Angust 26, 1897.]
·NON-DELIVERY OF REGISTERED LEUTERS.
The following correspondence has been for- warded to us for publication :-- MR, DANBY TO THE POSTMASTER GENERAL.
Hongkong, 18th August 1897.
A. M. Thomson, Esq. Dear Sir,-On the 7th inst. I posted a re- gistered letter at the General Post Office, addressed as follows:-
Mesdames Long Shi, Chow Shi,
36. Hollywood Road, Hongkong. which letter ims not been received up to date. It was a very imports it one, and 'finding that no Attention had been paid to it. I had enquiries made repocting it. The letter was presented in due course to the addressees, who were well known at the house, and who told the postmau that theinnes were respectively Leong Shi and Chow Shi. He (the postinan) voi ised to give the letter to the woman, hause either of them could write or had a "chop,” although they were well known to the residents. -
I should be glul to know if this is so, and The what you propose to do in such wutters. address was correct, and there was
no mis- take that the two women, who were pre- pared to receive it, were reall: the women entitled to the letter. I should be glad to know if in your opiniou the parties to whom any letter is addressed is not "the an- thorized person
to receive the letter, and also what is the proper course to adopt should the party not be able to write.--Yours truly.
WM. DANBY.
•
THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL TO MR. DANBY.
General Post Office. Hongkong, 19th August, 1897. Sir,In reply to your letter of the 18th in- stant, I beg to inform you that in such cases it is usual for the addressee to call at the Post
Office for the letter, and make a mark which is witnessed by two officers.-I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient servant.
W. Danby, Esq.
A. M. THOMSON, Postmaster-General.
MR. DANBY TO THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL.
Hongkong, 21st August, 1897.
A. M. Thomson, Esq., Postmaster-General.
Dear Sir,-Adverting to yours of the 19th inst, I regret to say that the reply, as I think you will admit, is unsatisfactory. The postman ohly presented the letter to the two women once, and because neither of them could write, he never told them that they were to go to the Post Office to sign a receipt. They knew no- thing of this till I sent them word yesterday. What is the use of a Registered Post if addressees have to go at great inconvenience to the post-office themselves although the letter is ad- dressed correctly, and the parties are known?
well
I must say it is "not businesslike," and I have power think it is very questionable if you to adopt such proceeding.-Yours truly,
WM. DANBY.
THE GYMKHANA MEETING. The third gymkhana meeting of this season took place at the Happy Valley on Saturday afternoon. The weather conditions were fortun- ately most favourable and the course was in excellent condition. The racing was good, particularly in the first and last events, in which Saucy and Tocsin each scored a victory after cansing intense excitement and speculation
among the spectators as to the issue.
The officials were :- Patrons-His Excellency, Sir William Robinson, K.C.M.G.. His Excellency Major. General Wilsone Black, C.B., Commodore Swinton C. Holland, A.D.C.
Committee:-The Hon. J. J. Bell-Irving, Mr. Hart Buck, Capt. Burney, R.A., Mr. R. M. Gray, Mr. V. A. Cesar Hawkins, Mr. T. F. Hough, Mr. J. McKie, Captain Loveband, A.D.C., Mr. G. C. C. Master, Hon. F. H. May, C.M.G., Mr. C. H. Nugent. R.E., Lt-Col. The O'Gorman, D.A.A.G., Mr. G H. Potts, Commander Taylor, R.N., Hon. T. H. White head, Mr. M. D. Wood, W. Y. Regt.
Judges: -Hon. J. J. Bell-Irving and Mr. V. A Ca
şar Hawkins.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Handicappers-Messrs. Hart Buck, R. M. Gray, G. C. C. Master.
Starters-Colonel Gordon and Mr. J. McKie. Timekeeper :-G. H. Potts.
Clerk of the Scales :-Mr. R. M. Gray. Hon. Secretary :-Lieut.-Col, The O'Gorman, D.A.A.G. HALF-MILE HANDICAP; first prize, $45; second, $20; entrance, $1.00, but if left in after 2 p.m. on 18th instant, $3.00 extra. Mr. G. H. Potts's Tocsin, 11st. 3lbs.
1
2
3
0
(Mr. Crane) (Mr. Cox.) Mr. Cox's Saucy, 10st 8lbs.. Hon. T. 11. Whitehead's Sport, 10st. 1lb. (Mr. King.) Hon. T. II. Whitehead's Fand :ngo, 10st. lib. (Mr. Head.) Toesin and Saucy got away together and maintained a neck and neck race until nearing home, when Tocsin went slightly ahead, but so keen was the race between the two that Tocsin won by only a neck, half a dozen lengths separating second and third. Fandango was last all the way. Time-1 min. 4 secs. HURDLE RACE, handicap; once round course; first prize, a cup, presented by W. Jackson, Esq.; second, 820.00'; entrance fee, $3.00. Hou. T. H. Whitehead's Kingscote 12st. (Capt. Burney.) Mr. Leon's Glendubh, 11st. llb....
1
2
3|
0
(Mr. Gibson.) Hon. T. H. Whitehead's Vicar, 11st. 4lbs. (Mr. Cox.) Mr. Gibson's Hercules (Ost. 8lbs....
(Mr. King.) Glendubh was the first to negociate the first hurdle, Vicar being second, while Hercules refused and gave up the race Going down the hill Kingscote overtook Glendubh, but the two kopt well together and both horses were whip ped in the straight, Mr. Whitehead's pony getting the verdict by apparently only half a neck-an exceptionally close finish for a hurdle
race.
Wou
NOVICE RACE, five furlongs; 1st prize, $45;
2nd, $20; for ponies that have never a race or Gymkhana event; to be ridden by members who never rode the winner of a race in China. Entrance $3.00. Hon. T. H. Whitehead's Sport, 11st. 7lbs...
(Mr. Head.) Mr. King's The Beast 11st. 7lbs. (Mr. King) Hon. T. H. Whitehead's Vicar, 1st. 7lbs....
1
(Mr. Drury) 3 (Mr. Courtin)
Mr. Leon's Glendubh, 10st. 12lbs.
The winner held the advantage almost throughout and won comfortably by half a dozen lengths. Time-1 min. 28 secs. LADIES NOMINATION; a bending race between
poles. Entrance $2.00),
Mr. Master Mr. Platt..... Mr. Drury
Hon. T. H. Whitehead Capt. Burney
Lieut-Col. the O'Gorman Mr. Cox. Mr. Berger Mr. Gibson
CORRESPONDENCE.
169
[We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.]
THE MEDICAL INSPECTION OF
SHIPPING.
求套
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS," DEAR SIR,-The questions regarding port
sanitation which have lately arisen are of such general importance that they must be my axcuse for thus rushing into print." It seems to me that Dr. Clark's proposals for ensuring as far as possible the detection of sea-borne disease are only such as (perhaps with slight modifications) would be adopted by any sanitary authority which had an adequate sense of its responsibilities towards the community, and certainly had I still been a member of the Sanitary Board he should have had my support. It is unfortunat that the only unofficial member, lotion koon sanitarian and acquainted with whois the fans and wishes of the shipping interest, should have been absent and that such a grave question should be practically decided by the double barreled voting-power of one expert pitted against an equally good authority.
The opposition to the scheme may be sum marised into three points, viz., Isi. Injury to the port, 2nd, Sufficiency of the present system; 3rd, Impracticability.
With regard to the first. what the ship- is delay. When ping firms mostly fear we consider that ships are frequently not visited for hours after their arrival, that in order to make sure of obtaining a "bill of health it bis to be applied for the previous day, or, if a vessel has to be despatched at short notice, messengers bare seut flying all over the colony to get the port Health Officer's signature, that when a
to bo
case of infections disease has occurred on board a ship it may be a long time before the Port Health Officer can be found and then most pro- bably only by deputy," who has no authority whatever to order the removal of such patients or give the necessary instruction to the ship's officers or surgeon-such a case has happened lately to a mail steamer, ber surgeon having to take the responsibility of lauding the patient and disinfecting the ship and passengers him. self to avoid a delay of more than twelve hours,--
can
and the increased risk of infection, we quite appreciate their fears and understand their opposition. But Dr. Clark meets this objection by having two medical officers con- stantly on the harbour during daylight, and with regard to "bills of health," the port boing either infected or not, signed-bills of health, should be obtainable at the offices of the Sani- Itary Board on application, as well as from the Port Health Officer. Everyone admits that the introduction of infections diseases into the colony does infinitely more harm, and is far more costly, than any moderate detention. The Principal Civil Medical Officer and Port Health Officer seem the only persons satisfied with the efficacy of the preseut system. The representa- tire committee condemned it, eveu from the
()
Nom. by Mrs. Vernon. Mrs. Tomes Mrs. Drury 0 Madame Girand D
.Mrs. Wise. Mrs. Bartrum
Miss Potts
0
0
Miss Black Miss Melbourne 0
Mr. Master won this interesting race by good horsemanship.
1
A FREE HANDICAP; once round course; first prize presented by G. C. C. Master, Esq.; second, $20.
(Mr. Cox) Mr. Cox's Sancy, 10st. libs...... Mr. G: Potts's Tocsin, 11st. 4lbs. (Mr. Crane) Hon. J. J. Bell-Irving's Red Rag, 10st. 11lbs. (Mr. Gedge) Mr. King's The Beast, 10st. 4lbs. (Mr. King)
2
3
As in the first race Sancy and Tocsin ran to gether the whole way and the race was a most exciting one, the issue being in doubt right up to the winning post. Sancy balanced his pre- vious defeat by winning just by about a nose. Time-2 mins. 5 secs.
shipping point of view, on many points.
How we can be satisfied with a system which has admitted over 50 per cent. of all infections cases (and that Dr. Clark takes every means to trace the origin of such cases I can personally roach) exclusive of plague, I am really at a loss to understand. Take the case of the steamer on 1st Cheang Hok Kian, which arrived November with 640 passengers and had 13 deaths from cholera the day before arrival, all of
which, corpses and passengers, were landed, the ship herself not being placed in: quarantine until the tu, by which time 19 more deaths had occurred. It has been argued that we need not fear the introduction of cholera, because it has never previously obtained a foot-hold here, but this argument is most In 1885, 19 Europeans died of an- fallacious.
choleraic doubted cholera and 183 Chinese of " diarrhoea, vomiting, and purging," which we may safely assume to have been eltolera. Likewise, Anber
in 1888, 25 Europeans succumbed to "Cholera Verguilla
In both these years Mifpager and 253 Chinese. Mascagni disease was imported and reached the pro. De Laraportions of a small epidemic, for it is cer- Stranss tain that the statistics as given are, as they W. G. Bentley' always are, much below the true numbers.
The band of the West Yorkshire Regiment. under Mr. W. G. Bentley, A.R.C.M., played the following selections of music: Overture...... "The Crown Diamonds" (a) Malaguena
Peteneras
"Cavalleria Rusticana Selection Song
"The Garden of “leep” "Kunstler Leben". Waltz......... Fantasia...... "Espanol",
2)
:
the
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