July 14, 1902.2
only refer to my remarks of the last two years as to the necessity for providing not only for ordinary wear and tear of machinery, but also for the plant becoming obsolete through the invention of newer and improved types, giving better output at lower cost. This is probably more noticeably the caso with electrical machinery than with any other form of industrial plant, and the experience this Company has had since its commencement has fully borne out the necessity for and justified the wisdom of the course followed. The amount available for distribution as shown in the accounts is $62,737.96, and I trust that the Board's recom- mendation for the proposed appropriation of this sum will meet with your approval. Before proposing the adoption of the report and passing of the accounts, I shall be happy to give shareholders any information they may wish to have regarding these.
There were no questions, and the CHAIRMAN proposed that the report of the Directors and the statement of accounts as presented be adopt ed and passed.
Mr. REID-I have much pleasure in second- ing, and I take the opportunity of congratu- lating the management on the successful progress the Company has made in the past.
Mr.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
a scheme, before a final decision is come to and the Company definitely committed to a parti- cular course, shareholders should be given an opportunity of discussing the project in its entirety.
We would add that even were the Govern- ment prepared to waive its conditions, which would make the terins acceptable to you, still the shareholders ought to have an opportunity of discussing the pros and cons before the purchase is decided upon.-We are, gentlemen, yours faithfully,
[Here follow signatures.]
Hongkong & Whampon Dock Co, Ld.
Hongkong 7th July, 1962. SIRI beg to acknowledge receipt of the communication, accompanying your letter of 4th instant, signed by yourself and other share- holders, addressed to the Board of Directors of this Company, which was read at to-day's Board Meeting; and, in reply, I am instructed to inform you that it has never be n the inten- tion of the Directors to commit the Company to extending the present dock accommodation without first submitting their proposals to shareholders.
self.
37
An
Her
1896, and of the comparative quiet of the last few years, the position of Siam is a precarious one. Dangers threaten her from without and from within, but her worst enemy is really her-
I have tried to show in earlier chapter what slender groands of con- fidence there are, judging a priori from the Siamese character, that she can ever attain thorough efficiency while at the same time preserving her complete independ、nce. people are lazy and frivolous, with the laziness and frivolity of many genera- tions, nor are essential race characteris. tics changed in a day, even if they do not bear their stamp till the end of time. No other tropical nation in the East has main- tained its independence, and are the Siamese to prove an exception to the rule?" Mr. Campbell goes on, a little later: "I should be only too glad to think that I was thoroughly mistaken, and that the Siamese might, though slowly, develop for themselves an efficient government in which, as is the acknowledged ideal of most of them, they could ultimately dispense with all outside a-sistance. This would be the hap. piest solution for our own country of a very difficult problem, not to mention that it would cause much greater reason for confidence in the latent possibilities of Oriental nations generally. But thongh this solution is still not altogether beyond the bounds of hope, there are few, if any, who have a first hand • acquaintance with Siap that really believe in it.' This is not à favourable forec:st, coming from fairminded a writer as the auth.r is. Mr. Campbell's solution of the difficulty, if Siam finally proves incapable of self-government, is for her to give British officers a real control in the conduct of her affairs, and in return to ask for British protection "Whether Great a ainst outside aggression. British would or would not accept such a rôle," he admits, is another matter. She could only do so at the risk of giving offence to France, though ncbody could
was threatens acceptance
treaty of 1896."
you
I am further directed to inform that The proposal was adopted unanimously negotiations are still pending with the Govern- The next item of business was the confirma- ment for acquiring a site for the proposed new tion of the appointment of Mr. Medhurst to the dock, but the Directors have, up to the present, Board of Directors in succession to failed in getting an offer of the property on J. Thurborn, and on the motion of Mr. such terms as would warrant their rec mmend WILCOX. seconded by Mr BONNAE. thoing its purchase:--I am. sir, yours faithfully.
for the Chief Manager, necessary confirmation was made.
GEA. CALDWELL,
Acting Secretary.
Mr. TERRY then proposed that Sir C. P. Chater, C.M G., and the Hon. C. W. Dickson be re-elected Directors.
This motion was seconded by Mr. BARLOW and carried unanimously.
Was
The business of the meeting brought to a close by the re-election as anditors of Messrs J. C. Peter and G. Stewart, on the motion of Mr. LEUNG SHUI LUN, second by Mr. WILCOX.
The CHAIRMAN--That concludes the busi- ness, gentlemen; dividened warrants will be ready to-morrow (this) morning on application at the office. Thank you all for your attendance.
WATKINS, LD.
A special meeting of the shareholders in the above Company was held on the 7th inst. in in the Office, 66, Queen's Road Central, for the purpose of confirming the resolution, passed at a meeting held on 21st alt., altering the Rules of Association so that an increase of $3,000 was made to the remuneration of the General Man- agers. Mr. G. A. Watkins presided, and the others present were Messrs. Chan A Fook, E. J. Grist, T. H. Reid, A. R. Ezekiel, E. S. Joseph, and J. W. Osborne.
The notice calling the meeting having been read,
The CHAIRMAN moved that the special resolution passed at last meeting be confirmed. Mr. J. W. OSBORNE seconded, and the motion was unanimously agreed to.
The CHAIRMAN thanked the shareholders for the generous way in which they had met the wishes of the General Managers, and expres ed the hope that when they met again it would be to declare a handsome dividend. (Hear, hear.)
This was all the business.
THE HONGKONG AND WHAMPOA
DOCK CO., LIMITED.
The following copy of correspondence which has passed between certain shareholders of the Hongkong & Whampoa Dock Co., Ld., and the directors of the company has been sent to us for publication -
TO THE DIRECTORS OF THE HONGKONG
AND WHAMPOA DOCK CO.: LD.,
Hongkong, 4th July 1902. GENTLEMEN,It having come to our know. ledge that negotiations are now in progress between yourselves, on behalf of the Company, and the Government, with a view to acquiring a site for the proposed new dock, and that the Government is willing to grant the site but on certain conditions, we beg leave to respect fully submit that having regard to the vast outlay which will be necessary, and the momen- tous issues involved in order to carry out such
H. M. S. ESAIL, Esq.
**
REVIEW.
"
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Siam in the Twentieth Century. By J. G. D.
CAMPBEL London, Edward Arnold, IT is needless to point out that books about Siam must have a special interest at the present time when the "Siamese Question constantly to occupy the attention of at least two European governments. When such a book is from the pen of a recent Educational Adviser to Siam, it obviously commands more that the writings of a mere book-maker respect and even of those of an ordinary traveller. Mr. Campbell, moreover, writes so sanely and dispassionately that he would claim a hearing for this alone. Sam is a country which has inspired visitors and students with very mixed feelings. If we took only the writings of Messrs. Henry Norman, A. R. Colquhoun, H. S. Hallett, H. Warington Smyth, and J. G. D. Campbell, we should still find it difficult to arrive at a verdict on the people of this country. Recently there appeared in the Straits Times two ably written but eminently uncomplimentary articles on Siam by a gentleman who concealed his identity under the pseudonym of Homo Malayensis.” The writer in con- clusion asked the question: Can the Siamese, whose civilisation has never really gone much beyond the primitive stage and who are already displaying alarming symptoms of decay and retrogression, erer hope to maintain their equilibrium in a struggle with some external force or power, with, say, France for instance? To this the answer is obviously meant to be, No. Yet Siam, he says, "slumbers peacefully along in the fancied security of her treaties. Poor Siam! The awakening will be a rude shock to her." He goes on to advocate frankly the absorption by Britain of Siamese Malaya, a favourite scheine in the Straits Settlements it would appear. With all deference to" Home, Malayensis," we consider this somewhat bare aced proposal to be an extremely unsatisfactory solution of the Siamese Question. The conse quences would inevitably be the gradual extino- tion of Siam as a buffer-state and a long Anglo- French frontier in Indo-China, a most undesir able development, as every honest observer, British or French, must admit. But, argue many of Sism's critics, no other end is possible. Siam, being incapable of governing herself must be administered by some one else; the only question is, By whom? Mr. Campbell, though he is not a merciless censor of the Siamese, like various other authorities, holds out small hopes for the future of the country. In his last chapter he writes:-"It must be obvious that, in spite of the new lease of life she obtained in
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maintain that her infringement of the Another solution which has been advanced recently, which is not discussed by Mr. Campbell, is the so-called i.e., the, intro- Orientalising of ' Siam," duction of Japanese advisers, eto. We quoted the other day from a Siamese paper some remarks on the spread of Japanese energy to Bangkok and the encouragement given to it. by the Siamese Government as well as the hint that the places of European officers retiring from the Siamese Navy might possibly be filled not by other Europeans but by Japanese. The idea opens up wide possibilities, and we should have liked to see what Mr. Campbell would have had to say about it. Before we leave the subject of Siam's possible. regeneration, we must men ion Mr. Campbell's high tribute to the Crown Prince of Siam now in Europe. In this prince he sees a chance of most far-reaching reforms in the sphere of government.. "Uniting as he will in. his own person both East and West-Eastern by birth and na'ure. Western by education and in not a few of his sympathies and ideas-it may hoped that he will be able to combine the advantages of both civilisations; that, while profiting by the lessons he has learned in Europe, he will at the same time preserve much that is praiseworthy in the institutions With this and customs of his own country.' sentence the author concludes his Siam in the Ticentieth Century. ̧
(To be continued.)
On the 5th inst. a Chinaman arrived at
,
the Central Police Station and reported to the inspector on duty that a murder had been committed in a house at 104, Des Voeux Road; the place, he said, was used as a club by Chinese engineers and stokers. Detectives went to the. house, which they found quite deserted save. for the body of a dead, man, which was lying on the floor with two knife-wounds in the chest; he had evidently been dead. The corpse was removed for some time. to the mortuary and enquiries are now being made by thepolice. The man who reported the matter said he was told by an acquaintance in the street that he should go to the club in question and look after his relative, who was unwell. On going to the house he found his friend's body.
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