. It was sixty- one years ago that I first joined Jardine's, and became their Com- pradore in 1890.

Let me begin by describing what Hong Kong looked like in or about the year 1885. The Peak could boast of hardly more than a few houses. The Peak Tramway was nut even thought of. The mid- levels were then struggling to at- tract residents, May Road being but a footpath. and Caine Road considered fairly high up. it was there that stood the luxurl- ous houses of The Hon. Mr. E, R. Belilios, Sir Hormusjee Mody, and Sir Paul Chater. These houses were surrounded by spacious gar- dens, and were the scene of lavish entertainments.

Jardine's Site

Turning to the city of Victoria, few buildings had more than two stories, Jardine's used to occupy the plot of land stretching from the present Banque de l'Indo- Chine to the old Praya, the water- front then being Des Voeux Road, and their back door, to which came towboats to deposit their cargoes, was where the present Bank or Canton stands. All the part covering the Post Office, Con- naught and Chater Roads, only came into being later by process of reclamation. Queen's Road was the leading street in those days, and the centre of the City had a clock tower which served also as a watch tower from which fire alarms were given, Wellington, Shelley, and D'Aguilar Streets formed the busy city area, decked with residential bungalows, which also served as offices. The present Central Market was the site of the P&O Office, the King's thea- tre that of the old Hong Kong Club

house, while the China Building stands on the site of the former Supreme Court.

Maze of Footpaths

In those days there was no seat of higher learning, and the pre- sent University area was maze of footpaths

The among trees, leading educational institution was the Central School, now Queen's College. I used to attend this, having to be at school by 6 in the morning in summer, and half past six in winter. When I was there, Dr. Frederick Stewart was the Headmaster, a man who has left an indelible mark not only on several generations of Hong Kong's leading Chinese, but on the Colony as a whole. He rose to be Colonial Secretary, and Officer Administering the Government, and died as he lived, modestly and quietly in 1889.

There were few public works of importance in those early days. The Tytam reservoir had yet to be built, and Hong Kong drew its water supply from a small reser- voir

near the Pokfulam Police Station, Near this spot stood the "Douglas Castle," their popular as the resort for honeymoon couples.

None Could Dream®.

As for Kowloon, none would have dreamt that it could be what it is to-day. There was no such thing as Nathan Road, and Kow- loon City was still part of the Chinese Empire 'with a Mandarin actively in control. Shamshulpo was a modest village with many thatched cottages to identify its existence. The railway only came many years later. Indeed, there were no motor cars or rickshaws when I was young, the latter only

!

of

Sir Robert Ho Tung, who recently celebrated his 79th birth- day. He is noted for his many benefactions in the cause education and charity. Since the outbreak of war he has loan- ed the British Government £100,000 free of interest and pre- sented the Hong Kong Naval Volunteer Force with the vessel now their headquarters, H.M.S. Cornflower.

arriving in about the year 1879. The most popular means of trans- portation were the sedan chair and the horse carriage. I still re- collect vividly the very impres~ sive manner in which Mr. Wil- Jardine's liam Keswick,' one of talpans, used to arrive at his of- fice every morning punctually at 9.30 a.m. in his horse carriage driven by two uniformed Indians. In those days the only industrial undertakings of note were the Hong Kong & Whampoa Dook Co., the China Sugar Refinery, and the Hong Kong & China Gas Co., and later

and on the Taikoo Docks Sugar Co. and the Green Island Cement Co. Hong Kong was much more so than now a centre for the passage of goods than their manufacture.

in

Young Miss China

One of the most marked changes

the course of the last two generations has of course beca Young Miss China, while all the men of my young days wore-pig- tails. I well remember how awk- ward it seemed to be without this feminine adornment when we had our hair "bobbed" for the first time some thirty years ago.

About the administration of the Colony, in those pioneer days the problem of government was а very great one. Communication by sea with England took almost three months, there was no elec- tricity (a side line on this being the historic white punkahs every- where used in the hot weather) no telephones, no typewriters even to oil the machinery, of Govern- . ment. Misunderstandings were naturally frequent between Gov- ernment officials and the mer- chant community on such ques- tions as land tenure, overcrowd- ing, sanitation, etc., and the Gov- ernment was Itself divided on many points. But time ironed out these difficulties to bring to fruit the efficient administration of to- day.

Brilliant Men

During these last hundred years, brilliant cadets and Governors, men such as Lord Lugard, en- gineers like Sir Mathew Nathan, read builders such as Sir Francis May, have spent the best part of their life in creating out of this barren rock, a city which has be- come one of the largest and busi- est in the world. And to the present prosperity the Chinese citizens have also played a great part both in public service and in contribution to the Colony's re- venue. We form 97% of the Co- Jony's population. Some of the noteworthy names are Dr. Wu Ting Fan, the first Chinese mem- ber of the Council, and his succes-

Man

Reminiscences

by Sir

ROBERT HO TUNG

given in a broad- cast from ZBW lost night during the special Centenary

programme

sor Mr. Wong Shin who was fol- lowed by Dr. (later Sir) Kai Ho Kai and Sir Bosan Wei Yuk, Sir Kai had the distinction of being both a Doctor of Medicine, and practising Barrister-at-law. Of the later Chinese representatives I need not make mention as they are well known to this generation.

I must have omitted many note- worthy names and events in the life of this island, but if the ghosts of Captain Elliot or even Sir Henry Blake were here to- night to look round this colony, they would be at a loss for words to express their surprise at the -progress which Hong Kong has made. I am sure, were I permit- ted to return to Hong Kong in a hundred years' time, I could not find, comparatively speaking more changes on the face of this island than during the last two genera- tions.

May this island prosper, and

contribute to the wealth and hop- piness of all who live and trade in

it.

The Alice Memorial

Welfare movements started the Colony Mr. H. W. early in Davis, partner in the firm of Davis Brothers, established himself in the Colony and with the assis- tance of Dr. William Young and Mr. J. C. Edge, was responsible for the formation of a Medical Mission Committee in 1871, for the poor Chinese at Tai Ping Shan. This Committee later blossomed into the Alice Memorial Hospital, which was built in 1872, through the untiring efforts of Mr. Davis.

Anglo-Chinese Cooperation

(Continued from Page 30)

ment of the health and fitness of the community, and in the bet- terment of the conditions of life of the people.

On the business side, the de- velopment of industry seems to be the most important of all fu- ture cooperative enterprises. It

is possible that few of my hearers may have realised to the full how many and how great are the speci- al advantages avaliable to Hong Kong as an industrial centre; but the time allotted to me permits the mention of only a few of these. The geographical position of Hong Kong affords ready access to large and growing markets. Banking and financial organisations, built on solid foundations, and ripe in experience and knowledge, arc at our service. Moreover, there is always here an inexhaustible supply of efficient and relatively low-priced labour, which is an asset of the greatest value! Above all,

is, Hong Kong free from recurrent political, and consequential...・・・ economic, disturbances, and enjoys the be-

nefits of a stable government which affords to all peace-and se- curity.

It would be neither possible nor appropriate, in this brief review, to consider the steps which could be taken to inaugurate such an expansion, Suffice it for me to say this: the natural advantages are there, the money is there; the workers are there, and the spirit of enterprise is as strong as ever. The Government, I know, prepared to give to industry every facility and encouragement. remains for the enterprising go ahead.

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In this task, the cooperation of other sections of the community will, of course, be necessary as it has been in the past; but the Bri- tish and the Chinese will turally play the major and deter- mining role. Fortified":

the knowledge of what has been. achieved by these two peoples in the hundred years that - have passed, I look to their future co- operation in the years to come, with high hope and abiding con- fidence.

1941