June 7, 1902.
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development which will give China an oppor- nity" of developing shera resources and pro- means of communication. These ques 4 will undoubtedly affect almost all who are raged in trade: yut- here: New questions will arise,si and questions of the greatest importance. It will be the duty of the Cham- ber of Commerce to watch new developments and extract from them what advantage they cancy I think the mature experience of Mr. Wilcox, helped by the energy of our young and able Secretary should be a very strong combination, Again, our representative would have to have the command of a certain amount of time and this Mr. Wilcox has. It is possible, though I esteem very highly the value and ability of his brother candidate no one more than I-as we know he is, happily for himself, at the head of a large and rising concern with immense interests to care for, that however wishful he might be he might not have the requisite time to devote to our interests in the same way as Mr, Wilcox It is also an inter- esting thing to remember that Mr. Wilcox now represents the old firm of Turuer & Co., which for years was represented on the Legislative Council, and in an ever-changing community such as this I think the maintenance of an old historio.connection of this sort is of a certain importance. I will not detain you any longer, but I think we know Mr Wilcox, we know him to be earnest, honest, fair-minded and cap. able, with the time and will to devote his best services to your canse. Upon those grounds, gentlemen, I recommend him to your votes, and upon those grounds I hope you will accept him. (Applause.)
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
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my head until the other day, when Mr. White | over twenty-one years in this Colony, head, your late representative, and some other know me very well and I will not members of the Chamber suggested it and ask-poor compliment of supposing that ed me to offer myself for nomination. It was phrases of fine promises of mine-cin alter i pointed out to me that my long and intimate opinion you have formed of malrondy, You connection with this Chamber had afforded mast take ma, if you take me at all, with all me a unique opportunity to become a quainted faults, and without any self-recommendation with its aims, objects, and interests. My from me. I would like, however, to make attention has been drawn to some conjectures clear one thing to you, and that is, that my private interests are intimately con-
I am not "agin the Gov rame top: sil nected with landed property, and that therefore occasions simply because it is the Govern my tendency would be towards the promotion ment. But, however, I may touch upon of that interest in preference to others. Gentle one or two matters of public insorest, whịch men, this is an entire misapprehension. It is I know have been discussed amongst you, true that I represent among other constituents and wherein I think the Government are to some absent property owners, but I take it that blame. The burning question is, if I may bɔ. my duty to them should not conflict with my duty allowed to prpe ryty a bull, water, or rather to this Chamber, in which is concentred all the want of it. Who is individually to blum, interests, and which, as the late Chairman truly it is difficult to say, bat undoubtedly the fault remarked only the other day, is the most repre- lies with the Public Work- Department. " I do sentative body in the Colony. Those interests, not say the head of the Department is to blame. fo emost of which, in my opinion, is the he has not been long in that position and I shipping interest, will all, in the future, know that he is doing all he can to increase the as in the past, receive my loyal atten- supply of water as quickly as possible. It is tion. The industrial interest, the youngest partly the system of continually changing the born, but one of growing importance, calls officers, so that every man is able to shift for the sympathy and fostering support of the blame on some predecessor and the Chamber. It can always count on my best the responsibility can be fixed on no parti. offices, whether as a member of the Committee cular person. And partly it is the fault or if you should be pleased to send me to the of the Government in starving the Department Council. As your representative I should have but as regards the staff and not listening to its one aim, to most accurately represent the views cry for more men. (Hear, hear.) We can' all and to promote thy interests of the Chamber. understand and I think we all readily admit, Turning to another point, the question which that the work of the P. W. D. has increased now most agitates the public mind, I bag to enormously of late years. I myself was told by state that I am an earnest advocate of sanitary Mr. Chatham, when I equired why some reform. I recognise most fully that if we are simple matters had not been attended to, that to get rid of that terrible scourge the plague, we it was simply because he was overwhelmed with must give effect to the recommendations of the work. This, of course, is a state of things sanitary experts who were sent here to report on
that should not b, allowed to continue. The the condition of the Colony in reply to our own next question is at of roads, and there urgent request. Measures of great importancs, again the P. W. D. is to blame, for, having for their object somewhat sweeping in the first instance, laying roads without changes, are about to be proposed, and, as any foundations, then when they began to His Excellency Sir William Gascoigne remarked be washed away, repairing and tinkering at on Tuesday night, no great reform can ever be them here and there, and lastly for not making carried into effect without someone feeling the up their minds as to which material is most pinch. But, gentlemen, I submit that we are suitable for road making in this Colony; whe- all feeling and have long been feeling ther wood pavement, stone or asphalt. This most acutely, the pinch of plague. It has not question is now, I believ, engaging the atten- only affected property owners by causing houses tion of the Government, and the sooner it is Another question is that to be closed or altered, but it has cost the settled the better. shipowners and merchants dearly in loss of of Blake Pier. There the Government blunder- trade, while every resident has more or les ed in the beginning by offering so paltry ;a been nipped by having to pay higher wages for premium for the designs and plans that no bad service, to say nothing of personal discom-focal architect found it worth his while to com- pete, and the delay seems to have arison, pa tly becaus the Government architect had too much to attend to, and partly because there was no money vot d last year for the werk. `The remedy for the e matters is simply more men and more money. But at the back of all this the greater evils are, I think, constant shifting and changing of officers, the ex- cessive number of acting appointments, the round man speuding much of his time trying to fit into the square hole, and the want of incentive for good men to stay, so that they drift away to better positions out- side, leaving the drones to settle down com- fortably, and do nothing but wait till that happy time arrives when they can claim their pansion. to seek.
Mr. J. H. LEWIS-You said in your opening remarks, Mr. Chairman, that Mr. White head had spoken freely and fairly and it is our duty and it behoves ns to exercise our best energies to secure a man to follow in his footsteps. Whilst quite agreeing with your remarks and Mr. Stewart's with regard to the character of Mr. Wilcox I cannot agree with you that he is the most estimable man of our community, he does not represent in any respect the mercantile community of the Chamber of Commerce. I think we have a much better man and it is our duty to get the best man we can possibly get. The best man we have is Mr. Robert Shewan-fapplause)-the head of a very leading firm of Hongkong, Messis Shewan, Tomes & Co. He is an able man, he has a thorough grasp of every commercial interest in this Colony, and, what is more, he is in touch with every interest of the comfort and worry. We have to combat the munity; and it is a man of that position pestilence with every power within our reach. that we want to represent the Chamber We must never relax our vigilance or lay of Commerce on the Legislative Council. | aside the weapons with which experience I do not think it is necessary to add any thing more. I have much pleasure in propos- ing Mr. Shewan to represent us on the Legislative Council. (Applause.)
Mr. E. W. MITCHELL Mr. Chairman, I have much pleasure in seconding Mr. Lewis's resolution. I will not waste the time of the meeting by eulogising Mr. Shewan. Every member of this Chamber knows him as well as I do. Like Mr Wilcox, he is an old resident. He is in close touch with everything in the shape of business and during the last two or three years has been selected by the Governor to serve on different Commissions that have been appointed to sit in this Colony. He is an independent man, has a good opinion of himself (laughter)—and is the very last man likely to be led by the nose. He is a good speaker, and an able debater. I have much pleasure in seconding this, and I am sure this Chamber will elect him by a very large majority. (Applause.)
Mr. R. G.WILCOXx-Mr. Chairman and mem- bers of the Chamber of Commerce, I had not intended, up to a late moment, to address you at any length. ~ In this microcosm, where every man- who has, in any way boon before the public is so thoroughly well known. I was inclined
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has taught us it must be fought. In th's connection the question of the water supply is of supreme importance, and it will be the duty of
the Executive to see that not an hour is lost in the carrying out of measures to make the supply commensurate with the wants of the island. I am a firm believer in the future of the Colony, and I feel convinced that, in spite of plague, pes- tilence and water famine, it will continue to progress if only its people are true to their own best interests and its Government will conscientionsly carry out the work entrusted to it. In performing that duty they would, should you decide to send me to the Council, receive my steady support; but should it be needful, the stimulus of reminder or appeal would not be wanting. (Applause.) Gentlemen, I am proud to see so many present here to-day, and I only hope that at the next annual meeting there will be an equal number of members present to show your interest not only in the election of representatives, but in the election of the Committee and in the working of the Committee during the year. It will strengthen the Chamber very much indeed and give great support to the Committee if they could at every annual meeting see such an attendance before them as they do to-day. (Applause.)
consider it somewhat superduous to lay Mr. ROBERT SHEWAN-Mr. Chairman and before you any exposition of my views or gentlemen-Before commence I should like policy. But, gentlemen, it has been pointed to say that I heartily endor-e all the remarks out to me that silence, might lead to mis- made by Mr. Sharp and Mr. Stewart in regard cts though my to my friend, and opponent, Mr. Wilcox. larve in the ar- Personally speaking, I am sure you could I will not, however, not have a better man. We Scotsmen' irst of all I should like to are naturally a modest race, and I will of appealing to you for, do no violence to my feelings by blowing occasion never entered "my trumpet on this occasion. I have now been
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The remedies for all this are not fir Weed out and do away with the dron's, encourage your good men with promo- tion by merit and results, not merely by seniority, let them fill permanent appointments where they can take a live interest in their work, and above all, endeavour to do away with that wretched system of pensions which paralyses a man's en rgies and Madens "his ambition“. (Applause.)
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Mr. D. E. BROWN-Mr.- Chairman Fatl gentlemen-It is a matter of great surprise to me, and I am sure it will be to you all, that I should rise to my feet at a large püblio and fully representative meeting of the commercia interests of Hongkong to-day: I am forced to my feet as the result of the heard and I would just like to own. As my friend Mr. also quite concar-in- Chairman and of - good and, conscio done for this Cham have also fo
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