THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, TUESDAY, AUGUST 28, 1938.
Life Begins at 8:01
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*
TUDEBAKIR
The Last Word in
Perfaction !
THE YEAR'S
STUDEBAKER
Somo Expressions of
Satisfied Owners:
So This Was Old
Old Hongkong!
AT LONG LAST IT COMES INTO ITS OWN
"You can't wear out a Studebaker." THE closing years of the 'fifties are in reality amongst
"Costs less to run."
"Leads in roominess and in miracle-
ride comfort."
"I can drive it hundreds of miles
and never feel fatigued,"
Ask for a demonstration drive.
Hongkong Hotel Garage
Stubbs Rd,
The
Hongkong Telegraph.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 23, 1938.
PROBLEM, FOR POST OFFICE
the most remarkable in our local history; for they saw Hongkong firmly established as a British Colony. The appalling conditions of the previous decade which had accounted for such an enormous toll of human lives were rapidly being corrected. Effectual drainage, a better sup- ply of water, and the planting of trees all over the Island were proving successful in combatting the menace of in- cipient malaria, and the name "Hongkong fever" by which this scourge of the European in the East was then known now fast losing its significance. Hongkong was "coming of age" and was now settling down as a flourish. ing little trading community.
was
of October 10, 1856, in accounting for the alleged unpopularily of this
BY
T. PAUL GREGORY
attempted in the Far East, and whilst It was unfortunately ephemeral in its existence, it yet enjoyed much popularity and its name The Hong- kong Monthly Magazine was well- known in its day. It was unique in the unmals of local foumalism inas- much as its publisher and founder was a worpan, Mrs. A. F. Beecher, an American missionary, and incidental- ly sinter-in-law of the famous divine, Beecher. Her [L-
Notwithstanding the ceaseless al- Henry Ward tacks made upon the Colony by lisnouncement of the undertaking occurs community was at any rate firmly and reads as follows: critics abroad the local mercantile in the China Mait of June 24, 1637, convinced of the great future in store
for the port. It foresaw thut the successful conclusion of the war with "boom," and it was prepared to take China would result in a great trade advantage of the opportunity, In
crease iri
A
many the "advertising" of
chafed t
chance of escape.
The Hongkong Monily Magazine
"With the 1st July, commences a series of publications under the above Title, Edited by Mrs. A. E. Beecher. It will be the aim of the Editress to sustain a plensant Local' Magazine, making It welcome alike to the Household and the Counting Room, and In all respects credit- able to the community whence it emonates."
The
Local conditions, however, were yet As a matter of historical accuracy. far from ideal, and in the opinion there was much truth in the constant of the atay-at-home Englishman hurling of charges and counter- Tel. 27778.9. Iungkong was
still the absurd charges; for "where there is snioke fact, with the close of the 'aftles the choice made by the British Govern- there is bound to be fire." It is a that there occurred
wave of prosperity became so marked mint for a colony, and burial ground pity to record that
definite in- most of these for British troops off Chini," In aerusals
population. Hongkong were Loo true. Alleged fact, "to damn one to Hongkong"! Instances of graft and corruption East for the aspiring young men of now became the mecen of the For was at that time a popular variant were constantly being brought to
the day, and the dark accounts pub- of an every day oath; for according light, and it was not until the next lished in
the to the mid-nineteenth century con- decade that the Colony achieveit its seemed only to increase their desire Home Newspapers ception, our
The other periodical which first present Colony was present high standard of official to seek their fortunes here; for to saw the light at this time was the the "penrest counterpart to Hell integrity and efficiency.
Press, the Daily
which commenced that could be found on earth."
Even the stald London Times Colony as it was done in those days, publication on October 1, 1857. The Morning Advertiser in its issue alluded to Hongkong on more than Was the best sort of inducement to purpose of the newspaper wus to
occasion as a "turbulent one
settlers. and get new
Youths who serve the interests of the rapidly quarrelsome little island." Olher
the narrow sphere of expanding commercial community, gem of the Far East states that English journals were far more out activity in England refolced at their and its founder Mr. Yorick Jones "possibly the temperature and consideration
The presence of Murrow, was a man who was one of climate must also
spoken, as for instance, the Morning be taken Into Advertiser which stated in 1850:
50 many recruits to the Counting- the outstanding personalities of us As to climate, "Spite, corruption, meanness, false. houses of the Colony injected into time. Under his direction the Daily when we state that the fall of rain hood, and avarice, are born of the colonial life an exuberance and join Press achieved eminence the from the 1st July last to the 31st situation and nurtured in the locality. de vivant which was a striking com- premier house organ of the local mer- was 50 inches, and that up to the we can imagine no British settlement mentiry to the mournful attitude cantile community. 8th August it was still raining hard equally hateful, olways excepting prevalent eighteen or twenty years there, with no prospect of cessation Norfolk Island, save Aden... The nd this, with the agreeable episode moral attributes of Hongkong, the conveyed some faint idea, at least to exist, bave made it, in addition to of a typhoon--we hope that we have venality, and corruption that there meteorological readers, of a few of its natural 11-fame, the noisome the delights of Hongkong."
scandal of the East. The official and social guano of the island is Augeon Graft And Corruption in quantity and quality. Iniquity
Those factors, which probably did has become there a custom, etc." more than anything else to bring upon the Colony such an unsavoury re- belying its growing importance as a great port, were the unseemly quarrels which were allowed to create dissension in the another of graft and corruption, and community.. Oficials accused one
POLICEMAN'S lot, so it is said, "Let me see your hands," said the Policemen, however, are not su John is not a happy one, and it is cer-sergeant, who, after an examination, dense as they are made out to be, from tainly the case that most of the turned to the Magistrate and said, and very often come out bes! in
fokes which feature policemen make "This man has not worked for encounters even in jokes. The. most noisome thoroughness openly endulged in, and readily found old lawyer to a young one, "Show no
was minds one of the advice given by an as mine.""
truculent but the constable on duly Its echoes in the pages of the local mercy to the police, they have few
cowed him effectively when he said, "Come on there, move on-else I'll newspapers of the period.
wash you!"
Dowring could not forbear even the then Governor, Sir
previously.
Start Of Newspapers
In short, Hongkong was now fully
Over two years of handling air mails should have taught the postal authorities all there is to know of the expeditious execu- tion of this very essential ser- vice; the acid test, however, will come next week when the bulk of Hongkong's Empire letters, once sent by air as a novelty and even now as a com- parative luxury, will have no alternative means of transport. The past two years have not been without their complaints from a public which, reasonably,putation expected that the acceleration in transit of air mails would be, in view of the higher postage, accompanied by their quicker passage through the post office. ae main grievances was that often, after being through the air ut over 100 miles an hour and landed in Hongkong at nightfall, letters were allowed to
friends. remain un-
The policeman had signalled the for an ornament when the young The Force had not long had him sorted overnight so that private
cabby
to stop, but the latter had constable was put oh trup duty and box-holders did not receive their the "all-up" service is a matter asked, "Here, my man, did you not all motor cars which exceeded the his wife in it. The man signalled driven on. He was pulled up and
The policeman on points duly saw instructed to take the numbers of car approaching with a inan and correspondence until the next which no doubt, has been al-come the reply. "I did see a sort of little sensation was caused when a policeman stopped the car, what is
me raise my hand?" "Weil," morning; the less privileged re-ready
speed limit.
An hour or so later no right turn, his wife a left. The considered by Govern- shadow pass across the sident in the suburbs waiting ment. The despatch of air horse thied at your the sky, but my weary, dusty, torn, and dishevelled it you want? he demanded. for the afternoon delivery. On mail calls for
A horse had dropped dead in
Agure, still distinguished, however, separation?" more handling Nebuchadnezzar Street, and the vil
by his helmet, crawled into head- the outward trip, mails some-
The motorist was. Indignant when than that by surface trans-lage constable returned to the office plates under his arm.
quarters bearing a dozen number stopped by a policeman. "What I times closed on
an afternoonportation; letters are bundled to write his report. A few minutes
know about driving) would fill a when destined for despatch by and bagged with greater cure, head, he rose up and was on his way
later, after much scratching of his The humour of the Irish constable you don't know would fill a hospital.'
book," "he protested, yes, but what a plane which left late in the weighing is carried out and out when the sergeant said, "Hullo ing for that, it is dimcult to make you say
class by itself, but even allow-
the prisoner was drunk?" forenoon of the following day, and more
checked with greater precision Where are you off to?" "I'm going out what really happened when a sald the magistrate. "How do you.
clerical work is en- to put that horse Into the High constable It is seldom these complaints tailed in the manifold official
He he hod know?"
was having a very prisoner and finding said the policeman. "But, goodness
heated argument with a taxi-driver, are levelled now, for the postal documents
Brought up for having no visible nothing on him, handed it back; or gracious, that does not prove that he which accompany means of support, the vagrant pro- again, when it executives. while
was reported that was drunk," "No sir, but the taxi- presenting each consigument. Above all, tested that he had just Anished one "The prisoner made no reply, which driver wasn't there." good reasons for the delay, have there is the higher speed at Job and was looking for another. I entered in my notebook." shown a sincere desire to give which the work must be carried the public good service by meet-call
"of age", and no longer were the doleful jeremiads of its critics ap- pllenble to the changed conditions in An indication of the phenomenal the Colony. And even if they were, trade development which was now it was far too much occupied in reup- taking place in the Colony was the ing the benefits of its own prosperity establishment of two journals in to hearken to the captious recital of 1857, One Was f1 monthly any of its shortcomings either at magazine, the first of its kind ever home or abroad.
A POLICEMAN'S LOT
rushed taking part. "Muck raking" of the the poor "bobby" the butt. It re- months, sir, his hands are nu soft scedy individual was proving a trifle
out.
All this alone may not
Street!"
fect."
Eg in
*
searched the
for increased hands, but GRIN AND BEAR IT
despatch. Because, according to schedule, planes leave Hong- kong at dawn and arrive at
ing reasonable demands with reorganisation of postal hours the installation of special air seems imperative if "all-up" mail boxes, working overtime, mails are to be handled with and keeping in close contact with the movements of planes. While they have had these two years nightfall, night sorting would of experience and complaints to appear necessary; but no separ guide them, when the "all-up" ate night staff is employed at service starts next week, the the post
office. In the past postal authorities should not mails have been handled by the lose sight of the obvious fact day staff working overtime as that it will not only, be no nor-
it has been contended that the mat week, but is likely to be the ranted the expense of maintain volume of mail has not war- most abnormal in the historying a night staff. The "all-up" of air mail trafic here. There service may provide that justi- will not be the huge bulk of fication and the plea of expense collectors' letters that go with ghould not be presented. There every first flight, but this may has been a tendency lately to be more than compensated for regard the post office as a re
venue producer, but this is! by the quantity of hoarded
not letters-those which would nor-public
quite right, It is a utility and cxcc98 mally have been sent by regular profits should be avoided, either mall steamer, but which have by decreasing charges or im- been purposely kept from the proving service to the public. post by their writers in order to it is a poor argument that the gain the time advantage of go- time benefit of the "all-up" ser ing by nir. Next week's ex-vice is sufficient, that it will perience is not likely to be re- bring mall in as many days na a peated and the post office would ship took weeks. The Post Of be wise to heed the portents: fico should offer as expeditious [Reorganisation or additions to a service as its finances allow; the post office staff to cope with and that is second to none.--B..
**
reported that
*
a
*
*
**
In reply to the
question, "How do you know he was drunk?" one policeman replied, "He wns:
same
By Lichty celing in the middle of the road,
KEEP
OFF
GRASS
"Poor thing feel sorry for him. Nobody to take care of him except his mother."
sir, trying to roll up the white line."
ភ្នំ
*
.*
D
A good story of the trials of p policeman's job is the one about the sergeant who was Investigating report of a robbery. "You say you ran into someone in the dark, out- side your house? Can you describe him? The little man thought for a moment, then said, "Er-well, no, not exactly, but he must have been a very short man with a very tall man with a sporran."
a beard, or
a
Though we are prepared to smile at most of the policeman's "unhappy lot," we must feel some sympathy for the one who gave hic evidence as follows, "I told the defendant that she would be reported, to which sho replied, 'Go ahead, my cheery little sunbeam."
And for the one who figures in this story.
Bay you are a
You
man
You
of peaceful habits," the magistrate, "yet
ed brick on this poor police-
own's head!" "Yes, m'lud, and 1
never saw unyone so peaceful as that copper wan when I dropped that brick on his nupper."
The old lady wished to administer
a mild rebuke to some small boys who were lounging at a street corner. "When you see a boy lounging at street corners, what place in life de you thing he is fitting himselt for?"
"A policeman, mum.”
But the burly, heavy-footed police- man is passing, and his niche in our social life and music-hall stage..can never be filled by the modern exten- sively and intensively-trained police-
G. MI
man.
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