AN OLD KOWLOON JOSS. HOUSE.
IMPERIAL PROBLEMS.
FORMER LEPER AS GAMBLER'S
PATRON SAINT.
The numerous joss houses to be found in China, says a Telegraph correspondent, can all be found to haye & most fascinating history, if pains be taken to discover their origin. Some of them "are, de dicated to the ad of the "soll, some to the spirits of trees, some to Heaven and Earth, and some to men and beasts, etc. Taking keen Interest in these things, have, says the correspondent, in vestigated the history of many of them but never in the past have I discovered one with a history so unique as that located in what was once the Mau Laam Gardens, ut Kowloon,
have noticed
CONFERENCE BUSY IN
LONDON
THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH,
Rugby, Nov. 1. The delegates to the Imperial Conference met to-day at the War Office to discuss points affecting the army, which arose during the general examination of Empire defence at the full Conference last week. Matters concerning the navy, havo, in the same way, already been discussed informally at the Admiralty and to-morrow a meeting will be held at the Air Ministry to deal in detail with aerial defence problems.
its
COD-
CANTON'S FINANCE
COMMISSIONER.
MR. T. V. SOONG'S BRIEF VISIT.
Mr. T.V. Soong, Canton's Com- missioner of Finance, returned to Canton this morning, after a brief stay in Hongkong said to have been made for the purposes of a temporary rest.
It is ascertained that Mr. Soong has recently suffered from cyc-
Hotel.
strain owing to the prolonged hours he has put every day into the task of supervising the finances of the province, and that he came down to Hongkong to Meanwhile, good progress is being made with the various sub-bave this trouble attended to by jects referred to the committees, well-known local eye-surgeon. Committed He was accompanied by. Mr. and the Economic
Maurice Cohen, the Canadian, who completed to-day sideration of the three questions late Dr. Sun Yat-sen.
was personal body-guard to the During These gardens were once located which have been before it; name their brief sojourn in the Colony, where now runs Nathan Road, andy, firstly, the collection of com they stayed at the Repulse Bay every resident in Kowloon must plete statistics of supplies and the odd-looking consumption of wool, including shrine of joes house near the old stocka in the hand of dealers and Po Hing Theatre and have ob users; secondly, the proposal to served the great number of people compel proprietors of cold stores worthipping there, but I doubt if in Britain and Northern Ireland to any of them has the slightest idea disclose the stocks of foodstuffs regarding its history, or meaning in cold storage; and, thirdly, the As a matter of fact what is now compilation of trade" statistics" the loss house is simply what rewith a view to promoting closer
thuseinter-Imperial trade mains of the west gate of old gardens. As to its beginning
A preliminary discussion on and history, an old and much re-shipping, cables and wireless took spected Chinese resident of Kow-place at the Committee on Com-cent. of the collections were ab- loon told me the following story münications, other than air, and which I believe to be true in every the Forestry Committee, ut Its detall:",
LETER'S GHOST.
To Mr. Soong is attributed the remarks,, made to a friend whilst he was here, that the fiscal system of the province has been completely reorganised
and brought to such a stage of off-
ciency as to eliminate all squeeze and to secure the minimum of wastage from expenses incidentul
to collection of the taxes. Where- as under a "former regime, 95, per
'sorbed dishonestly "before they reached the Government coffera, and only five per cent. was actually. meeting, considered the desir received for revenue, it is now the ability of establishing an Imperial Forestry Bureau and discussed other way about. Graft, he shid. Account books are periodically, au- matters that will be raised at the has been entirely eliminated. The Empire Forestry Conference predited, and there are employed in moted by Australia and New this service a large number of re- leprosy. No-one, of course, would Zealand, which is to be held in turned students, whose energy and |
About twenty years ago, there appeured in these parts a Chinese beggar suffering fearfully from that universally-dreaded disease,
allow him near them nor take any trouble to see that he had any. thing to eat, nor would they give him shelter. Finally, being unable to obtain the necessities of life or a place of shelter, he went into the garden and lay down beside the gate and cled. From that day the district was haunted by the, ghost of the lener beggar which brought great discomfort to the superstitious. "
1928.
IMPERIAL PREFERENCE.
patriotism have instilled new vigour and the maximum amount of effi- elency into the department.
measure
of
ita
As the territory of the Nationalist Government grows
military day by day, according to the Mr. Amery, in
successes, there has accrued to Mr. Soong the task of bringing these new areas into conformity with one central system of finance, and it is said that the task of keep- ing pace with this growing work has interfered with Mr. Soong's compelled him health
Mr. Soong is reported to have to secure temporary relaxation. been named by the Kuomintang Congress as a future Finance ernment. He is a brother' of Minister for the Nationalist Gov- Madame Sun Yat-sen.
Mr. Bruce," the Australian Premier, replying, said that all considerations of the Imperial Conference came back to the fact that the economic problem was the greatest of all.
The Dominion Premiers and delegates to the Imperial Confer- ence were entertained at luncheon by the British Empire, Producers Organisation. proposing the toast of the guests, said he believed that the policy of Imperial" preference was the simplest and most effective instru- What was to be done? Nothing, ment of Imperial development that could be devised." The of course, for how was one to deal development of the resources. of
Chinese with a ghost? But the are nothing if not able to meet the British Empire could provide situations, and to meet this one it wealth and welfare to every part was decided that as the ghost of of it to an extent which it was the beggar was hungry, he should hardly possible to conceive to-day be fed and comforted, for thus he Such a development could only would become more reasonable and take place if we had an effective not continue to disturb the com-policy in common in creating it. munity by his nightly wanderinga. So food and wine were offered by the people, and, strange to relate, a change for the better was noticed almost immediately, and, by continuing to make these offer ings the ghost completely stopped his wanderings and once more the community was at peace.
Then the rumour got about that the leper was a great gambler in his day. When this came to the ears of the gambling fraternity they immediately adopted the leper
Mr. Coates, Prime Minister of beggar as their Patron Saint and prayed that he would grant them New Zealand, said there was not success in their games of chance the remotest doubt that trade Certain ones prayed and were re-withla the Empire was possible warded, and, of course, this was of much greater development, that through it the unity of the passed on to others, with a added as the tale grew. Soon the nations would be strengthened little joss house became famous and also, that the opening up and re-peopling of the young Dominions and still greater sums
would be expedited. porled to have been won after help had been requested from the leper beggar. People flocked there to do honour to one who was clever in his day and to ask that good luck might follow their business. Only yesterday, says the' correspondent, I saw a company of Chinese ladies dressed in the finest
were
bit
So
silk, accompanied by servants, worshipping there.
and
The Canton Finance Commis- sioner left by the morning boat to-day on his return to Canton.
The
There had To-day's report of the Royal been a great increase in the Observatory states that a new of the people tphoon bas developed about 400 of the miles east of Manila. It appears Empire sense throughout the whole British communities of the world, to be moving westward. and he believed, that that sense local forecast up till noon to-mor was going to enable us to solve row. is: "East winds, moderate; this great problem and bring fine." about greater Imperial trade.
OHJECTION TO REMOVAL.
dwellings. It hap
The case in which a Chinese cook-boy is charged with commis- sion of a high-way robbery at Queen's Gardens was again ad- journed this morning. Mr. Gor don Leask appeared for the de- the hearing of the fence and asked for a date to be fixed for charge.
was
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1926.
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COLUMBIA NEW-PROCESS RECORDS.
The value of Australian prim- Owing to a severe chill, Mr.
compared with Mackenzie. King, Canadian Freary production in 1925 mier, was unable to be present.- £275,000,000,
£260,000,000 in 1924. The value of the manufacturing output in British Wireless.
1925 was £382,000,000, an increase of £34,000,000 on 1924. The persons. It is this fact which, some time employed in the primary industries ago, caused a bit of trouble, numbered 160,000, and those in the secondary industries 440,000. The What I am told is correct. Twenty total wages paid in the latter years ago this section of Kowloon amounted to £81,000,000 in 1925. WORSHIPPERS TRIBUTES.
was little more than a hillside and
TO-DAY Those who have been benifited Nathan Road, was then not even but with Kowlcon's hare not forgotten to return thanks surveyed, and express their gratitude. The phenomenal progress Nathan Road place is covered with large and has been laid out and the old small red tablets bearing testi- gardens done away with and in monlals of blessings received from their place are good streets and this ghost now recognized as a substantial shas or god. One of these reads: pened that when the surveying
From the Anancial difficulties was done, it was found that the that he had the power of the yearly settlement be de- joss house almost completely shut those in difficulties? livered me," or something to that effect, which indicates that at the Chinese New Year settlement timp the person in question was having a good deal of difficulty in making hla settlements and therefore went to this Joss house for help, and re-lords were all for moving it im- calved it. It is not at all" unmediately and it is reported that
a public street, is allowed to re- common for those in difficulties to they sent in a petition to the have recourse to the gods at such Public Work Department to have main. It is suspected that the G5588 times.
Another
read: it done but that some of the people. Government, in not removing the
G 6597 Thanks for your favours." stoutly objected, contending that old shrine, is simply following its Others:All I asked was granted the removal of the house would old and wise policy of not inter- ma:" "All my heart desired was bring disaster on the community, foring. more than is absolutely granted;" "The god of the Laam for had the ghost of the leper beg- necessary, with the religious be Garden is holy" "All of which var not given them much discom- liefs of the races, over which it was fort in the beginning until he ro rules. In any case the foss house, goes to show that one who ince n dirty leper bervar "and ceived proper respect from the romains and superstition once more has proved greater than wandering gambler is now consi- community? Had he not now dered a "god"
rather become a public asset in reason..
one
up one end of a certain strect. Whether the Public Works De- Houses were büllt and people oc-partment listened to any of these cupied them, making the streat arguments, if indeed they were one much used, and then the ques-ever advanced, the writer does not tion of removing the old joss house profess to know, but the fast re- It is said that the land- mains that a dirty-old joss house, which is really an eyesore to the community, and an obstruction in
came up;
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