114
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I must ask you to allow me to make another suggestion of the same kind. As I understand that the policy advocated by Tyro" for the effective quashing of the few min among us who have some little knowledge of the art of training horses, has the support of Stewards and a large following of the more sporting members, won'd it not simplify matters if instead of going to the trouble and expense of sending all the way to Australia for horses to race with, we merely made a list of subscribers and a-lotted each imaginary horse by ballot? Then the names of these imaginary horses could be shaken up in a hat, by let us say the Clerk of the Course, and drawn by a Committee of Stewards, the last three names drawn being the placed horses. By adopting this means of racing there would be no necessity for either horses, jockeys, trainers, or even a racecourse : it would be more economical, and gentlemen of the Tyro" stamp, who don't know a Chita pony from a Jersey cow, would have precisely the same chance of winning the Hongkong Derby as, say, John Porter, were he a competitor; this would be conducive to good sport. Trusting that in the interests of sport you will be able to find room for the publication of this letter. -Yours, etc.,
LI
NIMROD."
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
Eongkong, 1st August. SIE,-As one who takes an interest in racing in Hongkong I am extremely glad to see by the correspondence which has lately been appearing in your columns that the question of a programme for next meeting is already engaging the attention of a number of members of the local Jockey Club, and I beg you will allow me space in your columus to have my little say on the same subject.
I entirely agree with " Veteran "ind "Owner" that old Hongkong walers should be more considered in formulating a programme for our next meeting, and that a number of races should be allotted to them in proportion to the number of animals likely to be entered.
I understand that there are at present in the Colony over twenty of this year's wales besides Leveral of previous years, and certainly the pick of the 1902 griffins are still in the land of the living. I believe that at least fifteen of these would be trained and entered for next year's races if there were given them any reasonable chance of picking up a rece. Given fiftien ponies enter- ing, at least seven cr eight races might fairly be allowed to them, open in some cases to this season's walers, with allowances as thought advisable.
Fifteen races have been allotted, at every meeting here (except the last) for many years past, to old China ponies, and the average number of entries bas only been about thirty. owned perhaps by ten different owners.
At the last meeting ten roces were set aside for China ponies on the fficial proge mine. The total number of these ponies entered was twenty-four. The whole ten races fell to fire ponies owned by cnly three different owners.
Twenty races were allotted to walers. These provided fifteen different winners owned by ten different interests.
"The fifteen walers I regard as likely to be entered, if sufficient inducement offers, would probably represent at least ten different interests and thus mean probably good fields; and I therefore submit that the old walers will provide equally good, if not better, sport than The old China ponies and should be encouraged.
Yours, etc.,
"ANOTHER NOVICE."
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.' Hongkong, 5th August, SIE,-As there se ms to be quite an amount of interest taken in the controversy now going on in your columns under the Leading of "The Forthcoming Race Meeting," it may perhaps not be out of place for an outsider to make a suggestion. It would appear that with the advent of the waler a change has come c'er the scene, and apparently different factions have sprung up in the Club, vi. 1st.-the China Away with the pony crowd whose cry is waler"; 2nd-The waler crowd who rally to the cry of." Down with the China pony ; 3rd
**
¡
46
-the reform at any price crowd who cry in a
Reforms loud voice for
without, it appears to me, any very definite idea of what shape the reform is to take. However, there is no gain saying the fact that the Stewards are placed in the exceedingly uncomfortable position of
of having to try to satisfy en h these antagonistic forces. Now would it not be » good policy for the management of the
- who, I Jockey Club
am certain, only too glad to do anything practical in the way of furthering the sport of horse-racing--to adopt a policy of meeting the requirements of these different factions as far as it is in their power to do, and let the law of "the survival of the fittest" do the rest? To this end I would r spectfully submit for their consideration the following propositions :---
are
4. That the Club bo'd two or more meetings. a year instead of one.
B. That the programmes be divided into three or more classes, something as follows:-
1st. The China Pony-To be raced under existing laws which as far as I can hear have always given satisfaction. 2nd. The Waler Pony-For all subscription ponies imported by the Club” and allotted by ballot as at present, such ponies to be from 13 to 14 hands, so that they may always have a certain value as polo ponies. All these ponies to be eligible for all time in their own class. Handicap to be weight for inches as per Indian scale, all races for this class to be open to any season's pony. but all new season ponies will receive bandicap of, say, 10lbs. (or whatever amount practical experience may prove to be necessary to bring them together) from past seasons' importations. 3d. The Race Horse For racehorses,
professionals from any part of the world, to be raced under English Jockey Rules, viz.. that every such horse, trainer, or jocky, must produce credentials from the Jockey Club go verning the Turf in the country from which they come,
By adopting some such play as that roughly sketched above I am certain that not only will satisfaction be given to all parties, but that local racing will in a short time assume proportious in keeping with the importance of the Colony of Hongkong, Trusting that the Stewards of the Hongkong Jockey Club wilt not consider this expression of opinion by one who Las not yet had the pleasure of racing under their patronage as an impertinence.-
Yours, etc.,
HORSEMAN.
HONGKONG OBSERVATORY AND STORM WARNINGS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY RESS.
་་
Swatow, 4th August. SIR-In the interest of all people connected with the business from the port of Hongkong I would thank you to insert the following in your v. luable paper. I just happened to see the captains of the British steamer Hoiching ard of the German steamer Decima, both of
Cross.
[August 11, 1902.
the
typhoon never crosses the island, as the central ridge is some 10,000 feet high and the air is so rarified at that height that is is impossible
When a typhoon strikes to South Cape it frequently gets split up into two. One comes careering over towards the mainland and goes in the direction of Swatow and strikes inland, and the other goes up the ast cast of Formosa and then takes a N.W. or W.N.W. direction towards Foochow after passing the N. end of island. I have been at the Pescadores with every appearance of a bad typhoon-glass 28, but a calm-and afterwards found that a typhoon was raging to the east of island.-Yours, etc.,
T. E. C.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRISS.
Hongkong, 8th August. SIR,-In most states of the atmosphere it is impossible to distinguish whether it is the black or red signal which is exposed, as from a distance of a mile the red invariably appears to le black. Might I suggest that the red colour be chan.ed for something more discernable?—— Yours, etc.,
NAUTICUS.
THE RAINFALL.
"
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.'
Hongkong, 4th August. SIR, I have often wondered why you do not publish the rainfall of Saturday-to date at
10 a.m."-and have intended to make the enquiry before. The rainfall on Saturday and Surday is, during the typhoon sea ou, usually of exceptional interest, yet it is not given. Can you not induce tl & Observatory authorities to supply the tables for both Saturday and Sunday for publication in your Monday's issue? It would be appreciated by your readers and
would en ble those interested to keep a record of the rainfall during the month, which at present is impossible.
It would also be interesting and useful if a rain gauge were to be kept at the Peak.—
Yours, etc.,
R. CHATTERTON WILCOX. [We will endeavour to induce the Observa- tory authorities to do as our correspondent suggests.- - ED. D.P.],
HONGKONG AND WHAMPOA DOCK COMPANY, LIMITED.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE
**DAILY PRESS.
Hongkong, 4th August. SIR, Strange proceedings seem to be in vogne among the directors of the above concern. To-day there appears in your advertising columns a notice convening an extraordinary meeting of the shareholders to take place after the half-yearly meeting, to consider the very important matter of buying from the Goveru- ment a site for the proposed new dock. In view of the magnitude of this question, surely some time should be given to allow those hold- which left Hongkong un Friday afternoon foring shares not in their own names-but many this port. Roth gentlemen complain bitterly of the insufficiency of the storm warnings of the Hongkong Observatory. The Decima, being a few hours ahead of the Hatching, went right through, the centre of the last typhoon without being properly warned of its approach, sustaining a lot of damage, though happily no loss of lives has to be reported, and arriving here with her cargo gone over. The Hatching was able to put back in time and on'y arrived here this morning. Not being a nautical man myself I refrain from going into any other details, hoping that sooner or later some of the most concerned, the captains of coasting steamers themselves, will combine to lodge a complaint at the proper quarter, ie, the Hong- kong Chamber of Commerce.-Yours, etc.,
OUTPORT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS."
Hongkong, 8th August. SIR, The Observatory people are a little mixed about the movements of typhoons when in contact with the island of Formosa. A'
of them in the directors' names-to transfer them, so as to be ready to vote according to their judgment. Is the coincidence of the closing of the share-register and advertising the extraordinary meeting on the same day to be regarded as a well considered or ill considered more on the part of the directors?—Yours, etc.,
SHAREHOLDER.
DENGUE FEVER A CURE.
3
$4
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
Hongkong, 4th August, SIR,-As dengue fever is so prevalent in the Colony at present, perhaps a suggestion for its care will not be out of place. Several cases have been cured with a certain preparation of mixed tea, what the Chinese call Lop-sap-chà, which, from my own experience, I strongly recommend the sufferers of this annoying disease to make a trial. The said medicine can be obtained at any Chinese dispensary at the trifling cost of a few cash. It is packed in yellow paper with Chinese characters on each
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