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of the water. The old Clock Tower, too, still rears its head within the crowded confines of the Hongkong Hotel and the Post Office, its clock-dial visible only at a short distance, and of no practical use to any but the favoured few residing within reach of its strike. It is clear, therefore, that though the money may be voted, though tenders may be solicited, it does not follow, by any means as a matter of course, that the work of construction will even be commenced. Between the cup and the lip there is indeed mauy a slip when the realisation of the draught depends upon the P. W. D. In this case of the Blake Clock Tower, however, there was the absence of
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND they have to endure the discomfort of using buildings long out-grown or which have for many years fallen into dilapidation or become unsuited to the require:nents.
THE QUESTION OF A MUNICIPAL COUNCIL FOR HONGKONG.
the Governor to be taken into account. That may have made a difference. In the case of the new Post Office, His Excellency will be here to see that "this much needed improvement" is commenced and carried This may prove a task beyond even a Governor's powers. but we may at least hope with hm. Hope springs eternal in the human breast," and we shall continue to hope that some day in the present century-it is very young yet-the Blake Clock Tower, the new Post Office, yea even the new Law Courts, may see completion.
Seriously, however, we must confess to considerable disappointment that no further reference was made in the Governor's opening speech to these important works or to the progress of the subsidiary water- works in Hougkong and the new reservoir at Kowloon. We understand that some progress has been made in the construction of a new reservoir at Tytam and that the Kowloon works are proceeding, though slowly. It would, however, have been satisfactory to have received an assurance from His Excellency that before another winter came round the water-storage would be Laterially added to and the prospect of future water-famines rendered more remote. At present, matters in this respect are in an eminently unsatisfactory position. Owing to the cessation of the rains nearly a month earlier than usual, the water-supply is now little greater than it was when the rains finished last year. We are prepared to go on short commons sooner, and we have learned some lessons in the way of economy, but we cannot make the supply go much further and have got to face another pos- sible famine. What steps does the Govern- ment propose to take to meet this scarcity? It will be seen that Mr. POLLOCK goes It would be interesting and perhaps reassur- on in his letter to urge the neccessity for a ing to know. It would also be a matter of Municipal Council in this Colony and to great interest for the citizens of Victoria to
suggest a kind of plebiscite on the subject, learn something definite as to the pro- followed, if a large majority is in favour of gress of the great Public Works which have,
a Municipal Council, by a petition to the after considerable delay and discussion, been Secretary of State for the Colonies, praying sanctioned by the Secretary of State for the for Hongkong to be granted adequate Colonies. There seems to be no good or representation in municipal matters. At adequate reason why these interminable the time when the petition of June, 1901, délays in the prosecution of Public Works to the Secretary of State was being drawn should take place. That they do occur up, the Committee which had the matter in invariably, however, so far as buildings are hand actually considered the question of concerned seems to admit of no dispute.inserting an appeal for a Municipal Council The new building for the Government and decided that it would be more suitable Central School was not completed until to make that appeal in a second petition. more than ten years after its site was decided | The late Mr. J. J. FRANCIS and the Hou. upon, and the Market House was not erected Secretary were deputed by the Committee before the lapse of long years of provoking to prepare such a petition, but the death of delay, first as to the selection of a site and the former prevented this, and the scheme then as to plan of the building. It is only was not carried out. It is not necessary fair to the P.W.D. to record that, as a rule, for us here to restate the case in favour of when these Public Buildings are erected a Municipal Council for Hongkong. Mr. they are very substantially built and prove POLLOCK mentions some strong arguments, both durable and useful. But this is cold and our readers who flowed the discus- consolation to those who are asked to pay sions of 1901 will not requiro to have what the money and do not get their money's then appeared in these columns recapitulated. worth. It is surely rater hard aud cer- The case against the present condition of tainly not fair that the present colonists municipal government is overwhelming, and should be called upon to pay for works no hope can be placed in the methods which another generation are to enjoy, while adopted, under complusion, to reform it.
(Daily Press, 11th October.) At the meeting of the Legislative Council on the 9th inst., H.E. the Governor, address- ing the Council for the first time since his return from England, informed his expectant hearers what immediate steps it is proposed to take with regard to the reconstruction of this city on a more sanitary system than that at present existing. This reconstruc- tion, sald Sir HENRY BLAKE, must neces sarily be a slow process.
"I have placed," he continued, "the sum of $100,000 upon the Estimates for the purpose of resumption and compensation during the coming year." In another columu to-day we publish letter from Mr. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C., deal- ing with this subject. Mr. POLLOCK submits that a sum of $100,000 only in the coming year cannot be considered as by any means adequate in view of the enormous nature of the task which requires to be dealt with and of the annual recurrence of plague. We think that the community will endorse Mr. POLLOCK's remarks. Hong- kong has a tremendous evil to grapple with, as is recognised by all, officials and private residents alike. A Bill of a very sweeping nature is before the Legislative Council, which if passed without serious mutilations promises to reform the present intolerable state of affairs, and which will then involve the outlay in the near future of very large sums of money. In any case it is plain that much money will have to be spent in order to make this a fairly healthy colony. It is therefore hardly satisfactory to see a small temporary vote suggested with which to begin the work. Mr. POLLOCK proposes that the Government should take as its model a naval ship-building programme, and should preparc à definite and thorough scheme of improvement, spread over five or seven years, and intended to be carried out vigorously and continuously, irrespec- tive of governmental changes, Such a scheme is more statesmanlike, it must be admitted, than the merely temporary proposal of the Government.
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{October 20, 1902.
These methods are in the first place too dilatory and tinkering, and that charge sufficiently condemas them in view of the supreme urgency of reform for the sake of the whole Colony. We believe that the present Government is sincerely anxious to do what it can for Hongkong's welfare, but it seems unable to evercome the obstacles lying in the way. The public, on its side, lacks the means of making itself heard, in the absence of adequate representation in Council. Hence it comes that an official can complain of the public not backing up the Government, while at the same time tho public can see little chance of its views being fairly attended to.
FRANCE IN SOUTH CHINA,
be
(Daily Press, 18th October.) In its issue of the 10th instant, our Shang- hai French contemporary, L'Echo de Chine, attempts to deal with the discussion in the Hongkong Press on the subject of French activity in the Macao neighbourhood. Particular mention is made of an article which appeared in these columns as long ago as the 6th August. We do not know what prompted the French journal so late in the day to criticise our statements, especially as no attempt is made to refute
Lord CRANBORNE,
it may any of them. remembered, in June aud July professed a certain amount of ignorance with regard to French proceedings at Ca Tai and Yeh-ti, and we ventured to suggest that his answers to questions in the House of Commons were not conclusive. L'Echo de Chine, on the contrary, finds Lord CRANBORNE'S remarks perfectly satisfactory-why should it not, indeed ?-and ridicules our statements as unsupported and therefore worthless. As a inatter of fact, the Ca Tai affair while with was amply witnessed to, regard to Yeh-ti it was evident at the time that the French agents who surveyed the bay did not wait until European sightseers came over to watch their proceedings. The Yeh-ti survey is therefore dismissed by our contemporary as une absurde histoire. We had thought that the argument which resolves itself into the retort of "You're a liar" was condemned by good taste.
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But L'Echo de Chine goes on to confess total ignorance of any French railway schemes in Kwangtung und doubts the existence of any "good authority" who can testify to their existence. In the same issue of the Echo we find the statement, de source autorisée, that au Anglo-Indian force has penetrated Tibet and is advancing ou Lbassa. We hasten to assure our contem- porary that our authority on the matter of Kwangtung railways is not of this kind our of the kind which reported the British occupation of Kelantan. A reference to the Government of French Indo-China will give all the information required as to French railway projects in Kwangtung. We are quite prepared to accept French We further official evidence in this case. admit that French commercial enterprise in Southern China is as legitimate as that of any other nation. All we wish to combat is the monstrous claim that the Two Kwang. Provinces, Kweichau, and Yunnan con- sphere of influence.”. stitute a French “ South China is not Siam, and a similar course of spoliation to that of which the last development was shown in the new Franco Siamese treaty cannot be tolerated in a region where British interests are con- cerned so much as in the four provinces just mentioned. Even the inaccuracies and ignorances of a British Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs cannot bring this to pass.
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