1929-10-26 — Page 6

GENUINE

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.

NOW IS THE TIME TO GET YOUR

Eau de Cologne FRIGIDAIRE

TRIPLE EXTRACT

An exquisite and refreshing adjunct to the toilet.

In "MAGNUM" Bottles $2 per Bottle.

A. S. WATSON & CO., LTD.

ESTD. 1841

THE HONGKONG DISPENSARY

Phone C.16

ON SALE TO-DAY

The New

Victor Records

For October

Including two new Musical Masterpiece

Series.

No. 56 Le Cid-Ballet (Massenet) By Alfred Hertz & San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.

No. 55 Symphony No 6 in GMajor-

'

THERE ARE DOMESTIC MODELS OF FROM FOUR TO EIGHTEEN OUBIC FEET STORAGE CAPACITY,

OVER

1,000,000

IN USE THROUGHOUT

THE WORLD.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1929.

DAY BY DAY.

THE ENGLISH PEOPLE DO NOT MIND FLICKING A DUSTER OVER THE DIRTY PLACES, BUT THEY DRAW THE LINE AT A CLEAN SWEET-Phillip Gibba,

THOMAS MOORE.

The Minstrel Boy From Dublin.

One hundred and fifty years ago, "obscure" Victorian

past. His

him falls the task of co-ordinating the work of the different depart- ments of exercising supervision of the income and expenditure, of laying before the Commissioners in a practical form the views of the heads of his departments aa to ques- tions of policy and as to the mea sures to be undertaken in pursuance thereof. He is also required to take care to see that the general inforest of the community is not

It ía notified that at the expira-tales of bog and castle, the legends harp when the combat is over," made subordinate to the parti- cular interests of influential rate- tion of three months the Hongkong of knight and chloitain and the "Though sacred the tie that our & South China Launch Company, ebb and flow of the city about him. country entwineth," "Sound the payera working through the Com-Limited will, unless cause is shown At the turn of the century, when loud timbrel e'er Egypt's dark sen," missioners, Another important to the contrary, be' struck off the he was twenty years of age, he "The harp that once through Tara's function which devolves on him is register and the company will be took ship for London. It is here halls," "Believe me if all those

dissolved..".

his story begins to differ from the endearing young charms," ""Fis of summer," "The ordinary. It is one of the most the last rose to investigate complaints made of the inaction of the Executive in Tenders are being invited for romantic stories in all modern minstrel, boy," "Dear harp of my country." These are a few of the connexion with urgent matters, for widening the lower portion of Gar-literature.

more widely known of the selec den Road. The work comprises

There he is, the minstrel boy, tions, but there are many more it seems to have been found that excavating and removing, kerbing." on occasion. the Government has channelling, taking down and re- marching toward London, his head which are known in particular been rather half-hearted in carry building fence wall to new align- held up, and the right of aspiration parts of the country, among partic

hand but a few songs, and with his Murray Barracks.

Although human love may hava ing out municipal schemes on whichment of Garden Road, adjoining In his eye. With nothing in his ular groups of people.

harp on his back, he was to assault been the principal theme of his it has not been particularly keen.

There Two lots of Crown land situate the stronghold of the litorateurs verse, it is not the only one. The point to be remembered,

at Shamshulpo are to be sold by of his day, assault and carry the is a healthy love of field and stream though, is that the Municipality auction on the 12th November, stronghold, with a verve and vigor in his lyrics, there is a very true has definite functions and that it They were New Kowloon Inland that have seldom been matched. affection for the glorious legendary (area, about 29,040 Of course, he was inwardly armed. lore of old Ireland, there is a strong can insist on its orders being obey- Lot 1284 ed. It is essential, though, that act upset price, a dollar He had all the magic of the green sense of movement and vigorous foot) and New Kowloon Inland woods, and the green fields of struggle in the martial poems, and there should be hearty co-operation Lot 1286 (area, about 14,690 Ireland; he had the visions he had in certain scenes in Lalla Rookh. in its day for the accuracy of its he had a very warm heart.

imagery, and the beauty of its He was a charming boy, Tom diction. Moore, with an appealing sort of The Minstrel Boy had strange wide-eyed expectancy, confidenco powers. Out of a few words, almost; which took London by simple melody, and the magic of storm, Within the year he had his genius, whatever that may access to half of fashionable Lon-mean, he could fashion a lyric that a thousand don. He had a long subscription has more power than llet to the little sheaf of songs he laws. We can picture his gallant had brought with him, and he had assault on London, and later on, permission to dedicate them to the when he had gathered the richness Prince of Wales! And this was of the years, he could sing with a not all, at evening, he could very sweeter voice the fuller songs his frequently be heard singing his increased sympathy enabled him to write. His was not the muse of songs to his landlady.

the clever word, or the abstruse People like.freshness, and boyish-ides, but the muse of the loving ness, and the lilt of young love.heart. When he sang of his lady, jaded London, and London opened world; when he sang of friendship, The ministrel boy brought these to he sang the simple yearnings of a

A bankruptey notification states that a third dividend of $20 per cont. is intended to be declared in a boy was born in Dublin. During obscurity is of the twentieth cen- the case of A. Kwai and company, his school days he did the things tury, not his own,

"A Canadian Boat Song," "Black known as Yick Cheong Hong, of that every romantically minded

Irish boy of his generation did.and blue eyes," "Merrily every 18/19, Connaught Road Central.

He steeped himself in the strange bosom boundeth," "Light sound the

DODWELL & Co., Ltd. between the Executive and the square feet; upset price, $25,763). seep bestie the Irish streams. And The latter long poem was known

Sole Distributors BONG KONG & S. CHINA

ANNOUNCEMENT.

Municipality.

How extensive is the ground covered by these Municipalities may be gathered from the fact that own Health De- they have their partments, and their Engineers" Departments, and that they even The forthcoming wedding is an

nounced between Mr. A. A. deal with such matters as assess dos Remedios, of Jardine, ments of property. The Engineers' Matheson & Co., Ldd., and Departments, it is worth

noting, Miss L. M. Gomes, to take cover all such matters as roads, place on Saturday, November

drainage, sanitation 9, at 4.30 p.m. at the Rosary bridges,

the Church, Kowloon, and after-waterworks, etc., and with wards at the Club de Recreio. funds and materials, which they No invitations are being is- sued, but all friends will be handle they undertake bix" con-

welcome.

The

Hongkong Telegraph.

SATURDAY OCT. 26, 1929,

Surprise" (Haydn) MUNICIPAL COUNCIL By Serge Koussevitzky & Boston Symphony Orchestra.

S. Moutrie & Co., Ltd.

(Victor Distributors) Chater" Road,

LANE, CRAWFORD'S

LADIES' SALON

"NOW SHOWING A FULL RANGE FOR THE PRESENT SEASON, INCLUDING—

Furs

Wrap Coats

Jumper Suits

Cardigans

Jumpers

Waistcoats

Tweed and Pleated

Crepe Skirts,

etc..." etc.

Lane, Crawford, Ltd.

QUESTIONS,

In view of the frequent urging of the need of a Municipal Council in this Colony, which shall have charge of all purely local affairs, we have been endeavouring to obtain some information as to how the system works in other Crown Colonies.

little time agor we were able to disclose some of the activities of the Colombo Municipality, and now we have secured some information regard ing the duties of the Municipally thes in the Straits Settlements. There are still several matters

struction work on their own

AC-

CORRESPONDENCE. -

The Hongkong Dollar. [To The Editor of Hongkong Telegraph.] Sir,-Torn between "Observer's" optimism and "Onlooker's" pes- simism as to the effects of the low exchange on the finances of our Dock Companies, I am glad I reached the haven of a definite opinion some days ago,

As a recent investor in Docks, Influenced by the observations of the first as to the possibilities and probabilities of a low exchange; I am able to-day to realise on a the shares; now what do you say "Observer" and "Onlooker?" Yours, etc.,

4

count, as well as some others on a profit of about 25%. I still hold her arms to him and took him in. he sang the staunch fenlty of a His was not the flashing blaze of noble friend; when he sang of his resplendent popularity that ac- country, it was with no mean in- claimed Byron, but it lasted longer, sular pettiness that he denkt," but and grew steadily. There were with the ceaseless love of the acres few houses of distinction in those of home that lives in every true days that did not at some time or patriot's heart. It Was not another shelter the blue-eyed Iad justification of a country as it was, from Dublin.

contract-letting basis. "They even vote appropriations for inclusion in the Budget, and have specific sources of revenue allotted to them. In short, these bodies, discharge the functions of a Corporation or Borough at Home, and they fit well into the scheme of government. It is when we encounter facts such as these that we realise how much valuable work a Municipal Council could do in this Colony. We sug- gest, therefore, that our Unofficials address a question to the Govern- ment, at some future meeting of the Legislative Council, with a view to ascertaining whether such a body could not be created in Hongkong.

:

Opium Traffic.

"ATTABOY." Hongkong, Oct. 25th, 1929.

Fleta's Recital. Sir-In placing the number of composers he admires at at least thirty, "Musical Critic", ahows perhaps a wider range of appre- ciation than would appear from his wholesale condemnation of the programmes of most artists who visit us. When, of about half-a- dozen forthcoming attractions, he singles out only one that seems to him worth hearing, and out of composers appearing on nine Fleta's programme he says that only one appeals, he places him self in a category of music-lovers are very hard indeed to please. who

a vain

movement, as

Tom Moore did not prove, as Burns did, that "The rank is but the guinea stamp." He never at- tempted to lead Wordsworth did, back to nature. He never attempted, as Shelley did, to found anarchy and Utopin at a stroke. But Tom Moore was

voice had the

sweet singer. His

£

aura of a thousand years of romance in it, and the melody of human happiness and love and laughter.

but as it might become if the high- souled fervor of the poet were to be the shaping force. One of the trust tributes to the poet is his In

'own poem:

Dear Harp of my country darkness I found thee,

The cold chain of silence had'

hung o'er thee long, When, proudly, my own island harp. I unbound thee, And gave all thy cords to light,

freedom and..song!. The warm lay of love and the

light note of gladness Have wakened thy fondest, thy

liveliest thrill;

But so oft hast thou echoed the

"deep note of sadness, That even, in thy mirth it will

steal from thee still.

Dear Harp of my country! Fares....

well to thy numbers, This sweet wreath of song is the

last, we shall twine; Go, sleep with the sunshine of fame on thy slumbers, Till touched by some hånd less

unworthy than mine.

If the pulse of the patriot,

soldier or lover,

Has throbbed at our lay, 'tis thy

glory alone;

"It is usual, when the first few bits of work a poet shows gather such a harvest of acclaim, to find that the popularity wanes, but in this case, the "Odes of Anacreon" which he had brought with him from Ireland wore far from being his best work, and it is fair to say that his welcome depended more on his occasional songs, his sweet voice, and the charm of his büoy-. ant nature, than on the poetic excellence of his verse. The popu larity was not based on whim, however, for he continued to produce, and his later work showed Is it right to assume that a'a variety and vigor few had been singer chooses an operatic aria for bold enough to expect. his programme solely because it shows off the range and flexiblity of his voice? May it not also be The very persuasive argument good music, and quite a gem in of the correspondent who found itself, though divorced from its himself in disagreement with our context and scenic effects? Is an views on the subject of opium elocutionist to be debarred from traffic regulations and the respon reciting anything from Shake- gibilities of shippers, represented, speare for such reason? no doubt, the considered opinionOnce again I think "Musical which we have not yet succeeded of a great majority of the men Critic" is not being fair to himself who serve their lives afloat. We in his expressed dislike for all ex- in clearing up, such as the exact deprecated, it will be recalled, the cerpts from opera, I remember a position as between the Munici- decision of the U. S. Senate to local concert where there were absolve ship-owners and ship's three operatic arias on the pro-

As an. example of one of the palities and the Executive, but officers from liability for oplum gramme and he wrote quite finest types of English lyric poetry, sufficient is in our hands to show smuggling if they are able to enthusiastically about them. I am

I cannot resist printing one of Moore's own favourite songs. It that the system is working with prove their ignorance of the at-sure he was perfectly sincere,

tempt. Our correspondent sub- Naturally one does not find

was a song written at n results of the utmost benefit to the mitted, quite convincingly on the artists like Elena Gerhardt and great contentment, and it breathes communities which" it serves. surface, that sallormen have quite Carl Henschel singing "excerpts"

the fine, calm spirit of the minstrel the tender passion that was Indeed, a report issued some years sufficient to do in the performance from opera at their recitals, for with an exquisite simplicity that Thomas Moore.-W. A. K. in the

of their normal duties without they are not opera singers at all. echoed all the lovely things, the Christian Science Moniler.. age on the work of the Municipal being required to add to them They are lieder singers, because rare things, In a memory that was Commissioners stated

that those of a Customs House detec- that type of music is better suited replete with fragrance. Strangely enough, the song was written very although the "discharge of the tive, and up to a point, we are pre-to their voices.

pared to agree. But that is quite It is all very well to advocate quickly, and very completely at one WHO WAS-? duties calls for much time on the different from suggesting that distinguishing "good art from bad sitting. Very few, if any, altera- members, it was unquestioned that shippers should be absolved from art and good music from vocal tions were inserted as time went all responsibility. The crux of or Instrumental gymnastics and bon, for it lay forgotten la his much valuable information and the question lies in the inter-rela- sobstuff, but I would remind waistcoat pocket, where he had advice would be lost if the system tion of shipping and smuggling. Musical Critic" that this cor slipped it after his pencil broke, were dispensed with and the mem- Contraband of any kind is usual-respondence originated over his the last line still

ly ship-borne, and our cores- criticism of Fietn's programme. bers of the community had no pondent would apparently concur There is not a single instance of proper means of access to the in daily contests between ship and "sobstuff" upon it; there is not authorities in charge of municipal shore, a continual battle of wits. one item that could be labelled instead of co-operation between vocal gymnastics;" and the entire ship's officers and preventive men, selection is one which I would In the case of opium this co-opera-consider any music-lover (other. America owing, as we pointed out, listen to with the utmost enjoy- tion had been made compulsory in than an extreme highbrow) could.

to the 'very serious problems prement. Yours, etc., sented by the traffic in dangerous undoubtedly arose from the sys- drugs, and though some hardships

affairs.

...

ALLEGRO. Hongkong, Oct. 25th, 1929,

On

The Straits Settlements have now been working this Municipality system for well over forty years, a fact which is sufficient to indicate how far behind the times Hong- kong is. Under the system, towns tem, there is reason to believe that of the President type, a system of are divided into wards represented it provided the only effective rewards to members of the crew board these by Commissioners who are elected means of combatting the traffic. was instituted

The Hongkong law says that a ship vessels, G55 being paid for every. by qualified voters, in addition to shall be deemed to be implicated five-tael tin of oplum discovered. which there are other Commission unless It is proved to the eatisfac- The result was that non-members- ers nominated by the Governor. A ton of the magistrate that every of the smuggling ring, for the reasonable precaution has been crews are almost without exception President is chosen from this body, taken to prevent the unlawful use hand in glove with illicit exporters, and in accordance with the inten of the ship. Obviously, Hongkong repeatedly upset the plans, and the tion of the Ordinance creating the officer than does the United States number and amount. The end of requires vastly more of the ship's fines exacted became negligible in Municipalities, namely, to en-under the modified Tariff Bill, yet responsibility will mean the end courage: the administration of as things are to-day we should be of rewards, and a most powerful municipal affairs by representatives prepared to condemn any move agency for curbing the traffle will for the introduction of less he destroyed. If the American of, the ratepayers, the occupant of stringent regulations. As an illus-aw insisted upon. “every rensor that post is generally an Unofficial, tration of the damage likely to be able precaution" we should have The president is the chief executive done by the U.S. decision, we may no criticism to offer, but "ignor

mention that following the im-ance seems to be asking for officer of the Municipality, and on I position of, heavy fines on ships trouble.

unfinished. In later years he found the poem, and like the prodigal returning, it was very dear to him,

How dear to me the hour when

day-light dies,

And sunbeama melt along the

silent sea,

For then sweet dreams of other

..days arise,

And memory breathes her vesper

sigh to thee.

And as I watch the line of light

that plays. ⠀

Along the smooth wave, toward

the burning west,

I long to tread that golden path

of rays,

And think twould lead to some

bright, isle of rest!.

This alone arriving when it did, would have proclaimed Tom Moore are others. It brings a strange worthy of some attention, but there feeling of pleasure to one reading collection of his works to find what a great number have passed into the commun speech, have be come the property of the world. A let of a few of the more familiar ones is startling in its length, specially when we consider, that Tom Moore was recently called an

I was but the wind passing heed-

lessly over.

And all the wild sweetness I wakdd was thine own.

In this we find all the romance,

JOHN BULL.

We are a modest people, we British. We do not demand an imposing figure as our national symbol. The bluff and hearty farmer, short and burly of frame, clad in scarlet waistcoat and leather bree chea, does well enough for us, for we feel that he typifies those qualities which we, as a 'ntion, most ndfire --honesty,

and indomitable' courage.

John Bull has not a very long history. He came into! being just over two hundred years ago, at the bidding of Dr. Arbuthnot, who wrote, a: akit on the long drawn-out war with France. The book was called the "History of John Bull," and concerned. an 'imaginary lawault between. France, England and Holland.. The worthy doctor was not Funduly humerous at the ex- - pange of John Bull;, for he described him as a blunt, straightforward follow, quick- tempered perhaps, but honest In his dealing a capable business man, and a generous. spender, a good fighter," and a Cfaithful friend,›