1913-12-15 — Page 2

A.

INTIMATIONS

S. WATSON

& CO., LTD.,

ESTABLISHED 72 YEARS.

WINE & SPIRIT MERCHANTS.

supply and demand.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, MONDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, 1913.

The inference from the fact that landlords are able to command at the present day donble the rent paid for the same houses ten years ago is that the housing accommodation, in spite of all the building activity is the Colony during recent years, ie still inadequate to the demand. In hundreds of cases the higher rents are being paid at the expense of a great lowering of the standard of comfort. In other words, they are obtainable only by overcrowding the houses, an evil which exists to an extent unka wa before in the history of the Colony, notwithstanding that some fourteen or fifteen years ago a Special Commissioner sent out from Home to advise on the sanitary conditions of the Colony reported the conditions as regards overcrowding hore to be unequalled in any city of the United Kingdom. It is an evil not confined to the Chinese: the conditions under which a very large section of the Portuguese community are compelled to live in Hongkong are a discredit to the Colony. It was this, we believe, which led Mr. MONTAGUE EDE ROme eighteen months or mors, ago to prepare a acheme for creating a Portuguesa city the back of on the high ground at Wongneicheong. A site was selected, the purchase price arranged, a large number VERY SUPERIOR OLD PORT WITH of members of the Portuguese community

HIGH-CLASS WINES.

2

WATSON'S

D. PORT

STYLE AND CHARACTER.

WATSON'S

D.

Per Dozen $29.80

SHERRY

SUPERIOR PALE DRY.

Por Dezen $24,30

These Wines are specially recommended, being of Superior Vintage, Old, and thoroughly matured and in the condition.

A. S. WATSON & CO.. LIMITED,

ALEXANDRA BUILDINGS.

123

BIRTH. LAND-At 108A, The Peak, on the 14th December, the wife of A. O. LANG, a

[1:56 daughter,

DEATHS. PANO-On December 7th, at Shanghai, PAUL ALEXANDER, only child, of Mr. and Mrs. FANO, aged three months.

at KREUTZIGER.On December 6th,

Shenghai, Jonn E. M. F. KREUTZIGER, aged 53 years.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT, Mts. BROTHERTON HARKER and Mr. and,

Mrs. FRANK AUSTIN wish to express their sincere thanks for the many expressions of sympathy shown to them in their sad bereavement and for the beautiful floral tributes.

(1425

HONGBONG OFFICE: 101, Dee Veux ROAD C. LONDON OFFICE: 131, FLEET STREET, E.C.

The Daily Press:

HONGKONG, DECEMBER 15TH, 1913.

A LETTER We publish to-day draws attention once more to the question of the high cost of living in Hongkong, caused primarily by the high rentals charged for house property. Though one particular block of houses is gamed in the letter, we need not say that the grievance is a general one

TELEGRAMS. TELEGRAMS. TELEGRAMS.

(THROUGH ROTER'STAGENCY.] THE HOME RULE CRISIS.

INFORMAL INTERCHANGE CE. VIRWS.

LONDON, December 13th

It is stated that as informal exchange of views on the Home Bule question occurred at a meeting of two Cabinet Ministers and two prominent members of the Opposition. Subsequently a letter was drafted and communicated to Mr. Asquith and Mr. Bonar Law.

It is stated in political circles that the preliminaries to conversations ou Home Rule have taken place with the view to a more definite exchange of views before

Christams.

There are seizures of small consigawcuts of arms to Irish ports almost daily.

MR. CHURCHILL AND THE NAVY LEAGUE.

FIRST-LUND AND PARTISAN SPEECHER."

LONDON, December 13k.

He-men--

[THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.] THE SITUATION IN MEXICO. REBELS ENTER. DRITISH CONSULATE.

JUAREZ, December 13th.

In the absence of the British Consul, the Rebels entered the Consulate at Chihuahua and sized and imprisoned the refugee son

from whom they demanded a ransom of of Senor Terraza, a great land-owner,

$250,000,

The Rebels on the Consul's retura, refused to allow an appeal to the British Minister at Mexico City.

THE FIGHTING AT TAMPICO,

MEXICO CITY, December 13th. The American Admiral Fletcher has ordbred the combatants at Tampico to cease firing, and threatened to open fire from his warship if they disobeyed. Both parties complied with the order.

Admiral Fletctor ordered the foreigners to go on board the warships or to con gregate on the water front, where they would be protected by big gads.;

WASHINGTON, December 13th: Rear-Admiral Fletcher reports that all the British, American, and German vessels at Tampico are filled with refugees. There are still many foreigners ashore.

Tampico to foreigners,

and

THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.] SOUTH LANARKSHIRE BYE-ELECTION,

ANOTHER UNIONIST DAIN.

LORDOX, December 14th. The result of the South Lanarkshire bye-election is as follows

Watson. (Conservative)...... 4,207 4,006 Morton (Liberal) Gibb (Labour) ......

1,67-4

231

Unionist Majority.

At the last election, when there was no Labour candidate, the Liberal majority was 1,198.]

THE SUFFRAGETTE LEADER.

LONDON, December 14th, Mrs. Pankhurst, the Suffragette leader, who was conveyed to France a day or two ago, has now returned to London,

THE AUSTRALIAN POLÍTICAL. DIFFICULTY.

SYDNEY, December 11th. The second ballets resulted in the return of 46 Labour répreséntatives and 27 Liberals. There are five outstanding elections. The Labour party thus have working majority,

NEWSPAPERS AND CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY.

a

have

THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF INDO-CHINA,

of

ARRIVAL IN HONGKONG.

His Excellency the Governor-General Indo-China, M. Albort Sarraut, arrived at Hongkong yesterday on board the flagship Montealm. ̧·

for The following programme reception has been arranged :—

Monday, 8 a.10.-Salute of 21 guns from Montcalm.. Salute of 21 guns from Battery, Kowloon.

9.45 a.m.-H. E. M. Albert Sarraut will land at Blake Pier and be received with a Guard of Honour of 100 2nd Battalion D.C.L.I., with Regimental Colour and He will Band and salute of 17 guris. proceed to Government House,

10 ...E. Rear Admiral Callech de Kerillis will land at Blake Pier and be received with a Guard of Honour of 50 2nd Battalion D.C.L.I.,, with. Regi-y inental Colour and Band and salute of 13 gans. He will prpeved to Governinent. House.

10.15

H.E. M. Sarraut wH proceed to the French Consulate:

10.45 a.m.-H. E. the Officer Administer- ing the Government will return 11.E. M. Sarraut's call at the French Consulate.

11 a...E. Vice-Adusiral. Férram, CB, H.E. Major-General F. H. Kelly. C.B., and Commodore R.-H. Anstruther. C.M.G., will call on H, E. M. Batrant at the French Consulate.

11.30a.m.-H. E. the Officer Administer- ing the Government will return .E. Rear Admiral de Kerillis' call on a Montcalm,

From 11.30 to 12.30-H.E. M. Sarraut will return calls.

LONDON, December 13th. The English newspapers

1,30 p.m.-H.E. M. Sarrant and 11.E. naanimously decided not to publish on Rear Admiral de Kerillis will go to Christmas Day: from

Mr. Winston Churchill'declined" an Bigaified their eagerness to join in the invitation of the Navy League to attend scheme-but, for some reason or other, ita luncheon in honour of the officers of still bangs fire. We believe the explanation the warship Are Zealand on the ground is that the Government has been insisting that the recent speeches at Navy League on conditions which are deemed by the dinners to which he had been invited had

Orders have been sent to General Bliss promoters fatal to the successful initiation of

heen of a partisan character: the scheme. We are insufficiently informed

embark Americans on the matter to express any opinion on the tigned particularly the speech of Lord at Galveston to send a transport to paint, but we are glad to observe that the Selborne on the 31st October. Government has of late shown that it is not unwilling to encourage schemes of this nature-qu ́terms, however, which hardly admit of the Government being credited with a spirit of sheer philanthropy. A case in point is the recent sale of a fairly large plot of land at Kowloon on which by means of co-operative enterprian some fifty bouses are to be erected for European occupation forthwith. There is evidently room for other and larger schemes of this character, but until more of them materialise there is not likely to be any marked fall in the present level of house rents in Hongkong.

Vice Admiral and Mrs. Jerram re living on board H.M.S.. Alacrity, along eide the East Yard, and request that visitors will call there instead of on board H.M.S. Minatuur...

A Chinaman fell down and expired just outside the Cathedral on Saturday.

The German mail of the 12th November was delivered in London on 12th Decem- ber.

The Rev. J. Kirk Maconachie will conduct the meeting of the Hongkong Christian Union at St. Paul's College to-day, at

5.30 p.m.

Pictures of the arrest and death of conspirator have been placarded in the streets of Wuchang as a warning to others to refrain from sedition.

It is reported in Peking that an Englishman hes paid $200,000 for a piece of land in front of the Russian Legation. A new bitel will be erected on this site..

The Committee of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul thank most heartily The Hongkong Mummers"! for the | handsome contribution of $450 to the

funds of the Society.

The Commander of the German East Asiatic Squadron, H.E. Vice-Admiral Graf von Spee, will arrive in Hongkong on board his flagship, S.M.S. Scharnhors!, about the 19th ingt., and stay here for approximately a fortnight.

The Secretary of the League replied assuring the First Lord that the speeches would contain nothing in the nature of criticism of the Government, and that the occasion would be wholly devoted to welcoming the officers of the Dominion

ship.

to Washington 'Cablegrams Admiral Fletcher show that the sitnation

The is becoming worse at Tampico, where sharp skirmishing is continuing. Federals and Constitutionalists alike are

either hanging or shooting their prisoners, numbering 65, three of whom were hanged Mr. Churchill thereupon accepted then the Federal lines in full sight of the city and the shipping Admiral Fletcher protested in the name of humanity. invitation.

MR. TAFT SUPPORTS PRESIDENT WILSON'S

THE BRITISH PREMIERSHIP.

LONDON, December 13th. Toasting Sir Edward Grey at a banquet held in his honour at the National Liberal Club, Mr. Bryce said he looked forward to the time when Sir Edward Grey would be called by the King to one of the highest posts a subject can fill:

The Morning lost interprets this to mean that Sir Edward Grey will be the next Premier.

THE INDUSTRIAL UNREST IN

BRITAIN...

TRAMWAYMEN AND GRAVEDIGGERS STRIKA AT LEEDS..

LONDON, December 13th. About 1,000 tramwaymen have joined the strike at Leeds, where even the gravediggers have struck work. Clerks are acting as stokers in the Gasworks.

MESSIS. PEÁRSON'S OIL CONTRACTS.

POLICY.

NEW YORK, December 13th. Ex-President Taft, addressing the Peace Society, urged all to support President Wilson's Mexican policy 80 43 to present

&

solid front, FAMOUS PICTURE RECOVERED.

TO AVENGE NAPOLEON'S ART STOLEN

THEFTS IN ITALY."

HOME, -December 13th.. It is officially stated that the famous picture La Gioconda, which was stolen from the Louvre in 1911, has been found at Florence, and is now in the possession of the authorities.

It is stated that the thief is an Italian, and that he has been arresti. prisoner tried to sell "La Gioconda" to

The

a picture-dealer in Florence. The latter communicated with the authorities, and the Director of Fine Arts was sent down and indentified the picture.

LONDON, December 13th.

The Italian Government has notified the Mesars. Pearson, the famous firm of engineers and contractors, confirm the French Embassy of the recovery of the report published by the New York picture.

The prisoner says he stole the picture to Tribune to the effect that the Congress of. Costs Rien refused to ratify the oil cos-avenge Napoleon's art thefts in Italy. tract negotiated with the firm.

THE TRIPLE ALLIANCE.

LATER.

The thief, who is named Perucia, was an employee at the Louvre,

M.C.C. IN SOUTH AFRICA

¿ THE FIRST TEST MATCH.

DURBAN, December 14th. The score at the conclusion of the first day's play in the first Test Match between the M.C.C. and South Africa was

follows:--

has

South Africa M.C.C. (for two wickets)

182

91

CANTON NOTES. [FROM QUE OWN. CORRESPONDENT]

CANTON, December 9th. THE ESTIMATES.

д

detailed

statement

luncheon at Government House..

Tuesday.-H.E. Vice Admiral Jerram, C.B., gives a dance on H.A.S. Minotaur. Wednesday-H.E, M, Albert Barraut and Rear Admiral, de Kerillie will ke present, as a dance given by H.E. the Officer Administering the Government at Government Honse.

Thursday-A dinner party will h given at the French Consulate.

།

CORRESPONDENCE.

THE RISE IN RENTS. [TO THE EDITOR OF THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS.1

#

Hongkong, 13th December. Nothwithstanding the already

SIR, very high cost of living in this Colony, the unmerciful landlords seem indisposcil to show any leniency towards their

bouses

The Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Im Ka Chee, who has been engaged lately ать the

tenants. Provincial Budget estimates for the third year of the Republic, The houses in Belilios Terrace were

prepared

originally and purposely built by the late of all collection that should accrue to Mr. Belilios to accommodate those who the Finance and National Tax Depart ments. According to the estimates, these could not afford to pay heavy rents, and will more than cover the administrative at that time, at the very start, the renta expenditure during the coming year, but were $20 per month The four rows of were mostly occupied by tha if the military expenditure is included,

some of them have been living there from there will be a deficit of about 824,000,000. Portuguese section of the community and Yesterday, the Civil Administrator rele

a later period to double the amount ordinary expenditure of the standing anny be borne by the Central Govern hitherto paid by the tenants; ́ later

iras the rent

again increased, graphed to Peking asking that the the very start! The rents were raised at

contingent ment, leaving only the~ "

rents in future military expenditure" to be met by the and now the landlords have notified local Government, If that request is that the granted it is calculated that the expendi. $65 and taxes. Considering the state of ture of the province will be balanced by the times and the high cost of living, the rents, I submit, should not be increased to that extent, the revenus.

CANTOS, December 11th." THE CIVIL GOVERNORSHIP..

un

will be

UTA

Many families are now living in these 25 houses, and the income-ie., the salaries That Civil Administrator Li will, of most of them have not been improved. sooner or later, be transferred to Peking This sudden increase will, no doubt, cause is now stated to be very prohable. It is great inconvenience and hardship to them.

Cannot the Government make said His Excellency, seeing danger imminent in the province, does not wish to Ordinance restricting the exorbitant stay in Kwangtung ang longer (1), and rents that are charged on houses, accord- that he has dispatched a lengthy telegraming to their proper valuation? If such to the capital resigning his position. Mr. abuses are allowed to go on by the caprico Im Ka Chee, the Commissioner of of the owners and landlords, people will Finance, will act as Civil Administrator be compelled to live in streets.-Yours protem, and Mr. Sung Sau Kwan will truly, temporarily take over Mr. Im's duties.

DISGUSTED.

A

"COMPREHENSIVE RAILWAY

SCHEME" FOR CHINA.

The Ministry of Communications by another

ANOTHER DISCOVERY OF ARMS, The seizure of a considerable quantity The thief was identified by his finger arms and ammunition was the result prints. He had previously been convicted of a raid made by an inspector of the of minor offences, and the finger prints Tutuh's Yamen and the police some days

The occupant, as usual, was column is inviting the public-Chinese committed for trial, and foreign-to submit proposals and taken then correspond. with those on ago at a dwelling-house in the Chu Kwong advertisement published in

and

compre- Scarcely a day passes without similar schemes for "a sound and

for China the picture frame.

hensive. railway policy" seizures be ng effected,

for which monetary rewards or orders Maps of ther Lately a large number of spurious coins of merit are promised. have been circulating in the market projected lines must be accompanied Only a few days ago the General Chamber by a statement explanatory of the reasons

A MILLIONAIRE CONTRACTOR'S

MR. LLOYD GEORGE'S SON ILL. LONDON, December 13th.

The French Ministry for Fine Arts The New York Tribune says that Mr.

has sent an official to Rome to take over David Lloyd George, the sou of the Chan-La Gioconda, and has thanked the The steamer Centennial, which left cellor of the Exchequer, who has been detri-

The Minister for Public Instruction Muroran, Japan, six years ago for San with Mesers. Pearson's engineer, is Italian Government for its good affees.

telegraphed the thanks of the Italian mentally affecting not only the comfort Francisco, with sulphur, and was never seriously ill at San Jose with ptomaine

Premier. and welfare of the individual but the heard from, is reported in the ice off poisoning. general trading interests of the Colony. Saghalien Island. Members of a Russian It need not be emphasised, that when rents expedition bound through Okhotsk Sea The life- are high prices generally must be corres.discovered the missing vessel.

was partly pondingly high. The trader must charge boats were gone, the name more for his goods, the wage earner bliterated and the iron was corroded. demands more for his labour, and, again, There was no sign of any bodies on the when this demand is conceded, the price of ship. The crew must all have perished. commodities must in turn be raised still It is supposed the Centennial was driven higher. This upward movement in the from her course by a storm and was caught cost of living has proved a severe tax on the ice. The Centennial was under the command of Capt. Gilhoy, of Sau Fran- the trade of the Colony. It bears alite on

disco. Her officers were James McCan, Chinese and Europeans, and by none has it

-Kert O. Lee and-Fred-Richardson been more severely felt than the class represented by the Portuguese mercantile clerk, whose salaries are so unequal to the

LONDON, December 13th. strain placed upon them in recent years

A meeting of the late Dr. Diesel's

Several wireless messages from the great that their standard of living has decreased creditors has been held at Munich. to a degree that is deplorable. While we appears that his financial failure was due German Central Station at Naver have can sympathise with the yearning of our important speculation in land in been received at Togo Land, 3,348 miles

Munich and. Hemburg. amounts to £25,000 on account of ordinary ebts and about £30,000 on mortgaged The creditors decided unanimously to avoid bankruptcy proceedings if possible, as Dr. Disc's family is left entirely unprovided for, and therefore it was proposed to form a fund for the widow,

correspondent for restrictive legislation in the matter of house rente, it has to be pointed out that action of this kind is quite out of the question. Hents of dwelling houses, like the prices of commodities, are regulated largely by the inexorable law of

THE LATE HERR DIESEL'S FAILURE.

-

It

The deficit

LONDON: December 18th.. Telegrams have been exchanged between M. Domergue and Sir Edward Grey, mutually assuring each other of their endeavours to develop and maintain the existing friendship, and similar telegrams!

M. exchanged between been Bougergue and M. Sazonoff in regard to the Franco-Russian alliance.

GERMAN WIRELESS ACHIEVE MENT,

bave

distant.

DOM MANUEL IN ENGLAND:

LONDON, December 14th. Ex-King Manuel and his brido have arrived in England.

BEQUESTS.

Lane. arrested

SPCRIOUS COINS.

OFTAWA, December 13th The railway contractor, Colonel Ross, Zoft £3,000,000. He made large bequests

letter to the Tatuh, the Civil Administra This statement is to include, information to the McGill University and to charities.of Commerce addressed a confidential for constructing the lines suggested tor and the Police Department, in which on the present conditions of military commercial business, mining. they alleged that these counterfeit coins, affairs, which are a clever and close imitation of industry, transportation of people to the the Government issue, had been forged on frontier of the country," and their future. lines should be board some foreign vessels arid were sold intentions in the sphere of the main, Dre

THE JOHANNESBURG OUTRAGE.

ASSAILANT TO BE KEPT UNDER MEDICAL SUPERVISION:

JOHANNESBURO, Deefinber 13th.'

The man Nissum has been charged with attempted murder and remanded. He will be kept under medical supervision to ascertain his menta! epadition.

The condition of Sir Lionel Phillips continues to be favourable,

by foreigners everywhere in the Delta at, branch, and connecting on the two or three days, two gangs of Chine.e sent conditions of religion, customs, 40% of their face value. Within the last furnished."

future development" should also be forgers have been arrested, their plants education, judicial affairs and their and accessories: being destroyed by the added. The schemes have to be submitted authorities. One of the men was directed

to be shot by the Tutuh as an example by December 31st, which seems very to other followers of this lucrative inadequate time for the work demanded of

the competitors. profession.