645361-1894-Despatches-re-Plague — Page 6

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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 1ST SEPTEMBER, 1894.

passengers up and down the Chinese Coast, to and from Kwangtung and through Hongkong usually amount to vast numbers. Pacific Mail steamers leaving for Vancouver, Honolulu and San Francisco refuse to take Chinese passengers. The English, French, and German Mails refuse to take native passengers and the two latter decline cargo also, or even to enter the limits of the Harbour. Irregular liners avoid calling at the port altogether.

30. Considering the great importance of Hongkong as a shipping port it is only possible to conjecture what is lost by quarantine regulations against her in every direction which drive away vessels from her harbour, and deprive all, down to the humblest labourer, of their proportion of gain from the coaling, victualling, loading and discharging of the immense fleet which ordinarily frequents these waters.

31. Chinese hong merchants have retired to the mainland leaving their premises to caretakers and their commercial engagements in abeyance until the public health shall be restored. The effect of this is much felt by merchants whose merchandize is left on their hands beyond the contract time and many have had to call on their bankers to enable them to tide over the lock up of money. The bankers under such circumstances buy and sell fewer bills and they witness the contraction of all the ramifications of trade in which they have a financial interest. The turn over in sugar and sugar refining is reckoned not by thousands but by millions of dollars, and although happily not suspended it is for the moment crippled for want of labour. Landlords in the affected districts of the City receive no rents, and the natives generally in the midst of all their troubles find their necessary articles of food 30 or even 50 % above the usual price.

32. Without exaggeration I may assert that so far as trade and commerce are concerned the plague has assumed the importance of an unexampled calamity.

The

33. As to the "arrangements contemplated" I have to inform your Lordship that at a meeting of the Legislative Council on the 12th June, I briefly sketched the methods which the Government intended to pursue with a view of preventing a recurrence of such a catastrophe. I enclose an extract from that speech. remedy is, as your Lordship will see, a very drastic one. It may result in the destruction and re-building of one tenth part of Hongkong. It will certainly necessitate the extension in every direction of houses fitted for Chinese occupation on improved sanitary principles. It will doubtless cause a general increase in rents, an increase in the cost of living as well as a general increase in the rate of wages. It will also necessitate the increase of the storage capacity of the Tytam Water Works so as to secure an additional supply of about 80,000,000 gallons of water. The expense to the Government of such sweeping alterations and additions it is impossible to estimate. As regards the existing drainage and water works and their completion and extension your Lordship will no doubt consult Mr. COOPER, the Director of Public Works, who is now on leave of absence in England and who can give you the fullest and most reliable information in respect to those subjects.

34. In reply to my speech I may here mention that, on behalf of the Unofficial Members and the Community at large, the Senior Unofficial Member, the Honour- able C. P. CHATER, promised that the Government should be loyally supported in all its endeavours to cope with the unfortunate dilemma in which the Colony is placed. That promise will, as I have inferred, involve the Colony in an enormous outlay the amount of which it would be at present rash to predict.

35. I may remind your Lordship that in the case of Mauritius the Imperial Government, about two years ago, came to the assistance of that Colony. I have no doubt that if I should hereafter appeal to your Lordship for similar consideration it would be generously extended to this Colony which is suffering in every direction from the terrible visitation with which it has been so suddenly overwhelmed.

36. The Government and the community, as I have stated in this Despatch, as well as publicly, is deeply indebted to the Military and Naval Forces and espe- cially to the Colonel of the Shropshire Regiment for the great assistance they have rendered, and they regret the loss of one gallant officer, Captain VESEY, and at least one Private, who have fallen victims to the plague. To Mr. FRANCIS, Q.C., Mr. MAY, Mr. MITCHELL-INNES, Captain HASTINGS, Mr. CROOK, Mr. TOOKER, and many other lay volunteers the Government and public are also under great obligations; indeed, I may say that several public officers and especially the medical staff and all the staff of the Public Works Department are doing additional duty unhesi- tatingly and ungrudgingly and with a single desire to aid in the repression of a fell disease the like of which has happily never before been experienced in this hitherto prosperous Colony.

Enclosure 2.