February 19, 1898.j
OWNERS.
Wins.
Mr. John Peel..."
6
Mr. Hopeful
Messrs. McKie and Gove
Mr. Buxey
Mr. Boyd ..
Mr. Darius
Mr. Dennis
Mr. Dryasdust...
Mr. Derick-Hunter...
Mr. George
Mr. Jay
Mr. Medico
The Neighbours
Messrs. Paul and Joe
Mr. Master
Mr. W. Cox
Mr. Crawford
JOCKEYS
Mr. Wuilleumier
Mr. Burkill
Mr. P. A. Cox...
Mr. Bucknall
Captain Loveband
Mr. Marshall
OF COMMERCE,
Wins.
1 11
"HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
STORM WARNINGS.
125
but the letters were not delivered until between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. On the same day the M. M. steamer Salazie, from Shanghai, arrived and anchored at 2 p.m. Her mails, however, were not delivered until 7 p.m., and several hongs did not receive their bags until after that hour.
No reply had been received from the Govern- ment to the letter despatched by the Chamber to it on this question on the 23rd December last; but it had been notified in the Government Gazette of the 29th January that the meteoro- logical signals in use before the 27th February, 1897, would be substituted for those then in use and the Director of the Observatory in his report for 1897, published in the same issue, said it had been decided to revert to the system in use here from 1884 to 1897 on the sugges| tion of the Committee of the Chamber of Com-portance to them to save it.
merce.
T
(Correspondence)
THE PINNACLE ROCK FUND.
Custom House,
It is particularly inconvenient for firms clos- ing their mails to Europe or America to be kept waiting for advices from the North, in soms cases until a late hour, and even too late for the outgoing mail, although it may be of great im
If the staff of the Post Office is inadequate for the work, and these late delays are the result of pressure, my Committee beg respectfully to suggest that it should be strengthened by the addition of extra sorters to provide for the con- tingency of the arrival and departure of two : mails on the same morning as is not infre-
Shanghai, 31st January, 1898. Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 25th November,quently the case. 1897, and 25th inst. regarding the desirability of extending our knowledge of hidden dangers to navigation through means of rewards from the "Pinnacle Rock Fund," requesting my co-operation in making the offer of these rewards known, and informing me further that
H.B.M.'s Consuls at the Southern Ports are empowered to make payments from the fund in question, and, in reply, to assure you of my readiness to co-operate as far as lies in my
I am also instructed to bring to your notice the uncertain character of the deliveries of local correspondence. Letters posted for local de: livery are often delayed an undue length of time and are frequently delivered at business premises instead of at the private houses to which they. are actually addressed.
Trusting that this matter will receive the early attention of the Government. I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant, R. CHATTERTON WILCOX,
Secretary,
tary.
At the monthly meeting of the General Com-power; laud in this connection I beg to send you a copy of a despatch addressed to me on the mittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of subject by Captain A. M. Bisbee, Coast Hon. J. H. Stewart Lockhart; Colonial Secre- Commerce, held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, the Inspector, detailing the steps he proposes to. 9th February-Present: Messrs. R. M. Gray take to further the objects you have in view. (Chairman), Herbert Smith (Vice-Chairman), I have the honour to be, sir, your obedient G B. Dodwell, N. J. Ede, A Haupt, J. J.
servant, Bell-Irving, T. Jackson, T. H. Whitehead, and
L. RUCHER, R. C. Wilcox (Secretary.)
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting (held 14th January) were read and confirmed.
THE PHILADELPHIA MUSEUMS.
A reply was, on the 19th January, addressed to the Director of the Philadelphia Museums thanking the Board of Trustees for the courteous
invitation to become a member of the institution and send two delegates to the meeting in June, but regretting the Chamber's inability to ac- cept same owing to the great intervening distance.
THE PINNACLE ROCK FUND.
Pursuant to the decision come to at last meet ing, letters were, on the 25th January, addressed to H.B.M.'s Consul-General at Shanghai, the Consuls at Ningpo, Weuchow, Foochow, Amoy, Swatow, Canton, Pakhoi, and Hoihow, and to the Commissioners of the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs at each of the above ports, replying to various suggestions received and announcing that the Chamber had placed a credit of $300 in the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank at the disposal of each Consul; that it had been decided that the awards should range from $10 to $50 according to the importance of the dangers disclosed; and expressing the opinion that the notices to fishermen and others should be issued locally, if the Consuls would kindly undertake the task and charge the cost to the Pinnacle Rock Fund.
Replies had been received from the Commis. sioners of Customs at Canton, Hoihow, and Shanghai, and the latter enclosed copy of a re- port on the subject from Capt. Bisbee, Coast Îuspector.
The Committee were of opinion that Capt. Bisbee's report was eminently practical and well calculated to attain the desired object.
DELAYED DELIVERIES BY POST OFFICE,
In accordance wish instructions given at last meeting a letter was, on the 28th January, ad- dressed to the Government calling attention to the unsatisfactory working of the Post Office Department, and the apparently causeless delays in the delivering of some of the mails.
Read letter from Colonial Secretary, dated the 4th inst., enclosing copy of report on the matter by the Postmaster General .
The report was not consired a satisfactory explanation of the delays complained of but it was decided to postpone further action to see whether any improvement followed the protest of the Chamber. It was hoped the community would note the suggestion with reference to the local deliveries contained in the last paragraph of the report.
Commissioner of Customs.
COAST INSPECTOR TO SHANGHAI COMMISSIONER.
Colonial Secretary's Office,
4th February, 1898.
Sir, I reply to your letter of the 28th ultimo, respecting the working of the Post Office Department, I am directed to transmit for the information of the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce the enclosed copy of a Shanghai, 31st January, 1898.
report by the Postmaster General on the sub- Sir, In the matter of the Pinnacle Rock ject, and to state that this Government would Fuud," concerning which the Secretary of the be glad if the community would help to improve Hongkong Chamber of Commerce has addressed the local delivery by reporting to the Post- master General in each instance of wrong or you, the only practical co-operation that I can suggest in the Shanghai Lights District is
late delivery as suggested by that officer.-I that information be circulated by this depart-have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient ment amongst fishermen and junkmen generally, and especially when visits are made to the light stations, to the effect that a reward of not less than $10 nor more than $50 will be paid to any fisherman or other person who shall point ont and personally locate any previously unknown sunken rock which is so situated as to endanger vessels following such tracks as they ordinarily take or that it may seem advisable that they should take.
It would, of course, be understood that the dis- coverer of any such danger would have to con- duct an officer of this department to the locality, and that the payment of a reward could only follow upon careful examination and verifica- tion of the position of the danger, the depth of water over it, etc,, etc.
In conclusion, I would mention that I pro- pose to send a copy of this despatch to the Commissioner of Customs at each of the Coast Ports south of Shanghai, with a view to the inauguration of a similar mode of procedure in each district concerned.-I am, sir, your obe- dient servant,
A. M. BISBEE,
Coast Inspector.
DELAYED DELIVERIES BY POST OFFICE, Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, Hongkong, 28th January, 1898.
ميل
Sir, I am directed by my Committee to call the attention of the Government to the unsatis- factory working of the Post Office Department. Complaints have reached this Chamber of great and apparently causeless delay in the delivery of some of the mails and of the closing of others earlier than usual or than would appear to be necessary, to the serious inconvenience and loss of time to those engaged in business. Complaints have also lately been made in the Press to the same effect, and my Committee therefore beg leave to call the attention of the Government to this matter.
To give some cases in point. On the 4th inst. the M. M. steamer Farra, with the French mail from Europe, reached her buoy at 7 a.m. The delivery was announced to be begun at noon
servant.
J. H. STEWARt Lockhart,
Colonial Secretary.
REPORT BY THE POSTMASTER GENERAL.
Hon. Colonial Secretary-The mail from Europe was signalled as in harbour at 6.35 a.m. and the mails were landed at about 8.
The Post Office launch was out at Green · Island at 5 a.m., but as there was no sign of the vessel after waiting till 6.15 the launch came back and had just reached the wharf when the signal went up at the Peak.
The launch went out again at once! It ap- pears that although the agent reported having arrived at 1 a.m. the mail lay at a considerable distance outside the harbour till 6.30. At the time the mail was landed the German mail for Europe was being despatched so that the French mail could not be opened until after 8.30. Being the New Year mail it took longer than usual to sort, and was not ready till noon :----
The French mail from Shanghai arrived in. harbour at 2 p.in, and the mail was received in the Office at 3. As all the officers were engaged in closing the mails for the North by the vessel from Europe the Shanghai mail could not be dealt with until after 5 o'clock.
The following is the list of mails which were being closed at the time :-
A Apear for Singapore, &c. -Hsin Chi
Szechuen Chingping
Yarra Menmuir
11
Shanghai.
12
Hongay. Chefoo.
Shanghai, &c. Australia:
There is no accommodation for the suggested increase of staff.
As regards the question of the delivery of local correspondence it is a matter which in almost very instance rests with the postmen, and wrong or late deliveries can only be dealt with by the matter being reported to me in each instance with the usual proof. I regret that people do not take the small trouble of writing their remarks on the covers and returning them to me. If that were done in
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