FIRST GYMKANA OF THE
SEASON.
The first gymkana meeting of the reason was held at the Race Course, Happy Valley, on the 29th ult. The attendance was not large, but this was probably due to the uncertain state of the weather, which, showery in the morning, as overcast almost throughout the entire day. There were six events on the programme, including a mile handicap for walers, a steeple- chase, and a half-mile race-the two last for ponies. Entries, however, were few, the highest number of starters, that for the half-mile race, being four. The three remaining events- a despatch race, a cigar and umbrella race, and a chair race-attracted no inconsiderable interest, and were watched with great amusement by the spectators. By kind permission of Colonel Baillie and the officers of the 22nd Bombay Infantry, the band of that regiment attended at the Race Coures, and their choice masic contributed greatly to the enjoyment of the afternoon. Appended are the events:-
1
2
3
1.-4.30 p.m.-One Mile Handicap.-For all Walers. Four to start or no race. Entrance, 83.00. 1st Prize presented by the Hon. J. J. Bell-Irving 2nd Prize, $2000. Mr. Rennie's Lady Mary, 12st 5lbs
(Mr. G. C. C. Master) Mr. David's Loyalist, 11st 10lbs
(Mr. W. A. Cruickshank) Mr. White's Innocent, 10st 12lbs...
(Mr. P. A. Cox) Although the conditions were four to start. only three horses faced the flag. Loyalist, restless and balky as ever, had to be led to the post by a mafoo. All got away to an even start, but on passing the stand for the first time Lady Mary had a slight lead of Loyalist Round by the bridge Loyalist and Lady Mary were facing on equal terms, In- nocent being a length and a half belind. At the black rock the favourite, Lady Marg, again shot into first place, and the field tailed out until a length separated all three. Lady Mary was galloping splendidly, and gradually in creased her lead from Loyalist, who was fully six lengths behind when the straight was entered. A runaway race was wou by Lady Mary by ten lengths; four lengths separated
second and third.
2.-4.45 p.m.-Ladies' Nomination.- Des. patch Race-Entrance, $1. Prizes from Gymkhana fund. A. receives a despatch, ruus 100 yards, and hands it to B. B. mounts his pony and rides halfway round the course, dismounts and gets on bicycle on which he rides to a point 100 yards from winning post, bands despatch to lady seated in ricksha, who is dragged in by A., B. pushing behind. Mafoos allowed. Competitors provide their own rickshas.
1
Nominates.
Miss Jackson...
Mr. Cruickshank and
Mr. Lyon... Mrs. Bagnall-Wild
Capt. Des Voeux, R.E., & Mr. Bingay, B.E. 2 Miss Hutchings .Mr. Cowie & Mr. Wall 3 Mr. Lyon beat Mr. Bingay and Mr. Wall in the hundred yards' sprint to the waiting horse- men, and enabled Mr. Cruickshank to get away first. Mr. Bingay was close on Mr. Lyon's heels with the despatch for Captain Des Voeux, but the latter, in his eagerness, fell over his mount and was atlong way behind ere he finally started. He rapidly overhauled Mr. Cowie, however, and passed him beyond the bridge. Mr. Cruickshank was a quarter of the field ahead, but, although he won, that lead was very considerably reduced by Captain Des Voeux, who, with lnok at the start, would have woneasily.
3-5:15-Steeplechase. For all ponies 14.2 and under. Over the Steeplechase Course. Catch Weights over 11 st. 7 lbs. Entrance, $2.00. 1st Prize presented. 2nd Prize, $20.00. Mr. Cruickshank's Treacle. 11st 7lbs...
(Mr. Cruickshank) 1 Mr. White's Arrogant, 11st 7lbs (Mr. Cox) Hon. F. A. May's Bengal, 12st (Mr. Bishop) 3 Only three started, and all got off on even terms, Arrogant immediately taking the lead, with Bengal a good third. Arrogant showed the way over the first jump, but Treacle hesitated and had to concede second place to Bengal, The same order was maintained over the second jump, but the distance between that and the third enabled Treacle to pass the field and to
2
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
+
4.-5.30 p.m.-LadiesS
[July 6, 1901. laughter, by "Britannis,” “China" entirely failing to respond to encouraging cries of faitee. 'Britannia" also won the prize for the best turn-out.
14
CONSULAR REPORT.
HIOGO AND OBAKA.
ake the jump fully three lengths ahead of Arrogant. Treacle led all the way round, and at the last jump of the circuit Arrogant, which had been showing a noticeable hesi fancy at the hedges, took second place from Bengal. At the village six lengths separated all three, with Arrogant going well and decreas ing the distance from Treacle, which took the last jump in good style and won by four lengths Mr. Consul Hall in the just published report from Arrogant, Nine lengths separated on the trade of Hiogo and Osaka in 1899, says: -- second and third
A special interest attaches to the figures of NOMINATION.the foreign trade of th's district during 1899 CIGAR AND UMBRELLA RACE.-Gentleman as compared with previous years. For last rides to lady and dismounts. She hands him a cigar and fights it, then hands him an open the revised treaties which throw open the whole
year was the first in Japan's new career under- umbrella. He mounts and finishes round a post country to foreigners for residence and trade, and back, cigar alight and umbrella open. No and at the same time raised the rate of the old mafoos allowed. Prizes presented by Hon. 5 per cent. tariff under which the commeros of F. H. May, C.M.G.
the country had made such giant strides to a stiff protectionist rate of more than treble that amount on the average. There was also another change, which although not of the same in. mentioned, "has a more immediate bearing on trinsic importance as the other two just the task before me of comparing the movement of the trade of last year with its course in the few preceding years. This was a change in the mode of assessing for duty the value of imports. As has frequently been pointed out in previous trade reports, under the old tariff which expired with 1888, import duty was charged upon the value of the goods at the port of shipment, whereas under the new tariff the value is taken as at the port of discharge: making a difference of at least 15 per cont. additional in the estimated value of the goods.
Seven started, and got away in a bunch in the scurry for the place where stood the ladies, who, as the conditions required, handed a cigar to their respective nominatious and prepared to light it-the most difficult part of all. The matches had an annoying_trick of going out just when they appeared to be burn ing their brightest, and when a second one, carefully shielded until the tiny flame had secured a hold, was just being applied to the tip of the extended cigar, another nasty puff of wind would come along and undo everything, However, one by one the gentlemen, cigara alight and umbrellas in hand, mounted and finished the race, which resulted- Mr. May, nominated by Madam O'Gorman, Capt. Trefusis, nominated by Mrs. Hawkins, 2 Capt. Gwynne, nominated by Mrs. Bertie, 3 5-5.45 pm.-HALF MILE RACE-For all ponies 14.2 and under. Weight for inches as per scale of 1901 Race Meeting. Entrance, $3.00. 1st Prize, a Cup presented by D. Gillies, Esq. 2nd Prize $20.00. Mr. David's Loyalist, 10st 13lbs
(Mr. Cruickshank) Mr. Gauner's Favourite Rose, 10st 131bs
(Mr. Geig) Capt. Warren's Kangurov, 10st 13lbs..
3
The importance of this change will, of course, diminish with each succeeding year; but for the purpose of comparing the figures of 1899 with previous years it claims prominent mention. It serves to explain some seeming anomalies in the comparative tables published by the Finance Department in the last Annual
astoms Returns. The only notice of it. in that Blue Book occurs in a note at the foot of ̧ the first page, which, without making any reference to the previous system of valuation. merely states that:-"The value of imported articles shall be the actual cost of the articles at the place of production or fabrication with the addition of packing charges, cost of transportation, insurance and other charges incurred up to the arrival of the articles at the port of importation."
(Capt. Des Voeux) Hon. F. H. May's Hoodoo, 10st 7lbs (Mr. May)
Of the four runners in the race, Loyalist, Favourite Rose, and Kangaroo were almost equal favourites, but Hoodoo was not much fancied. Loyalist maintained his reputation for contrariness by refusing to walk to the starting post, and had to ba led there the pony was So much by way of preliminary precaution also responsible for one false start. Get when dealing with the official figures as data ting off together at last. Loyalist at once took for comparison. I have deemed it all the more the lead, Hoodoo being right out of it. Com-necessary to mention the point as it seems to ing down the hill from the Black Rock, Favourite have been passed over in the comments of the Rose got on even terms with Loyalist. A hard native Press and even in scr foreign journals. race ensued down to the straight, the leaders running neck and neck, with Kangaroo a good third. Entering the straight, Favourite Rose. going gamely, passed Loyalist and took a slight lead, perhaps half a len th. Favourite Rose was now under the whip and evidently unable to do more. Loyalist, on the other hand, was going better than at any time during the race, and at the distance post shot into first place and won a hard race the bost of the day—by a length and a half from Favourite Rose. Kangaroo was a bad third.
6.-6.0) p.m.-CHAIR RACE. For soldiers and sailors in costume. Four men to a chair. 1st prize, $20. 2nd prize, 810. Extra prize of $5 for best turn-out. Competitors provide their own chairs. Occupant of chair to scale 9st.
It would appear, then, from the official returns that in 1899 the foreign trade of this district, that is, of the two ports of Kobe and (saka, compared with the trade the preceding
Valno, 1899.
1898. £12,022,880 £14,456,548 8,239,871 6,330,1.98
year, was:-
Imports Exports.
Total... £21,156,751 £20,786,586 showing a considerable drop in imports, but a larger gain in exports, and on the total tradu an apparent increase of over £370,000.
But when the correction required as above noted is made for the imports of 1898 by adding 15 per cent, the figures should stand thus ----
Total trade in 1899
+1
1898..
Decrease in 1899...
Value. £21,156,751
· 22,915,568.
£1,758,817
This event was the most amusing one on the programme. Only two chairs entered. The first contained a grotesque representation of Britannia-a near-sighted spectator said Father- Neptune-borne by soldiers and sailors thus showing, instead of an increase of nearly 2 got up more or less accurately to repre- per cent., an actual decrease of over 7 per cent. sent John Bull, Uncle Sam, and the Colonies On the other hand, it must be remembered (these last being depicted by khaki-clad that 1898 was not altogether a normal year, | warriors), whilst, to impart a finish to the inasmuch as there was a great inrush of imports whole effect, a kilted Highlander strutted towards the close of it, in order to secure the by the side of the chair. The occupant of the advantage of the lower duties under the old second chair might have been taken to represent expiring tarifi. Against this consideration, anything in general and nothing in particular, however, must be weighed the fact that the rice but China evidently was aimed at. Assisting orop of 1898 was much larger than the average, two dignified "Chinsmen” and an undignified and should in the ordinary cour have been clown to carry the chair was the slim" De followed by a marked expansion Wet, according, at least, to the name chalked on of foreign trade. On striking- his coat. After “kow-towing" in front of the these opposing factors it is impossible stand (the band meanwhile playing "Rule that 1899, the first year of the new teri Britannia") the competitors started in the race, I parked by an unprecedented check in the which was won, amid much cheering and advance of the import trade of the port.
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