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many people in Hongkong, who are always on the look out for a good thing, want some explanation, that the simplest way to get it is through the Press,
I note that of the nine directors no oue bad time to give entire attention to the promotion of the enterprise, and after reading Mr. Chan A Tak's letter I gather that even now the directors have not had time to get any vory definite information as to what commission:: or services rendered and what expenditures are likely to be settled for in shares.
Shares as a role are not acceptal for mach- inery and materials, and I doubt if the vendors of land (to wit the land at Causeway Bay already said to have been bought by the Company for $40,000) will sell for shares. I am much surprised, too. to hear that subscribers of 50 shares get 5 promotion shares, or in other words, by paying $50 a subscriber gets 55 shares ($10)-face value) for a little over $3 per share. Is not this issuing shares at a discount and illegal ?
If shares are issued at $-and the President, as the secretary writes, will buy them back at par, which I presume means $10-the shares are well worth buying for a quick turnover, and any investor will readily see the advantage of the enterprise.
I note that the new Company appear to be calculating their profits on the present selling price of ice in this Colony, and I am very sorry to hear that this high pric) is likely to be maintained. I fully expected, when I heard that this new Company was formed, that competition would result and that the old established Hongkong Ice Company, with its capital of $125,000, would at once lower prices by at least 50 per cent. A slight reduction eren in one's ice acconut is something to took forward to in these hard times wheu a rise in exchange of 20 per cent is followed by a reduc- tion in the price of stores of only 5 per cent.- Yours, etc.,
THE HONGKONG POLICE.
X,
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS."
Hongkong, 25th October.
if men
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SIR, With reference to several paragraphs that have appeared in Hongkong papers relating to the scarcity of Police in Hongkong, it is not to be wondered at that we cannot get Europeans out from home when one takes a look round the quarters provided for them at the Central Station, which ought to be the best, but which are quite the opposite. The quarters are by far the worst Government European quarters in Hongkong Or elsewhere; fact, it would be hard to find worse quarters anywhere. The police at home are treated far superior to their brethren in Hongkong. A man joining the police at home can get married should he wish to do so, bat in Hongkong he is not allowed to until he has attained the rank of sergeant. This force would be far superior were allowed comfortable married quarters. As for those who do not wish to marry, give them comfortable quarters with some privacy attached to them, which they do not possess just now. Why not make it a Police Forca alone, not try to combine Police duties with soldiefing, which is at present curried on? Men joining at home generally sign an agreement for six hours a day, but they get out here and then get put on Water Police and they do more often bight hours' duty than six. I have also noticed just lately that certain men have been forced to perform twelve hours' duty out of 2, which is far from just. It is not a rare occurrence just lately for only two Europeans to be on daty to patrol the whole of the Central district from midnight to 6 a.m. Another thing I would like to mention about the crime in Hongkong. Why does not the Government stop the Canton and other boats from discharging passengers into the City at all hours of the night? A constable sees a suspicions person carrying a parcel at 2 a.m. and he stops him to enquire where he has come from. The answer he always gets is, " Canton steamer, just come from Canton." Who can deny that he has not, when they are allowed to come and go at any hour of the night P-Yours, etc.,
FAIR PLAY.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
BAD GAS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.”
Hongkong, 26th October. SIR,-In the interests of the general public wish through the medium of your paper to bring to the notice of the management of the Hongkong and China Gas Company, Limited, the present bad supply of gas to consumers. Oa dit, every household in this Colony is com- plaining bitterly of this fact, which is more than fully supported by the poor light exhibited for some time past in almost all the streets and public thoroughfares. Whatever may be the cause of this bad light, it is high time for the management (who is catering for the public) to adopt at once the desired improvement as con- sumers, whosince August, 192, have been paying, without grudging, the increased price of $3.50 instead of $3.00 per every 1,00 cubic feet, have a right to expect that their houses be well and properly illuminated.
Taking this matter from a commercial point of view, I find that the Company is in the first instance the great sufferer, as the quantity of the consumption of gas by consumers in its present state must be much more reduced. I see from my bills for the past two months that, although I was getting bad light, still I was paying less for it to the Company.-Yours, etc.,
TO THE EDITOR
PRO BONO PUBLICO.
OF THE DAILY PRESS. Hongkong, 26th October. SIE-A few months ago a good deal was written about the poor gas supply in the Colony, but those responsible for its production appear to have taken little heed of the com. | plaints made, as things, instead of improving, have gone from bad to worse. In many houses the light is so bad as to necessitate a return to keros ne lamps and candles, and no doubt dealers in these articles fully appreciate the assistance afforded them by the Gas Company. It is a great pity or local Electric Light Company is not more alive to the situation.
The continually deteriorating quality of the illuminant (?)-due no doubt to the ever- decreasing pressure, would naturally lead one to suppose that at all events the consumption was decreasing in proportion, but strange to relate, such is not the case, as subscribers find to their cost at the end of the month.
Speaking of bils, it may perhaps bo well to remind the local managers of the Gas Company that last year the price per 1000 cubic feet was raised from $3.00 to $3.50 on account of the fall in exchange. In the meantime exchange has risen considerably, but nothing has been heard of any corre- sponding reduction in price, which customers might reasonably expect as some sort of com- pensation for the wretched quality of the gas supplied. Even were a considerable reduction made, the price here would still be higher than in Shanghai, where consumers are only charged $1.50 per 1,000 cubic feet against our $3.50, in spite of which enormous differenc the Shanghai Company managed to pay last year a dividend of 16 per cent.
In everything connected with gas the Hongkong public seems to be imposed upon. It would appear from the Expresses circulated that the sale of the "genuine' Wolsbach Incandescent Burners and Mantles is limited in each port to one firm only, but whereas they are sold in Hongkong at $4 and $.50 respectively, the Shanghai people are in a position to buy articles similarly described as genuine" from the Gas Company at $1. and $-25. It is not to be supposed that the Shanghai Gas Co. lose money handsome dividends. on the sale of these fittings, judging from their
**
I shall feel happy if these lines in any way stimulate a healthy competition with Hongkong Gas aud Fittings, and, apologising for trespas- sing on the space of your valuable paper, remain Yours, etc.
LOVER OF LIGHT.
"
but
[November 2, 1903.
oil, with its attendant drawbacks, as an illumin- ant, I looked forward to well lighted rooms whilst residing in the Colony. But, alas! I was sadly disappointed. In spite of incandes- cent burners, mantles, ato.. I found that in order to obtain enough light in my small din. burners in the room) I had to turn out all the ing-room to see what I was eating (with three other burners in the house. Having been in the Colony but a short time, and therefore not having seen the previous letters referred to by "Lover of Light," I was wondering for how long consumers bad tolerated such a state of affairs aud for how long they were going to pay a very high price for " gas" and get nothing correspondent refers to the price of gas in air with a trace of gas in it." Your
Shanghai, and I am sure that consumers there quality we are supplied with, even though they would not tolerate for a moment gas of the
little healthy competition with Hongkong gas are charged less than half what we are.
and fittings" is very badly needed indeed, and, disregarded all hints given them previously as as the Gas Company appear to have utterly
to the quality of the article supplied by them, it would be well if a few more insisted on getting what they pay for by returning, until matters are remedied by the Company, to the use of the cheaper and (certainly at present) better illuminant, kerosene oil.— Yours etc.
MORE LIGHT.”
"A
consumers
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
??
Hongkong, 29th October. SIE-A paragraph in your this morning's issue states that the Gas Company is at present laying new mains in Connaught Road and feeders to the main in Queen's Road, and that
there will therefore be no further cause for
complaint on the score of a deficient supply. Tha piace of nows, whilst perhaps comforting those residents in the City of Victoria who are of sanguine nature, raises no forlorn hope in the breast of Yours etc.,
A KOWLOONITE.
THE VOLUNTEER CAMP.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.'
31
Hongkong, 28th October. SIR,-As a number of inaccuracies regarding what has happened at Camp this year have crept into both the Daily Press and the China Mail, I take this opportunity to correct them.
In view of the statement which appeared in your evening contemporary, for my own credit and that of Bombardier B. W. Grey (and it may be mentioned that I have passed the S. John Ambulance Association's examination four times
and Bombardier Grey three, and that we both hold the Association's medal), and also that of Surgeon Capt. Stedman, who taught us all we know, I take the accident to Corporal J. Hays first.
The facts of the case are, briefly, simply these: On Saturday night I was sergeant of the
main guard, and Corp. Hays was in charge of the rear guard. On Sunday at 4 a.m., he had relieved his sentry and posted a new man, and was just about to turn in again, when he tripped over the end of his bed and fell heavily
on the neck of a broken bottle and severed an artery in his right wrist. Almost immediately Gunner H. K. Holmes brought me the news, and I at once ran to the scene of the accident.
It
was apparent at a glance that an artery had been cut, and I stopped the flow of blood by compressing the brachial artery with my fingers. Realising after some time thit it would not be possible for me to hang on to the arm for very long, and as the rest of the guard, though rendering valuable assistance, were not ambulance men, I sent for Bombardier Grey. On his arrival we worked together for a considerable time, but as the improvised tourniquet we put on was not. altogether satisfactory, Grey suggested that Sergt. Nobbs should be sent for, in the hope that amongst the stock of medical comforts he was known to have brought over he would happen to have a tourniquet. That hope was realised, and on Sergt. Nobbs's arrival' (about half an hour after the accident first
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS,'
Hongkong, 28th October. SIR,-I was pleased to see, in your to-day's issue, "Lover of Light's letter with regard to the quality of the gas supplied by the Gas happened) an Esmarcks tourniquet was placed Company. Having, whilst residing in outports, in position, being removed now and again been obliged for some years past to use kerosene to allow a supply of fresh blood to reso
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