200
may be its bearing on questions of private right, the outcome of the dispute at Chefoo has been most satisfactory from a public point of view, as it has led to the carrying out of an extensive reclamation and bund ing scheme, a plan of which is attached to Mr. HOPKINS' report.
Al
JAPAN'S NEW CURRENCY LAW.
*
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Mr. LOWTHER, the Secretary of Legation at Tokyo, in his report on the Budget of Japan for the fiscal year 1897-98, refers to the currency law which comes into operation | next month. Amongst the reasons given as having prompted the introduction of this measure is the supposition that the de- preciation of silver had caused prices to rise 30 per cent. in Japan. It is hoped," says Mr. LOWTHER, that the adoption of the gold standard will prevent "fluctuations in prices and the disturbance "of relation between debtor and creditor, "that exports will increase, and that it may remove difficulties in the conclusion of a 'foreign loan." The appreciation of gold has been alleged as a potent disturber of the relation between debtor and creditor, but if that has been so in the past there is reason to believe that the pendulum is now swinging the other way and that silver is becoming the more unstable medium. As to the expectation that
under will increase exports
a gold standard, considerable apprehension being expressed at present that the effect will be the contrary, owing to the recent heavy fall in exchange and the advantage it is assumed cheap silver confers on China. It is to be noted, however, that the mer- cantile classes in India do not complain of the effect the currency change there has had upon business, and Japan's experience may be equally fortunate. The Hongkong General Chamber of Com-
is
|
to the Imperial Infectious Diseases Prevention Act of 1890, empowering the Government to prohibit for a time the supply of milk from any dairy when such milk is likely to cause or has caused infectious disease in the colony. In the orders of the day for Monday's meet- ing of the Legislative Council we notice the first reading of a Bill entitled an Ordinance to prevent the spread of Infectious Disease arising from the Consumption of Con- taminated or Unwholesome Milk. It would appear therefore that the Government has promptly adopted Dr. CLARK's sugges- be tion and it is to be hoped the Bill may found a workable mensure that will have the effect of diminishing enteric fever, the recent prevalence of which has justifiably caused some alarm amongst the European community. In former days it customary to have the milk drawn from the animals at the consumer's door, and the risk of contamination was proportionately small, but now that the milk is distributed in bottles from the dairies the dairy men have opportunities of adultera- tion which it would appear that some of them do not fail to take advantage of.
TTAE
[September 9, 1897.
SILVER MINING IN CHINA.
At a moment when silver is a drug in the world's markets and it is reported that even
an
the great Broken Hill Silver Mines have had to shut down, it is curious to hear of some Chinese gentry petitioning their Authorities for permission to reopen ancient silver mine in the province of
seems that there is an Chekiang. It ancient mine in the Huchou district which when worked, some four hundred years ago, was very rich, yielding large quantities of
on
It had to be abandoned ore. account of an influx of water, but the promoters of its re-opening urge that with the aid of modern iniuing machinery and powerful centrifugal pumps, there will be no difficulty in developing the mine further and making it a profitable undertaking. The bullion, they urge, could be used to supply the Hangchow Mint. An official has been despatched by the Governor of the province to make inquiries and ascertain whether the circumstances are as stated, and if they turn out as promising as they are reported, the mine will no doubt be reopened. Whether the owners of the mine or the Authorities (if they worked the venture is another matter. Probably it) would ever realise any profit from
they would not. hangers-on and subordinate officials would be appointed to watch progress and, as in the case of the Taiyushan mines, they would so handicap the enterprise
as
The usual crowd of
to prevent it from ever yielding a decent interest on the capital invested. Mines in China will, we fear, never pay the honest investor. There are always a legion of official underlings atta hed to any indus
THE CONTROL OF OPIUM DIVANS. The Ordinance to further amend the Prepared Opium Ordinance naturally will attract but little attention from the general public, but its provisions are not without interest, both from a sani- tary and moral standpoint. The new Orilinauce is specially designed to give the Government the necessary powers to more effectively control and regulate opium divans. Hitherto these places have been under no direct control, and they are for the most part insanitary dens, the moral atmosphere of which is as much chargedy, and these bloodsuckers would take care with impurity as the air is with microbes. So long as the Chinese smoke opium, which so long will opium divans or smoking rooms flourish. The best thing to be done, there fore, is to see that these places are kept clean and maintained in a sanitary condition. It in also desired to exclule, as far as possible,
to secure for themselves the lion's share of auspicious moment to reopen silver mines, the profit. The present is hardly an
merce does not consider that a change I may be safely counted an indefinite perto, but if they are exceptionally rich in
of currency would be practicable for this colony, but it appears to us that it is merely a question of time when the whole mercan- tile world, China included, will be on a gold
basis.
females from these haunts, and with this a clause has been inserted in the Ordinance providing that no persons other than adult males shall be admitted
PROTECTIONS AGAINST INFECTED | view
MILK.
(4th September.)
to
smoke in the divans, and that From the annual report of the Government the admission of wonen, other than Analyst it appears that during the year 1896 bona fide members of the keeper's family, eleven samples of milk were analysed, of shall be forbidden. There was some dis which four were found to contain added cussion, and eventually a division, over the water to the extent of 28 per cent., insertion of the words "bona fide," which 17 per cent., 7 per cent., and 6 per were suggested by Dr. Ho KAI, the Attorney- cent. respectively. These figures show that General appearing to think it possible that the practice of milk adulteration obtains this would afford a loophole for abuses to to a very considerable extent in the colony. creep in. Dr. Ho KAI pointed out, how- The danger this constitutes to the public ever, that it was proposed to make an ex- health is shown in the report by Dr. CLARK ception in favour of the wife of the saloon laid before the Legislative Council the keeper, who probably would not enter the other day. It appears that fifty-six cases divan, and exclude the domestic servant, of enteric fever have occurred during the who would be required to do so. Even current year and of this number forty-three tually the amendment was carried, and were Europeans. Nineteen cases were im- there need be little fear of females being ported into the colony by the shipping, leaving found in these saloons. At the same time twenty-seven to be accounted for locally, they will, presumably, be open to the in- twenty-seven of which were of European spection of the Police, and if any attempt is nationality. In the series of European cases made to convert them into haunts of vice, which occurred during the month of June such as the so-called opium joints in Cali- Dr. CLARK says it is very clear to his mind fornia, they will be promptly suppressed. So that they must have had some connection long, however, as they serve only the pur- with the milk supplied to these persons and pose for which they are established, namely, this conviction became more certain when he
to provide the coolie with a place wherein proved that such milk supply was in part he can obtain the solace if it be one-of a derived from Chinese sources, and that these pipe of opium, the opium divans will not be sources were extremely liable to contamina-interfered with. Having cared for their tion owing to the adúleration of the milk with water. Dr. CLARK therefore suggests the introduction of an Ordinance, similar ineffect
sanitary condition and taken steps to pre- vent their being converted into places of ill fame, the duty of the State ceases.
if the metal can be economically separated. ore, if that ore can be easily won, and, from the stone, then there is some chance of its turning out successfully, always provided that the official finger be kept out of the pie. It is, however, hardly probable that the Huchou mines will fulfil all these conditions, and the simple minded gentry of that district will find that no silver mine is likely, at the present rate, to prove a bouanza. If China can produce gold in large quantities, there is room for it, and it will be well worth the cost of extraction.
THE ATTACK ON PRESIDENT FAURE.
It is rather a sinister omen, and strikes a jarring note in the midst of the rejoicings with which President FAURE was welcomed back in Paris after his visit to Russia, that a bomb should have been exploded at the Madeleine just after he had passed that historic church. It is true that the missile exploded harmlessly, but it is not conceivable that
it was placed there with harmless intent. The Socialists or Anarchists, probably the latter, seemed to have marked the worthy gentleman who holds the post of first Magistrate of the French Republic with so much modest dignity down for their prey. On the eve of his departure for St. Peters- burg a canister full of nails exploded the Boulevard (also harmlessly) in Demain, in Paris, a few minutes sub- sequent to the President passing · along the, thoroughfare. Because, these attempts were miserable bungles, or designed to frighten the President, it must not be im-
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