March 25th, 1922.]
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
6 p.m. The Government regretted its The Committee are pleased that the inability to interfere" but the Committee | Association has been of practical use to still felt that in the case of drugs ur- the residents of Kowloon during the
strike by attending to gently needed at night Kowloon was very recent
the ill provided for. Surely, it should not sale of meat, bread and milk at the be beyond the capabilities of the Govern- depot at the Kowloon Railway Station, ment (the Chairman remarked) to give a which was arranged by the Government, little more protection, if private enter and I take this opportunity to convey the Association's thanks to the many gentlemen who volunteered for the work.
prise fails to meet this real want.
The Committee has received many com- plaints as to the indifferent water supply during certain hours of the day and of! having to pay excess water charges for nothing more substantial than air re- gistered by the meters. An improvement had been promised by the Government in the course of the next four months; an additional main was to be laid in Tai- kooktsui Road.
A question which had exercised the minds of the Committee was the proxi- mity of the proposed Cemetery near Ho Mun Tin to the projected Kowloon Hos- pital. It was felt that it would be a pity if the Government opened up this parti- cular area as a cemetery and that the locality should be reserved for the erec tion of dwelling houses. Representations had been made to the authorities in this
sense.
DISCUSSION BY THE MEETING.
DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN PASSENGERS.
Mr. ANDERSON asked as to the conduct He said the of the motor 'bus service. 'buses did not seem to keep to scheduled times or routes; further, coolies in work- ing clothes, so long as they could afford to pay ten cents, were allowed to take It was objection- first class seats in cars. able to have people in very dirty clothes and smoking bad cigarettes sitting next to one on the 'buses.
The CHAIRMAN said that as regards routes and times the Association might be able to he'p by writing to the Company. but the eval 'sion of coolies would present If a man could pay a lot of d'f'en'ties. his ten cent he did not see how he could be prevented from riding.
Mr. G. P. CURRY agreed with the Chair- man and remarked that passengers could not very well be subjected to the scrutiny of some artist in dress before they were If people wished to allowed to travel.
take advantage of a very cheap method of transport they must put un with their neighbours on the 'buses. He would de- precate the Association raising such a quetion.
were then
The report and accounts no
adopted.
THE CEMETERY SITE.
FACILITIES FOR RECREATION.
Efforts to secure
Recreation A Ground in Kowloon had not, SO far, brought any result. An enquiry as to land for a football ground had been received and the incoming Committee would take up the matter with the Gov- ernment. Plenty of land was available and a small expenditure would provide a suitable field. In the matter of taxation, Kowloon was not given preferential treat- ment and, although Hongkong was better served in regard to open spaces near the town, that was no reason why the mistake should be repeated in the Peninsula. Land sales as a means of producing revenue should not be carried out to the extent of sacrificing
Mr. CURRY: I think we had better con- "lungs" of a growing town, and if money centrate on the cemetery,-the hospital Perhaps we must be found why not have recourse scheme being so far away. to a loan which is the usual expedient sha'l a'l he dead before it is settled. followed by every Government or Muni- The CHAIRMAN said that the Govern- cipality in the world to finance largement would not reconsider its decision on public works? The Chairman also sug- gested that a few thousand dollars in subsidies to military bands would result in a great boon to the residents of the Peninsula and the Island.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM.
the
The Chairman continued: Your Com- mittee have not lost sight of the Constitu- tional Reform question. At a time when a greater measure of self-government is being granted to other Crown Colonies, Hongkong seems to have been left far behind. Colonies of far less commercial importance, and greater military import- ance, if military importance be a dis- ability as has been alleged, have been granted popular forms of Goverment, and we trust the day is not far distant when the Colony of Hongkong will enjoy the same benefits.
The Chairman expressed the Com- mittee's deep regret at the death of the late Mr. E. J. Noronha; he could per- sonally testify to the great amount of work Mr. Noronha did for the Associa tion. He also recorded the resignation by Mr. W. Jackson of the office of hon. secretary and treasurer.
Mr. Jackson held the post from the inception of the Association; he was a hard worker and his place would be difficult to fill.
THE STRIKE.
The annual meeting having been post- poned in consequence of the strike, the Chairman was able to include the follow- ing reference to the Association's share in coping with the troubles of that period. He said:
The CHAIRMAN said they wou'd be glad to hear members' views with regard to the hospital question.
the cemetery question, but Mr. F. P. de V. SOARES said he thought the Govern- ment would move the cemetery.
Mr. T. W. ROBERTSON thought that the site of the cemetery-just behind King's Park-would make a very good recreation ground or building site. The cemetery should be miles further away.
Mr. W. J. STOKES agreed. Kowloon was expanding so fast that, in a very few years, the proposed cemetery site would be in the middle of the town.
Mr. SOARES: It is right in the centre of a town now.
Mr. STOKES: It is far more valuable as a building site.
The CHAIRMAN said that although the Government had absolutely declined to reconsider their decision he thought the views of the meeting should be communi- cated to the authorities, and this was agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN mentioned that there was a possibility of the Rents Ordinance being abrogated and the Association intended to take strong action in favour of its continuance,
Mr. R. E. GUNN asked if the Rents Ordinance was working hardship as the If so, landlords might be landlords. exrected to raise rents if the Ordinance was abrogated. The prime motive was to keep the landlords from raising the rents. If there was no darmer of the landlords raising rena the Ordinance was not hurt ing them but, addel Mr. Gunn. “if it is hurting them, we want it."(Laughter.) If the Government think the rent fixed by the Ordinance is the right return their landlords'
the Ordinance money should be continued indefinitely.
for
26
307
The CHAIRMAN said that the best test as to whether the Ordinance was needed was whether all houses were occupied. When some houses were empty the Ordinance might be abrogated. At present, although new buildings were going up, they were all occupied immediately. being made to the Government in favour of the continuance of the Ordinance.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
The meeting approved representations
others.
The election of officers was then pro- ceeded with. Mr. Hicks proposed that Mr. C. A. da Roza be appointed Presi- ent and remarked on the hard work that Mr. da Roza had put in as Vice President Acting-Secretary. Mr. JOHNSON and seconded and the resolution was carried with applause.
Mr. B. WYLIE was elected Vice-Presi- the motion of Mr. PURVES, dent on seconded by Mr. SHROFF.
The CHAIRMAN proposed that Mr. A. Mr. Morley be elected hon, secretary. Stokes seconded and it was carried. Mr.
F. P. Shroff was elected hon, treasurer.
The following were appointed to the committee: Dr. Thomas, Dr. H. Balean, the Rev. G. R. Lindsay, Messrs. T. A. Martin, A. G. Hewlet, A. Hicks, P. V. Botelho, J. Johnstone. R. Packham, J. Parsons, T. Petrie, S. Hidden, W. J. Stokes. F. P. de V. Soares, R. E. Gunn, D. A. Purves and J. E. Anderson
Per-
THE SERVANTS' PROBLEM. The CHAIRMAN mentioned that the notice convening the meeting announced that the servants' problem would come up for dis- cussion. He said there were many rumours, but nothing definite, as to the proposed attitude of the servants. sonally, he thought that what they heard were only rumours but it was best to be prepared and he invited members to ex- The Peak residente press their views. were forming an association very much on the lines of theirs, and, he believed, intended to take up the servant question. If so the K.R.A. should join forces, as this question affected the whole Colony, and no section could take independent action.
Mr. A. MORLEY thought that the time was inopportune; it would be better to "let things die down a bit." No good could be done by discussing the problem in public. As to paying servants during on strike, Mr. the period they went Morley suggested that this was purely afi individual matter. If servants had be- haved reasonably well, in leaving things in good order and coming back promptly, it was open to employers to pay them. He hoped the Association would not lend itself to anything in the nature of re- prisals. In some people's minds there was an idea that we should get our own back but the Association should be dis- crest in such a matter. The registration of servants had been found in Shanghai not to be workable because of solid The policy opposition by the servants. savoured of autocratic restriction and he did not think the Government would give its support. As far as he could see, the servant problem did not exist.
Mr. W. J. STOKES agreed. No attack had been made and, until it had been, the Association had nothing to act upon. Preparations could not made by a public meeting; it must be left to a committee.
The subject then dropped.
VOTES OF THANKS.
A vote of thanks to Mr. Robertson, who is shortly leaving the Colony on retire- ment, was proposed by the Chairman who said the Association was grateful to Mr. Thanks were also accorded to Robertson for many years of splendid the retiring President, Captain Wheeler, service. and to the Chairman for his work during the strike.
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