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July 27, 1903.]
THE NEW POST OFFICE
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DESIGN
Now that the plans of the new Post Office - have baen definitely accepted by the Colonial Government, description of the building will be opportune and perhaps not uninteresting. ta design may per haps be best described as a free treatment of the English Renaissance style. The elevation is imposing, and an attempt has been made to break up the monotony incidental to the constant repetition of verandahs by slightly projecting some features. The facing is of Amoy bricks instead of the usual plaster, and the dressing, where practicable, of stone. There are five floors: basement, ground, first and second floors, with an intermediate one between the first and second. The basement is provided with general store-rooms in connectin with certain of the various d partments to be accommodated in the building, and the ground floor, which has an¦ area of 42,000 square feet, is devoted to the requirements of the Post Office.
A private lane at the west side of the building. rudning between Connaught Road and Des Voeux Road, will be utilised for the despatching and receiving of mails, s here the work can be done without obstructing traffic or being itself obstructed; a glass covering over the lane will
ensure protection from the weather. In this lane there is to be provided a separate entrance for Chinese, whose needs, further, will be looked after at a reparate counter inside. The entrance for
Europeans will be at the corner of Des Voeux Road and Pedder Street. Another distinct advantage in this part of the building is that the Postmaster's room will be within easy access of the working department and the public hall, and the public themselves, or those members of it desiring to exercise the privilege, will be able to gain admittance to the Postmaster's offic. without going through the working department. The first floor is taken up by two departments-those of the Registrar-General and the Treasurer--and these will be entirely distinct and self-contained. Above this is an
intermediate floor for the accommodation of the Post Office messengers, who will be within easy call and yet shut off completely from the rest of the building. The greater part of the second floor is taken up with the offices of the Sanitary Department, and adequate provision is also made for the Audit and Educa. tion Departments. On this floor, too, are the quarters of the chief Post Office clerks, con. sisting of four rooms and a bath-room completely elf-contained. In every floor of the building, which will be lighted throughout electricity, is separate lavatory accommoda- tion for Europeans and Chinese, and the heating when necessary of those rooms to be occupied by Europeans is provided for by open fire-places. Altogether, the building will be a most commodious one, and in its finished state should atone to some extent for the weary wait that preceded its construction.
with
The design for the new building is by Messrs. Denison, Ram and Gibbs,
THE VOLUNTEER PROMENADE CONCERT.
It is to be hoped that the Volunteers will not. rest content with the enjoyable entertainment given on the 16th inst. and that this was but the first of a series of promenade concerts which, if kept up to the standard of the first, will not fail to draw full houses.". The Corps lucky in the possession of a parade ground that might have been specially designed to enable the summer-weary residents of Hongkong to pass a pleasant evening; large enough to accommodate any local audience, yet not too large for accoustic properties, it makes an ideal spot for the annual open-air concerts for which Hongkong is indebted to the H.K.V.C.
Punctually at 9 o'clock H.E. Sir Henry Black, Honorary Colonel of the Corps, and Lady Blake arrived on the ground and were escorted to their seats by Major Chapmsu,' Second in Command and Acting Commandant. The amateur orchestra under the baton of Mr. George Grimble opened the programme with the overture from Suppe's Dichter und Bauer. The trio of tenors and pass, "The Mariners, was exceedingly well sung by Messrs. Mirow, C. H. Lammert (what the last moment
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
kindly took the place of Mr. Bell, who was indisposed), and Wacker. Mr. Mirow later i sang Schumano's Two Grenadiers" with his usual taste and feeling. Mr. Grace was in magnificent voice in. "Heroes and Gentlemen," -a new song to Hongkong, which gained
verses
hearty recall; and Mr. Worcester's topical on the water-supply and the Public Works Department were clever. Of the orchestral numbers, though all were good and the Tannhauser March particularly so, we most appreciated the " Légende (Weniawski) with Mrs. Ough as the solo violin; it is a difficult matter to get together, even in it is more difficult to keep them together а place like Hongkong, an amateur orchestra;
in an ambitions selection such as this "Légende," and Mr. Grimble is to be congratulated on the efficient accompaniment to Mrs. Ongh's selo, which was not once overpowered by the large number of instruments playing against it. We shall look forward to hearing this piece again. very pretty oboe solo by Mr. Anderson was also greatly appreciated; aud the " Salut d'Amour the concert to a close was very well played. with which the orchestra brought Other vocalists of the evening were Mes rs. Whittick, Terrill, and Heckford (who was recalled), and Mr. Goldring sang Marzials's My Love las Come," which was enthusi-
14
astically encored, as was the duet by Messrs. C. H. Lammert and Bell.
Altogether Volunteers are to be congratulated on a distinct success, and that too at a time of year when the weather is not to be depended pon. There is too little music in Hongkong and all lovers of music will look forward to for the talent and energy there is in the Colony, further results of Thursday's gathering. We hear rumours that the Choral and Philharmonic Society is to be resuscitated and sincerely hope that it is true and that Hongkong will not have to depend solely on travelling companies during
the next serson for music.
The programme was as follows: -- Overture...... "Toet and Peasant,"
PART I.
ORCHESTRA.
Suppé
Tenor, Baritons? The Mariners,... Randegger
and Bass Trio j
Messrs. C. H. LAMMERT, E. MIROW, and J. WACKER. "Serenade.".
Ohoe Salo.......
Tenor Solo
Violin Solo...
Baritone Solo Conic Song
Mr. W. ANDERSON.
Mr. E. MIROW, 'Legende,"
Mrs. ARTHUR OUGH
Wieniawski
"Heroes and Gentlemen,".
Mr. C. H. GRACE.
"Tell me Mother Darling,".
Mr. W. G. WORCESTER,
PART II. March from Tannhauser
ORCHESTRA. Tenor Solo... "My Love has come," Mr. P. W. GOLDRING. Tenor and ( “ The Wanderer's Bass Duett I Night Song,"
Wagner
Marzials
Rubenstein
Mesara, C. H. LAMMERT and F. H. BELL, Baritone Solo "The King's Minstrel,"
- Mr. W. J. TERRILL.
Comic Song..
Selection.......
Bass Solo..
Mr. R. G. Heckford. "Salut D'Amour,”
ORCHESTRA.
"The Bugler," Mr. F. WHITTICK. "God Save the King
Pinsuti
Elgar
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NOTES FROM THE BOTANIC GARDENS!
There are not many parasitic plants in Hoogkong. A rather showy one, Eginetia indica, may now be seen in flower in house No. 3 in the old garden. It is not at all uncommon in the island, growing on the roots of certain interesting as it is thriving on a foreign shoot, grasses. The specimen under notice is rather Dichorisandra gaudichaudiant, a native of South America, which belongs to the natural order Commelinacea.
Between
hear that there are about sixty species of Many people no doubt will be surprised to orchids natives of Hongkong. thirty and forty species are under cultivation in house No. 3. the majority of which are on the right hand stage as the house
is entered from Garden Road, Others are in the centre house, as some species require differ- ent treatment from others. here are two or three species in flower-Habeĝuria rhodoch eila ensifolium with very pale yellow flowers, and with
orange-coloured flowers, cymbidi um Calanthe veratrifolia (added to the flora ouly in the last few years) with white flowers
In the Lew garden on, the lawn near the lower gate in the Albany Road, may be seen a large- leaved tree bearing remarkably fine flowers, somewhat like those of a magnolia. The tree is Dillenia indica, a native of the tropical forests of India. The flowers
are white, about six inches across, and are produced singly at the ends of the branches.
1
the white-flowered variety of Lagerstroemia In the palm plot u the new gardeu a tree of indica, commonly known as the Crape flower, is
now at its best.
The rainfall since the 14th July has been 5.59 inches.
With regard to the admission to the gardens by card on certain days during August, September and October (old gården on Tuesday, new garden on Fridays), we understand that the
uniform. presentation of a card will not be necessary for the admission of visitors in military or usval
**
THE PROPOSED |PEKING- KALGAN RAILWAY.
Although the Chinese promoters of the pro- posed railway from Peking to Kalgan, the Great Gate" city of the Great Wall, are now endeavouring to get the necessary capital sub- scribed, it will be difflou t to find the money in such an uncommercial district; there is, there- fore, reason to doubt whether the scheme will go through unless rumour is correct in assuming that the Russian Government is behind the company. This is not all unlikely to be true. The road between Peking and Kalgan was formerly the main ronte for the Russian tea-trade from Tientsin. Kalgan was also an important post station for travellers to north China from Central Siberia. Except explorers, however, no one now selects this route and the Chinese Eastern Railway has carried off all the trade. As the first stage in a shorter railway route connecting the tea-producing country with the tea-consuming country, viâ Mongolia; the proposed line might become, however, very valuable. Politically it might very well serve for Russia the same end in Mongolia as the Chinese Eastern Railway has served in Manchuris. If built under Russian control it would be advanced by and by as reasonable that Mongolia must pass under Russian influence the cities of the prairie would be Russianised just
The N.-C. Daily News publishes the two following telegrams:-Tokyo, 16th July. The Home Minister retires owing to ill health, and is succeeded by Baron Kodama, who still remains Governor-General of Formosa. Public opinion interprets recent events as evincing the
as Harbin and other Manchurian Emperor's confidence in the Cabinet, which towns have been; and in the event of a therefore brings i.creased prestige to the dis- disturbance they would no doubt seize the charge of its domestic and foreign duties." opportunity to put in an army of occupa "Tokyo, 17th July.-Three Cabinet Ministers tion. Southward from Shanhaikwan, Russian of Education, of Communications, and of advance is checked by the fact that the New- Agriculture—are retiring, one for private chwang Railway is controlled by British capital. reasous, and two in consequence of the Diet's The Lu-Han and Cheng-te railways are under condemnation of the Ministry's financial pro-Russian influence bat there is no direct Russian posals. These portfolios have been given communication between these and the Chinese temporarily to Barons Kodama, Kioara, and Eastern Railway. The Mongolian railway Sone, in conjunction with their present offices. with the Kalgan-Peking extension furnishes The stability of the Cabinet is in no wise an alternative that will be tempting to Russian affected. Baron Kodama abandons his pro- ambition, if she has not already too much on jected trip to England."
her hands.-N.-C. Daily News.
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