-368
It may be remarked this is a small ration of water in a tropical city, as in temperate climates the provision of water in the large cities is as much as 30 gallons a head a day.
As the present population consumes about 3 million gallons a day the present total storage capacity of the reservoirs is equal to about 170 days supply when all reservoirs are full.
ļ
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE «STAR" FERRY COMPANY, LIMITED.
May 26, 1900.
One of the obligations was to carry the Wharf Company's employees, excluding coolies, free of charge. But the Wharf Company have always The second ordinary annual meeting of share-paid full fare for every coolie carried in the ferry Since the raising of the overflow weir the holders in the "Star" Ferry Company, Limited, boats, including those conveyed under free passes Taitam reservoir can hold nearly 409 million
was held on the 23rd inst at noon at the Com attached to delivery orders, and I may remark, gallons of water, the new reservoir above Wong-pany's Office, No. 2. Connaught Road. Hon. gentlemen, that these contributions of the Wharf neichong can hold nearly 34 millions, and C. P. Chater presided. The following gentlemen Company constitute no inconsiderable propor- Pokfolum reservoir nearly 68 millious, giving a
The Wharf Company were also present: Messrs. P. Sachse and J. tion of your revenue. total storage capacity in the three storage reser-
A. Mackay (Directors), Edward Osborne (Seare- gives to the Ferry Company the exclusive use of voirs of about 511 million gallons.
its wharf at Kowloon, it keeps the wharf and the tary), Victor Deacon (Solicitor), Wong Kam- fuk, Geo. Murray Bain, G. L. C. Berger, F. A. matshed over it in repair, and pays for the light- Brown, H. H. Brown, J. Brownhill, A. C. J. ing of it. The Wharf Company also provided Campbell, Dr. J. Bell, T. Yule, G. C. Moxon, the guide piles which were recently driven along- W. J. Gresson. A. Haupt. Paul Jordan, L. L. side the Kowloon jetty for the convenience of Lopes. A. Mackenzie, E. J. Main, Dorabjee the ferry boats. It is well that shareholders Nowrojee, R. S. Philpott, W. H. Potts. G. J. should realise that the Wharf Company, in its B. Sayer. C. S. Sharp, N. A. Siebs, R. C.
own interests, is bound to maintain a good ferry Wilcox, C. C. Wilson, G. H. Potts. C. W. service to the wharves and that the trafic to and Dickson. W. A. C. Cruickshank, G. K. Wright, from the wharves, quite apart from Kowloon re- T. Skinner, S. Wilson, D. M. Moses and J. A. sidents, is the backbone of the Ferry Company, Chinoy.
and without it a service such as we provide would (Applause.) Gentlemen, before I sit down and ask if any gentleman has any questions to ask, I would call your atten. tion to the fact that some questions have been sent in by one of the shareholders. I will read the questions and also our answers
The total quantity of water reported to be in the storage reservoirs on the first of May this year was 49 million gallons, or about 17 days supply for the population.
The rain which fell on the 13th and 14th May this year has probably replenished the re- servoirs to a certain extent, but it has been said that although the City of Victoria had been on a reduced allowance of water during the preced- ing fortnight there was only 11 days supply of water in stock when the heavy rains began.
In 1896 the Director of Public Works advised
The CHAIRMAN said-The report and ac- counts, with your permission, I will take as read. The gross earnings of the boats were $6,851 better than last year, but in consequence of the increased cost of running the new Mor the construction, in addition to the new reservoirning Star compared with the old boat of the since completed above Wongneichoug, of four same name, and also on account of the advanced more, and one enlarged, reservoirs, with necessary rate for hired launches which are needed to take adjuncts, to be completed within the succeeding the place of the company's boats whilst the seven years at a cost of $540,000.
latter are under repair, and increased expendi- tares on wages, the nett earnings were only some 81.700 better. The company has. I re- gret to say, suffered a loss of $4,652 in making good the defalcations of one of the
These four reservoirs and one enlargement would contain altogether 230 million gallons and raise the total storage capacity from 511 to 747 million gallons, or from 170 days' supply to 247 days' supply.
Surveys and designs were reported in 1896 to have been then already made for these works. but no financial provision appears to be made as yet for carrying them out, although the increase of population and consequent increase of com- sumption of water proceeds continuously..
This recent curtailment of the supply of water seems to show the advisability of providing suf- ficient reservoirs for impounding enough water every year during the rainy season between May and September to provide against an ex- ceptionally dry season occuring during the suc- ceeding eight months.
During the dry season of 93-91 the total yield from the Pokfolum and Taitam catchment areas, less the loss by aporation from the sur- faces of the reservoirs, is reported to have been only 85 million gallons, or about 29 days' supply; so that, in provision for a very possible recur- rence of a similar season, it would be only pru- dent to provide for having at least 215 days supply of water impounded in storage reser- voirs at the end of August every year. This quantity, plus a yield during the dry season of 29 days supply, should tide over any drought likely to occur.
From the published estimates of the Public Works Department, and allowing for the in- crease in cost of labour and materials since 1896, it would seem that the above result might be attained, inclusive of providing the necessary additional filtering area and conveyance mains, for about $600,000, spread over five years, or & capital expenditure of about $120,000 a year. Owing to the increase in the cost of works in colony since 1896 the cost of carrying out the full programme recommended by Mr. Cooper would probably amount to about $750,000 at the present prices.
It should be added that the present Director of Public Works, in his published report for 1897, endorsed the opinions of his predecessor so far as to recommend the construction of three of the new reservoirs proposed by Mr. Cooper. But apparently nothing further has been done, while there is evidently a good deal of indiffer- ence to a subject which is really of serious practical importance to the colony, and worthy of careful attention.-I am, sir, yours &c..
A. J. HAMILTON-SMYTHE, Prince's Buildings,
Hongkong, 21st May, 1900.
+
The Kobe Herald says: It is reported that the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank is now con- sidering the establishment of a branch at Seoul, and was investigating last month the com- mercial relations of the Corean capital with Chemulpo through two delegates sent for the
express purpose.
clerks who had abstracted blank forms of
be a financial failure.
Q-Were the forged scrips signed by either the Directors or the Secretary?
A-Four scrips bore the Directors' and Secretary's signatures and one scrip bore the Directors' signature and the Secretary's forged signature.
Q. Who is to blame for this loss to the
Company?
A. The Directors consider that no one is to taken to safeguard the seal, and the loss was blame as reasonable care and precautions were brought about by deception and fraud.
Q. What means are taken to prevent further loss ?
A--European does the work formerly done
by the Eurasian clerk. And the Secretary
share certificates and by a clever subterfuge secured the Secretary's and Directors' signatures to them, then obtained access to the Company's seal. stamped the Certificates, made out a fulso transfer deed and sold the scrip in the market. Your Directors took legal advice as to the Com- pany's liability and in consequence of that
cancels the old scrip himself so as to prevent its advice they paid the market value of the shares for the spurious certificates. The clerk in ques. being produced to him a second time. There tion, an Eurasian, had been working under the
are two kaps to the Seal, one kept by the Seare- Secretary for nearly 10 years and, as it was part-tary and the other by the European clerk, and the seal cannot be unlocked without both are of his duty to attend to the share register and stamp scrip. he had frequent opportunities of present. gaining access to the seal. The loss is a very unfortunate one and steps have been taken to make a recurrence of it practically impossible. In view of this exceptional loss we have not suggested writing anything off the boats or from goodwill because we propose, with your permission, to make ample provision in respect of these two items out of the premium on the new issue of capital which I will refer to at the special meeting later on. With regard to the two new double-enders, which are being built by the Dock Company, one of them is promised
in three months time and the other will, we
think, be ready shortly afterwards.
Whon these boats are delivered the service will be run almost entirely with double-enders, which no doubt will be appreciated by the public and especially Kowloon residents. These boats however will cost a great deal more to run than the old ones, and we shall therefore need
all the money we can earn. For this reason it is proposed to erect turnstiles for 1st and 2nd class passengers and so afford a better means of
preventing persons travelling, as they sometimes do, without payment and provide a more reliable check on our collectors. We have endeavoured
Q. What are the gross earnings of the Com- pany during the present year?
A-472.164.58.
Q.--Wat is the number of persons allowed to travel free on the launches?
A. Twenty persons, besides the Wharf Co's employees.
{}. What amount has been lost to the Com- pany by the issno of free passes in connection with delivery orders of the Hongkong and Kow. loon Wharf and Godown Co., Ltd.?
A. No amount has been lost, as the free passes have all been paid in full by the Wharf Company.
I may mention, gentlemen, that these questions came in long after the Chairman's speech was got ready and passed by the Board of Directors. I shall be very pleased to answer any other questions any gentleman may be pleased to ask.
Major BROWN-May I ask, Mr. Chairman, if in Mr. Nowrojee's time the money paid for the use of the Godown pier was $300 a month, and if it was increased afterwards to ten per
66
cent of the Star" Ferry Company's takings.
CHAIRMAN-It was so.
Major BROWN-As the agreement has been charged as the Wharf Company's charges have been changed since the Company was taken over from Mr. Nowrojeé.-might I suggest the directors might consider the matter of the increased amount the Wharf and Godown Com- pany is receiving for the use of its pier and might cancel the passes of the employees of the Godown Company.
to arrive at the same result in other ways, but the Company receives, in this matter, so little sup- port (and in fact sometimes opposition from the public that we are reluctantly compelled to adopt the turnstile as is done in other parts of the world. This will perhaps not be agreeable to some, but as it is impossible to run those ex- pensive double-enders at a profit, whilst leakage
The CHAIRMAN-In reply, I may state, gen- and other irregularities continue, they will no doubt come to see that the trifling inconve- tlemen, that this concern was taken over from nience caused by the turnstile is to their own
Mr. Nowrojee by the "Star" Ferry Company, and at that time there was an agreement between advantage in that it enables the Company to provide a better service than would otherwise be Mr. Nowrojee and the Wharf Company. Part possible. There is, however, no intention of of that agreement was that the Wharf Co.'s. abolishing monthly tickets. With regared to employees should go over free. When this new the Ferry Company's position in relation to the company was formed and before the shares were Wharf Company and concerning which com.
issued, a contract was made by the Wharf Com- ments have lately been made, it may be as well to pany with the promoters of the
Star" Ferry state that the Ferry Company, when it was formed, Company to the same effect, viz., that the em- took over under agreement from Mr. D. No-ployees of the Wharf Company should go over wrojee, the late proprietor of the ferry laun- free and the percentage to be paid to the Wharf ches, that gentleman's good will and obligations. Company by the "Star" Ferry Company was
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