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plan to thwart the majority is to obtain military aid to protect those who are willing to work, to let those willing to work know that they will be protected, and to hale before the Magistrate any person who threatend, & foki who is willing to work. Other remedies which suggest themselves are the wholesale banishment for five years of recalcitrant coolies, who are a distinct menace to the peace and good order of the Colony, and the promulgation of certain portions of au Ordinance which is commonly known as the Peace Preservation Ordinance. Even if it promised success to agitate for a revocation of Mr. Chamberlain's decision, it is doubt ful whether or not it is politic to do so when Chinese coolies suap their fingers at the existing regulation and say "if you don't revoke it, we won't work.". Our task is first to subdue the coolies and then proceed, if necessary, to obtain a revocation of the decision. Any other course at present would be a victory for the coolies, and we cannot afford to give them such a victory, for, having gained their inch, they will demand the proverbial ell. The commercial com. munity must ponder well the situation. Our advice is that a staud, even at a financial loss, should be taken. We warrant that, with the co-operation of the law and of the military, the coolies will some to their seuses in a very few days. To attain this most desirable end and to withstand the arrogance of the Chinese coolie, it is absolutely necessary to be resolute, that all companies and firms should be of our mind and that the Government should be co- workers in this struggle with a useful but misguided section of the population.
HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
At the Monthly Meeting of the General Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, held at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, the 11th June, 1901-Present: Sir Thomas Jackson (Chairman), Mr. C. 8. Sharp (Vice-Chairman), Messrs. A. Haupt, W. Poate, B. L. Richardson, H. A. Ritchie, N. A. Siebs, H. E. Tomkins, Hon. J. Thurburn (ex officio), and R. C. Wilcox (Secretary),—
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous Monthly Meeting (held 16th May) were read and confirmed.
THE GENERAL COMMITTEE.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Read letter from Hon. J. J. Keswick addressed to the Secretary tendering his resignation as a member of the Committee, as he was leaving the Colony, and expressing his good wishes for the continued usefulness of the Chamber.
The CHAIEMAN proposed that Mr. J. J. Bell Irving be invited to accept the vacant seat.
The VICE-CHAIRMAN seconded. Carried unanimously.
NEW MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER. The SECRETARY reported that Messrs E. Pabaney & Co. had been elected to membership of the Chamber since the last monthly meeting.
MEDICAL INSPECTION OF PASS NGERS.
letter having been received on the 18th May, from the Superintendent of the O. 8. N. Co., calling attention to the pressing need for improvement in the manner in which the medical inspection of shipping visiting this harbour is carried out, making suggestions for its improvement, an asking the Chamber to make representations on the subject to H.E. the Governor.
This letter was submitted to all the shipping firms and agencies, and, their unanimous endorsement and approval having been obtained. A letter was drafted, and, on the 1st June, was forwarded to the Government, together with copy of Mr. Ritchie's communication.
Read letter from the Government in reply to above dated 7th June, stating that H. E. the Governor fully realises the importance of the subject and proposes to amend the quarantine regulations as suggested.
The CHAIRMAN said he thought that was very satisfactory so far. PROHIBITION OF CHINESE IMMIGRATION FROM
HONGKONG INTO STRAITS SETTLEMENTS,
The SECRETARY reported receipt of letter from Government, dated 28th May, enclosing copy of telegram from Colonial Secretary, Singapore, of same date, as follows:-"Chiness coolie immigration prohibited by vessels sailing from Hongkong after 29th May." Copies of sime were supplied to the local Press.
On the 3rd June a letter was received, signed by the Shipping Firms and Agencies affected thereby, requesting the Chamber to represent to the Government the hardship entailed upon them by this prohibition, which was opposed to the Venice Convention, and begging that the matter be referred to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, with a view to obtain the speedy cancelment of the prohibition on im migration.
A letter was accordingly, on the 6th June, addressed to the local Government to that effect, and a copy of the letter from the Ship- ping Firms was enclosed therein.
THE SANITATION OF THE COLONY.
Consequent upon a suggestion made by Mr. W. Poate, on the 31st May, after consideration, The Committee decided to make a representa- tion to the Government calling attention to the serious damage being done to the trad of the Colony by the present serious epidemic of plague and the necessity for taking every available means to restrict the ravages of the disease and to improve the sanitation of the port,
and
A letter was accordingly, on the 7th June, addressed to the Acting Colonial Secretary on the subject.
The CHAIRMAN said no reply had, as yet, been received to their letter. As they were aware, he himself had not been in favour of the Cham- ber taking up this qu stion, as he had a holy horror of its interfering in any way in local politics. However, he was alone in this opinion the rest of the Committee were unanimous on
the point (the Hon. Mr. Thurburn, being only an ez officio member, abstained from giving an opinion); and he could only say that the letter had been most carefully drafted, and was most moderately expressed. He quite agreed with its terms; the only point of difference between himself and the Committee being that he thought the representation would have come better from the ratepayers.
decidedly one for the Chamber to take up, as Mr. RITCHIE said he thought the matter was the sanitation of the port greatly affected the shipping. Other members coincided with Mr. Ritchie's opinion.
In response to the CHAIRMAN.
Hon. J. THURBURN expressel the opinion that the Chamber was going out of its province to intervene in municipal matters, but the letter had gone in, and it was no use now to express his views.
The CHAIRMAN--Yes, it has gone in, and it cannot do any harm, and we hope it wil be productive of much good.
[June 22, 1091
and, on the 31st idem, enclosing copy of despatch from II B.M.'s Consul at Swatow, intimating that that port had been declared by the Shang- hai Authorities to be infected with plague. Receipt of both letters had been duly acknow ledged, and the local Press notified of the facts.
AMERICAN TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
WITH FAR EAST.
The CHAIRMAN said it had come to his know- ledge that the Government of the United States intended laying a cable line from America to the Philippine Islands, which no doubt would be extended to Hongkong. The effect of this would be to lower the present excessive tale- graphic rates.
The members of the Committeo hailed with satisfaction the prospect of having in the near future reasonable telegraphic rates.
This was all the business of public interest before the meeting.
The following is the correspondence read:
MEDICAL INSPECTION OF PASSENGERS.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 1st June, 1901.
SIR,
In July, 1897, this Chamber, in response to a request by the Government for its opinion on the subject of the medical inspection of shipping entering the waters of this Colony, made the suggestions that, in view of the steady increase of the tonnage in this port, it was becoming necessary for the Health Officer to give undivided attention to his shipping duties, adding that, whenever the post should fall vacant, its next occupant should not be allowed to engage in private practice.
Since those suggestions were thrown out, and in spite of the fact that the trade of the port has continued to increase, while the recurring outbreaks of plague in various ports have added greatly to the work of the Health Officer, no further assistance has been allotted to that official, with the result that steamers are not infrequently detained through his inability to board them promptly on arrival. The annoyance to passengers and the loss to ship-owners consequent on these daten- tions have been growing more and more pronounced; and in illustration thereof I am instructed to forward, for the information of the Government, the enclosed copy of a letter recently received from the Superintendent of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company on the subject.
·
ber to all the Shipping Firms and Steamship This letter has been submitted by the Cham- Agencies in the port, who unanimously concur in the suggestions made therein as promising temporary relief pending the appointment of a second or assistant Health Officer.
There is ample work for two doctors in this department. The tonnage of the port has doubled within the last twenty years, as will be seen by the following figures, taken from the Harbour Master's annual returns of the ship- ping trade of the Colony :-
Vessels entered... Vessels cleared
1880, tons. 1899, tons. 4,185,845 9,052,501 4,174,149 9,048,808
8,359,994 18,101,309
THE CHINESE TARIFF QUEST ON. Read letter received, on 5th June, from the London Chamber of Commerce, dated 3rd May, acknowledging receipt of the Chamber's tele- gram of that date, on the proposal to double Yet the machinery for medically inspecting the Chinese Tariff without provision being the shipping remains on the same scale now as made for the redress of taxation and other it was in 1830, and the expenditure on the mercantile grievances, and forwarding copy of Department is practically, allowing for advance In the opinion of the covering letter to the Under Secretary of State in prices, unaltered. for Foreign Affairs, to whom it was promptly Committee there should be two Medical Officers transmitted.
permanently employed, and giving the whole of their time to the work, unless perhaps the right of private practice among the shipping be conceded to thein.
Much satisfaction was felt at the promptitude shown by the Secretary of the London Chamber
in the matter.
The CHAIRMAN said there was nothing further to say on the question just now. The Foreign Ministers had, he heard, decided to make the 5 per cent. tariff effective, and the Chinese Government had undertaken to pay an indoin. nity of Tls. 450,000,000. The details of the security were now being discussed.
QUARANTINE.
With regard to this subject, the SECRETARY stated that letters were received from the Government, on the 25th May, transmitting copy of telegram from H.B.M's. Consul-General, Bangkok, announcing that vessels from Hong kong should call at Koh Phai for quarantine;
3.
:
Since, however, the medical staff of the Government is now already much undermanned and the exigencies of the public health demand the exercise of all their energies, the Committee agree with Mr. Ritchie that temporary measures might be adopted for the moment. They strong ly endorse his suggestion that the master of any vessel carrying a duly qualified surgeon, provided such master is prepared to sign certificate (countersigned by the surgeon) if required, that there is no sickness of an infer- tious nature on board, should thereupon be permitted to proceed to his berth or moorings. This would materially help, under present
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