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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
German instinct of forcible repression of would appear from your letter that you have individuality, commenced a crusade against need of an agent to look after your trade the Czech language in Bohemia. It was
interests in this place, but this Consulate is not that the Bohemians had shown them- unable to act in that capacity.' No fees selves bad subjects, or had fin any way would have been payable "according to the thrown obstacles in the way of administra office scale, and there was consequently no tion, but that the use of the Czech language service. The miserable salaries led to a very in the schools gaye umbrage to the Pau- serious result, that of our Consols-Çeneral 19, Germanic idea of uniformity. The result of our Consuls 30, and of our Vice-Consuls was the admission of strife," and when and Consular Agents about 244, over the demon of strife enters a household foreigners. Something like 200 out of the we have high authority to forete the 700 we thus employ abroad are foreigners. result. We English have long ago learnt. The only exeuse for this, adds Mr. Yoxat.. the lesson that, next ta religious strife, that is that it is “cheap "--C19 a year! brought about by attempled interference it is not patriotic, naturally. Secrets have with language is the most permanent and heen sold on various occasions by these dangerous; and we have hid the satisfac. British representatives; yet the system tion, while permitting the most perfect goes on. freedom, of finding that so far from hindering But not only are these numbers of the growth, of a common language, the fireigners employed, who have no right to freedom of choice has had this exactly represent Great Britain. but also the contrary effect; not so the Teutonic mind, Britons who are appointed are unsuitable, which, unless it sve ontward ́uniformity, Mr. Yoxan, alleges, “ (live us business cannot believe in internal harmony. The men for British Consuls!" our Chambers result we find not confined to the Austro- of Commerce may cry for the thousandth Hungarian monarchy, but taken up by the time, but it is family influence, political Pau-Germanic party in Germany itself; ties, relationship to Parliamentary Agents with the result of there again throwing the or to clerks in the Foreign Office that half assimilated elements into discord with determines the choice most often. We do the government, and ready to take up with not appoint business men or even train up the first disruptive scheme presented to a special service for consular ports. • Only them. This is the true inwardness of the three of the first nine Consuls on the list present movements of disaffection. The passed any examination. One of the best Slavoniu populations of Germany and paid consulates is now held by an officer Austria have no love for the Tsar of Russia who passed no previous examination and nor the Government of which he is the had no previous business experience or nominal head, but they have a deep and
consular service." More than lack of evidently well-founded distrust of the ways business knowledge is sometimes alleged. of the Pan-Germanic section now unluckily. At Olessa the British Consulate-General powerful in both Austria and Germany, was removed from the commercial quarter This is the home-made article that is to a suburb near the cricket and tennis encouraging Russia in her present course grounds, necessitating Eritish captains of agitation, and which unfortunately bodes entering and clearing from the port taking worse evils to come for both of the Germanje long cab-rides to get business transacte-l! Powers, should they not adopt a wiser Again, there are far too few consular policy than is at present apparent in their representatives. Britain has 17 resident in counsels.
Germany. Germany has 85 in Britain. There are far too few British representatives in France, only seven in Belgium – and the one Consular agent has been withdrawn from Morocco, effecting a saving of £100.
The indictment is not a light one, as the points which we have given are sufficient to show. The root of the difficulty, Mr. YOXALE says, appears to be in the antique organisation of The Foreign Offies, called by ous critic our worst department.” The rezeły which he proposes is a bination of business and parliament men to get the ensular service put on a business footing, He e acludes with the words: --
At present, as a commercial agency any- how, it seems to m very mieli of an
· elaborate slam. It is only fair to say that the fault is more in the system than in the individual C'ins ils, many of whomu “forward admirable report - au local trade, But a British Consular system manned by British men of business, and ramifying everywhere, is the ideal toward which one should strive." These sentiments will he heartily echoed by all commercial men who have suffered from the lamentable shortcomings of the present system. But
C
THE BRITISH CONSULAR SERVICE.
Daily Press, 4th Decomber, 1 In the first number of the new Magazine of Concurrey, there appeats a very instructive artiel by Mr. J. H. Yoxant, Liberal M.P. for Nottingham West, on the subject of The · F.Ö. and the Consular Service." As becomes a contributor to a magazine whose watchword is "Plio Advancement of Com- merce," Mr. YoxALL is very outspoken about the unbusinesslike character of the consular service; “commercially, it is now an elaborateSlam.' The opening sentences are striking A Consul," says the writer,
is supposed to be partly an agent commerce, but woe for British trafe if it
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¡December 6, 1902,
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Legislative Council was held the 4th iust. in the Council Chamber. Present:-
01
HIS EXCELLANCY THE GOVERNOR. Sir. HENRY A. BLAKE, G.C.M.G.
HIS EXCELLENCY – Sir W. GASCOIGNE, K. C.M.Gi. (Commanding the Troops).
Hon. P. H. MAY, C.M.C). (Colonial Secretary), Hon. Sir Henry Spencer Berkeley, Kr. (Attorney-General).
Hon. A. M. Thomson (Colonial Treasurer). Hon. Commander . M. RUMSEY, R.N. (Harbour Master),
Hon. W. CHATHxa (Director of Pablie. Works.
Hon. Dr. F. W. CLARK (Medical Officer of He lth).
Hon. Dr. Ho Kat. C.M.G.
Hou, WEI A YOK.
Hoa, C. S. SHARP.
Hon, C. W. Dickson. Hon. G. W. F. PLAYFA DRU Hou. R. SHEWAN,
Mr. C. CLEMENTI (Aeting Clerk of Council). H. E. Major-General Gascorne took the chair in the temporary absence of H. E. the Governor, who arrived at a later stage in the. proceedings.
THE WATER SUPPLY.
Hon. G. W. F. PLAYFAIR put the two questions standing in his name :
1. Would the Director of Public Works give intermittent s stem with special referone tu some explanation of the inequalities of the Queen's Garden and the higher levels of the Peak-why very many houses, which ought to got the full supply, for the advertised perioll, get little or no water, and even that little at a most insufficient pressure ?
2. To ask the Director of Public Works,
why the water accoun ́s for 30th September are
not yet out?
The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-Eir, in
reply to the first question, I beg to lay upon the table reports of inspections made of the districts referred to, which state the causes of the insufficient supply to certain honses and the steps taken with a view to improving it. With regard to the second question, some delay was caused by the introduction of the new Ordin- auce, which necessitated working out the free allowance to be given in respect of the ratable value of all premises supplied by meter. The inspections for the purpose of ascertaining and reporting on the supply of water under the
have
absorbed intermittent system
Also much of the time of the seuior officers. The
first batch of accounts was sent out on the 2nd December, and the remainder will follow in a few days.
DR. THOMSON AND THE CHINESE COLLE JE OF MEDICINE. The COLONIAL Sɛoretary-Sir, some time. a question was raised in the Finance Committee regarding the duties performed by Dr. Thon son on behalf of the Chinese College of Medicine. I have now, by His Excellency's commands, to lay on the table a letter from the Dean of the College relative to the matter, and To say that the duties performed by Dr. Thomson for the College have in no way inter. fered with his public duties, and that, in the in- forests of the College, it is extremely desirable that Dr. Thomson's connection with the institu- tion should not be severed.
PEAK RO`D WATER SUPPLY.
The Colonial Treasurer-Sir, regarding the report on the water supply in the Peak Road distr ́et laid on the table by the Director of Public Works, the statement as regards the
from realisation. It is practicable, perhaps, supply to Blue Bungalow is not quite correct.
depended on our consular system. Aa Ambassador is, we know, sent to Tie abroad for the benefit of his country'; the benefits of our Diplomacy have not been conspicuous of late. A British Diplomat, averaged, costs the nation £1,700 a year; “a Bri`ish Consular Agent, £19. Such, it "would seem, are the relative values of
·British diplomacy and British foreign – the ideal bodys at present very far off indeed "frade in the eyes of the Foreign Offier.” The difference in the figures is truly re- markable and would be hard to believe, were it not capable of proof. The £19 per man per year is, of course, not all that a British Consular Agent gets, for there is a system of fees to eke out the poor salaries. This system, says Mr. YoxALL, is bad and checks trade; and he instances, in support, a case in which a Consular Agent in South
A scheme is on faol fu connect by direct. America replied to a Midland firm which steam ship serviou Port Swettulam and had written to him for information : It Southern India.
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to strive for an insistence ou some laisiness krowledge in the British representatives in great commercial centres, and also that such representatives shall not be aliens but British subjects. To obtain these ends no efforts should be spared by those who câu make their voices heard,
'
Hon. ft. W. F. PLAYFAIR,.—Hear, bear. The DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-Thệ. report, sir, is from an actual inspection, and wa ; given to me by a responsible officer.
The CCLONIAL TREASURER.—There date given
no
The DiSECTor of Public »Wo'ks—The date is at the end of the report÷ 3rd Decėnibor, 1902.
FERRY C, BYE LAWS, Hon. C. S. SHARP movɑd the first reading of a Bill entitled au Ordinanc. to authorise the
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