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THE STATE OF THE PHILIPPINES.
(Daily Press, 7th March.) President MCKINLEY in his inauguration message to the Houses of Congress has re- affirmed the intention of the United States to do what they hold to be their duty in the Philippine Islands. The States are deter mined to maintain. their sovereignty in the Archipelago and to guarantee the safety of those who have ncquiesced in their rule. In the President's own words, the United States cannot leave the destiny of loyal millions of Filipinos at the mercy of disloyal thousands."No doubt the Filipinos who have not submitted to American rule will repudiate this comparative estimate of their strength and that of the rest of the islanders. But our Manila correspondent's letters and the columns of our Manila contemporaries show to what an extent other matters have ousted war news from the position it pre- viously held among topics of interest, and it is evident that the insurgents' numbers have dwindled very rapidly of late. During the past few months surrenders of arms and oaths of submission were as frequent as among the Boers at the time when Lord ROBERTS held the South African War to be practically over. Whether the Filipinos are equally as ready to resume their form: r places in the hostile ranks as were many of the Boers, we cannot say. In most cases they appear to have accepted the inevitable and temporarily settled down side by side with the Americans. It was expected that the defeat of 'Mr. BEYAN in his campaign for the United States Presidency would stir the irreconcilables among the Filipinos to desperate exertions, but on the contrary pacification seems to have pro- ceeded more rapidly. It is difficult to see how the insurgent leaders propose to revive their cause. The work of the past year has reflected no little credit on the Americans, and the anticipations of sober observers have been fairly realised. It cannot of course be pretended that life under present conditions in the Archipelago is at all like an ideal one or ever particularly desirable. The new occupiers of the Islands have before them a tremendous labour problem, which so far they have declined to solve in the only possible way in such a climate- by the importation of Chinese-and the price of living has reached an extravagant price. The Civil Commission, however, is attempting to establish a permanent system of government, and Major-General MAC- ARTHUR is dealing with the insurgents still inarms. The solution of the living and labour questions must follow with the progress of time. More than ever now does it look as if the complete and permanent pacification of the Archipelago were within appreciable distance of realisation, when the United States will be able to point to the results as the justification of their policy in the Philippine Islands.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
THE CRISIS: TELEGRAMS.
[FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS.]
SHANGHAI, 1st March, 9.56 p.m. The total number of missionaries and their families murdered in China during last year has now been made up to 134 adults and 52 children, whereof 70 adults and 28 children were British, 40 adults and 16 children Swedish, 24 adults and 8 chil- dren American.
It is proposed to convert the Legation area at Peking into a huge fortress, forcing the Imperial Maritime Customs, all banks, stores, etc., to remove, outside the protected area.
SHANGHAI, 3rd March, 9.48 p.m. Steamers are going to Tientsin cargoless, the Chinese preferring to await further
news.
gled himself, in what locality it is uncertain. Prince Chuang is reported to have stran-
Viceroy Chang Chi-tung is reported seri ously ill.”
The bodyguard, provided by Yuan Shikai, of picked men from Shangtung is leaving on Wednesday next for Honan to escort the Emperor on his return to Peking.
SHANGHAI, 5th March, 7.55 p.min. Nich Chi-kuei has been appointed Gov. ernor of Kiangsu:
Native news is to hand to the effect that
General Tung Fuhsiang is furious at Yung Lu's desertion. The Imperial Decrce de- grading him reached Tung at Lanchou. He instantly ordered his troops to return to Hsianfu, but he was ultimately persuaded to proceed westward, joining Prince Tuan outside Ninghsia.
SHANGHAI, 7th March, 7.4 p.. that the Boxer chiefs issued many spurious Au Imperial Decree just published states decrees during last summer under the
Throne's name.
The Decree orders the Grand Secretaries to collect all decrees between the 20th June
and the 14th August and to send t'em to the Emperor, who cancels them as spurious.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
On Saturday 2nd inst., at noon, a special meeting of the Hongkong Sauitary Board was Health Districts infected with plague. The held for the purpose of declaring Nos 9 and 1 President (the Hon. R. D. Ormsby, Director of Pulic Works) occupied the chair, and there were also present Dr. Bell (Acting Principal Civil Medical Officer), Dr. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. Fung Wa Chan, Mr. Chan A Fook, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary), Mr. Osborne arrived just as the proceedings had
terminated.
Dr CLARK explained that the meeting had been called for the purpose of declaring Health Districts Nos. 9 and 10 infected with bubonic plague. There had been 24 cases of plague since the beginning of the year, two of which Mr. F. Lionel Pratt, one of Renter's special had been notified to-day, and there were certain correspondents up North, and Lieut. Mahon, bye-laws which could be put in force only B.E., found themselves in rather an alarming during the prevalence in the Colony of position the other day at Chingwantao. They plague, cholera, or small-pox. It was with were passengers on the steamer Kurang Chi, the view of obtaining the powers of these bye- and while the vessel was blocked in by ice; they laws that the meeting had been convened. In determined upon taking a walk over the white District No. 9 there had boon 12 cases, and in expanse. They had proceeded about two miles District No. 10 there had been eight cas98, when the ice became thin and Mr. Pratt fell in giving twenty cases out of a total for the Colony the water. He was however rescued by his of 24. He thought the Board would agree with comrade, who himself became immersed later him that, if they did any hing at all to meet the on with the same result. On their return they plague scourge, they should do it at the com found the steamer had gone and they were mencement of the epidemic. It would mean a compelled to remain on the ice till the follow-considerable addition to the Board's staff and ing morning. Fortunately those on board the Kwang Chi had managed to make the port during the night and thus the famished ad- venturers were rescued and taken on board.
house to house visiting, and, if the epidemic did not abate, they would have to resort to house to house cleansing. He might also say that the health of the community was confronted at
March 9, 1901.
present by a threatened outbreak of small.pox, three cases of which had been reported to-day. All
uese were the West and Central diş- tricts, and there had been twelve cases alto- gether since the beginning of the year. would protect the community, he hoped, from a measures, which he proposed they should adopt, plagas epidemic as well as from smallpox,
The
Dr. BELI. in seconding, said that if anything was to be done in the way of house to house visitation now was the time to do it.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN thought this was n very good step to take before the epidemio of Health would give instructions to the search really started. Ho was sure the Medical Officer party to be careful.
bye-laws which may be deemed necessary in the The motion enabling the Board to enforce interests of public health was then passed.
On Thursday afternoon, 7th inst., a meeting of the Sanitary Board was hold. The President (the Hon. B. D. Ormsby, Director of Public Works) occupied the chair, and there were also present
Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. Fang Dr. Bell (Acting Principal Civil Medical Off- cer), Dr. Hartigan, Mr. E. Osborne, Dr. F. Wa Chun, Mr. Chan A Fook, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary).
THE COLONIAL VETERINARY SURGEON'S' REPORT.
The report of the Colonial Veterinary Sur- geon (Mr. C. V. Ladds) was submitted. The consideration of it had been adjourned from the previous meeting.
Mr. OSBORNE said there were several points in Mr. Ladds' reports, some of which, he thought, they should give attention to, and ask the Go-! verument to carry into effect, if not all, at least, some of his proposals. He thought it was due to Mr. Ladds that some more notice should be taken of his reports than it appeared customary to do. It seemed to him that these reports year after year came to them, and went on to gestions The pigeon-hole received them and the Government, containing very valuable sug nothing further was done. Broadly speaking Mr. Ladds had, in the report under notice, made three suggestions. The first of them was in he had asked the Board for two additional in- connection with slaughterhouses where, he said,
He (the speaker), thought they should ask the spectors, and that they had not been granted. Government to give effect to those suggestions: Then in connection with the Central Market. He had said-if his figures were correct-most
conclusively that the present method of lighting was inferior to gas, and very much more ex- pensive. He (Mr. Ladds) had suggested that the market be lighted by gas instead of the very inferior electric lighting now used. He (Mr. Osborne) thought the Board should take notice of that suggestion, and ask the Government either to substitute gas for electricity
:
or to call upon the Electric ragard to the supervision of the markets, Mr. Company to provide better lighting. Then in Ladds very rightly considered that the super- vision of the food supply of the Colony was of the most vital importines to the health and well-being of the community. He again asked for an additional Inspector, and he referred to a recommendation made by the Hon F. H. May and himself (Mr. Osborne)] in 1898, that the salies of the Inspectors at Kennedytown and the Inspectors of mar- kots should be increased. What was the use of Mr. Ladds reiterating those suggestions and those remarks, if no further notice was going] to ba taken of them? There was no doubt that what Mr. Ladds had said in regard to the supervision of the food supply of the Colony, was very true inde d, and he (Mr. Osborne) thought they should back him up and ask the Government to give effect to his sugges tions. He therefore begged to propose that the atention of the Government be drawn to those suggestions and that they be asked to give efect to them, more especially as to the effec- tual supervision of the markets.
Dr. CLARK said he would like to make the suggestion that not only should Mr. Ladds reports be considered, but all the annual reports which were laid on the Eoard table. He thought they should be dealt by a Committee of the Board before they were forwarded to the Government. Any re
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