464
CORRESPONDENCE.
We do not hold ourselves' responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents;] LORD CHARLES BERESFORD'S SHANGHAI SPEECH.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “
DAILY PRESS.
19
SIR,-In your leading article of yesterday dealing with Lord Charles Beresford's speech you very rightly point out that he has gone very much astray in the opinions he has formed ss to the position of affairs in the Far East and as to the course to be adopted by Britain in rectifying her past mistaken policy. Everyone must admire Lord Charles as a man, but our admiration for the man must not prevent us from forcibly opposing any incorrect theories he may put forward as to Britain's true policy in her dealings with the important "China Question," more especially so us he has avowed ly come out with the intention of moulding public opinion at home.
As you clearly point out in your article, there is no reason why we should go to war with Rus- sia over China, for we have much to gain by the Russian occupation of Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of the Northern Province. We ad. mittedly have no interest in the country other than that of trade and it is certain that when
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND day last said in the course of his remarks “ that perhaps no more important measure hus ever been brought before the Council than this Bill," and having had an opportunity of perusing the proposed Ordinance I am of opinion he was perfectly correct in making such a statement. In his subsequent remarks he shewed that he was thoroughly acquainted with the details of official who draughted the Bill. This Ordin- the Ordinance, in fact much more so than the ance, should it pass the Council in its present form, will be most drastic in its operations, and will in very many cases depreciate some of the most valuable properties in the colony, of the Ordinance or to an extent not realized by the promoters even by the majori- ty of the owners of property in the colony; the most important businese localities of the in fact very many houses and shops in city will be obliterated altogether, aud this without compensation of any kind being made to the owners of the property affected.
It must be remembered that all the ground in the colony was originally sold by Govern- speci 1 conditions. The buildings subsequently ment at public auction salez, and under no erected were built in accordance with the laws and regulations for the time being, so that if any one is at fault for the present state of affairs, it is the Government.
[December 3, 1808.
be resumed it states the mode of acquiring such property, and how it is to be valued, due regard being had to the nature and then conditions of the property, and the probable duration of the buildings in their existing state, and to the state of repair thereof without any additional allowance in respect of the compul- sory purchase of an area or any part of an area 36 (1) states " Where any owner has completed section 21 (a) and section 41 (2). Again, section in respect of any dwelling-house any works re- quired to be executed by an order of a local authority under this part of this Act, he may apply to the local authority for a charging order, and shall produce to the local authority the certificate of their surveyor or engineer that the works have been executed to his satisfac- the costs, charges, and expenses of the works, tion, and also the accounts of and vouchers for and the local authority, when satisfied that the owner has duly executed such works, and of the amount of such costs, charges, and expauses, and of the costs of obtaining the charging order, which have been properly incurred, shall dwelling-house an annuity to repay the amount. make an order accordingly, charging on the (2) The annuity charged shall be a sum of six pounds for every one hundred pounds of the said amount and so in proportion for any less sum, and shall commence from the date of the order, and be payable for a term of his executors, administrators, or assigns,"
Russia takes over the territory in question the | this new Ordinance are exceedingly good in thirty years to the owner named in such order
trade will quadruple and be freed from many present vexatious restrictions. It is impossible to account for the agitation set up for an at- tempt to oust Russia in that direction in any other way that to suppose that a few interested individuals, who have their own hatchets to grind, are working on the ignorance of the masses by raising this Russian bogey." Un- fortunately they have captured Lord Charles and trust to run him in their show.
As to the non-payment of Customs dues on the railway material landed at Newchwang, you have, also, pointed out that there is every reason for freeing railway material from taxation, for the cheaper the railways the better for trade. This aspect of the agitation points to the Cus- toms as its source. We might take a leaf out of the Russian book in this matter, and, as a first step to relegating the Chinese Customs to their proper place, fire them out of this British colony and refuse to submit to their maintain ing the festering city of Kowloon in the heart of the colony.
Should Russia, later, prove agressive, we can soon coerce her into good behaviour when she has great material interests on the coasts of the Gulf of Pechili and hundreds of mil s of coast- line open to the attacks of our fleet. Russia in coming down to the sea-coast is giving hostages to fortune for her good behaviour. As to the Port Authur and Talienwan stronghold, it could be, with an adequate force, easily cut off and starved into submission. In this I speak of what I personally know about, for I have been all over the stronghold. Already they find that want of water will prevent their maintaining a very large force there.
In Mid-China and South China it is a differ:
ent matter, for there British interests demand that we should assert ourselves, and it is by coercing China, and not hussia, that we wil protect and push our trade best. China's game is to invite Russia ip, in the North, and Franc in the South, and then invite Britain to turi them out, and whilst they are busy tearing our another to pieces she, vaiuly, hopes to give the conqueror the coup de grâce and then revert to barbarism.
Lord Charles had better study the situation a little more deeply than he has so far, looking at the matter from every point of view, especiall from the British merchant and taxpayers aspect, and not solely through the distorting glasses graciously offered by those who have for so long, boaxed the British Government and public, or he will go home no better informer than the Saturday to Monday tripper he se facetiously alluded to.
TWENTY YEARS IN CHINA, Hongkong, 29th November, 1898.
EDITOR OF THE
some 01
The proposed alterations and amendments in theory and would be very desirable if applied to houses erected on grond purobased from the Thus showing that under this Act owners at Crown after the passing of the Ordinance, home are entitled to compensation. Such being it is practically unworkable in as it is, I have no besitation in saying the case, I venture to ask, why should not the owners of property in Hongkong receive com- its principa points. For instance (among pensation in like manner? I am not personally many others) take the large block of houses on interested in Chinese property as an owner, but the south side of Jervois Street and between it is a well known fact that the many irritating that street and Queen's Road (and this is about actions of the Sanitary Board (who have, I the most valuable property in the city, having admit, done excellent work) is driving capital foot.) All these houses are comparatively shal. instance, the wealthy Societies like the Mission been sold at the rate of about $34.00 per square out of this colony to an extent not realized; for low in depth; they are two stories in height on Estrangers and the Spanish Procuration have the Jervois Street side; on the top of these given up investing money in Hongkong, pre- houses there are other two storey houses front-ferring to do so in Shanghai. ing Queen's Road, the shop fronts of which Should this Ordinance be passed and an open are over the back of the Jervois Street houses.
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In the matter of the height of the partitions opinion, much too low. The cubicles referred in cubicles-section 4 (d:)-six feet is, in my
area in rear be made to the Jervois Street to are really small bedrooms or chambers, and houses (which houses at the present time cannot should the respective partitions be only six feet be used as habitations" under bye-law No. 14 high (as proposed in certain cases), there will made under powers invested in the Board by be no privacy in them. Any one standing on a Section 13 of Ordinance 15 of 1894, and dated chair rail or small box, saying nothing about 17th May, 1-97) in accordance with the provis-standing on the bed itself, will be able to look ions of this new Ordinance, it means that all over into the adjoining cabiole and see every- the houses on the Queen's Road side will be of thing going on therein. In my opinion there no further use, either as shops or dwelling is not the slightest occasion to alter the exist- houses, owing to the before-mentioned area haring regulations on this subject. At present g to be carried up, clear and unobstract partitions in cubicles cannot be of a greater now the front of the height than eight feet, in addition to which, in ed, through what is Queen's Road shops, thus reducing this property every case there must be irrespective of the at least 50 per cent, in value. Then again, there height of the room a clear space of four feat are many small irregular shaped shops in this between the top of the partition and the under- important district such for instance as say Nos. side of the joists of the room. The usual 28 to 38 Hillier Street, 6 to 12 Morrison Street, height of rooms, other than the ground floor 1 to 5 Cleverly Street, and many more I could (in which no cubicles or partitions are allowed frontage but no depth), in which, should areas name, (ie shops with a good moderate except "shop divisions," } is about 14 feet, so that there is now (or ought to be) a clear of the size proposed be made at the back of space of say six feet between the top of the being all or nearly all merged in the new areas these houses, there will be no houses left at all. partition and the underside of the floor joist of the room above. In the case of cubicles on the During the last year, the Sanitary Board top floors, there being no ceilings in these have considerably improved a very great number rooms, the open space above the top of the par- of insanitary houses in the city, especially titions extends up to the underside of the rouf "back to back" houses, in a very quiet and tiles. ticiful manner, by getting owners to construct The proposed Ordinance in many other respects clear open areas at the back of their houses. is open to improvement. In many sections the Now, should this Ordinance be passed, they meaning is so vague and uncertain you do not will have to considerably increase these begin to grasp it till you have repeatedly re- (as pointed out by Mr. May), put read them. here are several words whose ting themselves to additional expense, and meaning is not defined, which ought to be in many cases doing away with their kitchens done. The want of such meanings or defini- altogether, for which they get no quid pro quo. tions has led to many arguments in the Courts The curtaiment of these and other houses and other places. Among the words I more to be done by and at the cost of specially refer to are such as ng the house owner, without any compensation | fung (shop divisions), cubicle, Cookloft being paid him for the great depreciation of mezzanine floor, intermediate floor (it will his property. On this matter, I beg to refer be very useful and interesting to know the you to "The Housing of the Working Classes definition of these two words used so often in Act, 1894" at home, which Act is in operation the Sanitary regulations, as a mezzanine floor is throughout the whole of Great
and an intermediate floor and rice versa.) to this
areas
Ireland, and is the Act corregritain
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Section 6 refers to the width of houses. It
THE NEW SANITARY ORDINANCE. TO TEN
DAILY PREs." proposed and several other Ordinances in the does not state how this width is to be measured. BIR The Hon. F. H. May when introduc- colony, referring to insanitary properties. Is it to be the clear inside width of the house, ing the proposed * Insanitary Properties Ord- | This home Act states how insanitary properties for the distance from centre to centre of the ad- inance, 1898” at the Council meeting on Tues-- are to be dealt with. If property Las to oining walls?
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