NEW ADMIRALTY DOCK FIASCO.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
SANITARY BOARD ELECTION.
Meanwhile
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March 28-1903.
was never intended to mean that.
Voting papers will be supplied to the electors present, who have to write on them the onc candidate of their choice and in the next column put a cross against the candidate's rame.
The persons entitled to vote at the election are ratepayers who are included in the Special and Common Jury Lists for the year 1903 and also those rate- payers who are exempted from serving on Juries on account of their professional avocations. The lists of Special and Com- mon Jurors were published in the Govern. ment Gazette of the 6th inst., and number upwards of 1,000 persons.
order the voting, which will be by hallot, will at once be proceeded with, and the (Daily Press, 26th March.)
(Daily Press, 25th March.)
ballot box will remain open until six o'clock. Nothing could have caused much greater The interest which is being manifested in
In No elector can give more than one vote. stir in the Colony than that which has just the election by the ratepayers of two repre-elections anywhere else in the wide world, occurred in connection with the Naval Yard sentatives as members of the Sanitary if there are two persons to be elected Extension scheme. Ever since the scheme | Board, is quite a new feature in local
on any public body, the electors have the was set afoot by the Admiralty authorities politics. The election tak a place this right to give two votes. We understand it has encountered opposition-not against afternoon, and in view of the fact that
that the Attorney-General has definitely the principle but against the method of considerable doubt and misapprehension decided that the words of the Ordinance: extension The argument put forward at appear to prevail as to the procedure, a few "No elector shall give more than one vote” the initiation of the scheme by the opposi observations on the subject will doubtless must be taken to mean precisely what they tion was thoroughly sound and what has be of use to the ratepayers who intend say. As it stands, the rule is absurd and since taken place has only served to strongly taking part in the proceedings at the City ought to have been revised before being emphasise the contention. Over on the Hall this afternoon. Four candidates will incorporated in the New Ordinance. We Kowloon side there was to be found all the be nominated this afternoon for two seats on imagine that the intention of the framers of essentials for a Naval Yard with indefinite the Board. They are Mr. H. E. POLLOCK, the rules, which have been in existence, we possibilities of extension and development. K.C., Mr. A. SHELTON HOOPER, Mr. E. A. believe, fully twenty years or more, was to
It But the authorities, in spite of local opinion, HEWETT, and Mr. AHMET RUMJAHN.
prevent "plamping"; but the rule is now chose to have the Docks constructed on the was intended also to nominate Mr. MARCOS held to mean that an elector can only give Hongkong side of the Harbour, on n site SLADE, but that gentleman, with that
one vote even though there were a dozen limited in area and almost incapable of eminent courteousness of spirit which seats to be filled on the Board, Surely it being extended. Thereby the continuity of characterises all his public appearances, bas announced his withdrawal from conflict the Prays front was split up and in one sense the great scheme of reclamation with his brother of the silken robe: he will that was to provide the island with be quite willing to come forward when the that which it most greatly needs; land- community calls for a successor to its land stolen from the sea was impeded. present (or rather potential) adviser on The contract was fixed in the beginning the Sanitary Board; and we have no of 1900. Before the work was commenced doubt that the community will not look there were endeavours made to get the twice before electing Mr. SLADE when authorities to revise their decision and the next opportunity occurs. select a site on the Peninsula. Indeed, some
we have Mr. POLLOCK as one candidate three years ago rumour was so active that to whom the electors should have it actually removed the Naval Yard to hesitancy in offering their suffrages. He Tsimshatsui Bay. Then, at any rate, was is a man of proved integrity, of fluent the time for the change of plans. The speech, aud of that strictly legal mind Admiralty were just entering upon an
which wants to understand all things extension of the Yard which was to cost brought under its notice and to get at the something like a million sterling. Rumours root of them by a process of logical reason. Mr. POLLOCK must to the contrary received their quietus when ing and common-sense. at length the work was begun, but even in bo one of the elect. Then we have the the early stages of the operations there were qualifications of Mr. E. A. HEWETT to occasional resurrections of the talk about consider, and not to be lost sight of are the removal. Now the work has been in pro pretensions of Mr. AHMET RUMJAHN. To gress for over two years-that is to say, take the last first, Mr. RUMJAIN is a public about one-half has been completed if we spirited citizen whose many endeavours to reckon on the basis, which was stated at promote the weal of the community cannot the time the contract was entered into, but he considered admirable; however, it that the entire undertaking would take must be remembered that the representation about four and a half years to complete.
on the Board as regards other than And at the present moment, if all ac- Europeans is already laid down by the counts be true, the position of matters Government as an almost unalterable prin- is that it has been found impossible ciple. The European community therefore owing to engineering difficulties, to pursue
can be excused if they resolve to stand race. And the scheme to a conclusion. What these or fall by one of their own difficulties are can only be conjectured. At
conies the question : Is it to be Mr. HEW TI least ho authoritative public announceinent has been made on the subje. But there is HEWETT represents great mercantile in little question that they are insurmountable.terests, be has held the most responsible It seems that tho unforeseen obstacle to position that can be held in the Shanghai While the community received with the utmost satisfaction the announcement that progress is one to baffle the skill of any Municipal Council, and be is a engineer. According to our information, acquainted with the routine of municipal Mr. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C., had been returned the contractors have found, in their sub work. Mr. HOOPER, on the other hand, with such a handsonie lead, the European certainly marine workings, that the proposed dock has little experience of work of a public residents of the Colony are has no proper foundation, that the sea nature. Buy that notwithstanding, he is grievously disappointed that either Mr. HOOPER OF Mr. HEWETT has not been bottom consists of a sort of quagmire a man of exceptional experience in the life which defies the dredger and cannot of the Colony: he knows more perhaps returned as Mr. Pollock's colleague. It be built upon.
If all this is correct, about the building business of Hongkong has been commonly understood that these two sats were intended for Europeans, one cannot but regret that the money than most men; he is acquainted with its
şince the Ordinance makes special provision already spent should have been, so to sanitary requirements and he is not a mali
the appointment of two Chinese speak, poured into a bottomless receptacle. to let his own interests stand in the way of for
representatives on the Board; but, as It is unfortunata that the operations should the public need. Mr. HEWETT would serve have gone so far before this fatal discovery any electorate loyally and with credit, have previously pointed out, there made. But the shield has another but with all respect to his any qualities is nothing in the Ordinance expressly seats being occupied side. If we have to regret money uselessly and his eminent good sense and integrity, preventing the
we think that Mr. HoorER has the better by men of any race if only they can expended, we can at any rato look forward with some &tisfaction to the removal of the |
find sufficient supporters to vote for them. Naval Yard from a place where it ought
It is very important that the electors The election of Mr. RUMJAHN, it is very.. never to have been and to the crowning should bear in mind that the rules for the manifest is no less a surprize than a disap consummation of our Reclamation Scheme. | election here are very different to those pointment to the European community and which obtain in elections at home. The ibis “brings us to a consideration of a mat- nominations will take place at the Cityter of some importance in these elections, the lükong who, as we have already. Hall this afternoon at 4 o'clock. Nomina namely: Who are the electors? According ras charged with stealing a watch from a fisherman in a junkat Aberdeention papers will be supplied by the to the Ordinance they are (1) those rate- Alted at the Police Court on the 21st Returning Officer or his assistants to be payers whose names appear on the Special MTD Stephens defended him. July filled in, and these being found in and Common Jurors' Lists; and (2) thote
was
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now
Mr. HOOPER ? or
claim to the suffrages of the electors.
(Daily Press, 27th March.) There is more than one aspect of the elec- tion on Wednesday of two members of the Sanitary Board which calls for comment. Never before in the history of Hongkong have three hundred persons in the Colony been induced to take sufficient interest in the administrative affairs of the Colony as to attend the City Hall to record their votes in the election of representatives to the Sanitary Board, It had indeed come to be unders'ood that such a thing as a popular election was unheard of in Hongkong, though as a matter of fact the right of the ratepayers to elect two representatives on the Sanitary Board has always existed. No popularly elected representative had sut for some time on the old Board simply because the ratepayers appeared utterly unconcerned Mr. about the matter. After the result of Wednesday's election we may surely say now nous avons changé tout cela.
MAI
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