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to that subject, but has wandered rathre into that of Christianity in the Far East. We do not propose to resume the considera tion of the question here, but merely to justify, if any justification is necessary, the freedom allowed to correspondents to express their views, though these views must necessarily bo painful to a certain number of others to hear. expression of honest conviction should really pain; it is the wanton abuse of others' con- victions, if they be similarly honest, which is to be reprehended. And this abuse is, unfortunately, not limited to one side only in any great religious controversy.
COTTON.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY. PRESS AND
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[December 14, 1903.
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I regret to say that when Mr. Cooke described the first European buildings in Hongkong as gorgeons palaces " he permitted himself a license which he very well know few of his readers were in a position to call in question. He also relied upon the proverbial shortness of memory of the average newspaper reader, for in a previous letter he had written that the bungalows generally consist of three rooms about forty feet high, all opening upon a verandab, some bedrooms and a set of detached offices for Chinese." If such were “ gorgeous palaces ' how should a writer describe the residences of the present day in Hongkong?
were forced up until spot cotton in Liver- | conquer an Empire." Alas and slack! Where Some those Dow pool was quoted over 7d., and, had mills
gorgeous palaces?
And continued working full time, an even higher archeologist can perhaps enlighten us.
in the days of a constantly fluctuating dollar figure would have been touched.
which never even rises to an exchange value market was even then absolutely at the of 2/-, I might even ask the question. Where mercy of the manipulators, to the detriment are now those merchant princes ? " of trade. The curtailment of production, with the increased acreage planted in Ame- Norica, caused a gradual decline in prices, and, though the crop had an indifferent start, the improved weather conditions for some months played an important part and prices gave way, until at the beginning of October arrivals were quoted in Liverpool under 5d. par Ib. Since then prices had an upwdar tendency, news of killing frosts having effect. But now the situation of course is positively dangerous, and the maddest manipulators seem to be having ample sway. Bankruptcies and suicides will no doubt follow, have indeed probably been witnessed already. The spectacle is appal ling, but it is an inevitable result of the gambling spirit, which is so condemned in the white working-man and the Chinese coolie, having full license in the stock exchanges.
(Daily Press, 7th December.) The news about the wild excitement in the cotton market, as noted in our London correspondent's telegram on Saturday and in REUTER'S telegrams which we publish to-day, was to a certain extent anticipated and dreaded, though the exact pitch to which the speculating fever rose was not perhaps looked for. Brokers fighting one another in their eagerness to buy or sell, prices rising ten or twenty points at a rush, fortunes made and lost within five minutes, all this recalls some of the most sensa-
tional days of speculation. The history of this cotton affair is noteworthy. An interesting article appeared in the Times of India lately, dealing with the cotton position and giving some statistics of which we are glad to avail ourselves. Formerly the trade was accustomed to a visible supply of cotton at the end of the season of about two million bales, but, as the demand showed indications of overtaking the supply, this figure became reduced. In 1897-8 and 1898-9 the American crop each year gave a total of about eleven and a quar ter million bales, and what were regarded as normal figures were again resumed. In 1899-1900 the American crop was under nine and a half million bales, and the aver- age for the past three years has been just over 10,600,000 bales, so that, with an in- greasing consumption, the yearly offtake has exceeded the supply, the result being that there has been a withdrawal from stocks. At the beginning of last season the total visible supply was just over one million bales, and with an American crop of ten and three-quarter millions, which was insufficient for the consumption, stocks became further reduced and this senson started with a visible supply of about 700,000 bales. Now we have, as our corres pondent telegraphs, an officially estimat ed crop of 9,962,039 bales only, a shortage of 600,000. At the beginning of November a favourite estimate was over eleven million balee, but this was felt to be over-sanguine, and the dread was grow ing that the manipulators would have the market at their mercy. The Times of India points out that with the increased cousump tion which has been apparen: of late years, it will take at least three years of American, crops of over twelve million bales to give a stock of cotton sufficient to enable the trade
to compete against the manipulations of irresponsible speculator. It is plain now that this year's crop will make the position worse, and to what extent the speculators have taken advantage of the position is shown by the wild scenes at New York and New Orleans, The article to which we have referred above points out how during the past season the position of the market at- tracted the attention of speculators from almost the commencement, and the manipu- lation of prices began early in 1903. Prices
HONGKONG JOTTINGS.
(Daily Press, 11th December.) Hongkong still continues to talk about-and to feel--the cold. The lowest reading of the thermometer of which I have heard was 41 at a house on the Peak, the time being about 8 'clock a.. The lowest official retara for Hongkong, lower level, seems to be 54. There appears every indication of the cold lasting, and the hope of a little more warmth which I mentioned last week seems to have faded away. We can therefore don with appreciation the clothes which, six mouths ago, we could not Hongkong is look at without perspiring. getting quite brilliant with waistcoats, about the only article with which man can usually make himself gay. As for the ladies-well, my pen fails me to describe how they have welcomed the wintry weather with becoming cstumes. Many of the shops, too, have assumed a distinctly Christm is air, and dolls. toys, and various games attract not only childish eyes-indeed they rather "jump to the eye of their display. I wonder the coolie children think of them as they end avour to press their flat lit le no-es against the panes of glass that cat them off from the mysteries designed for some other-coloured child.
with the rividness
between now and then is not very striking. For example, "it was by no common expenditure of time and interest that my friend obtained for me a single room at a price not much above what a lodging in Regent Street would cost in the London season.' Well, rents are still a sore subject in Hongkong, and Mr. Cooke's comparison might be allowed to stand. But in these days of a low exchange we may feel devoutly thankful that Hongkong is not place where a turkey and a ham cost £5."
There are some respects in which the contrast
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The spirit of S. Andrew must evidently have permeated the temperament of a Chinese of the coolie class in the vicinity of the site of the now Post Office last Wednesday evening. This locality not being well illuminated-the Prays side of Des Voeux Road at this spot indeed being almost toʻally devoid of any illuminagt favoured the carrying out of his little joke." Arming himself with a large-sized brick, he lay ia wait until a ricksha containing an European drew near, and then launched his missile. That be succeeded in giving the occupant a sudden shock goes without saying. Fortunately the brick only struck the intended victim on the hip, and thence rebounded into the foot of the rebiole, But the affeic migut easily have been fraught with more serious consequences. The assailant got clear away. Still it is somewhat astonishing that such au occurrence is possible within only a few yards of the Hongkong Hotel. Where were the police ?
compound of Wellington Barracks.
I have noticed some very pretty plants in the They are trimmed into the shape of men and other fan- tastic desigus. Tourists will do well to have a look at them; they will be nothing new to those who visited the Chinese flower-show held ou the Praya at Coronation time.
- mak
It is, I am aware, always a puzzle to contrace tors where to dispose of their building refuse, and if not closely watched they are very apt to
The unwonted retardation of the almost place it in the first convenient spot, utterly regardless of its disfiguring appearance. The invariably prompt English mail spoilt several Public Works Department has, very rightly, shooting parties yesterday. We have grown to refused permission for them to deposit on the
look on it as a matter of course that the P. Lo. hillside, to be washed down into the streams
boat will arrive to the minute—a circumstance and to blur the lan lscape. In these cir- often overlooked by those who lament, the cumstances, I cannot understand why they conserra:ism of British steamship companies- should continue to be allowed to m ke the
and so feel aggrieved that roaz, weather can deprive us o our mail in time to get a free bank of Girn aly Ravine, between the Trau Teriniuns and Joseph's Church, a rast
Su day and a look at the birds, if we are unsightly rubbish-heap. It is a most cou- so miided. The state of the various reseela spicuous place, in a good neighbourhood, and arising from the South daring the lust the bank is already bulged on to its utungh
days shoul boh to couvi..ce dimensions. It is surely time that the bank shoull now be reduced to shape sai neatly angose of the dirtiness of the weather
urfed over.
It is extremely interesting to dip into the records relating to the early days of Hongkong, and to make the comparison between then and BOW. I have just bon reading agaiu some of those inte estiug letters which Mr. W. E. Cooke eat to the London Times in the early fifties. Writing in one of them concerning the City of Victoria, besays: "The first great astonishment to a man who recollects Sir Francis Maitland's report, that there was auchorage for ships and room on the Island for one house, is to find merchant princes living in many many gorgeous palaces, a city two miles long, every article of home luxury except a bracing breeze, and fleets which could feed a principality and
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The nine Japruess boysa leged to have been kidu.pped and takou to Shanghai, whom the Mixed Court there ofdered to be retarded to In the Japan, arrived at Kobe on the 25th alt course of the morning, as the vessel lay at the pior, the boys were taken charge of by the Water Police, and returned to Osaka. We gare an account of this affair some days ago. It is stated that the boys were bought from the poorest families for sums ranging from three to teu yen. At Shanghai a foreign Customs officer suggested that they had been purchased to be taken to Singapore and thence sent to work in mines in some part of the Straits Set- tlements,
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