1915-02-13 — Page 8

THE PLAIN DEAL BOX.

THE HONG KONG

to their ordiairy width. He was aut at all disconcerted..

"Sacks of earth," he said, calmly: "not too fall, as suits A Chinese Story from "Truth." | the weight of an old, old man. To

unscrew the lid was a child work, and the honourable under- takere made no complaint.""

TELEGRAPH.

EXTRA

HONGKONG, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1915,

ing caremosinlly. He had then as the boat larghed-" he was an very fully that the desired results the number of bushels. Thes departed with a light footstep and oldish chap, they say, in Europaan can only be attained after much followed a clear and simple de (as I know) a lighter heart, and I clothes a greeng shooting jacket patient experiment and adjustscription of growing corn, from had made one bumble scion of with a patch of leather on the meat. At present the Bureau is the selection of soil and seed to the great Celestial Empire eo right shoulder and a horful yel- | engaged in putting into operation the harvesting. Mosawhile in the much my friend that he would law face. They swear to the shoot programme of industrial in intermediate schools the girls have esteemed it a privilege to be ing jacket. There ain't one aboard strastion which is "logical in sewera being taught how to pres forn to a thousand pieces for my now. Still, 'o might ha' chucked quence from grade to grade and pare a variety of different dishes

in close harmony with the in- made from corn. dustrial needs of the community." Such was the genesis of the In fact, the Americans are pre famous cora campaign of 1813. paring Filipino boys and girls in Not only was the camp sign a com- the most practical way for the in-plete success, but the Barenu was dustrial, commercial, domestic directly responsible for what will activities in which later on they

We sailed on a Wednesday, Hsia Weil-la's paps was left in supreme pence boneath my new priamus. The weather lived up

I sat down in the very chairsske. which the old gentleman had eo perpetually occupied, and I looked up at Usia Weilu, and Esis Wei

looked down on me. "And when you return to China, Wei La-?".

Haia Wei-la war a friend of mine. He kept a small laundry in Chotowell Street, London, E, and he took more pains with my collars and cuffs and drass shirts then all the purely British Jauu-lu dries in the Kingdom would havb, taken. Bat gratitude for well- groomed linen was not the only foundation stone of our friendship.ably was my father with me, so passengers on board shrugged

I had been born in North that he may lie among his own Chin, and lived there for the folk, as is bat fiting."

But you are doing well bere first twenty-five years of my life. Cariously enough, Hsia Wei-la-that may not be for twenty, had served my father in a minor years-ob ?"

Possibly. Meanwhile capacity, and had known me as a child. I spoke his language, and bones, which I have most reverent understood more fully perhagely boiled with all the proper than any Englishmen this side of prayers, will take no harm-We didn't want a typhoon. Suez his bopes and aspirations unless"

"Ualess what?". and superstitions.

Unless the Sia Sang should give me away to his English police."

Mechanically I put out my hand, and Usia Wei-le ebook it respectfully.

that overboard sinos, and there's two or three oldish chaps, and their faces is all yellow. Bag yer pardon, sir, did you speak ?

"Nothing, ob, nothing!" said to its best traditions till Singapore I. I'a-I'm going to get up, was a bank of cloud on the hori steward: Just see if it's possible "Ishall take that which honour-zan, and then the most optimistic to have a bath. I shall bo inter-are to havë a përt.

stod to hear whether the stoker who savel a hundred lives last night-opnfasses. Let me know."

Therefore it came to pass that when I called, I was allowed to penetrate behind the shop into the small darkish parlour where Hsia Wei-lu kept flamboyant pictures of his favourite demons, his au- castral tablete, and bis papa. Wai Lu's papa had been a sailor in his younger days, and had been attached to one of my father's trad- ing vessels. He wis now a great age and useless as a laundry hand, for he was too feeble even to turn the mangle. He sat all day with his feet in the fender and his yel- low hande spread out to the blaze, mowing and mumbling to himsell in his own tongue, and shaking his head like the mandarins one used to buy in china shops.

I

And he invariably wore over his loose blue native garment a green and brown chooting coat which had given him, with a patch of leather on the right shoulder.

I have reason to believe that when I was got expected he smok ed opium. His face was as yellow as the skin of a banana,"

In the winter of '98 I had baen at Bordighera for a month, and on my return I felt it incumbent on meto bring myself up to date with such news 48 Hsia Woi-la had to retail. Also after twenty-five years in the mysteriously beating heart of the East one misses it badly. I wanted to small joes sticks, and to eso naughty demons prancing amid scarlet and gold dragons, ond." to watoh the pigtail of Hsis Wei-lu's papa go jerk-jerk on the green and brown back of my old shooting đoạt

After a string of conventional. itics, Heia Wei in ushered me into the dimly lighted back parlour, The demons were there, and the ancestral tablets, and the smell, bat Haia Wei-la's papa was ex- tremely conspicuous by his absence. I looked my surprise, and Haia Wei-la shrugged his #boulders.

4

the

y own father had wished to lie with his forebears, and at im- mense expense and trouble it had been accomplished, for he came of an Essex family, and had died at Poking.

Yassir, I will, sir,”....[/ The sloward tucked carefully away, and I lay on my back and thought hard. The wind dropped another four points, and I got up and dressed.

The population of the Philip pines is roughly eight millions, and of this over half a million are being, educated in the pri- mary, intermediate, or secondary eobcole under control of the Egreso. Boys and girle enter a primary school about the age of aven and remain for four years. Later on, still thinking hard, I | Daring these year they pass san packed. And as I readjusted the cassively from Grade I to Grada pile of pyjamas over Heia Wei-4; the daily school work of Grads lu's deal box I touched it very tenderly indeed.

their shoulders and smoked hard, With the exception of a girl go- ing out to Hongkong to be mar ried and half a dozen tendorfoots on their way to start a career in the Far East, we most of us knew the insidious signs of a typhoon. The Heogli was an old bont,

Alter a typical lalf it broke on a Sunday morning, and by tea time the captain himself was despondent. It is merely lost labour to set one's self the tuelt of describing the indescribable. The booming, rushing, whistling hor- wers!—Truth, ror was playing with our four thousand-top craft as a prize fighter might play with a ping pong ball,

I folt euro. the Castoms would be kind to that bor. And they

We turned in when the time AMERICAN WORK IN THE ad extraordinary range of com bygiene, sanitation, and civice,"

came, because there was nothing else to do; hat I do not suppose I sat and ruminated, and the there was one half hour's real smell of all the East comprehend sleep on all that tormented, strain- ed in a smouldering jose-stick ing vessel. I lay on my back, and something which Heia Woi-and in a hideous doza confused la had been cooking rose to my my spine with the keel of the brain and utterly stifled my Hoogl and found myself saying, British conscience.

"The wave after next must break it."

"Heia Wai-lu," I said, slowly, “I had come to-day to tell you come great news, but yours being greater I had almost forgot ten it. I am going back to China next month to see to some matters of business. The now manager is not making a BUCCOJ8 of things."

Quite so. It has just occurred to me that a wooden box-not too large and nailed securely would be inconspicuous. It might lie in my cabin truuk. The older Custom House officials are very kind to me, Heis Wei-lu-they have known me and my family, so long-"

7.

I waited again, and the clook went on ticking and the jose-aticks, went on smelling.

PHILIPPINES.

Bducating a Native Race.

The Bureau of Education in the Philippines was created by the United States Philippine I remember thinking sadly of Commission in 1901. The story the plain doal box lying beneath of that Commission has been ad-

I roused myself at the man's words, and faced the possibility of living once more.

"With luck, then, we'll make Hongkong to-morrow," said I.

VOLUNTEER-ORDERS.

Corps Orders issued to-day by Major D. Macdonald siste:—

Musketry (Part 1)-Trained. men and re raits of the Engineer Company, Saturday, 20th at 2 30 P. and Sunday, 21 February at 9.30 am. Members must attenā

actually at the times stated. any man arriving late will not be silowed to fire, Officer on duty in the Butte, Saclay, 20th Feb., Lat. Wright; Sunday 1st Feb., 2nd Lt. Marpby. An officer of the Engineer Company will be pro went each day to take chargs of the firing point and sufficient N.0.0.'s of the Engineer Co. will attend to assist the Instructor. Field. Glasses should be carried by every man possessing them.

Officers' Training Lecture,- Thursday, 18th February, Lieut.- Col. Maberly, D.9.0.

day,

{:,

eventually improve the diet-and, consequently, the physique-of the islanders. The old axiom that all native races in the trapice.are astorally and incurably lazy finds no place in the American Bureau of Education. Tasy have, indeed, seized upon the essential point; before you can teach a catire to dignity of labour, you must seach him how to feed himself. In the special courses of the intermediate sobools there is naturally some variation in the carricalam. The is 4 hours and of the other course for teaching is largely Parades. Parades for Monday, grades five hours. One quarter literary, thougű even here time is of the time is spent in industrial found for a period of industrial 15th, Tuesday, 16th and Wednes

17th February, nil.......... work, mainly sewing or weaving, work every day for the first two The Philippines are particularly years. In the third year, Detail-Orderly Officer in-day rich i industrial fibre plants- spart from laasons in method and to-morrow, Liest. Kennett;" forna, grasses, the bamboos. and daily practica ia on 15th and 18th February, Lient. palms, and rattans. These have teaching, lessons oro given in Weall, · Orderly Sergeant to-day and to-morrow, Sergi. Cooper; mercial use, from building a In the housekeeping course gearen 15th and 16th February, Sergt. house to making a drans, and one ly half the time is devoted to Bullock. To farnish Guard to- of the most valuable "Bullotins". cooking, housekeeping, homnight, Smuts Company; to issued by the Bureau gives a de- | sanitation and hygiene, and morrow, Scout Company; on 15th scription of these plants, their dis-etuios. I was specially struck by February. No. 2 Section Artillery; tribution, method of preparation, the eminently practical nature of on 15th February, N.1 Section uses. In the departmental mu the work. In one school I'visited, Artillery and ef Soon, M. G. seum at headquarters I was shown before they did any cooking, the Co., on 17 h Furuary, Centre specimens of exquisite basket girls learnt to make their owa Section, M. G. Ob. work done by children of eight dresses, and the majority were and nine years of age.

wearing dresses they had actually made themselves," The kitchen was, of course, scrupulously clean, bat in all other respecta was

A Tientsin Wedding. modelled exactly on the lines of a Filipino cottage. Iu most westeru The marriage of Mr. Willeid cooking schools I have inspected Rail Robertson, second son of the girls may be taught to become lato Uanou Robertapu, D.1, and admirable cooks in hotela or large Mrs. Robertaun, and grandson of houses, but they are inefficient or the late Mr. P. O. “Haili, to Mish extravagant or discontented ios Beryl Agleby - Davies, younger labourer's cottage. Toe reason is daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A. F. obvious: they have been learning Agleoy-Davies, of Uaruiff, was either to make dishes which no solemnized atall Saints Unaren, labourer can afford to eat or to Pisatsin, recently and was Wil use utensile which no labourer messed by a large number of an afford to buy.

friende.

From the primary schools large number of the children pasa

#

the pile of green pyjamas with a mirably told by Dean Worcester on, approximately at the age of brown strips. At least Hein Wei- in his work on the Philippines, 11, to one of the intermediate lu's paps would rest in his own much the best book that has been schools. Here specialization be watera--that was something. written about the islands and con- gine at once. Sach early But at eight o'clock in the taining a most accurate and in-specialization is defended, and morning we were still afloat, and partial account of the events would appear to be justified, by Hain Wei-lu salaamod defer the mad whistling of the wind leading up to and succeeding the the conditions of the country. If entially.

was a thought—just a thought-American oconpation. The main specialization were delayed until "There were few likely to fol-less frantic. My steward stag-work of the Bureau is the ad- children entered the secondary low with distinction in the august gered in with a cup of tea. His ministration of all the Public schools, large proportion of steps of your honourable father." face was haggard, but he smiled. Schoola (except those of the Moro them would leave school without "Going to get through, sir province under a separate or any special preparation to fit them wind'e drooped a lot since six gauisition) in the Philippines, for useful careers in the more or o'clock, sir."

but its influence by no means less humble stations in life to cesses there. In addition to the which the activities of the ma- In the trade couras special 13 annual reports of the Director jority are necessarily confined. attention is paid to denwing, aud of Education, the Bureau has is There are six special courses pro- the boys spend from two to thres ed over 50 "Balletins" (ie., vided; the general course, course hours every day in the shops. I special reporte) on the widest for teaching, course in farming, spent an afternoon at the Philip- Only twelve hours late, sir. range of subjects for those inter- trade course; course in housekeep- pine School of Arts and Trades only 16 afford the fall four-year. We was drifting elpless in the exted or engaged in Philippine ing and household arts, and course and found boys engaged igourse, and the pupils are either night, sir, blown bang out of our education." Tas Baraan has also to business. Obviously every inter, making the most beautiful going to become teachers (in course close up to a chain of published a coarse of six Civica- mediate school cannot offer every mahogany faraiture, wheat which case they pass on to tus If Hsia Wei-l had been a rocker" If it hadn't been for one educational lectores, a consider course, but the 278 intermediate wrighting, repairing automobiles, formal school) or are going to Hindu he would have grovelled of the atokers-a Chines-I'd ha' able number of text-books special soboole are no distributed through woodworking, mobinery, black euter some otues profession. A to kiss my feet. If he had been been taking Davy Jones is tesly emited for local needs, and out the islands that any pupil has smithing, and ceramica. There for pass on to the university, an Italian he would have capered, instead o' yours, sir.”

some 20 miscellareous pamphlets. facilities for practically a complete are six farming" schools in the whien is being gradually reform But his country is too oldin one "One of the stokers? I re. For the last two years the Bureau freedom of choice. In the general islande, distributed so that every ed to fit in with the nations! to abate any jot of dignity oven peated. Stokers are not, ass rale has also been responsible for a course about one quarter of the boy has a reasonable chance of system of education. Some pupils in the supremest of moments. Allave indirectly-a power on monthly illustrated magazine time is spentin industrial work attending ono if his parents wish. spend one or two years of a be did was to raise his right hand such vessels as carry His Ma-entitled the Philippine Crafts: Daring the first years the boys do Here, the academic work is cou-secondary school, and pass from slightly, rather like an Anglican jesty's maila,

man "specially devoted to the basketry and handweaving, fined to reading, writing, dom thera to a higher trade school, the priest pronouncing a benediction. They say it was a stoker, sir, advancement of industrial in in the second year they do position, and arithmetic. The Contral Luzja Agricultural "May evil spirits forsake your but none o' the othera won't let struction in the Public Schoola. gardening, and in the third they theory of agriculture occupies School, or speuial schools such as honourable threshold for ever, on-trast a Chinee. They pretend Industrial instruction is in devote themselves to woodwork. from six to three periods a week, the Philippine School of Oɔm» Sin Sang! The box shall be they don't know nothing about fact the key-note to understanding In all three years the girls are en- and the rest of the time is devoted merce. The whole system is ba- ready without fail."

im. E wis breskin' all rules the distinctive fastare of the gaged in housekeeping. Here, to farm work, alternating with ing wisely built up from below, and regulations, and e' knows eluestional work, which is being again, the Bureau comes to the carpentry or repair work on rainy and the Bureau of Education will better than to give 'isself away," coomplished in these islands. assistance of both teachers and days or when needed, Each provide further special secondary "Let's have the thing con. There is no other country in the pupils. "Bulletins" on school school has upwards of 10 hectares sooole as the demand grows. In nectedly, sieward."

world where this is being done and bome gardening, household of good 'land for experimental all these schools the teaching is "He was very sick for a week,

"Yes, sir. This is how it was with the same systematic method, arte, sud woodwork have been purposes. These form school entirely in English, and the and then he appeared to be "re-

One of the yellow faces must have and the admirable work of the issued, and they form not only ex- deserve olare attention. They pupils learn no other langusge covering. I made the proper I labelled it "Specimens, with got into a purple funk-if you Americans deserves the closest cellent reference books for the might be imitated with advantage until they enter a high school, offeringe, but one morning in the care, in 0380 any young official ask me he must ave went Bort study on the part of all those teacher, but are really valuable even in England, and in English and even then the number learn- time it takes to drink one cup of might pull it from the depths of of must, sir. Up he races, shoves engaged in native education, contributions to the industrial Culonies they ought to form an log a second language is almost ten he was gone.”

my cabin tronk and wax in away the mon at the wheel, and Technical, Agricultural, and progress of the country. integral portion of the educational negligible. "Civica" in one form Where did you bury him, quisitive. I should then have takes their place."

Trade Schools of course exist in Astriking example of the system. It may he observed that or another is a definite part of the man?."

roferred that rash youth to en: But what on earth were they various forms in most parts of the methods of the Bureau may be they are not agricultural colleges, curriculum in all schools, but a "Oblas for that—in the big older official, well known to me, doing ? "

British Empire, but they not only taken from the case of corn. In nor, as far as I could see, do they special wird of praise is due to cemetery beyond the river, in the who had been tender with my "Can't rightly make out, air, touch only a fringe of our native 1911 there was a deficiency in the attempt the impossible task of an admuable little volume called part where all my countrymen oases of moths and butterflies for They seem to have been took by subjects, but also a very small rica erop in the Pailippines. The combining a high school education Right manuera and gold cou lie," said Baia Wei-lu, amoothly. many a year, and should have surprise and sort of dazed. Any percentage of those natives who result was a considerable rise in with the so-called preparation for duct in mae in all elementary I stared at him, whilst the Eu asked if there was any need to way, before they could stop him are receiving any education at all. price and increased cost of im-agricultural life. The remaining schools, in its way this book la lish clock in the shop struck disturb them now. I should not the Chines puts the helm over and The Americans would appear to portation. The Bureau seized the courts in the intermediato schools the best I have ever seen, eloven. His eyes grew narrower have considered it necessary to changes the ship's course. It be on the high road towards the opportunity of teaching the "Fili- is that for business. The most and nerrower, till at last they were mention that these particular seems he must have known of solation of that difficult problem; pinos a lesson not only in econo- prominent features of the car engaged in carrying on this work, Nearly 10,000 teachers are jetdinka between the merest elits specimens were a carefully dia- those rocks, and the old the how to educate a native without mice, but also in diet. An ad-riculum are arithmetic, spelling and no less than 94 per sof of fash; but his maak-like ex-artig, info be as he and woth as Captain didn't, see, air? We feat producing a Baboo or overtook mirable little "all" Bul Was and dictation, correspondence, them are Filipinos. The 'total'

milk, with the nails teeth se shaved 'em, sir.”

ing the market with ineficient, prepared ou corn. The Ballet penmanship, civice, and geo- amount of money spent is rather parately bestowed in "matol "I should like to shake that unsaleable, and consequently dis in began by pointing out that, graphy, and, of course, type over $7,000 000 (roughly $1 boxes.

stoker's hand, said I both contented clerke.

although the Philippine Islands writing and book-keeping. 400,000 sterling). In Ladia, with Heia Wei-la had brought the hands?

This is high praise, though no are well adapted for the growing A limited number of pupila a population 18 times as large, box round himself one night, "Yerair, Funny thing, too more than is deserved, but it must of corn, the United States, with pass from theintermediate sohcols we spend a little over five millions carrying it under his arm, and had the steward clutched at the shelf not be imagined there are no only 10 times the population, to the high schools. There are sterling snaaally1ime. Hain Wei-la opened his eyes entrusted it to my august keep-aboye my head to steady himself rocks ahead. The Bureau realises produced annually over 500 times 44 of these in the Pailippines, but

My father went to join his honourable, ancestors a fortnight after your august departure," he paid, using exactly the same level intonation for each word.

"Good Heavens, Haia Wei-lu! Was he long ill ? “

pression did not change..

But I was not born among mask faces and narrow you for nothing. And what did you put in the coffin, Heis Wei-ld?" I asked, softly:

:

It was a neat box of white deal, not much more than 20 inches long and 10 deep-a most re spectable, modern box, capable of containing the garnered fruits of a collector's.hobby.