THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH.
WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 12, 1938.
"What Might Have Been A Happy and Flourishing Colony was Hell on Earth”
A pound of value
COLONY'S MOST UNPOPULAR LEADER for an ounce of cost
"MISUNDERSTOOD"
IS EPITAPH OF SIR JOHN DAVIS
One of the most interesting and at the same time most misunderstood of Hongkong's carly colonial administrators was the Colony's second Governor Sir John Francis Davis.
-
He was a man of whom his contemporaries hnd widely diver- gent opinions. The Home Government under the Ministry of Lord Elgin regarded Sir John as the man who best understood local conditions in Britain's newly acquired Far Eastern Colony; for he had spent many years in China and had been the Chiel Superintendent of Trade at the East India Company's "factory" or trading post ut Canton.
But he was not a universal favourite here as his mode of life, coupled with his scholarly, retiring nature, like that of Sir John Bowring, another occupant of the gubernatorial chair, Indeed. grata. 1102 or less a persona. rendered him 'more Sir John was never happier than when immersed in his Chinese studies; for he was the foremost sinologue of that day and enjoyed a reputation throughout Europe on account of his profound knowledge of China and things Chinese.
a year."
Whilst Sir John was unfortunate in his relations with his loent cont muilty on account of his ultrasaristu- crate and martinet conditions in one respect-sanitation. much to Imirove the Colony's Ilving
kles, he did
Sir John Francis Davis was abandonmut the idea of any pull-tax born in England on July 16, 1795, on Chinese residents, and exempting and died at his residence, Holly-from registration all evil, naval and military employees, all members of wood Tower, Westbury-on-Tyne, the learned professions, merchants. near Bristol on November 13, shop-keepers, house-holders, tenant 1890. During his long life of of Crown property, and persons nearly 96 years he distinguished having an incone of more than $500 himself for his literary achieve- ments and some of his publica tions on China are still regarded as standard works, and widely read even to-day. Indeed one of the most scholarly of his works was written before he was 27 years of nge, this being a volume of Chinese novels translated Into English. An- other of his earlier literary efforts was a book entitled "The Fortunate Union" published in 1829. However, the work upon which rests his re- putation as a writer was a curned treatise on the customs and charac-i teristies of the Chinese people which was published in 1830.
Davis arrived in Hongkong on May Sir Henry as successor to 7, 1844 Pattinger. His services in Chinn, however, went back to a much earlier with in 1813
and con-
date, having comineated i the East India Company tinued with that Institution until the annulment of its charter in 1831. In that year he was appointed Scere- tary Superintendent of Trade in Lord Nupler and when that worthy died he succeeded to bis post of Superintendent.
Chief
The most important project under. this heading upon which he em barked was the draining of Wongnel-
露露
{~||~~~~~~~↓={}~~~~={10={}~]
Personalities
Of Old Hongkong
By T. Paul Gregory
After a short time in that position chong in 1845. It may seem strange
During the four years of his ad- ministration Sir John chiefly occupied himself with the laudable task of conciliating the Chinese, although some of the legislation proposed by him was singularly unfortunate, and, moreover, destined from the begin- ning to arouse the sensibilities of the settlers.
******
The
SIR JOHN DAVIS
"Male Things Uncomfortable"
Yard May Soon Be Taking
Earprints"
E RADIO BROADCAST
Amateur Experts: Sixth
Of the Series
MOANA BEACH BOYS Radio Programme Broadcast by ZB.W. on Frequencies of 840 k.e's 9.62 m.c's 'per second.
6-7 Chinese Programme. 7.00 Danco. Record, Fux-Trot-You Needn't Have Kept It A Sceret. In The Mountains of the Moon..
Primo Seslu's Ac-
cordion Band.
7.00 Closing Local Stock Quota- Exchange tlons and Hongkong
Market Report.
7.10 London Relay Take Your Choler'.
by
A weekly Entertainment Feature William MacLurg. presented
Un- IntroductionThe Orchestra. der City Light-A brief glimpse in song at a London cabaret. Tales of Ben Bigg-3: A series of Commer
by Lauri cial Rumours written Wylie. The Bangalory Mau-Comt win with us in song and
of Death- The Spinner Episode 2 The Limehouse Barge. An adventure serial by Franklyn Kelsey, introducing Jim Travers and his friends, Terence O'Malley and Jeremiah and the sinister character, Mr. Sitani; Yours Sincerely-The Orchestra.
7.40 London Relay 'A Theme and a Song'.
A theme and a Song "This week': 'Rain' Songs. The Bay, the Girl, und the Trio with Josef Maris and his Hand. The programme presented by William MacLurg.
7.50 Interlude-Chopin-Nocturne in C Sharp Minor: Paganini-La Campanella (Rondo from "Concerto No. 2 in B minor") .... Violin Solo by Natun Milstein.
8.00 Local Time Signal. Weather Report and Announcements,
8.03 Studio, George Pearson and his Moana Beach Boys.
1. Leis for sale; 2. Malinini inele;
3. Meet me to-night in Decemiant
4. Niu haohao; 5. Hawalian Re- veries; 6. Don't sing "Aloha"
10.
when
8.25 Choruses. Tom Costello in Memorica (Scott and Me- Costello in Song Memories (McGlennon and Gilbert) Orchestra.
Costello and Chorus with
Those that have ears, let them-beware! For Scot-tennon); Tom land Yard is coming into line with Continental police forces and laying stress on the ears of criminals and potential criminals.
THE POINTED TYPE
AS 11
his ears set high is likely to be an artist, a dreamr, a philosopher."
LOMBROSO'S OMISSION "Even Lombroso never
(11 a
Tum
8.35 New Varlety Programme. Vocal-tex Cavalcade of 1837....
Medley. Gracie Fields & Sandy Powell; Piano No. D. 9; You needn't have kept it a
Solo-Charlle Kunz Piano
that old feeling....Charlie Kunz
an
ol
Detectives are being taught to take particular note of the ears of known and suspected wrong-doers. They
Secret: You're flere, You're there; on the Moon': 'So Rare': 'Stardust +] are the one feature that cannot be disguised.
You cannot "build up" an ear with paste nor change
Vocal-Ever So Quiet; At the Battle of Waterloo, Robbie Comber, with Orchestral Accompaniment; Foxtrot he resigned and returned to England, to readers at the present day that its expression with paint. where he was asked by His Majesty's Happy Valley was at that time des
Horsey, lorscy; Novelly Waltz- Continental practice involves the
Billy Cot- Maybelle, Maybelle Government to assume the governor- ship-of-Hongkong.With this postcribed by contemporary writers as a
veritable "valley at death."
9.00 Studio Sixth-of-a-Serles-of...... went the offices of Plenipotentiary marshes which abounded there breding of accurate measurements of
timeasurement Gf with disfavour and Lombrosa s dle-
Amateur Experts"Golf" by and Superintendent of British Trade malaria-carrying mosquitoes and the ears; "earprifils," in fact: The ---Prychologists—regard phrenology ton & His Bind. and head of the Consular Service in
miasmal emavin arising from the anthropometric
method is caining ad-credited. "You cannot bank as the mankind)
murderer having any particular type Euthualast.
Variety Programme. paddy fields was regarded
9.15 New China,
of ent," said one authority at the cause of the dreaded "Hongkong herents in Britain.
for
National Institute of Industrial Psy- cont. fever" which was responsible
Orchestral-The Velela; Lily chology recently. most of the deaths in the first decade
Laguna, Waiting at the Church, Barn
and of our Colony's history, so that this At one tine ears had a yet greater
Dances....Billy Merrin Jelond which is now generally con-
Identifed Commanders; Orchestral-The Best Little Prairie and lis sidered as one of the most salubrious signillcance. There was a school of places in the Far East was then re-semi-scientific thought, headed by
particular type of crime. He did Flower... Billy Cotton ferred to as that "feld brolling bog-Lombroso, the Italian criminologist, one particular type of car with one of Friends: I'm Hongkong."
which held that a criminal could be catalogue an enormous number of so- Band (With Vocal Chorus); Vocal
called criminal types, but he omitted It's Party Time Again....George Van
Disen. Sir John was also the first Gover-known, and even recognised
to check his results by observing an of normal large number
9.30 London Relay-The News. One of these examples of mis-
nor of Hongkong to take any interest criminal, by certain featurės.
9.50 Brahms--Concerto in Judging the publle mind was the ill-
A lobeless car, said Lombroso, or equally
con- types. The net result was that half fated Ordinance designed for the in religion and education, he himself
pointed car-like the the in- being a very pious individual. On restricting of
ventionalised ears of Mephistophe- his 'stigmata were not common only Mujor, Op 77-Kreisler, violin, and purpose
28, 1844 he issued a notification June
10.27 Brahms Songs, observation of discriminate flow of adventurers inta
les in pletures were among the anong criminals-inck of symmetry, the London Philharmonie Orchestra.
for example--but were usual in all stigmata of criminal degeneracy.
Ever Softer Grows my Slumber; the Colony. On August 21, 1844 the ordering the strict
mankind."
Schumann Lullaby....Elisabeth Legislative Council passed a Bill Sunday as a day of rest and all public contracts henceforth included this
Phrenologists to-day belleve that ing for the registration
But there is one thing about ears. Soprano; (a) Ela Sonnett; (b) Sonn- Kipnis-Bass; of Hongkong, withou
stipulation. It was due largely to his
its diagnostic A finger with
and tag.... Alexander representations that the Home Gov-an ear set low on the head indicates distinction of nationality or position.
ernment gave its unwilling consent a forceful, and even a violent, type of
10.37 Mary Band Selection. Whilst the purpose of this Ordinance the five is unwill the colonial person; but only when an ear is set Irrefutable print can be sand-papered, Gerald Moore Planoforte.
into
at
American of certain
"Semiramide"-Overture (Rossini) was to prevent the influx
Church, building operations on which low on a heat flat and narrow on top or skin can be (actually has been in
and straight rather than curved
....Creatore's Band; Woodland Pic- Colony of undesirable aliens and
were begun in October, 1843. regarded
the back is there any ground for be- gangsters) grafted on with a different
are dan- graining so as to disguise the tell-tures-Rural Suite (P.E. Fletcher) lawless elements, it
inte murk.
Wireless Military was completed in eving that "such men The church
....The B.B.C. with dismay and consternation the part of British residents, who rose October, 1840 and where its founda- gerous."
Gloves are a common place among Band; Royal Cavalende (Ketelbey); "feeling tion stone was laid St. Jolin's
But a man Coronation Bells March (Patridge) even amateur criminals. up in wrathful indignation
their Cathedral now stands. Under his
would be strictly
....The Band of H.M. Coldstream their personal self-respect,
were "If a man has his car set low, but with car-muffs
Guards. national honour and their individual fostering care many schools
Guld | noticeable. And there is no escaping
11.00 Close down. underfoot established and the name of at least the top of his head in wide,"
measurements. And Hberty being trampled
the ont
of these remains to the present white-haired Mrs. Stackpool O'Dell, the Bertillon even more ruthlessly than in
For the the phrenologist, in her Ludgate the only way yet discovered to dis- days of the Co-Hong bondage in day-St Paul's College. Canton." Consequently, the British especial benefit of the Chinese popu- Circus office recently. he will be a guise in ear is to get it turned into good "coulldower." And that is very first lation, which had at this time nine nighter-but a fighter for residents assembled in
Confucian schools at work, the cause. public meeting ever held in Hong-
devised, early In 1047. kong on October 28, 1844, and ap- Governor pointed a committee to memorialise various grant-in-ekl schemes. the Governor.
the
all
hout
the
on
a
FIGHTERS
n
the
case
painful,
set
"It is the man with his cars Jow and a flat back to his head that phrenological
MALAYA DRINKS
MORE IN FLUSH
OF PROSPERITY
In
At the close of the year 1846 the will exert his force only in his own The Chinese inhabitants, too, tooit Governor's troubles were augmented interest. But every alarm at the Ordinance and on by dissension among officers and civil indication must be assessed in unily October 30 the first strike occurred employees of the garrison. Dis-with other controlling and governing! in Hongkong. Every Chinese shop cipline, both military and naval, be- indiention. No one feature can tell
the closed, stall-holders in
camo sinck and court-martials were its message alone.
агод evez
Singapore, Jan. 1. markets refused to open, cargo and frequent, Differences
"As a general fact, however, you Major-Genern? D'Aguilar boats furted their sails and between
Iritial Malayo prosperity is passenger
can take it that a man with his earn obdurate to and the officers constituting the
com-causing the whole country to drink their crews remained
ket low will be a forceful, enuirt.
bative, fighting type: the man with more. persuasion to engage in their usun? activities, coolies and domestic ser-
Animosities thus proused happily
Consumption of wines, beers and vants followed the general example, and all business was at a standstill. died away before anything really
British Malaya, the world's leading serious occurrest, and the end of the send-off from any place of which he spirits is increasing at a record rate. community Moreover, the Chinese
producer of tim and rubber, is made active preparations to leave if year already saw the beginning of had been administrator.
"As he stepped into the boat the enjoying a tremendous prosperity the Government did not immediately, the healing of the brench, so that
Residents when General D'Aguilar left he was enters raised a faint cheer but few owing to the improved world demand Ordinance. repeal the
farewelled with great regret. go the
of the inhabitants were present to for these commodities and the higher stated they were ready to State
The pubile also took the oppor-swell the sound, and those who were prices they are bringing on the lead- very next day if necessary. Euro-
to seeing markets. Malayan trade has in- penns, seeing the disastrous state of tunity to present n laudatory address attracted there by curiosity affairs, summoned another public to the senior naval officer, Captain the Governor embark did not join creased by nearly $180,000,000 during
MacQuth, and it is a true but un-in the omelat demenatention. As the the past six months. meeting and, on November 2, the
pleasant fact that the demonstra-steamer passed down the harbour a
As result there has been a cur- Governor was memorialised a second
the Britishli
tons of popular affection to the de-
the liquor salute of seventeen gune was fired [act, time. In munity even proposed to petition parting, services leaders
by IMS. Melampus. Thus depart reponding increase, in the Home Government, stating that hanced by the thought of
the ed the man who had made things so trade. Whisky Imports have gone up the colonists had lost faith in the difference with which the Governor's uncomfortable for most people dur- 20.8 per cent, brandy (forelga) 63.5 cent, sparkling wines 70.8 per cent, local administration, but ultimately departure would be treated by the ing his governorship of the Colony per cent, brandy (Empire) 40 inore moderate counsel prevailed and community,
The conte.porary Press blamed st wines 34.3 per cent, beer 40 per. fealing subsidied.
Empire brandy is now gaining for Sir John Davis to depnet for him and said concerning Hongkong: cent, stoul 37 per cent.
"What might have been a happy and Home (March 30, 1848) few men can
reason to flourishing Colony was a Hell upon ground and represents almost two- thirds of the total of brandy Imports. have been given better remember with unhappy feelings-his earth."
com-
The Legisintivo Council on Novern- ber 13, 1844 passed an amended Re- gistration
Ordinance, "applying registration only to the lower classes,
---
were en-
And, indeed, when the time come
per
D
ол
GOLD UNDER PHILADELPHIA
Philadelphin.
around Philadelphians walk $10,000,000 in unclaimed gold, but it doesn't bother them very much. The cost of procuring it from the 15-foot vein of clay in which it lies would 'far exceed the value of the metal.
Such a clean
refreshing flavour...
Odol
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