£
284
MILITARY FORCES AND′ EXPENDI^ URE,
Regular Forces.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[October 11, 1902.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, the attention of the Chamber of Commerce 24th September, 1902, to the opinion of us, the various shipmasters,
who have signed this letter.
The following return shows the number aud SI-I have the honour to acknowledge | nature of the Forces employed in the Colony receipt of your letter of the 10th instant in reply during 191-General Staff, 6; Carrison to this Chamber's letters of the 23rd and 30th Staff, 1; Royal Gartison Artillery, 611; Hong-ult, on the subject of storm-warnings. kong-Singapore Battalion, B.A. 466; Royal This was laid before the Comittee in one Engineers, 238; Chinese S. M. M. Co, R.E., course, and they now instruct me to express their 65; Second Battalion Royal Welch Fusil ers, thanks for the consideration given to their 1,041 Army Service Corps. 8; Royal Army various representations on the subject, and Medical Corps, 56; A.O.D. and Corps, 54; their regret that their suggestions have not met A.P.D. and Corps. 1; Indian Sub-Medical with the approval of the Government. At the Department, 3; Fdnoation Department, 2; same time, they desire me in reply to refer to Hongkong Regiment, 928; 2nd Bombay the following points in your letter. Infantry, 703; 3rd Madras Light Infantry, 678; 5th Infantary Hyderabad Couti gent, 699. Total, 5.564.
Colonial Contribution.
The Colony contributed 8801,275 (being the atalatory contribution of 20 per cent. of revenue) towards the cost of the ma ntenance of the re. gular forces in the Colony and barrack services, Volunteer Corps.
In paragraph 2 reference is made to Mr Figg's obserca ious with regard to the matter of a flag signal code, which, from the Com- mittee's remarks on same,, appear to you to have been misunderstood by them. If the summary of these observations as given in my latter of the 23rd August is not strictly in eccordance with what Mr. Figg desired to convey, the Committee regret that such The total (stablishment of the Corps is 351¦ difference should have occurred, but of all ranks. The strength in 1901 was :--Staff, 7; one Field Battery (80) of six 2.5 in R. M. L. Mountain Guns; three Machine Gau Companies (157) of four 303 in. Maxim machine guns ach; an Infantry Company (53); an Engineer Com- pany (25), and a Band (19).
The 45 in. Maxim machine guns have been converted into guns of .303 in. calibre.
The expenditure on the Volunteers, which is entirely borne by the Colony, wis $26.772.6 ).
Mr. Figg's views certainly were to the general effect that, inter alia, by reason of the necessity for а flag signal code being very extensive. aud therefore impracti- c.bl, the action of such form of signals for storm-warnings would not in his opinion be suited to local conditions. This Committee, on the other hand, Lave striven to show that such fears need not be entertained, and, in support of this, produced for your uformatin a copy of a code of such signals which has successfully
HONGKONG OBSERVATORY AND) stood the test of many year's actual practice at
STORM-WARNINGS.
We received on the 7th inst. from the Se retary of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce copies of the following further correspondence on the above subject
Colonial Secretary's Office, 10th September, 1902. SIR,-I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 23rd and 30th nit, forwarding copy of the flag signal code used by the Sicawei Übservatory, together with speci mens of the meteorological notices issued by that Observatory, and urging the adoption in Hongkong of a system of flag signals for giving
weather forecasts.
a neighbouring porf, aud has apparently given the greatest satisfaction to all concerned in the receipt of such warnings.
With reference to paragraph 3 the Com- mittes desire to say that they have all along
had the difference between forecasts and the observations on which they are based quite clearly before them, and they quito agree that the Hongkong Observatory should make up its own forecasts upon the observations and information received from other statious.
They
com-
With reference to paragraplı 4. I am to state that the Committee bave never presumed, nor have they felt it within their province to question the accuracy of the information and typhoon-warnings issued by the Observatory, 2. The Committee seem to have entirely mis. and they consider it would be equally undesir apprehended the remarks of the Acting Director able and inexpedient for them to attempt to of the Observatory made in his memorandum of test the relative accuracy of those issued by the the 24th of July, for Mr. Figg never made the Hongkong and Sicawei Observatories statement attributed to him in the 6th paragraph desire, however, to record that the correspon of the Committee's letter of the 23rd ult.dence recently addressed to you on the subject What Mr. Figg did state is that a flag signal has been wholly and solely directed towards code to be useful must be short and definite and obtaining some such needed improvement in that there were grave objections to conveying the method of publishing such information and definite information by the hoisting of a signal warnings to the shipping and shore on information which is necessarily vague and muaities, so that these could be made known as may be misleading. The reasons for which a speedily and as widely as possible, and also system of flag signals is not considered suitable towards removing what they cannot help to Hongkong have been given in my letter of the feeling to be more or less a reproach to this 31st of July, and I am to state that this Govern- Colony, viz., that the Observatory here is not ment adteres to the views therein expressed. in touch with, or at all events is not in 3. The Committes appear still to confuse sympathetic relationship with the kindred the difference between observations and the institution at Sicawei, a misfortune which the forecasts whereon they are based. This fact Committee consider must necessarily tend to seems to explain the difficulty they have the disadvantage of both, and is certainly to in understanding that the Hongkong Observa, the detriment of navigators in these seas. tory considers that a station like Gutzlaff- freely exposed off the coast, furnishes better data (observations) for forecasting thao, does. Sicawei situated as it is inland. As to forecasts, it has already been explained that the Hong- kong Observatory like every other scientific institution of the kind prefers to make its own and declines to accept the responsibility of using the forecasts of other institutions.
4. I am to add that the enclosures to your two letters have been carefully examined but that it does not seem either desirable or expedi- ent for this Government to criticise them or to test the relative accuracy of the information and typhoon warnings issued by the Sicawei and Hongkong Observatories.
Should, however, the Chamber be anxious to institute a comparison, every assistance will be given to that by the Acting Director of the Observatory.-I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
Th› SECRETARY,
F. H. MAY, Colonial Secretary.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
The Committee on previous occasions have referred to the dissatisfaction entertained by mariners frequenting this port with the system of storm.warnings in use here, and they now take this opportunity to hand you herewith copy of a letter to this Chamber on this subject, dated 16th instant, and signed by the masters of 38 s'eamers trading in these waters, which spontaneous communication the Committee ven- ture to think must be considered rather a marked confirmation of the representations already forwarded by them on the subject. The Com- mitte earnestly hope that the Government will take this representation into consideration, a d consent to give what assistance it can towards holding the enquiry into the matter which is suggested by the signatories of the said letter. I have the honour to be, Sir, your most obedient servant,
A R. LOWE,
Secretary.
HON. COLONIAL SECRETARY, 4
Hongkong, 16th September, 1902. SIR,-We shall feel obliged if you will draw
Withont in any way depreciating the labours of the officials of the Observatory, we yet feel that the oxisting system of typhoon-warnings in Hongkong leaves much to be desired.
We do not propos. to enter into details here, merely pointing out that in our opinion the signals are lacking in sufficient accuracy and that the weather fo eeasta are not widely enough distributed.
it would be indol difficult to embody in this 11ter tho suggestions of the varion‹ ship- masters who are ad he sing you.
We therefore propose that a Committee be formed by the Chamber of Commerce to enquirs into the matter, and that such of us as you my select be requested to give our evidence, either personally or by letter, so that the matter may be laid before His Majesty's Government, is representing the opinions and requests of the whole of the shipping community-We are, Sir, yours faithfully.
P. H. ROLFE,
G. H. BOWKER,
J. G. ROACH,
A. W. OUTERBRIDGE,
S. J. TADD, M. DOWSON, H. SLEEMAN, S. J. PAYNE, J. MCGINDY, G. S. WEIGALL, R. RODGER, A. STEWART, SPENCER WILDE, A. EYRE DABELLE, G. H. PENNEFATHE“, A. E HODGINS, JOHN DEWAR, W. PALMER BAKER, A. SOMMERVILL", D. HERON, G. W. EEDY, W. H. LUNT, A. H. BEST, FORBES SELBY, G. GIBSON, R. Y. AUDER, J. S. PRATT, WALTER MILLER,
J. LYONS.
W. BENSON,
A. E. FIFE,
E. RICHARDS,
W. SHAW, R. W. ALMOND, HENRY PYBUS, WM. DAWSON, C. J. BENTON, W. E. SAWER,
The SECRETARY,
8.". Yuensang.
Yiks ng. Haitau. Sunkiang.
Laisang.
Woosung.
Chiyuen.
Fausang. Perta Loongyang, Dio mante. A. Apcar. Hangsang. Guthrie. Kaifong. Haiching. Tungchow. Taksang. Wuchang. Newchang.
Meifoo. Yungching.
(lenroy. Hailoong. Quiysang Haishin. Kiukiang. Laertes.
Yunnan.
Wenchow. Ningpor Poating. Rubi,
E. of Japan. Hongmoh.
Nankin.
Hinsang.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce.
Colonial Secretary's Office, 27th Septembar, 1992. SIB, I am directed by His Excellency the Governor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24th instant and to inform you that should the Chamber of Commerce entertain the request contained in the last paragraph of the shipmasters' letter which formed the enclosure in your letter under reference, His Excellency will consider very carefully the statements and suggestions laid before the Committee with every auxiety to give the fullest information to all those persons for whose safety and that of their ships the Observatory was primarily established.I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,
The SECRETARY,
F. H. MAY. Colonial Secretary.
Chamber of Commerce.
The concerts in S. Patrick's Club are always enjoyable, and that on the 4th inst. by the 20th Century Variety Club was no exception to the rule. The talent was varied and excellent, such favourites as Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson, Mr. Gus Gregory, and the Francis Brothers taking part. aster and Miss Rocha, designated as "fancy waltzers," figured ap- preciatively in the programme, which included. two sketches. The band of H.M.S. Blenheim was in attendance.
T
i
را
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.