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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND share manfully, and help the old country along. -Asiatic Quarterly Review:
FORMOSA,
[FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
Taipebfu, 4th November. That the Japanese cannot hope to live in close quarters with Chinese filth and escape unscathed is evidenced by the alarming outbreak of bubonic plague in North Formosa.
[November 19, 1896.
Li U chai, a fellow. robb who was shot dead 1 reported, has now
of robbers in F
kill all the soldiers who fat
MACA
FROM OUR CORRESPO
lover
The transport Africa is goin Mozambique from this colony come workmen, mostly carpenters and hear that some of these men have bee through the Portuguese Consul in Hongkong The pay offered is very good, $36 or month, with free quarters, no Sunday and other holidays. If the men are well on their arrival no doubt many more ill be anxious to follow them; not only Chinese but Macacese also, provided free passages are offered. By encouraging immigration from Macao the colonisation of Mozambique might be materially promoted.
thing; interminable correspondence with the Becretary of State is the result, and all goes on as before. The fact is, in Hong. in- as elsewhere, local residents are olined to overestimate the importance of their petty affairs; the new flush system in the gaol, or a suspicious visitor at the forts, is apt to assume proportions which in the colonial mind entirely overshadow the decadence of Turkey, the claims of Venezuela, the discovery of the North Pole, on the innumerable other mat- ters of first-class interest which more urgently On the 28th of last month in Taipehfu city angage the imperial attention. When all is three Japanese post carriers were found suffer said and done, Hongkong is going on splendidly, ing with what resembled the plague. This and can well afford to pay all that is asked of led to a careful search by the police throughout her. Out of 290,000,000 taels in trade move- the surrounding district, which brought forth ment with China for 1894 her share was ten more cases. But two of that number were 133,000,000 and her revenue is now well over Chinese. The next day fifteen new.cases were 2,000,000 dollars. What wanted is rather the discovered. The third and forth day brought prompt re-enactment of the Contagious the number up to thirty-six cases and at pre- Diseases Act than more unofficial represent-sent the total is more than seventy. About one- ation in the Council and a hearing in third of the number afflicted die. The city
imperial affairs."
A genuine grievance has Government at once took the matter in hand just as good a chance with the Governor if and placed ten thousand dollars at the disposal temperately mentioned in conversation over a of the Sanitary section, and also requested glass of whisky, or if quietly communicated that the general Government further aid by to the Press and supported by club opinion, as providing at least thirty thousand dollars more it would be if trotted out in bellicose style by that most thorough steps may be taken to stamp an aggressive unofficial member before the out the pest and prevent its spreading. Pro- Council. In the particular case of the present visional headquarters for the inspection of able and industrious Colonial Secretary, it plague was established in the sanitary bureau seems rather hard that a new rule should of the police department of Taipeh prefecture, patrols. Some of the high have postponed his chances of acting as Governor in favour of the General. But whenever serious riot or an impudent mandarin aggression takes place it is always the General who must come to the fore, and most certainly it is the right thing to give the General a prominent place on both the Council Boards, so as to keep him in unbroken touch with current affairs. Hongkong never had a better Governor than General Barker and it is a very pregnant question whether, in view of recent political developments in the East the Governor should not always be an Admiral or General. Prompt, silent action is required in these times, with as little talking as possible; if any one wishes to express his views, let him narrow them down ou paper. This
wastes no time. There is too much talk. ing already in the House of Commons, in proportion to the work done, without extending the system of interpellations and questionings to each of our colonies. As to the Maritime Customs surveillance, which was at one time prophesied to work so much mischief, the tact of Sir Robert Hart has managed so well that thers has never been any serious friction with his commissioners, who, though supposed to reside at Kowloon, are in reality amongst the most influential residents of Hongkong. No two places in the world have grown from such insignificant beginnings to such great results and in so short a time as Singapore and Hongkong. Both aro mere ports of call, or central depots for subsequent distribu- tion. Neither owes its prosperity to the wisdom of local parliaments. In each case promptitude in action, absence of customs fuss, and complete political subordination of the native population has achieved these great results, and it is to be hoped that the parochial debate style of dealing with local affairs will never be allowed to nul- lify the effect of past achievements.
A brief historical sketch is then given and we are told that in 1847" the Parliamentary Committee succeeded in finding out what Hongkong really wanted, and came to the con- clusion, amongst other things, that a share in the administration of the ordinary and local affairs of the island should be given by some system of municipal government to the British residents.""]
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When the handful of British residents there reflect upon the amount of poverty at home, and the enormous number of "imperial" tax- payers who have the greatest difficulty in keeping body and soul together by incessant abour, they ought to reflect how much more comfortable their own circumstances how little of the local revenue really comes their own pockets, and what a small locus ndi they have for demanding a share in the perial councils. People at home admire and will always be proud of them so long as they put a shoulder to the wheel, pay their
with branches in Taipehfu, Twatutia, and Banka.
I must again say a few words about the military police service here, which is indee disgraceful. Only ten or twelve men are sent out on patrol every day and it is seldom that one sees a policeman in the streets. It would seem, indeed, as if only the streets in which the gambling houses are situa are entitled
officials also ha patrols near their doors or even have a policeman stationed in their houses, but the general public, By order of the Prefect B. Hashiguchi, who are taxed for the maintenance of the inspecting stations were established at Kelung, force, receive almost no protection and are ex- Shinchiku (Teckcham), and Tamsui, that exa-posed to robbery or murder while traversing th mination of travellers by railway, carriages, or streets, while at night, during the hours of rest, ships might be conducted.
little is done for the prevention of disturbing noises. One result of the absence of police pro- tection is that the Government telephone wires are almost constantly under repair owing to the theft of the wires.
On examination of the blood of several afflicted the plague bacillus was found. Doctor H. Sugita made the first microscopic examination and was convinced that the disease was the true bubonic plague.
Another subject, that calls for attention i The majority of cases have been confined to the treatment of the prisoners in the gaols the inside city and the Chinese city along the They are allowed to pass their time in idleness river called Banka. Only two cases have been and enjoy better food than many honest people. found in Twatutia, where the foreigners live. The annual expenditure on the Monte Fort is The Japanese have an army of labourers at $1,600 and on the other public gaols $2,700, mak- work and lime and carbolic acid are the ordering altogether $4,300. In the former there are of the day. It is reported this evening that the new cases are growing fewer, and it is thought that before the end of the week the pest will be under control.
General Baron Nogi, the new Governor General to Formosa, is expected here about the eight of this month.
Dr. Mertz, German Consul, is again established in the Consular offices after a trip of several months home.
JAMES W. DAVIDSON.
CANTON NOTES.
FROM THE
CHUNG NGOI SAN PO.” The Magistrates of Namhoi and Panu each granted a medal to the local police the other day for having distinguished themselves in capturing three notorious robbers who killed a policeman. The robbers have been beheaded.
A merchant has sent in an application to the Governor asking to be allowed to farm out the lekin levied on oxen imported or exported. He is willing to pay to the Government a sum of six thousand dollars per annum. The Governor sent him a letter in reply saying that as oxen are used to plough fields no lekin should be levied on such animals.
The leader of the late rebellion in Cheang-lok district was captured by the Magistrate of Ping-sui and a band of soldiers last month. His head was taken off immediately after his arrest and exposed in the thoroughfare.
The Governor will go on the 15th instant to Po-lo to worship the gods there. It is a rule for the Governor to go there twice every year to ohin-chin the joss.
Since the late Governor Ma Pi-in strictly pro- hibited the opening of Fantan gambling houses no such establishments have been openly in existence, but some gamblers, backed by the ma licious San-sz, open them inside large houses into which neither the soldiers nor the police dare enter without a written warrant. Now the sol- diers and the police have been empowered by the Governor to enter such places and arrest the offenders.
about thirty prisoners and in the latter 90, 20- that this gives on an average about $2.50 or $3 monthly for each prisoner for his food Many people bave less than half this sum to spend on their food, and have to be con- tent with pork or something of the kind say half-a-dozen times a month, whereas the convicts get it twice or thrice a week certain. The result is that many men, as soon as they come out of gaol, commit some crime in order to get back. It would be a good thing to employ the prisoners on public works and make some use of them. It is true this has been tried before and given up, because it was found that gaol labour was inefficient, bat that was because the discipline was lar
HONGKONG.
The West Yorkshire Regiment, which re- lieves the Rifle Brigade on this station, arrived on Monday from Gibraltar and at once went into. barracks. His Excellency the Governor opened the Po Leung Kok Society's new Home on Friday. At the Police Court the captain of the Chingtu was fined for imprisonin Japanese on the steanter, and the inquest schoolboy who attended the Diocesan was resumed but not concluded:
Q
There were 2,254 visitors to the Museum last week, of whom 188
The death rate last month was, and Foreign community, civil p and for the Chinese community
on
Official information has been recei the Netherlands Indian Government moved the quar itine imposed arriving from Hongkong
The following telegram has bee the Singapore Secretary of the F
nite Gold Mining Co. 2,850 tons stone re
It is notified i Beurmann has bee
in Hong the Danish Consula temporary absence of Mr. J. Kramer, for Denmar
that
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