Page
{
104
warrant this being circulated to members for their information, and if they concur.that a sopy be transmitted to the Colonial Secretary
the information of H.E. the Governor. The following minutes were attached :- The President-Please circulate. This reads very like “a quack" advertising bis nostrums.
Mr. Ede-I would not take any special notice of this advertisement, but merely keep it on record.
THE HONGKONG. WEEKLY PRESS AND
The Colonial Surgeon-Certainly it was right that the members of the Board should be in- formed, but it is not worth special notice.
The Acting Captain Superintendent of Police-That capital would be made out of any case in which judgment is given against the Sanitary Board is only to be expected, but hardly in the manner adopted by Messrs. Leigh and Orange. I do not think that any notice should be taken of the advertisement.
The PRESIDENT-I move that the paper be filed in the archives of this office.
Carried.
MORTALITY.
The mortality statistics showed a death rate of 17.9 for the week ended 18th July and 20.5 for the week ended 25th July,
ADJOURNMENT.
The Board adjourned to Thursday week.
MESSRS. LEIGH AND ORANGE AND
THE SANITARY BOARD.
taken to prevent the spread of the disease
were--
(i.) Isolation of those attacked by the disease at the Kennedytown Plague Hospital.
(ii.) Disinfection of the infected houses. (iii) Segregation for a period of ten days of the people exposed to the infection, in house- boats moored on the confines of the harbour.
It is impossible to say how far the absence the disease in epidemic form was due to climatic conditions and how far to the carrying out of the above mentioned precautions.
FINANCES.
The total revenue collected during 1895 amounted to $2,486,228.89, an increase of $199,025.37 over the revenue of 1894, which was itself larger than that collected in any previous year. The items of revenue which contributed principally to this increase were Land Sales, Post Office, Pawnbrokers' Licences, and Stamps, which show increases of $59,000, $52,000, $24,000, and $37,000 respectively, as compared with the preceding year. On the other hand, there was a decrease of 345,000 in the amount derived from the Opium Farm, due to the less favour- able terms of a new contract which came into force on the 1st March, 1895, and a decrease of $31,000 in interest, due to the withdrawal of deposits to meet the expenditure requisite on the resumption of the plague infected area of Taipingshan.
The expenditure in 1895 was $2,972,373.01, or $903,580.52 in excess of that of the previous Messrs Leigh and Orange have forwarded to
year. By far the larger part of this increase, us, with a request for publication, the following however, viz., $821,000, was expended in the copy of a letter they have written to Mr. Mc.resumption of the area known as Taipingshan, Callum with reference to the allusions made to which was the principal scene of the ravages of them at Thursday's Sanitary Board meeting:-
the plague during 1894. Most, if not all, of 31st July 1896.
this formidable expenditure will doubtless be H. McCallum, Esq.
recouped by the Government when the area, which is being completely redrained and laid is put up to public auction. Deducting the sum of 8821,000 from the ex- penditure of 32,972,373.01 the revenue and expenditure would be as follows:-$2,486,228.89, $2,151,373.01, showing a surplus of $334,855.88.
Sir, We are surprised to see in yesterday,s proceedings of your Board a reference to a so- called advertisement in the Chinese newspapers. We beg to state that we had no intention nor need to advertise and sent a letter commencing "Bir" and ending "Yours truly" and were not - aware of the form or manner in which it was printed in Chinese, and as you are doubtless aware your translation is different to our letter and embellished with additions. We wished to inform Chinese owners generally the import ance of the Magistrate's decision of the ticular case, as we consider that the action of the Board with regard to the particular by-law has been arbitrary and unfair.
par-
We fail to see, even if we chose to advertise in any shape or form, what business it is either of yourself or the Board. The matter written or published in such advertisement might be your concern, but in this instance is not dealt
with.
We think that having such evident solicitude for professional men, you might have inquired from us as to our intention and meaning before penning your observations and thus making the matter public.
With respect to the President's minute as published in the China Mail, we think it un- called for; his allusion, however, to a "nostrum" is scarcely happy, as the decision of the case referred to was undoubtedly a very wholesome and corrective medicine to yourself and some members of the Board, Yours truly.
LEIGH AND ORANGE,
THE GOVERNOR'S DESPATCH ON THE BLUE BOOK.
The following is the Governor's despatch ou the Blue Book for 1895 :---
Government House, Hongkong, 30th July, 1896. Sir, I have the honour to transmit to you the Blue Book for 1895, and to submit the following remarks upon the few occurrences of general interest in a prosperous but somewhat uneventful year.
out anew.
Other items of increased expenditure to which special attention may be drawn are:-Pensions $12,699 increase, Post Office $10,000 increase due principally to a large expenditure on transit charges incidental to extension in the business of the office, and finally certain very necessary additions to the staff of the Sanitary Depart ment have raised the expenditure on that de- partment from $61,566 to 884,082.
All things considered, the financial position is one of which the colony has no reason to complain.
|
The average sterling value of the dollar was slightly lower than in 1894, being about 2/11 as against 2/1 in that year. The former rate, however, shows a slight improvement over the average rate for the last nine months of 1894. The lowest rate touched was 1/11 (in February and March), and the highest was 2/24 (in No- vember). Since May the rate varied only between 2/14 and 2/24.
The new British dollar was declared equal to the standard coin of the colony from the 1st April, and the first consignment of the coins arrived on the 12th July.
COOLIE STRIKE.
Towards the end of March a general strike of coolies took place which lasted several days and caused very serious losses to all interested in the trade and shipping of this colony. As this episode presents several features of more than ordinary interest, I shall venture to relate its history at some length.
This strike had its origin in the opposition of the keepers of common lodging-houses used as dwellings by the labouring classes to certain sanitary measures designed to prevent overcrowding with all its attendant evils, These measures are embodied in certain by laws made by the Sanitary Board in 1890 and approved by the Legislative Council in May, 1891, providing for the registration of common lodging-houses. It was generally believed that these by-laws would, when enforced, meet with prompt and determined opposition, so their operation was postponed until a date to be subsequently named, and the matter was allowed temporarily to stand over.
I am happy to say that the terrible scourge known as the bubonic plague, which devastated the colony during the early summer months of 1894, did not re-appear in epidemic form during the year under review. There were, however, sporadic cases to the number of 44, of which all except one ended fatally, Three In view, however, of the terrible experience of those cases were Portuguese and thereof the effects of the plague in 1894, aggravated mainder Chinese. The measures which were as they undoubtedly were by overcrowding in
.
the common lodging-hop passed a further resol the by-laws previously
[August 5, 1896.
come into force on and after the 1895, which resolution was unanir proved by the Legislative Council December, 1894, and the by-laws accord came into force on the 1st January, 1895.
As I have already stated, it was anticipated that there would be difficulty in inducing the keepers of the lodging-houses to comply the provisions of the by-laws. A Chir abhors the slightest departure from old custom, and in every fresh measure of the Government which concerns his daily life is prone to see an attempt at ultimate, if not immediate, "squeeze
or taxation. Every possible, at- tempt was made by the Registrar-General, both by oral communication and the distribne tion of thousands of pamphlets, to remove any apprehensions of this nature and to assure them that the measure was not as they at first affected to believe a preliminary step by the Government to the imposition of a poll tax, but that it was, on the contrary, designed with a view to their health and comforter: Beyond this alleged fear of the ultimate im position of a poll tax there was not the slightest hint of any grievance on the part of the coolies. Explanations and assurances were continued for nearly three months, but as the coolies stills- maintained their obstructive attitude, it be came evidently necessary to enforce the law without further parley. Summonses were sc- cordingly issued against the recalcitrant keepers of common lodging-houses. But here a fresh. difficulty arose, as it was found that they had decamped from the colony.
This was met by the introduction of an Ordinance defining anew the term common lodging houses and imposing the responsibility.... of registering, in the absence of the keepers of such houses, upon the "householder” as defined. in the Public Health Ordinance, i.e., the actual ... tenant or occupier, or where there is no such person the immediate landlord of a building.
In consequence of the measures taken to enforce the by-laws, a strike of the coolies employed in working coal and cargo began on the 23rd March, and on the arrival of the daily steamer from Macao on that day a number of coolies on strike endeavoured to interfere with and coerce the coolies engaged in carrying goods and Laggage to the shore. The attempt· - was promptly defeated by the Police, and two of the ringleaders were arrested and sentenced
The Chinese. to six weeks' hard labour. being generally of a peaceable and law- abiding disposition, there was never any.. serious apprehension of any outbreak of violence; nevertheless every precaution was taken to .... enable the Government to nip any tur......... bulent manifestation in the bud; the Police force was strengthened, and the streets and harbour were constantly patrolled by armed pickets, and 43 - it is satisfactory to note that with the exceptions of the episode above recorded no attempt at dis-> turbance took place during the whole period of the strike. By the evening of the 23rd March there were some 3,000 coolies on strike, and next» day the strikers were joined by the whole of the s coolies who load and discharge coal. whe
This rendered the coaling of steamers jim-ce possible unless assistance of an unusual nature could be obtained. I accordingly on the 25th March caused the P. & O. steamer Verona to be **- coaled by a gang of fifty convicts from Victoria i Gaol, while the services of 100 men of the Rifle Brigade which were voluntarily rendered and-- which proved highly useful, were availed of ines.. discharging the cargo of the P. & 0. mail. steamer kekin.
As it was impossible to induce.coolies to work cargo in the harbour on account of the strike, it was thought that they might be induced to labour if removed to some spot remote from the strike. With this view the Rio de Janeiro steamed round to Aberdeen (a village on the south side of Hongkong), where she was able have her cargo of rice, destined for Canton, discharged into river jun March several other ample. The coolies were protected nigh body of police in launches affost patrols were placed along the road from to Aberdeen to prevent coolies, who,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.