no
June 9, 189 7]
to be supported, and when
there established the principle ́ ́em-
bodied in the
the above proclamation, was so. far departed from that it was agreed vessels should pay dues sufficient to cover the cost and upkeep of the lights, and so the matter remained until the other day, when the Government claimed to tax shipping in aid of the general revenue. There is no obscurity in the posi- tion of either of the parties to the dispute and no ambiguity in the meaning of " free- "dom of the port.'
." Those who contend for the maintenance of that freedom do so as a matter of principle and not solely with re- ference to the amount of the tax the Gov. ernment wished to levy at first. They object to the process of whittling away a great principle being commenced; and it is better to protest at the beginning, even though the first cut be only a small one, than after
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
THE CONVERSION OF MOUNT AUSTIN HOTEL INTO BARRACKS.
I.
II.
447
be by any means saved for civilian use always supposing the military authorities willing to forego their bargain— it seems to us it must be principally by the efforts of the small and opulent section already re- The sale of the Mount Austin Hotel to ferred to. If they are prepared to put up the Military authorities is regarded by many $400,000 and to run the hotel on cooperative as a public calamity, as it no doubt is, from the or club lines possibly the thing, might be point of view of the European resident com-done; but we fear their opulence will be hand, the acquisition of such a splendid with that requirement. munity. For the garrison, on the other found to fall rather short of compliance sanatorium is an unmistakeable boon, and from a strategical as well as a hygienic point of view the site possesses grent value. There are, however, other sites on which a sana torium might be erected, and the strategical considerations involved are not so vital that can be considered absolutely essential to the the military occupation of Victoria Peak safety of the colony. There is a movement on foot, we learn, aiming at the retention of the Hotel for the use of the public, and if an arrangement could be arrived at by which the military could be afforded an THE BARBOUR DUES COMMISSION, equally good and acceptable site for a saua- torium elsewhere it would give much
the mischief has been done.
4
5
was
won
over
in
The Commission issued by H.E. the Gov-satisfaction. Of this, however, we fear ernor with reference to harbour expendi- there is little prospect. In the first place, ture and revenue opens up interminable it is not easy to move the War Office lines of inquiry. It will be impossible under any circumstances, and as the decision for the Commissioners to give any in-
to acquire the Mount Austin Hotel has telligent reply to some of the questions put been arrived at after long and mature con- to them, and the whole affair carries sideration, and is based on good reasons from with it an air of absurdity. Take, for a military point of view, we can hardly instance, questions 6 and 7: "What pro- expect that it will be immediately reversed "portion, if any, of the expenditure in- out of consideration for the interests of "curred by the colony on behalf of the that section of the European community "military contribution and of barracks that wishes to live at the Peak. It may "services contribution should be assigned be urged that the military could find other to shipping?" and "What proportion, sites that would auswer their purpose equally "if any, of the loss resulting to the colony well, for instance, Mount Caroline or Mount "from the absence of Crown rents and Cameron, but to that the reply would pro- "assessed taxes
on lands in the colony bably be that all other available sites had "under naval and military occupation been considered before the purchase of the was decided upon. should be assigned to shipping?" The Mount Austin Hotel Commissioners may possibly take advan- Assuming, however, that the War Office the "and at once
principle, tage of the words "if any
financial question would still re- answer “none." The Chief Justice is the
main. A contract of sale has been en- Chairman of the Commission and he will no doubt look at such questions as these in the tered into and if the War Office agrees to light of the legal doctrine as to indirect and relinquish the property the purchase money remote damages. If the question of indirect will have to be found either by the public or the parties more immediately interested expenditure on account of shipping is to be
As our correspondent gone into, equally the question of indirect in the matter.
"Colonist " reminds us, the public bas revenue must be gone into. If the shipping is to be asked to contribute to the expendi- already lost nearly $500,000 on the build- ture incurred by the War Department in ing, and in view of that experience the the acquisition of Mount Austin Hotel it prospect of floating another Company would might with equal force be contended that be rather remote. $300,000 would be re- the municipal rates paid by shipping offices, quired to cover the purchase of the property insurance companies, banks, shipchandlers, and a further $100,000 for furniture, stock, etc., should in whole or part be regarded as and working capital, making a total of revenue derived from shipping. In fact $400,000, on which little or without the shipping trade the revenue of could be looked for. The hotel could not be the colony would dwindle to microscopical more efficiently worked than it has been by proportions and there would be no funds the present proprietors, but it is understood from which to pay the salaries of the larger that they have only succeeded in making it cover working expenses and the necessary proportion of our expensive officials. It is
allowance for depreciation, and it may be also absurd to go into petty details of past expenditure and to talk of establishing sink- taken for granted that if they had been ing funds for trifles like the dredger, the making large profits they would not have hospital hulk Hygeia, and the Causeway been desirous of selling the property. A Bay breakwater. The question of harbour public company would therefore have small revenue and expenditure is a large and im chance of earning dividends, and as shares are generally valued in the market accord- portant one and ought to be dealt with on broad, common-sense, business principles, ing to the dividends paid or expected the whereas the terms of the Commission obscure stock of the Company would necessarily it with a cloud of pettifogging details of stand at a heavy discount. It is of little use trying to import philanthropic con- comic opera flavour, þ
siderations into public company matters, and in the present case the philanthropic feelings of the investing public would cer tainly not be stirred on behalf of the small and opulent section of the community who can afford to live at Mount Austin while their less fortunate follow colonists have to bear the heat below. If the property is to
Messrs. Vanderstegen have secured the con- trast for 3,000 tons of 100-lb. rails for the Shanghai-Woosung Railway on behalf of 8 Belgian house, and the American Trading Company for the supply of three American ecomotives ----China Gazette,
L
no return
In approaching the War Office With request that it will surrender its newly acquired rights over the Mount Austin Hotel property to a Public Company with a view use there is only one argument that is to the hotel being retained for public calculated to carry the least weight, namely, that the civilian population have hitherto enjoyed the advantage of Victoria Peak as a residential area, that it would be a hard- ship to deprive them of it, and that the troops might be quartered elsewhere on the heights with equal advantage to the health of the men. Considerations of that kind might conceivably carry some weight with the War Office, or, if rejected by that depart- ment acting alone, might be given effect to by the Government on representations being male on behalf of the colony by the Colonial Office. We are not at all sanguine that the movement now on foot for the retention of the property for public use will be attended with success, but there is no harm in trying, and we would be extremely pleased to find that our doubts were unwarranted. Certain gentlemen are, it appears, prepare to give such financial support as would bring the floating of a Public Company within the bounds of possibility and if their efforts result in the hotel being kept open the colony will be very much indebted to them for their philanthropy. But in placing the case for the colony before the War Office there would be grave risk. of wrecking it altogether if injudicious arguments were used. If it be represented that the soldier is a dangerous character from a moral or social point of view the effect would naturally be to prejudice the authorities against the petition. Although the meeting of Peak residents and others held on Saturday was private we may say that this point was very appropriately men- tioned by one of the gentleman present, and that the meeting heartily endorsed the friendly remarks he soldier. Equally mistaken word ning the represent the presence of the soldier as a sanitary danger. The water supply will suffer no more risk of contamination from
|
be to
the contiguity of barracks than from the contiguity of a mammoth hotel; and it seems idle to make any point of the number, of individuals to be accommodated, because although it is proposed to quarter four hundred soliers in the building, which is a considerably larger number than that of the guests and hotel staff at present residing there, no doubt the Company which it is proposed should take over the hotel would be only too pleased to provide accommoda- tion for four hundred guests rose to such large figures, as it very possibly might do in the course of years. whole force of the argument in favour of re- taining the hotel must be directed therefore to representing the hardship of turning the civilian population out of a district which place of they appriciate so highly as residence during the summer months and in which so many interests hav centred.
demand
The
have become
It has been said that the purchase of the Mount Austin Hotel by the military has
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