1918-09-03 — Page 3

SEEDS FOR UTOPIA.

TAN HONGKONG DAILY PRESS. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER SED, 1918.

There at still remain, however, a large aun ber of Europeans who do not SUGGESTIONS FOR MEETING THE belong to great firms," and who, for

HOUSING PROBLEM.

various reasons, cannot afford to build ás buy boome

HOW THE GOVERNMENT CAN FACILITATE BUILDING.

ENTERPRISES.

[BY MR. P. BOL BOWLEY]

Now that the Tribunal has nearly done its work; and Hongkong's best have ghor to the War, it may be permitted to the unfit and over-age Colonists remain ing to pay some attention to local problems, free from the noise and dust of the local hustings at the recent elec-

tion,

These persons naturally turn to the Government, which is, in Hongkong, also the universal landlord, for assist.

ance.

די

Now I do not think that many would desire the Government to undertake the provision of houses

als, but, without going so far as that, the Government can facilitate building enterprises in many ways, of which should like to give some examples.

Black's Link to Middle and Wanchai Gaps. This road might subsequently be continued to the Peak,

CORRESPONDENCE.

LOCAL PORTUGUESE" AND WAR SERVICE.

SIR-My attention has been drawn to

The Kowloon City Road will, no doubt, bo continued "some day round Kowloon To AN EDITŰZ ̧OF TAM.“ HONGKONG Bay to Lyreman, where a ferry would

DAILY FRESH," connect with the Shaukiwan tram nyatem.. In the city itself it will soon be nece sary to construct a new main thorough fare from the neighbourhood of the Hongkong Hotel rising gradually to join

the fact that the remarks made by me on the occasion of the presentation to a Company-Sergeant Major of the Police Reserve would probably

lend your

for private individ. Robinson Road near its west end, and readers in the Coast Ports and elsewhere thereby relieving Garden and Caine Roads to the conclusion that in Hongkong the of the present motor traffic, for which Portuguese residents had done nothing in they are not suitable.

The congestion the nature of War Service for the west of the Western Market should be Colony. relieved by joining up Dos Yeux Roads Central and West, and keeping the trams well over one-third of the total police of the Praga. Queen's Road East should

It is essential that the business man should live within easy reach of his work: attention should, therefore, first be paid

The true position is, of course, that

The question of overcrowding has to developing existing sites, such as the be..relieved by widening" Kennedy Road.in this Colony are carried out by the

socrasioned much comment since I raised whbuilt-on areas between Nathan "and it in peaking of the annual estimates Chatham Roads at Kowloon, upon which at the Sanitary Board. Some have fats or small houses might be built thrown doubt on the existence of serious sufficient for the accommodation of a

People may be horrified at the expense of some of these proposals, but if the aytem of dealing with improvements in force in the City of London and many

made to pay for themselves, at least in were adopted, the improvements could be

duties performed by the Auxiliary Police

Portuguese Company, which is by far the strangest unit in the Police Ecserve Force There is also a large number of Portuguese serving in the Defence Corps

undoubted loyalty and proper sense of

overcrowding in view of the Police and large number of Europeans. If the other places shortly known as Betterhead | There is no question, therefore, of the

year being about normal,

part.

citizenship of this section of the com.

munity.

to the Colony. Their number is not inf

sir. Your obedient servant,

F. C. JENKIN.

Prison. returns and the death rate for last Crown lessees will not develop these vicant lots, the Crown might resums the, But if, as I imagine, the increase since land, and re-let it on building leases. he last census in 1911 is principally, in

When land is resumed for making or Outlying districts can only be rendered widening a road the value of the remain.

My remarks were addressed to those women and children, such an increase suitable for European residents if cheaping land fronting on the new road British nationality who still refuse, and Portuguese, Eurasians, and others of would hardly affect the criminal statis-and spredy means of communication with generally considerably increased, but tics, as the women of China are not yet business centres are provided. sufficiently educated to emulate the

under the wasteful system in force intake pride in so doing, to give any servico It is impracticable at militant suffragettes, and "the children, construct tramways of any sort, but I

present to Hongkong, whilst the Government pays though no doubt possessed of an average understand that light motor bases could compensation for the resumption, the considerable, and many of them are fit amount of original sina, are not yet old be obtained from Ameries, and would be private owner pockets the unearned in and suitable. I have the honour to be, enough to come into collision with the imported if the Government would pro-result of the public enterprise.

crement accruing to his property as a Police,

vide roads of sufficient width and solidity

If the Betterment rule is applied the for their use.

If auch 'buses were run private owner is made to contribute to from the Star Ferry pier to Kowloon the cost of the work by means of an. In

the west, building sites along these routes of Salvaga sites, contributes largely to would probably be rapidly developed. the cost of the improvement. This is no In order to encourage huilding, the new-fangled Bocialistic doctrine; it is Government should offer land in outlying merely common sense, and the rule was districts at a nominal premium and free recognised as long ago as the reign of of Crown rent until the building is Charles 11. It is embodied in the ready for occupation; the Revenue would Housing of the Working Classes Act of not suffer in the long run, as the income 1880, and in many other Improvement; fror rates is more important than Acts. premia or Crown rents.

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE "HONGLONG DAILY FRISS."]

So far as the death rate is concerned, as every Chinese person as soon as he or she feels ill ands it necessary to attend City, un the east, and to Samsuipo, on provement rate, which, added to the at St.- Much has been said and written

a imaginary funeral rite in the country, and departs thither either to recover or to die, the local death-rate has always been extremely misleading. If each adult Chinaman imported only one wife, ong mother, and one baby the popalation would soon be doubled, and if Professor, Middleton Smith's instance of a house formerly occupied by BORS and now by a family of sixty is

aix per

The reduction of Land Office fees on typical, there appears to be no limit to sales and mortgages (which were trebled and in many cases sextupled in 1902) to

this possible increase in the population.

So much for the Housing Question: before closing I should like to refer to two small improvements which would be greatly

Nearly everyone, however, is agreed that, their original level and the abolition ppreciated by the children" of Hongkong|

whatever the case in Chinatown, the Europeat quarters are seriously over. "crowded.

The most popular remedy proposed seems to be a Committee, and I should like to point out that the nucleus of a very strong Committee already exists, in the Public Works Committee of the Legislative Council, which should include

of fees for leases and boundary stones would also be a graceful concesion to the would-be builders. The local Banks could assist greatly by lending money to their clients (for building Europesa bouses) of building mortgages at low interest.

The provision of a business man's ferry to Cheung Chau is another compara

and their parents. Kowloon has its shady seats in Nathan Road and its ori mental shelter in the Children's" Gardesi" in Chatham Road. In the City of victoria there is no public seat sad no shade (except the Law Courts verandah

near the 'sca-front cast of Blake Pier.

Statue Square. is very beautiful and the Colony miny well be proud of it, but why

in defence of the Portuguese Community, but I ask the courtesy of your, columns

for still more.

of public correspondence by questions! will follow his lead by setting a few questions for favour of his cerious con- sideration and reply:---

Mr. Jenkin, some time ago, led the style

1-What was his motive, what were bis expectations, when he directed those re-

of this Colony! marks against the Portuguese community

2.--Was it that his need for more men to contribute towards his "cause WIK so great that be had to sacrifice the

major

for the minor "† 20 3-Did he expect to get more men by casting aspersions?

4-Did it not occur to him that his No. 2 Company is composed of pare voluntary men of Portuguese nationali. ty, and that, as some little recuinpense for their services it was his duty to "git

3.Is it his aim to make himself still

all the unofficial members, und to which/tively small matter which the Governare childrea and visitors not allowed a tight "t it is to be hoped that the newly-elected ment (which controls the piers and seat in the Square, and why are they! member for the Justices of the Peace will through them, the ferries) might take in excluded from the beautiful grass plots? more indispensable by taking chargs of

be promptly added, as his professional training and wide experience would be of inestimable value in considering schemes for the development of the Colony and Public Works generally

Mr. Bird, in his election address, re- minded us that a Utopia could "not be created at once, but perhaps, he said,

band at once,

all

The suggestions given above could be adopted immediately. "I will now throw out some seeds" for future developments, which will take longer to

germinate, but would produce * rich

harvest in the future.

The trunk roads round the Island and

A few shaded seats there, and a caretaker to keep coolies and loafers out, would cost but a trifle, and would be a great boon to children and visitors.

Similarly, if the triangular space, he tween Mount Kellett and Gough Hill Roads and Wellburn;" at the Peak, were terraced and turfed, and a small shelter

some seed might be sowo" that would the New Territories will, in course of (with conveniences), DA

bear fruit in due sunson. It is in the

hope of sowing a little of such seed

that I crave the hospitality of your columns.

It cannot, I think, be dispated that the real cause of the shortage of suitable

time, nic doubt, tend greatly to the development of the districts tapped; but, in order to render the former really aseful, it will be necessary to widen and straighten the Victoria (Jubilee) Road from West Point to Aberdeen, and to re- Road, and to make the whole system solid build several bridges on the old Pokfulam

enough for light motor 'buses.

ab Kowlson

houses for Europeans is that it does not "pay" in these days of high interest and quick profits to build such houses and let them out at rents which the average European an afford to pay. accessible for instance, by continuing for which they pay, should be published

"There remain considerable districts on

the higher levels which might be rendered

a

A POLICE RAID.

a larger body of men?

6-Dous Mr. Jenkin require proofs that there are 6tbar communities in Hongkong who are also enjoying has pitality, etc., but who are not rendering him any service?

-If he does not, then why does he

dot refer particularly to these communi ties 1-Enclosing my card, Yours faith- fully,

FEAR Hongkong, September 2nd, 1913.

1TO THE EDITOE OF THE "HONGKONG DAILY PRESS."]

that Mr.

SI. It would appear Jenkin's utterances at a recent presenta tion regarding the alleged aloolness from the Pólico Reserve by the members of the Portuguese

and other communities are deemed to be of sufficient importance, to warrant a number of emphatic protests, in this morning's paper

In connection therewith it will be of interest to give the following extract, the Governor in the Legislative Council from the speech made by His Excellency when introducing the Hongkong Defecce Corps Ordinance, as reported in the local *papers.—

Garden, provided, the Peak children would have a refuge, from the sun and rain other than the verandah of the Peak Club, and incidentally, a playground would be available for the Peak School, which sadly lacks it. The Peak Garded is too hot in the Summer...

Finally, may I suggest that the draft Estimates for the Public Works, in which the public are so largely interested and

It devolyes, therefore, upon the em-

reasonable time before their discussion Lugard Road round to High West Gapin Council, in order to allow the public, ployers of labour to provide quarters and Harlech Road, and Findlay Road

an opportunity of analysing them? for their employés, whose health andreand the spur below "Tanderagee" to resultant efficiency is of more importance. Plantation Gap or Craigmft Road. to the employers than a slight reduction Again, if the military authorities in the return on the capital so expended. would release their claims to Pinewood unlawful possession of a loaded five-

The Government, as the largest emtidge, a magnificent tract of building ployer of labour, has lately done a great and would be thrown open, which could. deal in this direction, but much still be approached by continuing Robinson remains to be done. The Government:

Road as a motor road round the spur to with unlimited credit, the control of the

High West Gap. Jaud, and an efficient staff, can afford to

It such a road were constructed and build, and I trust the present building continued along Harlech Bond to Victoria policy will be expedited and carried Gap, thence across to the lower on until every Government employé is sippes of Mount Kellett and the Matilda housed, including the Sanitary coolies Hospital spur, and theace doubling back whose laboars become every day more and down to Pokfulam (as suggested by essential to the comfort and health of Mr. Denison) a large number of building

Colony,

sites would be opened up without crouching on Pokfulam catchment area and the problem of making the Peak accessible to motors would be solved.,..

•

•..en.

A Chiness was charged with boing in chambered revolver..

Inspector Watt stated that he searched defendant's house in Circalar Pathway early yesterday morning by virtue of a search warrant, as it was reasonably suspected that defendant was in posses sion of a quantity of stolen property: When witness and three detectives enter. ed the house defendant jumped out of tires sized him sad a straggle ensued, bed and attempted to escape. The detec. in which defendant's wife joined. After a few minutes the detectives were able to restrain the defendant, but when he was about to be removed to the Polio Station Le resisted again, with the result that the Police had to bind him with rope. The Police found a loaded revolver in defendant's house. It was a parti cilarly bad case. The man had admitted several previous convictions for larceny,

of

"The Government fully appreciates the good work done by many Chinese Portuguese and Indian Izce both in the Volunteek Forces and in the Police Reserve. I may mention that the Police. Reserve will not be. affected by the present bill, and mem- bers of British race now enrolled: therein will not be transferred to the Hongkong Defence Corps. I may take this opportunity to mention that the Consular Representatives of Portugal, and the Netherlands have conveyed to Japan, the United States of America, me an offer from their compatriots to

assist in the protection of the Colony, is members of the Police Reserve, or in any other way that might be considered suitable I have not found it necessary to avail myself of these offers, but I am sure that hon. members and the com munity at large will cadorse the high appreciation which I have expressed of the spirit in which they were made.” Defendant stated that he bought the (applanhis will meet Mr. Jenkin's revolver from a passenger on a steamer, and intended taking it to the country for desire for somebody more influential than self-protection, ANTAR himself to express views on this parti

Mr Wood sentenced defendant to six cular subject Enclosing may card, I monte bard labour, and made an order remain, sir, Yours faithfully, confiscating the revolver and the am

Hongkong, September 2nd, 1913.

Other employers should follow the example set many years ago by tan Princely House, the leading Bank, and the P.&O. B. N. Ca., all of whom provide The bills east of Magazine Gap might quarters for their European Staff-as do be rendered accessible by cutting a motor also, I believe, the twe Dock Companies road from the Naval Hospital along and the Taikoo Sugir. Refinery and the back of the Cemeteries to Wongnei

cheong Gap, and thence along the line of munition.

others..

Perhaps

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