December 2, 1901.]
the period is much enlarged, it will merely induce an aggravated condition of the present difficulty in retaining coolies.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
447
succeed in acting as substitutes for public | community in lending their support to provide coolies, or themselves employ what look like a remedy for the admitted evils which have private rickshas in soliciting fares.
given rise to this Commission.
T. SERCOMBE SMITH.
26. We recommend that the Police, when on ordinary duty, should more frequently, and especially at night, require chair and ricksha coolies to show their licences, and should arrest and charge all who do not produce their licences, or who produce licenses not bearing the photograph of the person producing it.
19. As regards what other (if any) remedial measures should be taken, we suggest that the scale of fares for public rickshas, in Victoria and Kowloon, should be revised and reduced, at any rate so far as short time fares are concerned; for we are convinced that if the earnings of private chair and ricksha coolies could be placed more nearly on an equality with those of public
27. We strongly recommend that one or more ricksha coolies, the inducement to throw up members of the Police Force, who might be private service for public employ would lose called Inspectors of Public Vehicles (as there much of its force, the demand for higher wages already is an Inspector of Weights and Mea- would almost cease, and the difficulty of procursures) should be appointed and detached to ing and retaining private chair and ricksha exercise special supervision over all licensed coolies would be largely diminished, if it did public vehicles and coolies whilst they are ply. not altogether disappear.
ing for hire in the streets. These Inspectors should have travelling allowances and should be here, there, and everywhere, calling on all kinds | of vehicle coolies to produce their licences. This proposal is not intended to be in substitu- tion for the recommendation that the Police on ordinary duty should constantly call for and examine the licences. It would be an additional help, we think, in cases where an unlicensed person is found plying a licensed vehicle, to make the licensed drawer, driver or bearer also liable to be heavily punished.
20. Chief Detective Inspector Hanson stated in his evidence that he had calculated that it is possible for two men between them to make from $60 to $80 a month with a public ricksha; and one of the public ricksha coolies examined' stated that his nett earnings, after paying for food and rent, amounted to $10 a month. The evidence also shows that a coolie will pay a considerable sum for the good will of a public ricksha.
21. At present, the minimum ricksha fare is 5 cents for a quarter of an hour. If a person takes a ricksha from the Clock Tower to the Hongkong Club or Hongkong Bank he ust pay 5 cents.
This seems to be an unnecessarily large fare We therefore advocate ricksha rates of 2, 3, and cents for 5, 10 and 15 minntes respectively; Distance fares, as in the case of garis, might also be introduced. The difficulty of carrying the necessary money can be overcome by adopt- ing a system of checks for these several amounts.
Chinese generally do not wish that any steps 28. It appears from the evidence that the should be taken to register or otherwise control coolies in their employ: therefore, we have no recommendation to make on this point, though we venture the opinion that they will be likely to share in any benefits which may result from the adoption of our proposals.
29. If on consideration it is thought desirable, we see no objection to placing in the hands of persons approved by the the Government the
R. CHATTERton Wilcox. F. J. BADELEY.
CANTON.
FROM A CORRESPONDENT.]
Canton, 24th November,
THE VICEROY'S HEALTH, Much anxiety has been felt here concerning the health of H.E. the Viceroy. He is now an aged man and suffers constantly from asthma. For some time most of his work has been tran- sacted by the Treasurer, and he himself has been unable of late either to eat or sleep. He was much affected by the news of the death of Li Hung-chang, the shock having thrown him into a fit. In consequence a rumour prevailed on Monday that he was dead. That happily has not proved true, and his physician's latest reports are that, in spite of frequent spitting of blood, his health is slightly better.
$6
THE LOSS OF THE FUSHUN." The China Merchants' steamer Fushun was burnt on Friday morning. The fire broke out at one o'clock, and in four minutes the ship was blazing from stem to stern. Being due to sail on Friday morning she was crowded with passengers, many of whom had to leap into the water to save themselves. Among her cargo was the personal luggage of Chu Hao, the examiner for the M.A degree. This contained the papers and essays done by those candidates who took the Manchu instead of the Chinese language, and were being taken to Peking to be looked over.
Such a contretemps has never
These checks should be saleable at the Treasury business of supplying private chair and ricksha occurred before, and it is not known whether
and Police Stations in the Colony and could be redeemed by the coolies on presentation at the Treasury in office hours.
Great care would have to be taken to guard against the acceptance, for redemption, of forged cheeks, not issued by the Treasury or a Police Station.
coolies at a given rate of wages and in
accordance with a scheme submitted to the
Government on 2nd August, 1901, by the Captain Superintendent of Police, and annexed as Appendix G to this report. The rate of wages set forth in that scheme, however, might As it is a practice for Chinese engaging in our opinion, be reduced, if the legislation public chairs and rickshas to bargain for rates and the remedial measures which we have sub- below the tariff rates, it is clear that, licensedmitted, are carried into effect. poolies are willing to take passengers at reduced 30. Nevertheless, we are of opinion that our fares,
proposals if carried out, might render a resort 22. We are not aware whether the public re-to such a scheme unnecessary, and that the venue of $55,000, which was the sum dorived in market could be supplied without it. 1900 from the licensing of carriages, chairs, &c., would be materially affected by our pro- posal, but we submit that, even though the public revenue from this particular source were decreased, it would be but a small consideration to pay for the advantages resulting from a supply of private chair and ricksha coolies.
23. We have not entered into the question of the probable effect of the reduction in public fares for short times and distances upon the number of public vehicles which might continue to ply, but we see no reason to think that the approximate equalisation of the earnings of public and private coolies would tend to drive public vehicles off the streets, because we think that the earnings still procurable in Hong- kong as compared with the earnings procurable in China, would continue to attract Chinese from the mainland.
another examination can be held or not.
Accounts differ as to the number of deaths caused by the accident. The captain of the ship reports that none were burnt, but Chinese opinion puts the deaths at over 100.
A REFORMATORY FOR CANTON,
A project was undertaken a little while ago for the erection of a reformatory on the hill of the Goddess of Merey in this city. Subscrip- tions were raised and a suitable building hired and put into repair. This place has now been opened. Those convicted of petty crimes will be confined there instead of in the prison. In the case of lads they are to be taught a trade. 31. As the preamble of the Commission older offenders will be allowed to practise their issued to us recognises the existing difficulty of
own profession, such articles as they make being procuring and retaining reliable private chair sold for the support of the establishment. The and ricksha coolies, and we are of opinion that commander of the On Yung, the regiment which that difficulty, if firmly faced with a determina-polices the streets of Canton, has been ordered tion to remove it, would largely if not entirely to supply a guard for the maintenance of order. disappear, we beg respectfully but emphatically to urge thatour proposals be given a trial during the coming winter months, that no threats of opposition or rumours of a strike be allowed to thwart an attempt to remedy the prevailing diffi. culties and inconvenience, and that it should be fully recognised thai a difficulty of this nature, arising in connection with the employment of Orientals, will only become aggravated, if not grappled with sternly and speedily. The com- munity may have to face a brief dislocation of the private coolie service, but will, we think, be amply repaid for any temporary discomfort by the benefits expected to accrue,
THE HONAM CONCESSION,
A despatch has been received from the Emperor in which he orders the Viceroy to deal himself with the question of the Honam concession and gives him full discretionary power. A certain foreign consul recently applied for a concession for his nationals and the Viceroy referred the question to the throne -with this result. It is not publicly known who was the consul who made the application, but the gossip of the streets ascribes it to the United States representative.
FIRES.
For a long time no rain has fallen and fires Two nights ago a are of nightly occurence. house belonging to the Viceroy of the Fukhien It was a family house of province was burnt. his, inhabited by two of his uncles and his son. The fire arose from a woman trying to catch mosquitoes. She had taken the lamp into bed, and in trying to burn them off the curtain man.
24. It appears to us that the community's independence of private coolies' services would 32. In advance we would earnestly deprecate be aided by the establishment of a larger num- any opposition to a fresh attempt to enforce ber of chair or ricksha stands or ranks. Take reistration on new lines and to make it effec- the Peak as an example. If stands or ranks for tive by means of the penal clause, because such chairs were placed at such points of Plantation registration and such penal clause may not in Road Station, underneath Craigieburn and at the opinion of some prove effective and may the bifurcation of the roads round Mount involve slight personal trouble, inconvenience aged to set fire to it. The houses on either side
Kellett it is obvious that this convenience would and loss of time. render Peak residents more or less independent of private coolies.
33. We trust that all ranks and divisions of the non-Chinese community will be prepared to It would also aid in the same direction if the co-operate in order to make the legislation ohair stand at Victoria Gap were on the public and measures which we have proposed effective telephone system. An English-speaking Chi- and workable. If this co-operation, either from nese should be put in charge who should depute purely selfish considerations or out of mere certain chairs to go where wanted. The num-sentiment, be withheld by an influential minority, ber and destination of the chair should be it is to be feared that no remedial measures de- entered in a book kept by the Chinese in charge, vised to meet the emergency can be successful. and complaints of non-compliance with tele.
We therefore hope that the wealthier mem. phone messages should be sent to and investi- bers of the non-Chinese community will sink gated by the Captain Superintendent of Police. all considerations of personal inconvenience, 25. We surmise that private coolies occa-dignity, trouble and loss of time, and will com- sionally elude the vigilance of the Police and bine with the less favoured members of that
side were involved, and there was a tremendous blaze which attracted a vast crowd.
No one was killed in the fire, though one child was crushed to death in the streets.
DEATH OF A KIDNAPPED DOCTOR.
The victim of an audacions kidnapping case is just dead. He was a well known doctor in the city, named Lei. The brigands played the old dodge of a patient sending for him in order to get him into their hands. They then demanded a ransom of $2,000, in default of which they announced their intention of killing him. His family raised and paid $800, but the brigands refused to let him go. The officials then got to hear of it and sent troops to rescue
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