924
Street. The accused, a Chinese woman, was discharged at the Criminal Sessions, being ap parently not mentally responsible for her actions.
There was no loss of life at any fire
The water in the mains was not turned off at any time during the year, and none of the land engines were used at a fire.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
WATER RETURN.
LEVEL ANd Storage OF WATER IN RESER VOIRS ON THE 1ST MARCH.
1898.
LEVEL.
[March 18, 1899.
No questions being asked, the report and counts were passed on the mation of the CHAIRMAN, seconded by Mr. CHAN HI. ***!
On the motion of Mr. J. R. MICHAEL, seconded by Mr. TERRY, it was resolved-That Mr. Lauts and Mr. Kwan Hỏi Chuen be re- «lected directors on the Head Office Board and that Mr. Buttery be re-elected as a member of the London Committee,
1899. Tytaru......18ft, Din. below overflow 31ft, l'in, below overflow Pokfulam 6ft 2in. below overflow 33ft. 1 in. below overflow STORAGE GALLONS.
On the motion of Mr. A. RAMJAHN, SQCouded 1899. by Mr. Sur-Un, it was resolved-That ́Messra. 169,300.000 | J. H. Cox and W. Hutton Potts be elected au-
4,200,000 ditors in Hon kong for the ensning year at a.
remuneration of $300 each, and that Məsars. Deloitte. Dever, Griffiths and Co. be elected auditors in London at a remuneration of twenty five guineas.
1898. 249,400.000 54,740,000
Total
304,140,000 173,500,000 CONSUMPTION OF WATER IN THE CITY OF
VICTORIA AND HILL DISTRICT DURING
THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY.
During the year six shelters were built at convenient places in the city for the reception of a despatch bor each. A certain number of Indian and Chinese Police Constables, ́ not members of the Fire Brigade, have been trained Tytam in the use of the despatch box, and the beats on | Pokfulam which the shelters are situated are assigned to these particular constables, who carry the keys of the shelters and are ready to reader first aid at any are occurring on their, beats or in the immediate vicinity. The men receive a small monthly allowance for this additional responsi bility. The idea of thus extending the use of the despatch box and of utilising the Police on beat duty for the purpose, is one that occurred to Mr. Wodehouse (as I have discovered from an old report of his) before it occurred to me. The system is capable of indefinite extension, and I am of opinion that the moral effect alone of the existence on the spot of appliances for first aid will be found to have a deterrent effect on in- cendiarism.
It was my intention to fix in the streets a few fire alarms of the usual type used at home, but on the suggestion of Mr. E. M. Hazeland, | in charge of the Government Telephone Ser- vice, telephones connected with the Central Fire Station have been fixed instead at the back of the Harbour Office, at the junction of Hollywood Road and Queen's Road, and at the junction of Wilmer Street and Connaught Road. There has been as yet no opportunity to test the utility of these telephones, but I am in hopes that they many prove useful in speedily communicating alarms of tires to the Brigade. The system requires careful watching and is capable of extensive development.
The increasing height of Chinese houses in the city and the great height of the buildings on the Praya render necessary a re-organisation of the ladder supply of the Brigade, and the subject is receiving my attention. The matter would be an easy one were it not for the ob- struction caused by verandahs.
In the meantime it is well to warn the occu- pants of the upper stories of the blocks of new -buildings on the Praya Reclamation that there is no fire escape in the colony and that they should provide themselves with some simple escapes such as the Amateur Dramatic Clab have provided themselves with for use from the dressing rooms attached to the theatre.
The extension of the Central Fire Station has been completed and advantage has been taken of the additional accommodation to increase the permanent staff by 10 Chinose firemen, the services of the six soldiers who used to be on night duty being dispensed with. The soldiers used continually to be changed for various reasons and rarely had an opportunity of becoming really efficient firemen. The number of Europe
En Bremen at the Station has also been in- creased, and the Station should be generally in a higher state of efficiency than was possible under the old conditions: It is certainly far more decent aud comfortable for the men.
The conduct of the Brigade throughout the year has been very good, with one exception that of a Chinese watchman who was convicted of larceny of a jacket from the scene of the fire at No. 2, West Street, on the 10th October, and sentenced to two months' hard labour.
M. Thomas Campbell, assistant engineer, who was connected with the Brigade for upwards of nine years, died at the end of 1897. Mr. Camp- bell was a very able and experienced officer and was a great loss to the Brigade. His post was filled during the year by Sergeant McLennan of the Police Force who fulfilled the duties in a satisfactory mander.
1898. 78,927,000
1899. 85,965,000 gals.
193,500
14.5
Consumption Estimated popu.
lation
199,000 Consumption per head per day...
15.4 gals. CONSUMPTION OF WATER IN KOWLOON
PENINSULA DURING THE MONTH OF
FEBRUARY.
1898. 5,491,000
1899.
This was all the business.
THE CHINA FIRE INSURANCE CO., LIMITED.
The thirtieth ordinary meeting of share- holders in the China Fire Insurance Company, Limited, was beld op 13th March at noon in the Company's Offices. Mr. N. A. Siebs presided, and there were also present:-Me-srs. H. L. Dalrymple, A. McConachie, C. S. Sharp, A. Haupt, D. Gubbay (Directors). G. L. Tonilin Consumption
4,474,000 gals. |(Acting Secretary), G. Sharp, Hou. H. E. Pol- Estimated popu-
lock, J. H. Cox, G. C. Cox, H. N. Mody, F. D. lation......
25,400
26,600 Guedes, A. Moir, E. Georg, J. R. Michael, C. Consumption per
N. Young, J. M. S. Alves, S. A. Joseph, B. M. head per day... 7.7
6.0 gals. Conceicao, and Chan Pat. The Government Analyst reports that the water is of excellent quality.
The supply to Kowloon Peninsula was inter. mittent owing to scarcity of water.
The return showing the number of cases of communicable disease notified as ooonrring in the colony last week is as follows-Bubonic plague, 6
cases, 5 deaths, all in the city of Victoria; diphtheria, 1 case, in the city; enteric fever, 2 cases in the harbour and one at the Peak; smallpox, 3 cases, in districts other than city, and 2 deaths. One of the cases of smallpox was imported,
R. D. ORMSBY,
Water Authority.
THE NATIONAL BANK OF CHINA, LIMITED.
The ACTING SECRETARY read the notice con- reuing the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN said-Gentlemen, the Report and Statement of the Company's Accounts har. ing been in your hands for about four weeks you will no doubt allow them to be taken as read, and I will now proceed to make such com- ments on them as are called for. You will have noted with satisfaction that the profit of the year 1897 resulted in the Board being able to recommend the usual dividend of $6 per share,
On Saturday at noon the eighth ordinary an-absorbing $120,000, the payment of $4,379 to nual general meeting of shareholders in the National Bans of Chiua, Limited, was held at the offices of the Bank, Victoria Buildings Mr. Chan Kit Shan occupied the chair, aud there were also present Capt. Burnie, Messrs. D. Gillies, T. Lauts, Chow Tung Shang. Kwan Hoi Cheuu (directors), G.W.F. Playfair (chief manager). V. H. Deacon (solicitor), and a number of shareholders.
Mr. PLAYFAIR read the notice convening the meeting.
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contributors of premia, and the carrying of the eum of $56,972.10 to the credit of Extra Reserve Fund, the formation of which, as you will' pro- bably remember, was agreed to by Special Reso- lutions passed and confirmed this tiine last year, and its object, I might take this opportunity of reminding you, is to call in the aid of a profit- able year to assist the out-turu of an unfortunate period and thus tend to equalize our Annual Dividends. The loss ratio for 1897 was 42.55 of our premiums as compared with 14.15 in 1896, when we were exceptionally fortunate. Turning to the Working Account of 1838 we much regret the small balanon of $120,486,20 carried forward. This is, however, entirely dus to the heavy losses sustained at some of onr agencies during the past year and not to any falling off in the Company's business; in- deed, an increase is shown in this direction notwithstanding the heavy return of premis made when the Board decided to close the
The CHAIRMAN-Gentlemen, in submitting to you the accounts for 1898, I would point out that we have simplified them so as to dispense with the adjusting account, which was not very intelligible to the ordinary shareholder and was mere matter of account, being simply dif- ference between the exchange values of the day and the par rate at which our various funds in cther countries were formerly entered in our You will observe from the report uow in your hands that, as we indicated last year. agency at Kobe, in which action the Directors we have put all our profits to capital reserve hope that they have the support of shareholders. fund bad we not done so we could have paid From all we hear the year 1894 has proved the same dividend as we paid in March, 1897. exceedingly disastrous to Fire Insurance Offices Capital reserve fund now stands at $170,870.50, generally and it has not been the exception or over 74 per cent. on the capital. We have with us, but with average fortune we hope to only now to place the further small sum of meet you 12 months hence with the same $4,689.50 to that account and then the bulk of dividend, with the aid of the Extra Reserve Fund, our earnings for 1899 will be available for
we now propose to provide. Sinos the closing dividend. As we have full employment for all of the accounts the losses on account of 1898 our funds in Hongkong, and our funds having are $7,016 to date and those for the current proved insufficient to work profitably the vari- year are 27.030, which we consider moderate. ous branches, we have turned our branches at The Company's Surveyors have carefully ex- Amoy and Shanghai into agencies, which will amined and reported upon the properties in enable us to show a considerable reduction in Hongkong under mortgage to us and the future in our charges account, which for 18 8 Board are perfectly satisfied with the security is larger than usual owing to heavy legal ex-in each instance, and in this connection I may penses in Shanghai and expenses connected with mention that since the accounts were closed we closing our establishments in Amoy and Shang. have sold the property known as Inlaud Lot hai. Our business connections continue quite | No 685, which appears as a special item in the satisfactory. We have confidence in the future | Balance Sheet, without any loss to the Com- of the Bank and our prospects are more promis-pany, and we are thus relieved of any further ing. Your directors, having agreed to the de- anxiety as landlords. Before asking you to sirability of adding another British director to adopt the Report and Statement of Accounts I their number. have asked Mr. Burnie to join should like to mention with much regret that last the Board. We trust this appointment meets summer we were for the second time obliged to with your approval. With these few remarks, graut' our Secretary, Mr. Jas. B. Coughtrie, gentlemen, I have to propose that the report and sick leave under a medical certificate from the accounts as presented to you be adopted, but be- Company's doctors, and as his return to the fore doing so I will be happy to answer any East is not recommended on account of the on- questions which you may wish to ask.
satisfactory state of his health the Directors
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