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144
CHINESE CARPENTERS' STRIKE.
We learn that the CJ's‹se ship-carpenters in Victoria and Kowloon have struck work for au
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
increase of wages. The first to come out (this they did over a fortnight agc) were the employees of the Dock Company at Hunghero, and they were followed by the carpenters em ployed in the shipbuilding yard of Messrs. Bailey & Murphy at Yaumati, and finally by the entire body of shipwrights throughout the Colony, the strike Lecoming general two days ego. The demand made by the strikers :s for an all-round daily wage of 65 cents. The present rate of pay per day at the Docks is 50 cents for ship carpenters, while Chinese At the Docks the employers give 40 cents. strike, coming as it did suddenly, caused some temporary inconvenience, but the work there is now Junning as smoothly as can be expected under the circumstances. The men, it appears, gave no notice of their purpose until they dropped | their tools, and the notices that were posted up stating their demands bore no signainie; the whole affair, in fact, seems to have been carried cut precipitately, and, but for the action since taken by the other shipwrights in the Colony, would suggest a lack of organisation. The masters have not shown any inclination to comply with the men's demands, and matters are apparently now at a deadlock. The number of men en strike is estimated to be Letween 2,000 ard 3,000.
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THE LATE MR. ALEXANDER MICHIE.
The N-C. Daily News regs --- Alexander Michie, who passed away on the 7th instant in the old country, at the age of 68, was man of strong character, who made his mark in Shanghai many years ago. He came ont to Lindsay & Co. in 18.0 and afterwards ecame a partner in that fim, which was one of the leading honses of hanghai until the commercial crisis of 1865 brenght it down. In those early days the China coast was almost unknown, and it was Alexander Michie who practically discovered Chefoo and Newchwang. which ports he visited ia a lorcla; and he was a member of the Blukisten expedition to the Upper Yangtze in the sixties, when the gorges were first passed. He was subsequently a part, ner in the firm of Chapman, King & Co., and when that firm ceasd to exist he went to Tientsin, where for some years he was editor of the local paper. He was an exceedingly prolific | and trenchant writer, and was for many years a contributor to the Times and Blackwood, his writing being chart eterised by a vigour and directness not often met with." He dealt with the missionary and opium questions in a very forcible manner, and established a lasting reputation in the literary world by his great book The Englishman in China. Alexander Michie was a man not only of great attainments but of sterling worth and probity, and wus a friend any man might have been proud of. No! THE PIRACY BY BEACHCOMBERS | particulars of the circumstances of his death!
IN SHANGHAI.
The N. C. Daily News of the I: th inst. gives the following details of the above case, of which we have already heard the bare cutlines by telegraph-
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A daring care of what may be described as pisey cecured on Enuday last, in which three foreigners were the perpetrators of a erime that may cost them dearly, Two Britishers Bemed respectively Brown and Smith, and an American named Plant, all of whom are fea- men of the beachcomber class, en that day gave ciders to various compradores on Broadway for a quantity of provisions, amounting in value to $200, to be delivered aboard the schöner Agnes, the property of Mr. Geo. A. Derly of the American Consulate. This smart little craft is well known, having been previously in service as a pilot schoener. The provisions, sufficient for a month, were duly placed on the Açues, and at nightfall the three men boarded her, one seizing the landak by the throat and choking him into submission, while the others raised the anchors and set sail for the rca. They get a little past Wocsung, when for some cause at present unexplained-perhaps through the agency of the laodch-the sclciner {cok the ground, and someore passing by who knew the craft conveyed infcimation to Mr. Derby. The latter immediately chartried a steam launch, engaged the assistance of several friends, and armed with a Winchester rifle went in pursuit of the miscreants.
Arriving at the spot he found the two Britishers at card, and at the muzzle of the rifle rested them, and taking the schooner in tow brought them to Shanghai, where they were handed over to the police. The American, Plant, escaped when the schooner went ashcie, but was airested by Detective-Sergent McDowell yesterday evening, and all three will le charged before their respec- tive Corsuls at 10 a.m. tc-day. It is immised that the men had booty of some kind with which they wished to get clear of port. and perhaps intended to operate on rative junks, Ecme of which contain corsiderable treasure. The crie
is sure to attract a great deal of attentico, es it is of a kind that is fortunately
npcommon.
The N-G. Daily News reco:ds the disap-
"another old landmark" from pearance of Shanghai in the departure of Mr. A. R. Donnelly by the Empress of China. Mr. Dennelly came out to China more than 30 years age, and became a partzer in Mess18. Cornaté & Co., at Chefoo. Eulsequently he left them, and was ultimately associated with Messrs. Fergusson & Co.
It is understood that Mr. Dornelly has gone to establish himself in business in London.
A CRITICISM OF HONGKONG BUILDINGS.
A correspondent writes to the N.-C. Daily News on the subject of buildings in Hongkong Some of his remarks we rep reduce Lelow
[August 25, 1902. to property were impossible, it was discovered that the Chinese had cultivated a system of building upon buildings. A falling structure miş ht lave a new story placed upon it, and the toppling results carried disaster to the house next door, and so on. It is too long to give instance upon iustauce of these catastrophes, but a mere glance at your Hongkong contem. poraries will satisfy anyone that Government inspection is a farce and even Shanghai can hope to compete with it. During the typhoon, houses with only two years' credit to their age doubled up with cardboard facility. Take for example No. 45, Praya East; oue of this group. collapsed during a previons storm, and on this tumble-down only eleven lives were lost Do not lay any stress upon the loss of life; we have Government-inspectors paid to look after the of, and we shall have more of these disasters as time proceeds.
It would occupy too much of your space to give a catalogue of the Hongkong crumbles, otherwise the list would be lengthy and instruc- tive, even to a casual reader. The wanderer who strolls under the bamboo structures of the Crown Colony gains more instruction in noting the feebleness of his surroundings, and he marvels that great minds are devoting elaborate attention to prevent its leaving or joining a ship, whercas a stupendous subject, such as safety in bousing, is allowed to occupy a second- ary position in their thoughts. The final idea that crops up to he aforesaid wanderer is: there must Le underhand work in the constitution. and squeeze is not confined to the Chinese.
CANTON.
FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.]
Canton, 14th August.
have come to hard, 1 ut it is known that he died in harress, full of power and vigour to the last. His memory will ever be green to the many who enjoyed the pleasure of his friendship.
The Straits Ti its chinary actice of Mr. Alexander Michie says that "Mr. Michie was the correspondent of the Times at Peking. until slackness cansed bis supercession by Mr.
NEW OPIUM-F2RMING MONOPOLY. Morrison, the present Tines correspondent
The opium farm in Ceuten bas been taken there. In fact Mr. Michie spent in writing books time that might have been more profit-over by Kwong Hing and Company, and the ably devoted to journalism." Mest people, we
circumstances connected with it are there. A should think, would consider the writing of certain Ng Pi Kao, a very capable and ex- The Englishman in China a far more perienced mun, late Chinese Consul ut Singa- pore, sent a proposal to one of the Imperial meritorious performance that the turning out of rn unlimited amount of journalism. But Princes at Peking, saying that he thought he could raise revezue to the extent of Canton for perhaps our contemporary is looking at the
two million dollars a year in Fecuniary profits only.
the Imperial Government towards payment of the foreign indemmity. The Frines took this propes
sul with him and went to interview Her Majesty the Empress Dowager. The pro- posal was at once accepted, and a telegram was seut to the Viceroy Tao Mu to issue permission to Ng Pi Kao, in the name of Kwong Hing and Compary. Three hundred thousand dollars were paid down as a first instalment for six Affairs in Hongkong are really rotten when
months' trial; if successful, the monopoly will we have to co ferd against the buildings that
go on, and if after six months it should prove & have been built, and those that are building failure, then new arrangements will be made. We take up the newspaper and read that, say,
A dinner was given in the Kwong Nga college at No. 56, First Street, the kitchen has collaps to the officials, directors, and shareholders, to ed and one man killed, and on top of this e
inaugurate the affair. There seems to be a find that two unoccupied Louses at Stanley have difference of opinion among the shareholders collapsed, fortunately without loss of life."
88 to the chief directorship, which nearly What is the fault? It is put down to the
resulted into a split. Some proposed Wong excessive rain and other natural objections, but
Po Tin of Hongkong, some Wong Yuk Tong the human brain is never called into question.of Shun Tak, and others Ng Pi Kao. At length Is it anything new to have excessive raius, or is the last named has been nominated chief a typhon a novelty to the Colony? How is it director. One half of the shareholders are
В bare buildings of те
genuine stamp that suvire the greatest stress and Hongkong people, and the other half are Hunanese and Cantonese. The Company in- are built to suit climatic conditions with.
tends to impose a tax of one mice and two cut a waver in their stability? The answer candal eens upon each tael of boiled (piem, and that on the face of it reems Brobdingnagian is also a tax on the op'um remaining in stock in reslly simple. These in power have carelessly the opium retail shops. The opium-retailers passed that power to subordinates, and the very
were very much dissatisfied with the arrange- ment and they presented a petition to the Feople who are most righteously ind grant at the state of laissez faire existing in the Colon Viceroy, who has disall wed the tax. It is are the ones to be really blamed. It gives a
rumoured that the cpium-retailers have ccm- wide opening to the cynical philosopher who bined to buy as little raw opium as possible exclaims: Why are fat salaries thrown at
to boil. people who do not work for them? Let us institute Pocket Borcughs again." And thus it comes to pass that the responsibles live in fine substantial homes and the dregs are allowed to thrive in Lulging walls and overbuilt structures. le cnly n eicy extended is the permission to use your (pposite neighbour's house to erect lamboo props to prevent your résidence reclining in the road.
that
The revelations of the typhoon were astonish- ing. In the spaces of land where new additions
AN EXAMINATION FIASCO.
A military examination was held on the 9th inst. to choose candidates for admission into the military school. Over five hundred were entered from different districts, but one half had been suffering from dergu- fever and did not appear. Of the other half meat could hardly read and write, being more accustomed to performing feats of strength, and exercises with bows and arrows, Literature was little in their line, so
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