1913-06-20 — Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE

THE HONGKONG LAND INVEST- "MENT & AGENCY CO., LTD.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE HONGKONG

-**DALLY PRESs.")

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, FRIDAY, JUNE 20TH, 1918.

tion of a dollars a foot, works out at a value of $1.718,532, showing, no doubt, a handsome profit in the Reclamation Co., us we notice From the Reclamation Co.'s

SUPREME COURT:

Thursday, 19th Juuje,

betamura, JURISDICTION=-

DAVIES, KC.).

parents were deprived of heirs to their family to carry on the ancestral worship of their family, which was an important element in Chinese heliefs. Proceeding, Mr. Hodgson stated that a robbery tock. place in the Pun Yu distries in March

their parents, being discovered, two months later in the house occupied by the prisoners at Yanmati.

accounts that their property stands in at BEFORE THE CHIEF JUSTICE (SIR W. Rees and the two children were stolen from 8943,002.82 only! We submit that if the property was good enough for the new Company to buy, it was good enough for the old Company to keen.

The operations of the Reclamation Com-square feet, which, at the owner's valua- pang have so far been confined to the Kowloon side of the Harbour in carrying Got the large reclamation at Karlac Point which it acquired in 1902 from the Government at Public Auction at a cost of $451,000 and upon the reclaiming of London, May 29th, 1013 which it expended a sum of over $250,000. Dean Sis.--I beg to enclose for the Some part of the land thus reclaimed was information of Far Eastern shareholders sold two years later to Messrs. Butterfield in the Hongkong, Land Invraiment Com- & Swire, but the large area remaining pany copies of correspondence which has from which no income of any sort was rate of Crown Reut in addition to the loss of interest upon capital remained in

THE ADDUCTION CASE The case in which a Chinese men and The paragraph in your letter which woman were charged with abducting 4. says that the Reclamation Co has not girl under 16 years of age and the man

was also charged with defiling her was

passed between some of the Home Shara-derived and which had to carry a high with the Investment Co." does not cover continued

-holders in that Company and The

Secretary.

My letter to the Company dated 6th the Company's possession until 1909, when a part was sold to the Government and the balance until June last year-a situa tion which. I think you will agree would

March, 1913. 2-Their reply dated 31st March, 1013. 3.-Joint letter signed by various Home

Shareholders.

4.My covering letter to No. 4.

I ain

Yours faithfully,

G. STEWART.

have been too burdensome for the Land Company-to-carry.

and does not compete in land transactions

the important question of future competi- tion which is forcahndowed by the statement made by the Chairman of the Reclamation Co. at their last general meeting: -- ..

"That they carried forward a large sus of money so as to purchase properties il such be offering."

Σ

If the Beclamation Co. had been Company ad hoc to deal with one specite area of Land and then be wound up, we would only be in the position of regret ting that we bad so little share in the profits, but now that the profits, instead ofcheing divided, are going to be used to purchase properties," an entirely new position has arisen.

The Reclamation Company has not and It will not work out to the ultimate benefit of Hongkong if an uneasy feeling does not compete in land transaction with should prevail at Home with regard to this Company, and the enormous profits Company management in the Colony-to which you refer have been derived solely from the sale of the Kowloon Point Reclamation, a work which, as already pointed out, it would have been impossible for the land l'amping to undertake

It has for many years been apparent without heavy borrowing or increase-of

that Kowloon with its Railway possibili‹ capital.

The answer to your enquiries is as ties, offers one of the best fields for land operations in the Colony, and it is a field which The Land Investment Co. must be in a position to take the fullest advantage of, if the errors and disappointments of the past are to be redeemed..

Secretary,

[Copy.]

Hongkong Land Investment & Agency

Cu. Honghong.

0th March, 1913. DEAR SIR,--1 notice from the Press that in the report of The Hongkong Land Reclamation Company the following reinark was made by the Chairman-

"While the year's working shows the satisfactory profit of $667,892.49 voor Directors have decided to only pay the usual dividend of 7 per cent. on the paid up capital and earry forward the remainder so as to purchase proporties if such be offering."

To shareholders In The Land Invest ment Co. this is an interesting but ominous arouncement, as we are face to face with a powerful-rival in land operations under the management of some of our own Directors.

On 1st February, 1900, in reply to a remark by Mr. Pollock, our Chairman repudiated the possibility of such a position arising-then as now our Chair- man of both Companies.

There is no ambiguity about the policy of The Reclamation Co. to-day; they are frankly storing up their funds to compete against us in property operations, and one naturally reflects upon the ill-success of our own Company in cutting such a sorry figure in its Land operations when our younger rival can show such enormous profits and still have 429,083 square fect of land in Yaumati to dispose of!

I shall be obliged if you will be good enough to inform me of the amounts we have paid since the commencement of this century :---

1. For Managing Directors' Fees and

Directera Fees.

2.--And also of the area we disposed of when we seld Kosioon Marine Lot 49 to the Reclamation Co. and the prior we obtained for it. 3.--1 would she be grateful if you could tell me approximately the value of this property to-day or of similar property in the same neighbourhood. 4....I would alko esteem it a favour if you

would let me know whether we have

had any other Land transactions with The Reclamation Co. and if so what they have been.

follows:-

1. The amount

Managing paid its Directors' Fees for the yorgs 1900-1912 incisive is $458,745.17 and for

Directors' Fees $97,500. 2-The area disposed of when the Land

Our chief disappointment is naturally Company sold to the Reclamation

a drop in the dividend from 12 dollars Company Kowloon Marine Lot 49 was 165,000 square feet and the price was

per share to 7 dollars per share, although, $2.50 per foot Subsequent to the as your letter aduits, we have paid to nequisition by the Reclamation Cons our managing directors since the begin pany of this property, they extended. the lot by purchases from the Governing of this century $158,745.17 and to ment and the reclaiming at consider our other directors $97,500; or a total of Able cost of an area of 204,639 square 8556,245.17, and we would also point out fees, which now gives them the area of that we have secured but little, if any, larul in Yaumati, to dispose of to which addition to pur deserve funds out of earn

inge.

voit refer

It is difficult to state the value of this property fo-day Init the price asked by the owners is $4 per square-feet-

4.The Reclamation Compung has had Another transaction in land with this Company

1 forward under warate enver the latest list of shareholders made up on 27th January

The Directors of the Reclamation Coin pag are all also upon the Directorate of this Company-Youre faithfully,

(Sgd.) MOWBRAY S. NORTHCOTE.

Acting Secretary.

III.

Whitebolme,

Hoylake,

Cheshire. Temporarily at

6, Lower Sloane Street,

London. To the Secretary,

Hongkong Land Investment Co.,

Hongkong.

DEAR SIR, I have submitted your letter of 31st March to several of our Home shareholders, one of whoin in his reply. makes the following comment:"I am struck by the fact that the Secretary's letter of 31st March is a laboured defence of a rival concern."

I beg to enclose a joint reply in finentially signed, which will show you that Home shareholders in the Land Investment Co. feel they have good reason to complain of their position vis-a-vis the Reclamation Co.

In order to let. Eastern shareholders 5.I would also be obliget if you would know of the correspondence, I am send- kindly send me the last Hist of Sharing it to the papers, Meantime might hollers in the Land Investment Co. and a memo. of the names of those I ask you to be so good as to send me directors who sit on our Board and a copy of our "Articles of Association," and if you could obtain for me a copy of on the Board of the Reclamation Co.

the Articles of Association of the Reclama- tion Co. I would esteem it a favour. There is, of course, an additional alterna- tive to the two proposals in the joint letter, but it is one which the shareholders

I trust you will excuse the trouble I am putting you to, but as Home Shareholders cannot attend the meetings of the Co. it is the only way I can get the information. -1 am,

Yours faithfully,

(Spd.) GERSHOM STEWART.

IL

Hongkong, 31st March, 1913. Gershom Stewart, Esq., M.P.,

Whiteholme,

Hoylake,

Cheshire.

DEAR SIR,I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 6th March.

in the Reclamation. Co can alone settle. and that is, that they might divide up their handsome profit of about one and a half million dollars and wind up the Company and so let the old Company proceed on its course with a úrst call on the knowledge and influence of its own directors. Yours faithfully,

(Signed.) G. STEWART.

IV;

Landon, May 28th, 1913. the Secretary,

Hongkong Land Investment and

Agency Co., Hongkong.

The Hongkong Land Reclamation Com-To pany, which was incorporated in 1902, was formed for the purpose of undertaking

We contend that, in view of figures of this magnitude, we are entitled to claim that our managing directors and directors ought not to assist in the management

and direction of the Reclamation Co. now

At the close of a lengthy hearing, the jury retired to consider their verdist. On returning the icreman (Mr. Worcester) intimated that the jury had difficulty in arrivng at a verdict. They again retired, and eventually returned a verdict of guilty on one count against both prisoners. His Lordship passed sentence of two years imprisonment on each.

** NOLLE PROSEQUI,"

The Attorney-General informed his Lordship that with regard to the charge of embezzlement against a man named S. R. Josephs that he had entered a mile

prosequi.

The jury, after hearing the evidence, returned a verdict of guilty against both prisoners. The first. prisoner WOY sentenced to five years' hard labour and 12 strokes of the birch, and the second defendant was sentenced to five yeärs imprisonment.

THE SERVANT QUESTION,

HOW REGISTRATION WORKS. IN CEVLOS.

INTIMATIONS.

"E HAVE SO MUCH A special correspondent, writing to the Englishman from Colombo, says;-One of

confidence in our Coffee the consolations of European life in because we kuow the extreme Ceylon is the comparative efficiency of ervants. How far this efficiency can be thought and care that go into the attributed to the system of registration

The which was introduced in the year 1871 is making of every pound.

question which affords scope fer dif- walchful selection of berries, the ference of cpinion, but it is certain that the Registration Ordinance is far from thorough double cleaning, the being a failure. This Ordinance makes it perfect blend and the exact compulsory on every employer to register every domestic servant in bis employ, the roasting combine to give you term domestic servant' comprising ayahs, bungalow servants, cooks, couch such deliciousness as, we believe, no other Coffee has ever attained.

"LOTUS" COFFEE.

horse-keepers and garden and house THE "TAI ON PIRACY.

es, and it is also obligatory on overy A Chinese named Ip Cho was charged person catering domestic service to get on three counts with being concerned in himself registered. The Registrar of Ser vants has to satisfy himaclf of the charac the piratical attack on the British stennerter of the servants before registering him Tai: On on April 2nd. He pleaded not and on doing so gives him a pocket guilty. The Hon. Mr. J: A, S. Rucknil, K.C., Attorney-General, instructed by Mr. Crown G. A. Woodcock, Assistant Solicitor, conducted the cave for the prosecntion.

The following juny was empanelled:- Messrs. R. A. Drude, H. R. Barcos, A. Walmsley, V. 4. Piuna, B. P. Thomas, A. R. Unelmann, and K. Laring

The Attorney-General stated that the prisoner was charged with assisting in piracy, receiving property knowing it to have been stolen by pirates, and being in possession of articles knowing them to The accused was have been stolen arrested on 4th April, at Younati, carry. ing a bundle which contained money and a watch and chain which belonged to Miss that that Company has started a fund to Dunk, a lady missionary, who was robbed deal in properties, as it appears to us in the piratical attack on the as. Tai On impossible for members of our Board, the The man's feet were covered with scratches, bulk of whom are also on the Board of which the prosecution suggested were the Reclamation Co., to adopt and main received while walking, after the ship tain an attitude which will be perfectly was beached, through the oyster beds to impartial and fair to both companies. the shore. But, besides, the man admitted The position as it stands is one which that he knew the articles were stolen but especially affects Home shareholders, who, that he was taking them to the sweetheart according to the last printed list of share. | of a man who asked him to do 30. holders, represent more than half the shares in the Company, and who are unable to attend meetings and express their views.

May we venture to suggest two alterna tives to meet the present state of affairs:-

1.-Either that our directors should elect which Company they prefer to seive on and retire from the other,

Or That the two companies should be

His Lordship raised the question of jurisdiction...........

The Attorney General submitted authority to prove that the Court had power to deal with an offence committed on a British ship on the high ceas.

Evidence of identification of the watch was given.

Prisoner was eventually convicted of amalgamated by the Land Co. issuing being concerned in the piracy, and was sufficient new capital to take over the assets of the Reclamation Co. at a fair valuation.

It is only by sone such policy that the! objections of Home shareholders to the present arrangements in regard to the managemeat and direction of the two com- panies can be removed. We are, dear Sir, Yours faithfully, JAMES ROSS ANTON.

W. N. BAIN. S. G. BIRD. R. H. BRUCE, N. J. Ena W. R. EDWARDS

O, T. EDWARDS. R. M. GRAY. SYDNEY HANCOCK. WILLIAM HARTIGAN J. H. HUNT. CHANTREY INCHBALD.

A. B. JOHNSON.

ROBERT MITCHELL. H. H. NELSON. WM. PARLANE. CLEMENT PAlser,

G. W. F. PLAYFAIR. I. F. REECE. R. L. RICHARDSON, GERBHOM STEWART. WM. WOTTON. D. WARNER. ALFRED T. MAGGER.

sentenced to ten years' penal servitude.

BEFORE HIS HONOUR THE Puise Judge (MR. JUSTICE KEMP)

GANG ROBBERY.

неге

Fung Kau was charged with robbery by two or more persons at Shaukiwan on May 12th. Prisoner pleaded not guilty, and the following jurors sworn-Messrs. J. Waldros (foreman), IL G. Rodrigues, B. A. Stanford, McDougall, H. G. J. Schmidt, B. Spittles and H. Hartean.

was

|

gister or book which contains his thomb mark, any body or tattoo marks, a general description, his age, names of his parents. and his town or village. On engaging the servant, the employer takes possession of the book or register and enters in it the date and capacity in which the seryant is engaged, and on the servant leaving, he returns it to him with remarks in the columna provided for the purpose as to his character and competency and the reason for the termination of his service.

If a servant absconds, the book is returned to the Registrar.

OBTAINABLE EVERYWHERE.

H. RUTTONJEE & SON,

.

14, QUEEN'S ROAD Contrai

HOWARD

131

WATCHES

THE AMERICAN WATCH

OF FINEST QUALITY AND HIGH PRECISION.

"VALUE OF ORDINANCE. The statement that the Ach has been a failure is probably based on the fact that compulsion to register servants has never been enforced. This, however, is entirely due to the remissness of the authorition, who from the first declined to take the. Ordinance seriously and have never made any real attempt to enforce its provisiona As far as it imposes any obligations on employers. This negligence, far from heing evidence of failure, only serves to emphasise the inherent virtues of the Ordi nabee, because, despite the fact that the prosecution of an employer for neglecting anheard of, it is very doubtful whether, if to register persons in his employ is almost a canvas were made of all the Europeans in Ceylon more than five per cent. would be found whose servants are not re gistered. This is due firstly to a general | recognition by. Europeans of the utility of the arrangement legalised by the Ordi- nance, and secondly to the fact that servants realise the value of having a goud "book" as the pocket register is usually called, and take

and take good care that they get of any kind in Ceylon has precious little chance of employment un- less he can produce bis "book. This THE PRICE OF THE HOWARD is the first thing which applicants for situations are asked for, and when, as not

WATCH 18 FIXED infrequently happens, they offer excuse for not being in possession of one, have absconded from their former em. it is taken for granted that either they ployer or the latter has endorsed their book in such a manner that no sensible person would dream of taking the owner into his service.

servant.

ADVANTAGE OF POCKET REGISTER.

Д.П

It must, of course, be remembered that the pocket register is not so easily forged or exchanged as ordinary testimonials that take the form of letters, which are practically valueness owing to the case with which a servant can change his name, The register contains the thumb mark and a full description of the owner, including

There are fre A. birth and tattoo marks. Jquent prosecutions for forgeries in books in the courts and undoubtedly there is a certain amount of traffic in this article, but an employer who allows a servant to palm of another person's book on him is wilfully negligent and deserves to be victimised. These facts make it clear that the registration system can by no means be said to have entirely failed to achieve the purpose aimed at, though it has chiefly, owing to the supineness of the authorities. not realised all that would be expected of it. The idea was to place all the servante under the control of the police, who are empowered to examine the book of the Registrar and call for a servant's register at any time they wish to do so. As a matter of fact, the police have displayed little or no interest in those matters, and assisted thent. to any great extent in it cannot be said that registration has tracing thieving servants.

The Crown Solicitor (Mr. P. M. Hodg- son) informed the jury that although this a simple ease. it was rather an important one. On May 12th a junk was lying at Shankiwan. The crow, with the

ADJUSTED FOr TemperatuER AND POSITIONS.

AT THE FACTORY.

Write or Bend for Catalogue

to

THE SOLE AGENTS:

Chs. J. Gaupp

OUR

& Co.,

ALEXANDRA BUILDINGS.

STUDY

OF

CHATER ROAD,

KISSING AT BAILWAY STATIONS.exception of one man, were ashore, when four men boarded her and attacked the A decree has recently been issued by man on board. They tied him up, gagged the Bavarian State Railways forbidding kissing on their railway system. The him, stole some $96 and got clear away. New York Central Railway Company has The man on board was eventually released for some time, past been troubled with | by a woman from another boat, and the problem of dealing with passengers reported the matter to the police. Two and their friends who wish to bid the days later the man who was gagged was an affectionate Farewell. Although the directors have not the power to forbid er ashore at Shaukiyan, where he met the penalise kissing, they are building now prisoner, who, he says, was one of the mes

DIFFERENT TYPES OF HERVANTS. in connection with every new station a who gagged him.

Natives and Burghers recruit servants He stopped the "Eissing gallery," an elevated platform

whom they know and are much better able where passengers are requested to take prisoner and invited him on board the to enquire into their antecedents than leave of their friends, and where kissing junk, saying, "If you don't come I shall Europeans, so they have little need for They employ can be done to the heart's content and give you in charge to the police." The testimonials or registers. to the limits of endurance. In this way prisoner went aboard. It might seem a practically a different type of servant THE EYE- the railway authorities hope to prevent somewhat curious thing that the than was from Europeans, and there is little inter- wealthy the platforms becoming congested by coerced to go aboard the junk. However, change of servants between travellers saying good-bye and kissing. he stayed on board till the next day, natives and Europeans, simply because natives employing servants rarely speak One of the Parisian railway companies when he was given in charge.

English, whereas, different from India, works to which it was deemed inexpedient Dean Sin, Your letter of March 21st last year promulgated a by-law by which Evidence was then called, to commit the Land Investment Company has been submited to us by Mr. Gershomkissing was added to the list of things After hearing the evidence, the in Colombo it is very exceptional for

stand a sentence-in the vernacular. for the reason that such works involved Stewart and, although the statement banned, and an engaged couple who returned a verdic: of not guilty, Europeans to be able to utter or under.

SERVANTS SUING MASTERS, the locking up for several years of a giving the reasons why the shareholders persisted in defying the regulation found prisoner was discharged.

themselves haled before the stationmaster,

The usefulness of the system has been Targor amount of capital than the Land in the Land Investment Co. were not and only escaped prosecution by promis

With regard to Li On, who stood menaced to some extent by dismissed ser- for defamation Company could well afford at that time offered pro rate the shares in the Reclama-ing to conform with the regulation.

vants taking action The physicians of Milwaukee, also last charged with robbery at Shaukiwan on against employers who had made un so to invest in view of the heavy expendition Co. cannot from our point of view ture of capital required for the complo-be considered convincing, still it is rather year prepared a bill to be submitted to the 12th May, Mr. P. M. Hodgson said favourable comments in their registers, tion of its large buildings in the Central with the future than with the past that sion of kissing on the ground of the of not guilty was returned by the jury result in the law being charged to meet

the Legislature for the absolute suppres the Crowd offered no evidence. A verdict but such cases have invariably failed.

they succeeded, it would in all probability district, and in view of the amount likely we wish to deal, and therefore with regard practice being a menace to health.

the case, as there would undoubtedly be a The ancient Romans knew a good deal and the prisoner was discharged to be required for its share in the Praya to the past we content ourselves with

about kissing. They catalogued and

big outery among the European com pointing out that the one transaction East Reclamation scheme thea under

classified the kiss, and provided each Leung Sing and Li Yee were chargedmunity if anything happened that vitally

the Reclamation Co, seeINS - to have

doubtedly proved to be exceedingly useful. sculum was the mark of friendship, from Chinese territory and brought to There is at present a tendency to revive Company might in a measure benefit by eventuated much to the advantage of the and the "besium" implied affection.

the portal clauses of the Ordinance, and the Reclamation Company's operations it latter. After paying us $2.50 per foot for These were given on the forehead and Hongkong. acquired 2,000 shares in the latter Com- 165,000 square feet, and, after reclaiming checks respectively, but the "suarium,' Mr. Hodgson, in opening, stated that there have been one or two prosecutions

or kiss of love, was pany from which since 1968 it has received 281,603 square feet, the Reclamation Co. lips.

reserved for the the offence of detaining these two male of employers, where it has been revealed in the course of other cases that a servant children was more serious than if they has been employed without being re- a steady 7 per cent. income.

now finds itself in the possession of 499,633 }

had been female children, because the gistered.

ACQUITTED.

DETAINING CHİLDEIN,

jury and

consideration; but in order that the Land / Which the Investment Co. has had with variety with its appropriate name. The with, detaining two male children stolen injured the registration which has nc-

and its anatomy and our long experience in curresting defective vision enable us to tell beyond doubt if your eyes will be benefited by wearing glasses.

"Our method of testing is-scientific and accurate. If you do not need glasses we will tell you so. If you do need glasses we can supply and fit them at extremely moderate prices.

MAKE CERTAIN

WE WILL TELL YOU.

ARK & Co.

@LARK

TIFIC OPTICIANS

CHATER RO MONGRONG