1927-06-10 — Page 10

10

THE HONG KONG DAILY

OUR EFFICIENT FIREMEN, WHEN DOES A CAR BECOME

RECRUITS ACQUIT THEM. SELVES WELL.

SATISFACTORY DEMONSTRA·

TION.

more creditable..

SECOND HAND?

DRIVE ESTIMATED COST £300 PER MILE.

DECISION BASED ON LAW OF 1384.

Forty four men of various units of the Hong Kong Fire Brigade A matter of considerable interest carried out a very smart and effecto anelorists was Faised in AB tive drill display on Wednesday action, Aria e Bridge House Hotel afternoon, and the fact that the Staines, f.td., brought by a man majority of the men have served who had his ear stolen a

week less than twelve months in the after he bought it. Plaintiff, Mr. Brigade made the display all the Alexander Henry Dixon Aria, a banker's agent, of Woodside Park- road, N., clained damages against the defendants, the Bridge House Hotel (Staines), Ltd., of Staines, for the loss of his motorvar, which was caused, he alleged, by the negligence of the defendants' ser- The defeuer was a denial of angligeme and ability, and an alternative plan that under the lunkerpers Act liability was limit

The demonstration took place in the exercise yard at the Central Fire Station in the presence of the Ifon. Mr. E. D. C. Wolfe (the Captain-Superintendent of Police,

and Hend of the Fire Brigade).

There was a big crowd of speela - fers attracted by the hurry and bustle, and they watched an

CX

hibition of the work that a fully

qualified fireman would be called apon to undertake in the course of his duty.

i

vants

to Lan

FRANCE'S BIRTH RATE.

INFANT MORTALITY RESPON- SIBLE FOR DECREASING POPULATION.

MARRIAGE LESS POPULAR.

PRESS, FRIDAY, JUNE 10th, 1927.

INFLUENCE OF THREE HOW THE NAVY LOST ITS

WHISKERS. QUEENS.

FREE CHURCH LAYMAN ON MODERN LIFE.

LESS CRIME AND DRUNKEN.

NESS..

The preliminary statistics of births, marriages and deaths in

"I shall endeavour to prove, not- vance for the year 1926 show that There has been since the war a withstanding pessívesm and appar· gradunt return

to

MEN WHO MANAGE OUR EMPIRE.

A SAYING OF BAD LANGUAGE. | CROWN COLOXY GOVERNORS |

AT WHITEHALL.

ADMIRAL EARDLEY WILMOT'S REMINISCENCES.

Y AN IMPERIAL TRAVELLER.]

most by tropisal diseases, some by suddon, feree native uprisings whose CALLKO remains a mystery hased in religions or tribal passion.

Obscure, underpaid, with ambitions imited to a K.C.M.G. and a pen- sion that will just keep them at a cheap Continentai hotel, these men have been called to-day for the first time into formal conference with their bureaucratic chiefs in Down- ing-street. They will give their advice Oct matters affecting the

The story of how Queen Victoria

LONDON, May 10th. allowed the Navy to give up its This morning a couple of dozen regulation whiskers fashion is told men may be noticed converging, upon the normal.ently outward signs of a discour in Rear-Admiral Sir Sydney Eard- the Colonial Oflice in Downing prace and prosperity of millions of ley-Wilmot's reminiscences. You street about whom an observant human beings. And--what is more will find the account sandwiched passer-by would notice a vague phy. |--they will go out again to the between fascinatingly un-technical sieni resemblance. They nearly all lonely, sultry Crown Colonies from technicalities about the develop-| have a salow, desiccated look, which they come and will back their ment of guns and torpedoes, and Thought their frames are mostly own advice by themselves under.

spare, with the leanness of artice, taking its execution. open-air men, their eyes lack lustre

The total population of France is aging nature, that the Church as given na 10,745,000. It is less than whole is exerting as great an in- that computed for the saine area fluence in the life of the nation as in 1913, namely 41,470,000, but it is at any previous period in its his- an increase on 1020 when it was tory." 39,300,000. There has been a slight but steady rise each year since the war ceased to affect that mumbers. The returns show a decline in the nusaber of warriages since 1920 but

Mr. J. C. Meggitt, J.P., of Car-

difl, the new chairman of the Con gregational Uninu of England and Wales, made this declaration ce- cently at the City Temple, in his an increase as compared with 1913, address to the ninety-fifth annuai In that year there were 312,836 tur-assembly of the aniou. riages or a rate of 15.1 per 1,000; inabitants. To 1990 the number of marriages was 023,550 or 31.8 per

1,000, but the increase was obvious-

Mr. W. H. Mureshy was for they the after effect of postponement plaintiffs Mr. J. F. Eales for the defendants.

The first item in the programme; M. Ara, in evidence, stated that was a street tarn out," and five he bought his car, which was new. Jun 9th, 1920, for £207 30s. On fully manned engines and a tender June 16th be was on his way with rushed out towards Wanchai, anda party of friends to witness the then back again, turning at the military tattoo at Aldershot, and halt for dinner was made at the Harbour Office and coming back to Bridge House Hotel, Staines. A porter of the hotet directed Mr. Aria to a parking place for cara which adjoined the hotel. When he went for his car after dinner, how ever, it was not there, and he had tut seen it since. As he had had the car only a few days he claimed its full value,

the Station. The turn-out was ac

complished in 27 sexends from the

Abs

the signal was given, and cidentally the road signal" was given quite unexpectedly

Six other tests were carried out in the compound; on the verandahs For the defence, Mr. Richard around which many

spectatorsorge Strong Smallman, a part ner in the first of Sallata Bros., gathered, mostly ladies and chil

motor auctioneers, of Tottenham, dren Amongst those present were in evidence, declared that a nulor- Mrs. E. D. C. Wolfe, Mr. and Mrs. | car became secondhand as soon as

was put upon the road. T. H. King and Chief Inspector W

His Lordship (Mr. Justice Swift): Kent.

That is an extraordinary position. A man buys

motor-car, drives it home, and it is stolen the Siunie afternoon

In the compound were two ap- pliances and three pads of Chi- nese firemen under their Chinese Sub Officers. With them were also the Chief Officer, Hon., Mr. E. 1). C. Wolfe, Station Officer, Mr. G. C. Moss (Central District), the Station Officers in charge of Wan- chui and Kennedy Town, and other European officers of the Brigade, hat the command of the then was to a great extent rft entirety to the Chinese Sub-Officers who acquit fed themselves admirably.

The tests were as follow:- Picking up an Insensible Person (Firemen's lift-16 men).-(a) As a male (by numbers? front and rear rank respectively (b) As a female (in quick time) frons and rear rank respectively.

Motor Escape and Pump Drill. (Nos. 6 and 8 Appliances.-Effect a rescue by carrying the rescued down From the third floor. One delivery

new

then It is

送

secondhand ear, and the owner can- not revover the price he paid for

in the morning, Witness agreed that the value of the car would fall immediately it became secondhand.

Mr. Moresby Supposing I buy a car at your shop tor Epso and drive ja in my home, a quarter of a mile

away, is the car then secondhand - |

due to the war. Tu 1826 there were 346,126 marriages or 17 per 1,000, the lowest figure and average since the war.

The aspect of the now statistics of greatest interest to France is that

If we take what may be called the coarser kinds of crime," he aid, "it will be found that there arc fewer hardened criminals. Serious offences against the person are less frequent, crime is less beutal. It may be more scientific, cast off the but it has certainly raffinaism of former days. There is a remarkable diuination of drunk eness.

Love In The World.

1

The sense of right and wrong is more acute to day than in any former period. The child has never had such a place in OUT inidst. Woman has ever been so honour.

Man has never triven It nobly or auccessfully to help his fellow m Never was there so much love in the world as to-day. Even our strikes and lock-outs arc conducted in a more humane man- her,

* For much of this we are indebt- The Beree Eight ed to the Press. and influence of the Press are a deterrent to evildoers.

relating to the birth rate. Con trary to the popular belief, there is no very striking decline in the birth-rate of France. The number of births in 1913 was 790,355, a rate of 11 per 1,000, and in 1926 it was There 709,226, of 18.4 per 1,000. was n deerease in 1925, but an in-ed.

ease a 1024, 1923, and 1922. is, however, offset by the compara lively high infant death-rate. In the death-rate at all ages there has been hardly any movement since the War, having in view the increase and decrease of the population. But the number of childron dying below the age of one gear in 1928 was 71,698 as compared with 68,367 in 1925. Nearly one-third of the increase securred in the third quar ler of the year: compared with 1925 the first quarter showed an actual decrease. In 24 departments the infant death-rate was lower than in the previous year, and in two it was

There is another side to the stationary, but in 88 departments, it POSC. the Department of picture. Although serious crime Cantal, the incrense KULS 41 Der has largely diminished, there are rent, and in the Haute Marne it many insidious forms of evil re was 40 per cent.

maining. The pursuit of illicit gain both by men and women, the gam blag craze, the subtle dangers of dancing saloons and night clubs) all these things are a danger to the community and must he combated

80 4773.

A Grievance That Should Be Removed.

One grievance they have, though at this Colonial Conference they will probably never mention it.

"A feature of the Navy in those

"T writes the Admiral--those days," being his midshipman days were and their temples are wrinkled and the long side-whiskers. Everybody topped by grizzled, tied-up, hair. bad to shave the upper lip and No one will recognise these men the chin so as to leave a space be- tween the whiskers the width of or would their names have any three fingers. No regulation as to significance for the ordinary Briton

It is against what the Colonial Service calls "the policy of im length of whisker existed, and did he chance to hear them.

Yet these inconspicuous figures portations." Men who have spent are the king-pins and corner-stones their lives in that stern service re-

remember one officer allowed such growth that he tucked the ends in his waistcoat pockets.

No one suggested any relief until a First Lord came who had a beard and, being a civilian, had no naval traditions. This was Mr.

Childers.".

Mr. Childers' proposition that officers could grow beards wet with extreme disapproval at the Ad miralty; but he had one supporter, Prince Leiningen, Captain of the Royal Yacht, who wrote to him:

There is

more bad language made use of during the quarter of| an hour devoted to shaving than during any other part of the day, and no wonder. Jack has had three hours on deck from 4 a.m. aloft, on the look-out steaming hend to wind. He goes below, his face as hard as iron A bad razor, a bit of broken looking-glass, a wet deck, the ship rolling or pitching. Suchi are the difficulties under which the British sourian shaves.

от

The Queen Agrees, Mr. Childers submitted to Queen Victoria the Order he proposed to issue.

On

More than twenty prisons-have- The Queen agreed with the been closed in England and Wales | Order, writing to him on June 17th, during the past fifteen years. No 1880, and again on the th, saying new county gaol has heen erected

no account should moustaches since 1920, while the population has be allowed without heards. So the

Order went forth, to the joy of the increased from 24.001,000 in 1870 to

whole Navy except some of the oldest officers, and I remember a solemn procession of officers each with his razor going to the gang- way and commitling the instrument of torture to the deep.

46,000,000 in 1996,

The return gives a comparative table of the infant death-rates in the principal countries as compar What would be the drop in value fed with that of France, though the figures are only available down to About 0.

1925. According to these, the rate strenuously.

His Lordship: A rather expensive drave-1300 a mile. (laughter.)

Mr. Halen further contended that case of liability the plaintiff could recover only the secondhand price of the car.

10

It was agreed that the only ques- tion of fact for the jury was the value to be put upon the car should the defendants he held liable in aw, and they assessed that value at the car's original price-£267 109.

in France in 1924 was 85 per 1,000 There is grave and serious dis- and in 1925 it was 89 per 1,000. On content in what may be called the the other hand, it was 112 per 1,000 poorer classes. I am not surprised, in 1913. The report points to the and is not this discontent a healthy progress made in reducing the in- sign and evidence that the nation is fant death rate, especially among setting before itself a higher stan the northern European countries, dard and ideal?

the progress made by due to modern sanitation and hygience.

Court Life.

"The House of Lords." The Emerald, ja which Sir Sydney went to sea as a naval cadet in 1881, was most distinguished. Among the lieutenants were Lord Charles Scott and Lord Walter Kerr; and among the midshipinen were the Marquess of Queensberry and the Hon. Evelyn Ellis quite an aristocratic ship,' he writes, sornetimes alluded to as the House of Lords.'

*

"Our principal recreation after hours at sen or in harbour was box- Can we in any degree," he asking. Queensberry was a beautiful ed, estimate the influence for boxer. As a senior midshipman he good that has been exerted by instructed the youngsters in this

of water from the first floor, using) Augning the point at issue, Mr. first floor ladder and direct sustion Eales contended that the plaintif LONDON EVER CHANGING. Queen Victoria. Queen Alexandra, art. From him originated the well-

never contemplated, when he park-

in Pedestal Hydrant.

No. 6 Appliance-Slip and pitched his car, that he was handing it escape, get one delivery of water over to the possession of the in- koper, and there could not be at- tached to the defendants the respon- sibility now alleged.

to work from the third floor, asing suction and supply from dam in A whistle. ket second de Y to work from the first floor.

Jinping Sheet.-An irregular

His lordship, giving judgment, said the case hul tittle interest ex

but useful means of escape. (Effect-repl as an illustration of how the ad from the first floor).

Another means of escape (and rescue). The Life Line, from third floor.

Escape by Canvas Chute, from third floor.

All the items were well applaud- od.

Of the live engines which took part in the street turn-out, three were from the Central Station and one each from Kennedy Town and Wanchai, respectively.

SURPRISES AFTER FOUN MONTHS' ABSENCE.

A NEW PICCADILLY.

Those who have been away from London for long periods always exclaim at the changes wrought during their absence. Perhaps more striking even than such changes, however, are those more sudden ones which occur in a few months.

A four-monthe absentee from Lon- don walked into half a new Picca

The dilly-circus early in May. great white corner of Piccadilly with the circus was thatched by another great corner building at the other side of Regent street, pro- jeeting like the prow of a ship inte the cirens.

common law of England continued to be applicable in the changing circumstances of the life of the peo- ple of this country. The principles of law on that question were settled as far back as 1584, and the law with liability, | regard to innkeepers."

except as it had been altered by stazule, remained as applicable to chauffears as it was to those people who used to ride upon horses or in gigs. In his opinion, the relation between the plaintiff and the de- fendants was that of innkeeper and guest. In the old days, when inns were remaale and highwaymen were WHILE HIS WARDER SLEPT. rampant, it was not uncommon for highwaymen and innkeeper to be in lague, and it was realised, at a very early stage in our existence, that the only safe way

for the general public was that the inn. A Chinese was brought up in the keeper should be responsible for the building here after four mouths in District Court, Singapore, last week. anfety of his guests and his guests and charged with esemping from the goods. That law still remained in that the other side of the circus has

ESCAPE FROM SINGAPORE ASYLUM.

The lofty windows, which are the prominent feature of these new buildings, are now producing a massex effect, and really a fine one, though perhaps fewer and larger panes would have given them a fittle more distinction.

But

the main result of the re

and Queen Mary Have they not known Queensberry rules. He was changed the entire atmosphere of absolutely fearless, and would fight Court life as compared with the the biggest man he met on shore

with little or Georgian era, still more of the

no provocation. Stuart dynasty! Should we not

Sometimes he got the worst of it. be thankful to God, and recognise On one occasion he could not return gratefully that throughout these that day to the ship owing to two ninety years, 1837-1927, a continu- conspicuous black eyes.' ous Christian influence has been making itself felt in the highest quarters of the land? It is an in- Auence that has permeated all classes of our people down to the humblest cottager."

"WILD CHARGES."

CIVIL SERVANTS AND LORD

MIDLETON.

The civil servanta have promptly repudiated charges made by Lord the House of Lords Midleton in when dealing with the question of economy in Government depart nients. Particularly they resent the inference that they enjoy two hours for lunch.

An official of an association re

presenting 10,000 civil servants de scribed Lord Midleton's remarks as The high, white provocative and unwarranted

existence. While he was not decid. become impossible round Picea their general application.

eliff-like piles

bet woon

Criminal Lunatic Asylum,

Dr. R. E. Stone, of the Asylum,ng the question of whether there dilly make the low jumble of houses. "Lord Midleton," he said, "ougist said the man had been sent from was negligence, he held that the dilly ma

Shaftesbury-avenue, and to know perfectly well that 200,000 innkeeper must ho held liable. the Criminal Prison to the asylum There would, therefore, be judg

Regent-street

mean indescribably

civil servants do not waste two as insane.

ment for the plaintiff for £287 108., and paltry. They ery for rebuild- hours every day over lunch. They Some time ago witness came to

ing in their turn

are fortunate. if they have longer the conclusion that the inan was

Oxford-street yielded a great sur than three-quarters of an hour, and merely malingering. He could not,

prisc in a new Bood-street Tube often the time is only half an hour. station, a small light stone front Thousands of them are often so however, discharge him as being sane before the man had brought up before the committee

out.

with costs.

In Trouble At Alor Star. When he escaped he worked his Keeper Asleep And Door Open.

way up to Alor Star where he soon When asked what he had to say got into trouble again. This time for himself, accused said that on

he was sent to prison for theft. It the night he escaped, he woke up was when his finger prints were and found his cell door open and produced that it was found that the warder asloop so he walked he was wanted in Singapure. On

his release he was sent back there. Chief Court Inspector Meredith, His Worship sentenced the man

that in tu month's rigorous imprison who prosecuted, said November, 1925, the man was schi- ment to be undergone after his tenced in the Supreme Court to present term finishes.

At the time when this man escap aeven years rigorous imprisonment for robbery. Not long after he had ed from the saylum, a number of beon admitted to the Criminal athers also got away with him. The Prison, he appeared to be insane warder in charge at the time was and was sent to the asylum. sentenced to twelve months' rigor

(Continued on next Column). ous imprisonment.

EL

The Captain's "Brick." There is also a good story of Queen Alexandra:

"I was told that on one occasion Her Majesty paid a visit to Den- mark accompanied by the battle cruiser Tiger. She desired to go over this fino vessel, so went on board and made a lengthy insper tion of her. Having completed it she

expressed her admiration. While she was resting in the Captain's cabin he told her they were of the 'Cat' class. She asked him if there were any more Cats.' Yes, your Majesty,' he replied without thinking, there are the Queen Mary and the Princess Hoyal! The only comment she made was, I don't think it is a pretty name."

350,000 MORE OLD AGE PENSIONS.

NEW CLASS OF CANDIDATE NEXT JANUARY,

The Ministry of Health is al- rendy completing arrangements for examining the claims of those who, next January, will have the old-age

five and seventy without a means

age, neat and intimate and more busy that they are unable to go out pension between the ages of sixty-

A meal. than a railway station.

like one of the newer kinds of shop for we are supposed to have six qualification. They must be insur-

Tiled Roofa In Mayfair.

weeks' holiday in the year, but ined persons or must have been insur- In the Haymarket a fresh theatre practice it works out at three ed formerly.

The pension is 108 a week, and had sprung into being, yet another weeks. If Civil Servants have such of the rather eimple, flat frontages, an easy time how is it that many the wife of an insured man will be nexuberant, as becomes the Hay of the seniors who begin at 9 am, entitled to the pension if she is over market, but a trifle metallic in its work on until midnight, while sixty-five.

others often have to finish their ground floor.

Grosvenor square was perhaps the work in their own homes? We are chief surprise of all. Two six not conditioned by a 48-hour week storey blocks of flats in red brick-rather it is one of 84 hours. or Georgian style form a sort of Mr. Charles Watney, of the Civil defile or pass out of the old square Service Confederation, writes that into Mount-street. They have red Lard Midleton's statements in the tiled roofs. Red tiled roofs in Lords are inaccurate and challenges Grosvenor-square! break with the past.

of much of the British Empire. sent the Government's too frequent They are the Governors and high practice of filling the highest posts officials of the Crown Colonies, and is it by men brought in from out between them they administer, with side who have not sacrificed their a wide and fatherly authority, un-youth in the danger and deadly known to any officiat in this coun

Inquiries by the Ministry show! that there will be more than 350,000. of this new class of pensioners. Already a lies of 350,000 has been provisionally made up.

Full old-age pensions at seventy without test of means and nation ality will'number 178,000, and there

try, more than fifty millions of flis Majesty's subjects, black, brown, yellow, and mixed.

dullness of a Colonial outpost but have stepped into high office over the heads of more experienced lat Jess influentially supported men,

From young manhood they have This is a grievance that Downing been arbiters of life and death to street would do well to remove. tribes and townships for whom they Britain governs a vast native Em- fand the little red, white, and blue j pire by the character and courage alone. flag they fly above their palm of her Colonial Servants thatched bungalows) represent the She should not disenurage them by dimly comprehended authority of snatching away their chance of such Britain. They have seen many of poor prizes as their career affords. their contemporaries die on duty Daily Mail.

NOW

1927

ON

SALE.

Edition

OF THE

DIRECTORY

AND

CHRONICLE

The Sixty-fifth Annual Issue of the

Directory & Chronicle

HONGKONG,

for

the

Treaty Ports

of

CHINA, JAPAN, COREA, INDO-CHINA, SIAM, STRAITS SETTLEMENTS MALAY STATES, NETHERLANDS INDIA, BORNEO,

THE PHILIPPINES, ETC,

This Large Volume of approximately 2,000 Pages gives, in addition to the usual Lists of Firms, an Alphabetical List of Residents in the Far East containing the Names of Nearly

20,000 FOREIGNERS.

Arranged, with the initials as well as Surnames, in strict alphabetical order so that any name can be found instantaneously.

It is a volume indispensable to business houses.

Large Edition-with Maps and Treaties Small Edition

$12

$8

Orders should be Sent

to

It in great him to produce any evidence that are about a million old-age pe HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, Ltd., 1a, Chater Road.

his asertions are true.

sioners under the former Act.