400
who look for them may possibly find some indications of a renewal of activity in French designs upon Siam, which must be regarded in a very different light. The foreign trade of Siam is practically all British and a French control of the kingdom could not be tolerated.
KOREA.
A
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
"Be manifestly opposed to her inter- ests that Koren should become a part "of Japanese territory. If she sees reason to apprehend such a contingency, doubt- "less she will take steps to avert it." The situation therefore is not a very promising one and elements of future trouble are only too plainly visible. If some scheme could be elaborated under which the neutrality of Korea would be guaranteed and a firm and just rule established a grave menace to the peace of the Far East would be removed, but in the absence of any such scheme Korea will remain a bone of contention.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
(23rd November.) the the most pressing the colony has to face. The question of the water supply is one of The Legislative Council meets on Monday and the Governor, in laying the estimates on the table, will no doubt refer to this amongst the other numerous matters that will engage his attention. When it became evident that the existing water suply was inadequate to the requirements of the colony augmenting it, namely, (1), to increase the twy schemes were brought forward for
and (2) to pump water to the Tytam tunnel storage capacity of the Tytam reservoir,
Tytam stream some little listance below the from the perrenial stream which joins the dam. It was decided to adopt the first scheme and during the last dry season the height of the dam was increased by 5 feet, the intention being to increase it ultimately by 10 feet. But the rainfall during the sunummer just concluded was insufficient to fill the reservoir even to its original capacity, so that the raising of the dam will afford no relief whatever during the present dry season. It would be a mistake to regard it as work thrown away, for no doubt in future of great utility; but it is necessary to years, with a normal rainfall, it will prove provide for exceptional years like the present, and for that the pumping scheme seems the most suitable. Would it not be desirable to put it into execution forth- with?
The Times suggests that the Great Powers should make arrangements for obtaining a collective agreement guaranteeing the neutrality of Korea, thus settling a question which threatens to become a source of dan- ger to the maintenance of peace in the East. Such a guarantee, if it could be obtained, would be an excellent thing. The difficulty is that Korea cannot be trusted to manage her own affairs and foreign control of some kind is a necessity. Russia, it is to be feared, would not brook Japanese control as a permanency, and if Russia should herself assume the control Japan, though she might find it necessary to submit for the time being, would do so unwillingly and would be constantly on the watch for an opportunity to disturb the arrangement. joint control seems out of the question, and altogether the problem is one of the most hopeless that has ever called for diplomatic so- lution. At present Japan is in possession, but her troops, or the greater portion of them, are to be withdrawn. The Japan Mail denies that this is in deference to representations from Russia. Our contemporary's explanation is that holding the Linotung Peninsula and the northern littoral of the Yellow Sea it would be absolutely necessary that Japan should preserve her overland lines of com- munication through Korea to the Yalu River, at the outset at all events, and until she had brought herself into telegraphic touch with her Manchurian possessions by laying a submarine cable to Talien; but now that the retrocession of Liaotung has been agreed to that necessity is removed, and the troops are to be withdrawn accord ingly. But not all of them. "The pro- "tection of the Legation and Consulates "has to be provided for, and it is fur ther very evident that until the Korean police and soldiery can be organized “and trained sufficiently to be safely en- "trusted with the preservation of public peace and good order, a certain degree of responsibility devolves upon Japan." But when will the Korean police and soldiery be organised and trained sufficiently to he Thursday took a common sense view of the The Sanitary Board at its meeting on safely entrusted with the preservation of well question. There are few wells within public peace and good order, or, rather, the city limits that yield water on which when will the notables be trained to the an analyst would give a favourable report as proper use of a trained force? Not in the regards its suitability for potable purposes, lifetime of the present generation? The and on sanitary grounds, if no other con- contending factions, if left to themselves, siderations entered into the question, it would be continually plotting to obtain might be desirable to close the whole of control of the police and soldiery and to them. But water is required for manu- execute coups d'etat similar to the recent facturing as well as for domestic purposes. one in which the unfortunate Queen lost At present the Government is compelled to That is a state of things that limit the supply from the public mains, could not be tolerated, and strong rule and although the larger manufactories may of some kind must therefore be established be able to make their own arrangements the and maintained. Hitherto, we are told by smaller industries which require a steady our Yokohama contemporary, "Russia water supply must be greatly inconvenienced, "has not played the blustering, insomuch that the Director of Public hectoring rôle attributed to her. Works at the meeting of the Sanitary Board "That has never been the character of her mentioned a case in which an industry had diplomacy in Japan. From the beginning been brought to a complete stop by the "until the present time she has never closing of a well. It is clearly common " raised any official question about the
sense that if water for industrial purposes "presence of Japan's forces in the peninsular cannot be obtained from the public mains kingdom. Whether her silence in the the use of wells should be permitted. There past warrants any inference ав to may be some risk of water
conduct her
in the future
from we do the wells being used also for domestic not pretend to judge. It
would purposes, but the risk is one which under
"
her life.
C
65
K
WELLS AND THE SCARCITY OF WATER.
November 27, 1895
the circumstances should be incurred reasonable precautions being taken against it. Where wells are not for industrial purposes and it is shown that their waters are polluted let them be closed by all means, but where it can be shown that they are required for industrial purposes t is ipadvisable that they should be closed, even though there be some danger of the water being also used for other purposes. Should it be found at any time that a well is a real source of danger to public health it can be closed, but while the danger is merely hypothetical it may be faced without much
fear.
The same rule applies to the water supply as to most other subjects-if the ideally perfect is unattainable we must be satisfied with the best that can be had, and if water for industrial purposes cannot be obtained from the public mains the use of wells must prepared to sacrifice its industrial interests. perforce be permitted unless the colony is
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL,
The first meeting of the session of the Hong- afternoon in the Council Chamber. Present kong Legislative Council was held on Monday
His EXCELLENCY the Governor, Sir WIL-- LIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.G. Secretary.
Hop. J. H. STEWART-LOCKHART,
Colonial
Hop W. M. GOODMAN, Attorney-General. Hon. A. M. THOMPSON, Acting Colonial Treasurer.
Ho. F. A. COOPER, Director of Public Works.
ing Harbour Master.
Hon. COMMANDER W. C. H. HASTINGS, Act-
Ho. A. K. TRAVERS, Postmaster-General. Hon. C. P. CHATER. Hon. Ho KAI,
?
Ho. T. H. WHITEHEAD. Ho. E. R. BELILIOS, C.M.G. Hod. A. McCONACHIE.
Mr. J. G. T. BUCKLE, Acting Clerk of Councils.
MINUTES.
read and confirmed.
The minutes of the previous meeting were
NEW MEMBER.
His EXCELLENCY-I have to inform you that I have appointed Mr. McConachie as acting member of the Council during the absence of Mr. Bell-Irving.
Hon. A. MCCONACHIE then took the oath and his seat.
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY laid upon the table a report showing the work done in con- ment of the expenditure. nection with the bubonic plague, and also a state-
FINANCIAL MINUTES.
ferred to the Finance Committee.
· Financial minutes Nos. 14 to 31 were re-
SANITARY BY-LAWS.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY moved that by- laws made by the Sanitary Board for the com- pulsory reporting of communicable diseases. be approved.
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS seconded. Carried.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM:
the Colonial Secretary, and the home officials,
Hon. T. H. WHITEHEAD gave notice of the following question --Will the Government lay upon the table a copy of the correspondence which has passed between the Government, in- cluding the elaborate despatch of the honourable and between the latter and the Colonial Gov- ratepayers of Hongkong to the Commons of ernment concerning the petition from the England praying for reform in the constitution of the local Government, and for the rights and privileges common to the British people in the smallest parish in England or Scotland of settling their local municipal affairs in their copies of all communications on the subject of own way and to their own mind; as well as the appointment of two Unofficial Members, to the Executive Council, and two additional Un official Members to the Legislative Council ?.
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