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THE NAVY LEAGUE.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLÝ PRESS AND
Colonial statesmen, aud the Princes and representative men of India, suggesting the observance of an Empire Day -8 day on which the attention of scholars in State-aided Schools should be specially directed to Imperial matters. In every part of the KING's dominions the suggestion has been received with favour, though there appears some lack of unanimity as to the date on which" Empire Day" should be observed. April 23rd, St. George's Day, has its advocates in some Colonies; and in others where the birthdays of His Majesty the KING and the PRINCE of WALES are observed, it is thought that these serve the purpose. Judging, however, from the nature of the replies received by Lord MEATH on the subject there is no reason to doubt that when it is seen that there is a consensus of opinion throughout the King's dominions in favour of May 24th Empire Day," all the Colonies will quickly bring themselves into line and thus establish not only a memorial of one of the most glorious reigns in British history but also a patriotic festival which will serve to remind us of the unity of the Empire and foster in the young those powerful sentiments of patriotic loyalty which will be a guarantee" of strength and support to the Old Country in the years to come. Englishmen, in whatever part of the Empire they reside, will certainly accord the proposal their most active support.
(Daily Press, 21 May.) The mission of Mr. H. P. WYATT, the travelling delegate of th Navy League, bas so far been a very pronounced miocess. In Canada, through which he passed on his way to the
to the East, he was received in the warmest manner, and had the satisfaction of forming several promising branches of the League. In Yokohama he also met with a warm welcome at the hands of the British community, and an influential branch of the Navy League was formed in Japan, including among its friends and supporters the British Minister at Tokyo. At Shanghai, Mr. WYATT Hikewise found a hearty greet- ing. The British residents seem to have been eager to establish a branch of the Navy League in the Model Settlement, and nt the meeting at the British Consulate there on the 12th inst., when the question was brought up, a most enthusiastic send-off was given to the new Branch, which started with a membership of no less than one hundred and twenty. Mr. WYATT evidemly possesses great forensic powers, for both in Yokohama and Shanghai he managed to stir upa warmth of patriotism good to see in the Far East, where most of us are usually too immersed in business to spare much time for the expression of sentiment, however deep-rooted the feeling may be. The meet. ing at the British Consulate was a large and representative one, the Acting Consul- General taking the chair and being sup ported by the Chairman of the Municipal Council and most of the principal British residents. We hope that Mr. WYATT will meet as cordial a reception in this Colony when he comes. He will find here already existing a flourishing Branch of the Navy League, but no doubt the occasion of his visit will serve to infuse new energy into the Committee and lead to the acquisition of additional memers. In this Malta and Gibraltar of the East as the late Sir GEORGE BOWEN was fond of styling it during his administration of the Govern- ment-if anywhere, the Navy League should be strong and vigorous, and the visit of Mr. WYATT will no doubt give it an useful fillip. AtShameen too, where an enthusiastic sub-branch of the League exists, and which Mr. Wyatt intends, we believe, to visit, that gentleman will be most heartily wel- comed. In these days, when matters are so chronically disturbed in the Further East, under the influence of Russian pressure in Manchuria, there is every need for vigilance, and no stimulus should be required by Britons to maintain unflagging their interest in the Empire's first line of defence.
"EMPIRE DAY.”
(Daily Press 21st May.) In the address delivered by Mr. E. A HEWETT, at the annual meeting of the Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, mention was made of the fact that the Government had asked the Committee for an expression of opinion upon the suggestion that the 24th of May (the birthday of her late Majesty QUEEN VICTORIA) should be observed hereafter as a public holiday to be known as Empire Day, Hongkong, of course, will gladly associate itself with the rest of the Empire in a movement of this kind, and the Committee of the Chamber in agreeing to the proposal, and the meeting of members in endorsing that decision, represent the feeling of the British community in the mater. We resume the Government has received a copy of the circular letter which Lord MEATH addressed some time ago to
THE GAGE STREET MURDER.
[May 23, 1903.
CHINA TEA TRADE.
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(Daily Press, 20th May.) We have frequently had occasion to note with regret the gradual decline of the China tea trade and to point out also the absence in China of any of those methods so popular in India and Ceylon to maintain the market. Every mail from the South brings news of something done to advertise the Indian and Ceylon teas, and, if possible, to improve their quality. As a result of these combined and constant efforts on the part of the producers the annual returns show a growing export while the export of China teas is diminishing. How many grocers in England could supply a customer with Chinn ten ? Not, we should think, five per cent. It is almost incredible that even in Hongkong there are compradores who do not keep China tea in stock because they have no sale for it. There are doubt- less other reasons than that of the porsis- tent advertising of the Southern teas which account for the declining market for the China product. There is, for instance, a failure to keep abreast of modern methods of preparing tea which causes rivals to deprecinte China teas by branding the processes of the industry in vogue in the Celestial Empire as "filthy" and primitive. Tea morchants may be familiar with a picture postcard which represents a China- man treading barefooted on a mat covered with tea leaves, and the inscription on the card is #6 How ten is prepared in China," or words to that effect. Hundreds of these (Daily Press, 22nd May.)
cards are doubtless sold every year and No one who reads the evidence adduced at find their way into homes abroad, only the trial in the Supreme Court of the man to create disgust and a resolve to drink no arraigned for complicity in what is known more China tea. While producers in India as the Gage Street murder can doubt the and Ceylon have been steadily improving justice of the sentence of death passed upon the quality of the tea exported, there seems him yesterday by the Acting Chief Justice. to be a want of such combined effort on Though it was not the condemned mau who the part of the Chinese producer, and actually fired the shot, his complicity in the China tea has probably suffered more murder was clearly established, and by the than any other from the Ten Inspec- law of England he is, equally with the actual tion Law enacted by the United States perpetrator of the outrage, guilty of murder. in.1897. The Fenate Committee on Com YEUNG KUE WAN, the victim of the das merce, in reporting the Bill, pointed out tardly crime, was a leader of the reform that millions of pounds of ten unfit for use movement, and in Hongkong followed the were being constantly admitted into the profession of a schoolmaster. It was while he United States. China doubtless contri- was engaged in teaching a class in Gage Street buted a considerable percentage of that that the room was entered by two of the con-
trash. There is now in process of formation demned man's confederates and he was fatally in the United States a National Association shot. It was an absolutely cold-blooded mur- for the purpose of promoting the consump der, deliberately planned and carried out for tion of tea and of safeguarding its interests, the sake of monetary rewards and social dis-especially by the maintenance of the law tinctions ill-befitting the class of men who against adulterated, impure and trashy tea. became the wretched tools of the Chinese The Association will also address itself to Government in this matter. One of the the dissemination of information in regard most sensational features of the trial was the
to the quality of tea and to the proper clear testimony of the instigation of the methods of its preparation. America must murder by the Chinese Government, and the be regarded as a promising field for such Acting Attorney-General was able not only work, as the consumption of tea in the to adduce testimony that sums amounting United States does not exceed one pound to at least $6,000 had been paid to three per head of the population per annum, of the miscreants by the Canton authori- while in Canada it is over four pounds, in ties $18 rewards, but was able to England over six pounds and in Australia produce in Court the actual patent over seven pounds. If some of the methods conferring, under the viceregal seal of of the Indian and Ceylon growers were Canton, the distinction of Mandarin copied in China we could look forward with of the filth class upon one of the confidence to returning prosperity. gang who perpetrated the outrages. It has all along been surmised that the murder was carried out by emissaries of the Chinese Government, and now that the fact has been clearly established, it is to be hoped there will be no delay in taking the necessary diplomatic action at Peking which the circumstances warrant.
infected port, and quarantine regalations will Labuan has declared Hongkong to be an
be observed in the case of all vessels arriving there from this port
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The plice are offering a reward of $200 for information that will lead to the arrest and conviction of the murderer of the Chinese wonian who was found in a dying state on the 10th inst, near the Government store, Wanchai.
Mr. Kidston, Second Secretary of the British Legation åt Peking, was thrown while mounting his horse and with one foot in the stirrup, on the 9th, and dragged for nearly 100 yards. His head. was badly battered and he was carried into the Legation unconscious, but it was hoped that he had suffered no serious jury.
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