since been audited and found correct by Mr. J. Y. V. Vernon and Hon. Gerahòm Stewart.
DELIVEET OF GOODS AT MANILA
CUSTOM HOUSE
Mr. E. A. HEWETT referred to the remarks made by biar on this subject at the last meeting and said that he had since heard the Customs authorities sill maintained their right to deliver goods on production of the bill of lading before its endorsation by the steamer's agents. He added that endeavours were again being made through a private source to get the practice altered without resort to official representations.
NEW RULES,
THE VICE-CHAIRMANSHIP.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND ¡ which formerly had to be concentrated in the
Queen's Road and on the old Praya.
8. The present position of the Naval Dock extension Yard unfortunately blooks the eastward of the great improvement, cuts. the Praya in two, congess the traffic, and confines it to a single narrow road. Unless this obstruction is removed, the natural expan sion of our city will be irretrievably ruined, mach to the disadvantage of the Colony at large, as, owing to will be conformation of the grond, it is the only possi le direction in which expansion can take place..
are
9. We need hardly emphasize the further The question of the advisability of revising disadvantage which will be experienced through the Rules and Bye-laws of the Chamber was dis-smoke and noise seriously affecting the comfort cossed and it was eventually decided to appoint of those whose offices or residences are situated in sub-committee composed of Messrs. E. A. the vicinity of the Dock. Moreover, as the work Hewett, H. E. Tomkins and R. C. Wilcox to would be going on frequently by night as well report on the malter.
as by day these disadvantages, which particularly felt in a tropical climate, would be specially objectionable to a large section of the community. In this connection we must also consider the serious depreciation in the value of property which will naquestionably result from the above causes. This will be far reaching, as, it will affect all residential property from the Tram Line eastward as far as the Naval Hospital, aud as bigh up as the Peak.
The VICE-CHAIRMAN said that he was leaying the Colony shortly and this would be the last occasion on which he would have the pleasure of taking part in the proceedings and that on his departure the Chamber would be without either & Chairman or Vice Chairwan. He mentioned this in order that they might decide then whether to elect a new Chairman or wait until the next committee meeting.
It was decided to leave the election of a now Chairman to a future meeting.
"
Hon. R. SHEWAN proposed that Mr. E. A. Hewett be appointed Vice-Chairman on Mr Poate's departure. Hon. C. W. DICKSON seconded, and it was carried unanimously.
The noise which will arise from the work at the Dock has been foreshadowed during the present construction and in one caso led to a summons for a nuisance b ing taken out at the Magistracy against the contractors.
10. Nor are the above the sole arguments for the removal of the Dock Yard which, we can
Mr. E. A. Hewett agreed to accept the Vice-addno‘. Chairmanship and took the opportunity to propose a very cordial vote of thanks to Mr. Poate for his servics as Vice-Chairman during the past year, which was carried with acolamation.
THE ADMIRALTY· DOCK QUESTION.
*THE PETITION TO ME CHAMBERLAIN.
Following is the text of the petition to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies:-
The humble petition of the undersigned residents in the Colony of Hongkong on behalf of the community
Respectfully showeth that your petitioners desire to bring to your notice the following facts concerning a matter of great moment to the Colony and one which has a very direct baring on its future advancement and prosperity.
2. We refer to the question of the Admiralty, Dock now under construction and the contem: plated extension of the Naval Yard.
፡
3. The question of the present position of the Dock is one of such vital importance to the fut- ute development of our Colony that we consider we are justified in approaching you on the subject in the hope that a representation of our views may result in the whole question being reconsidered by the various advisers of His Majesty who are concerned in the matter..
4. We understand that certain unforeseen engineering difficulties have arisen and that an opportunity may have thus presented itself by which it is possible that if representations be made by the residents of Hongkong, the site of the Dock may be changed without detriment to the efficient docking and repairing of H.M. ships of war.
5. In support of our contention that much harm must eventually result to the Colony by the proposed Naval Establishment occupying what should, looking to the future, be part of our most important business centre, we beg to submit the following facts.
}
11. We understand that even though laud now in the possession of the War Department as well as other land were included in the Naval Yard site, the level ground at the disposal of the Naval Authorities would be barely sufficient to meet the present requirements of His Majesty's Navy in the Far East. We believe that the trend of events is such as to point in the future to a still greater expansion of the British Naval Forces in this part of the globe, and noder these circumstances we believe we are justified in raising the point that in the near future the new Dock Yard will be found inadequate for the
of H. M. Nary. parposes
!
12. Thereare, moreover, wo believe, other sites which might equally well be made use of for the purpose of a Naval Establishm nt, but on this point we refrain from saying more, as we trust the whole question may shortly form the subject of an enquiry on the part of the respective authorities concerned.
13. The question of the removal of the Naval Yard from its present site is one of such great importance to the Colony as to justify, in our opinion, its incurring the necessary expendi. fure to recoup the Admiralty for the money already speat upon the new works.
•
14. In conclusion we would therefore strongly urge that in the interests of the Colony a Royal Commission be appointed on which all the interests concerned be represented to report not only on matters now under consideration by the varions Government Departments but also on the advisability of removing the Dock to another site.
And your petitioners will ever pray, &c.
THE CURRENCY IN THE PHILIPPINES.
The Monila Cablenews of the 3rd inst, says Au executive order will be issued this morn- ing Bixing the rate of exchange between gold and silver at 2.55. There has been a gradual rise in the price of silver since the action of Con- 6. A glance at the attached map of Hongkonggress on the Philippine currency has been an will show that the Naval Dock Yard is in the centre of the sea front of the City of Victoria, would point out that the general tendency is for all leading places of business to gregate in the immediate vicinity of the
proposed Dock.
The Praya reclamation scheme, so far as it en carried out, hrs provided a much needed level ground on which large offices been erected to meet the growing trade requirements of the Colony, and, by increasing number of main roads running from east west, has much felloved the congested traffic
established fact. It is explained by some as a matter of speculation on the part of those dealing in money. It is said that many people are accumulating large stores of the Mexican pesos hoping that when the new Philippine peso is introduced, they will be able to buy the new peso from the p ople in the provinces at au even exchange and then exchange the new pesos thus acquired for gold at two for one. However this may be, it is true that there has been a larger demand than usual for the Mexican peso in the local market and the price has steadily gone up.
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April 11, 1903
THE GAGE STREET MÜRDER.
ARREST OF AN ALLEGED PARTICIPANT. Memory has almost forgotten the cold-blooded murder that took place at 52, Gage Street, on 11th January, 1901, when Yeung Ku Wan, Chinese schoolmaster, was shot to death in his class-room by one who was alleged to have been an emissary in the pay of a high Cantonese official-killed before the eyes of his young pupils for nothing else than that he was a Re.. former. The class was assembling for instruction in English, and the master, book in hand, was sitting at his desk waiting for the cholars to take their seats. As they came into the room there crept in along with them she assassin who, to earn the blood-money that had been placed on the doomed man's head, bad resolved to take his life. Revolver in hand, he walked up to the unsuspecting schoolmaster and fired at him four times at point-blank range. Every one of the shots took effect, one entering the head and the others penetrat- ing the left shoulder, chest, and abdomen. Then the muider r turned and fled, and from that day till now nothing, so far as the general public are concerned, has been seen or heard of him. It was suspected at the time that more. than one man were implicated, and this sus- picion has since been verified. Three men were concerned in the atrocity, and of these two are dead. The third man, if the surmises of the police are correct and the case against him can be proved, is in the hands of the authorities, and on Wednesday next, the 15th inst., at ten o'clock, he will be brought up on remand before Mr. F. A. Hazeland, Senior Police Magistrate, and charged with being a party to the murder. which has been described.
TRAGEDY IN THE HARBOUR.
A sad tragedy occurred on board the s,s. Sikh during the night on the 6th inst., the master, Mr. ř. J. Pentreath, being found dead in his cabin yesterday morning, a revolver by his side and a ragged bullet wound in his forehead. The first intimation of the deplorable affair came from t e steward. who entered Captain Pentreath's cabin with his master's morning cup of coffee, and his excited story quickly brought the officers of the ship on the scene. The body was found unddled up on the floor of the cabin, and a glance showed at once that the unfortuna'e The doctor skipper was beyond haman aid. on the P. & O. steamer Shanghai, which was lying close to the Sikh-both vesels were moored to the wharves of the Kowloon Godown Company-was summoned, and on his arrival he pronounced life to be extinct. No weapon of any sort was then seen in the abin, and the appearance of the wound in the head raised doubt as to what had really caused it. Nothing in the cabin was disturbed, however, everything being left untouched pending the arrival of the police from Tsimshatsui Police Station, where informa- tion of the occurrence hact been sent. When In- spector Williamson appeared a closer examina. tion of the cabin was made, and the revolver was found; one chamber had been discharged. The body was dressed in pyjamas, so that the deceased must either have been in bed and got up or been preparing to retire. Those who know Captain Pentreath here refuse to entertain the idea that he committed suicide, and prefer to believe that he met his death by an accident probably when he was cleaning his revolver. He was altogether a different kind of man, they say always cheery and seeming never to have anything to trouble him. The Sikh, a new vessel on which he was making his first voyage as master, arrived in port on Mon- day, and was visited by one or two friends of Captain Pentreath who wished to congratulate him on his advancement, which was entirely unexpected and caused through the sudden illness of the former master just before the steamer left the old country. They found him in his usual good spirits and as unlike “ man who had trouble on his mind or who contemplat- ed self-destruction as could be imagined. The deceased, who was a young man of about thirty, and unmarried, was well and favourably known on the China coast, and was formerly chief officer of the Afridi, suother of the lime of vessels of which the Sikh is one. The funeral took place on the 8th inst.
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