158
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
greater expedition and economy would be secured, and local industries greatly fostered. My Committee are somewhat in sympathy with the above arguments, but are not confident that a movement assailing the Crown Agents' system, the Public Works Departinent and the Government Factory would have a successful issue.
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bath-houses. Regarding the cost of the under-contract with private firms by tender, far | taking, the monthly upkeep of the tanks used on the experimental blook in the west end for three months was $320 and the initial cost practically 82,000, and he estimated that the cost of establishing tanks all over the Colony would
be something like $54,000 and the monthly upkeep 89,00. Although cleanliness was a virtue to be encouraged, personally the speaker thought that disinfection was a more important thing in dealing with plague and he also thought it did not necessarily follow that because bugs were found in a plague house they disseminated the disease; naturally, if a bug bit a man suffering from the disease, the insect would contain plague bacilli. He was much interested in His Excellency's experiment and its results, Dr. Atkinson concluded, and he was sure the Sanitary Board would do all it could to further his wishes in the matter.
HIS EXCELLENCY said he did not claim any originality for the idea regarding tanks; he took that ides from an examination of tanks in use by the Godown Company in Kowloon. They were all aware that there was hardly a large: hong in the Colony that had not had its business interrupted by the loss of coolies from plague. Two years ago the Godown Company established these tanks, and they had not lost a man since. The experiment having already been made by the Godown Company, His Ex- cellency trusted that the influence brought to bear upon other large hongs by the Sanitary Board would induce them to follow the admirable example set by the Godown Company in Kowloon.
This was all the business, and the meeting concluded.
THE HONGKONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
At a monthly meeting of the General Com. mittee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce held in the Chamber Room, City Hall, on Tuesday, 11th August, at 3.45 p.m. Present: Mr. E. A. Hewett (Chairman) Mr. D. E. Law (Vice-Chairman), Hon. C. W. Dicksou, Messrs. C. Michelan, N. A. Siebe, J. R. M. Smith, H. E. Tomkins, R. C. Wilcox, and A. G. Wood. Absent:-Hon. R. Shewan (ex officia.)
MINUTES.
The minutes of the monthly meeting of the 7th July last and of the special meeting of 1st instant were read and confirmed.
NEW MEMBERS.
The SECRETARY reported that since the last meeting the following had been elected members of the Chamber subject to the usual confirmation at the next annual general meet ing:-Messrs. G. C. Moxon, E. H. Sharp, K.C., Chun On Fire Insurance Co., Ld., Shiu On Steamship Co., Ld., and Osaka Shosen Kaisha
THE CROWn agent8 AND CONTRACTS WITH PRIVATE FIRMS,
The following correspondence was read: The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce,
Colombo, 2nd April, 1903. DEAR SIR,-I am directed by my Committee to solicit information from your Chamber on the above subject, which has given rise to con. siderable discussion amongst our mercantile community during the last 18 months.
I am directed to enquire whether you are able to give us any information regarding the working of tho "Crown Agents" system and the Public Works Dapartment in your Colony in relation to the interest of your local merchants and or contracters.-Thanking you in anticipa- tion, I am, dear Sir, yours faithfully,
F. W. WALDOCH.
Secretary.
The SECRETAKY,
Hongkong Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 24th July, 1903. DEAR SIR,-1 amp directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 2nd April last soliciting information as to the working of the Crown Agents" System and the Public Works Department in this Colony in relation local merchants and to the interest of contractors.
As local conditions vary 80
much in different Crown Colonies, my Committee foel they are hardly in a position to reply in detail to all the points raised in your letter nuder reply.
You will gather from the enclosed report No. 13/1902 dated 29th larch, 1902, of the Commission appointed by H. E. the Governor on 11th October, 1991, to enquire into the Public Works Department, that some of the matters referred to by you have been the subject of comparatively recent investigation here, aud, in order that my Committee might be in better position to consider this matter, a series of questions was drawn up and presented by the Representative of this Chamber at a recent meeting of the Legislative Council. A copy of the latter, together with the Colonial Secretary's replies, is enclosed for your information, and needs little further explanation.
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If, as would appear, it be a fact that no reputable firm would be excluded from the Crown Agents' list, the opportunity of tendering for Government supplies is readily obtainable, and my Committee do not consider that the extra cost to the Colony through employing the Crown Agents is incommensurate with the services rendered.
In this connection it must not be forgotten that the Crown Agents undertake a considerable amount of work relating to the engagement of all British employees, such as the polices hospital nurses, sanitary cfficials, and other trained assistants, required to complete the staff of the various Government departments and for which no specific charge is made.
The question of the advisability of placing Government building contracts in the hands of private firms has also been dealt with by the Commission before referred to, and my Committee endorse the view that public works of "a special nature or of urgency" might with advantage be entrusted to private firms.
I am also to add that, should your Chamber desire a further interchange of ideas, my Committee will be pleased at any time to continue the discussion of this important question.--I am, dear Sir, yours faithfully,
The SECRETARY,
A. R. Lowe,
Secretary,
Chamber of Commerce, Colombo.
OFFICIAL CODE VOCABULARY.
Read correspondence with the London Chamber of Commence :-
The local importers maintain that Goveru- ment should do their utmost to encourage local trade by placing their orders with Colombo fire for materials required for the constru- tion of public works, in preference to indenting for all supplies upon the Crown Agents, and it is asserted that such a policy (namely, the throwing of the business open to com- petition) would prove moro economical to Government, and also that the mer- chants, who are themselves taxpayers, have a fair claim to be allowed to tender for the supply of goods towards whose purchase they themselves contribute. There is another section consisting of local building contractors who strongly protest against the present system which obtains in regard to the construction of I have now to confirm the translation of my public buildings and other works. These are wire to you of the 12th instant, coded and nearly all executed by the Public Works sent through the courtesy of the Peninsular Department in co-operation with the Govern- and Oriental S. N. Co., as follows-"Refer- ment Factory. It is argued that were ring to letter of 5th December, Hongkong Government to consent to piece-building' Chamber of Commerce support New York
Hongkong, 14th May, 1903. SIB,-Your letter of 7th January last, in- timating that my litter to you of the 5th December, 1902, on the subject of the Official Code Vocabulary would receive early atten tion, was duly received.
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[August 29, 1903,
Chamber of Commeros resolutions 2nd April request you on our behalf forward protest against official cable code to General Post Office London for presentation International Telegraph Conference. The next meeting is fixed for London 25th May. Lowe Secretary:" I enclose copy of the resolutious of the New York Chamber raf-rred to above, though you will doubtless have already received a copy of thesa from that body. As this Chamber has recently been in communication with you with the object of obtaining your support to the objections to the code, it will now be sufficient to state that my Committee have always been strongly opposed to the compulsory use of this officiall on the grounds that great expense and incouveni nce will be entailed on the marciatile community through the necessary amendment of existing codes.
The latest edition of the official code, although containing 1,176,100 words, is g'ill incomplete, and they trust that your Chamber will have seen its way to sympathise with the views of my Committee by forwarding a protest through the British Postal Authorities in order that the matter may be throughly ventilated at the forthcoming Conference.-I am, dear Sir, yours faithfully,
A. R. LOWE,
Secretary.
The SECRETARY,
Chamber of Commerce.
London Chamber of Commerce,
London, 19th June 1903, SIR, I have to acknowledge, with thanks, receipt of your letter of the 14th May, covering a copy of resolutions passed by the New York Chamber of Commerce relative to the above matter, which, as you correctly surmise, were bought also to the notice of this and other British Chambers of Commerce. I enclose for the information of your Chamber a copy of the letters aldressed to and replies received from His Majesty's Postmaster-General on this mat- ter, from which you will see that active steps were taken to oppose the proposed compulsory adoption of the new official vocabulary, both by resalation passed at a spacial meeting of this Chamber on the 20th April last, and also by forwarding from time to time protests received from various foreign Associations, whose names are specified in the correspondence sent herewith, It will also be seen that, some time before the opening of the Conference in London (May 26th) the Postmaster General informed the various Chambers that he had given instructions to the British delegates to oppose the compulsory adoption of the vocabulary.
I trust this information will be satisfactory to you, and remain,-Yours faithfully,
KENRIC B. MURRAY,
Secretary.
The SECRETARY,
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce. The CHAIRMAN said it would have been noted that Reuter's telegram of the 18th ultimo stated that the International Con- ference had completely revised the rules relating to codes, also from 1st July, 1904, any combination of 5 letters would be accepted as a word, and it was satisfactory to know that the official vocabulary scheme had at last been cancelled. What the new rules consisted of would be known locally in the course of a mail or two.
PROHIBITION OF HONGKONG COOLIE IM- MIGRATION AT SINGAPORE.
The SECRETARY reported that the following reply had been sent to the Singapore Chamber in answer to their letter of the 12th June read at the last monthly meeting :-
Hongkong, 30th July, 1903. SIR, I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12th ultimo, stating your Chamber's reasons for supporting the recent action of the Straits Government in
prohibiting the immigration of coolies from Hongkong, and enclosing the correspondencə in relation thereto.
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The Committee of this Chamber have con- sidered your inquiry as to whether some means of examination of Chinese passengers could not be devised of a more stringent nature than at present exists in order to reduce to a minimum the chances of plague cases occurring on the voyage or on arrival at your port, and they are of opinion that no examination before leaving
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