200
"with. By using this tariff she has secured "better terms for Indian coffee from pro- "tectionist France; the memorandum
蒙羞
broadly hints that by the freer employ. ment of it more liberal terms might be "extorted elsewhere, and that it must be "regarded as a weapon held in reserve if "the Powers attempt to make India the whipping-boy for a fiscally heretical Eng "land. This is precisely the position in "which Mr. BALFOUR wishes to place Great "Britain." We recommend all those who are interested in the subject to read the In- dian (overnment's despatch.
WAR RELIEF FUNDS
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
HONGKONG JOTTING.
(Daily Press, 11th March.) We publish in our advertisement columns to-day a notification making an appeal to the Hongkong public on behalf of two funds started in this Colony in connection with the war now proceeding between Japan and Russia. The money subscribed to one will be devoted impartially to the mitigation of the sufferings of all sick and wounded in the war, whatever be their nationality; that subscribed to the other fund will be given for the relief of the widows and orphans of the Japanese killed during the war. Both objects are most worthy, as we need hardly insist, and Hongkong may be depended upon to make a generous answer to the appeals. We wrote eight days ago upou the subject of the propose-l relief fund, pointing out what was being doue in Japan and Shanghai to aid the families of those at the front in the cause of Japan. One of the Hongkong funds will be devoted to the same purpose as the money collected in Shanghai and the Japanese ports. W. think that these concerned in starting the subscriptions in Hongkong have done wisely in dividing the appeal in two. Had tuey limited the purpose for which the money is being collected to the relief of Japanese widows and orphans, there would be a like- lihood in this very cosmopolitan community that so:ne Europeans would have held back, not seeing sufficient reason to contribute money to such a fund, when possibly their sympathies are rather with the Russians, On the other hand, it could not be expected that the local Chinese merchants, ready as they have always shown themselves to re- spond to calls upon their benevolence, would be eager to contribute money, part of which would go to the help of the Russians, China's enemies and oppressors. The highest form of charity, no doubt, takes no bred of race distinctions; but personal sympathies cau- not, in the natural man, be eutirely suppressed, and active benevolence can hut be stimulated by a knowledge that it is to those whose cause we approve that our help will be given. Therefore the promoters of the two subscription lists are to be com- mended on the manner in which they have given an opportunity to people of various sympathies to display their charitable feel- ings. Hongkong residents, Europeans,
(Duily Press, 7th March.) The change in the weather yester lay, when the floodgates of heaven were opened after being sealed for fally three months, was not unwel- come. Drains in various parts of the town have loudly proclaimed their want of flushing for weeks past, and the residents will welcome the approach of the time when the Water Authority will no longer find it necessary to keep the town on shot commons, When will Hongkong be provided with suffi ient water-storage? I have heard it whispered that His Ex- cellency the Officer Administering the Govern ment is paying particular attention to this important matter, and that as a consequence the work will be greatly accelerated this year So mote it be!
|
[March 12, 1904,
Government to yield to the prayer of the ladies Chinese or the Colony and require all servants to register, as is done in Indo-China. It is not generally known that a photograph album of servants who have been convicted is now kept by the Police. The Captain-Superin tendent in his report announces that this album may be inspected by anyone. I heard a few days ago of a case in which a lady engaged a brand new lot of servants, and a day after their installation missed one hundred dollars! Ladies who are unable to get satisfactory references with new sercents might do well to inspect the Police album.
Now that the rains have come at last it may seem idle to refer again to the waste of water which one sees in so many directions. In below the window of my bedroom there is a spigott which ran incessantly every night for the whole There is considerable talk now of a new Peak length of a week. The sound of the splashing water was annoying enough in all conscience, tramway being built. A Bill has already been drawn up for presentation to the Legislative but there was much more annoyance in the fact Council. I see that the Hongkong correspond that good water was being wantonly wasted ent of the North-China Daily News sketches
while everybody in the, Colony was more or the course of the live as starting from Battery less suffering from a dearth of supply. I had Pathway, near to its junction with Queen's the courage to report the matter to an official of the P. W. D., and he told me, rightly or wrong- Road, running up near and past the Publicly, that he had no power to go into a house- Gardens, thence up Gleueely Ravine, to Queen's
rdens, and on. There would be stations for holder's yard to check water-waste. If that is Caine Road, Robicson Road, Conduit Road and
so it is high time such power was given. Queen's Gardens, giving quic‹ access to all the
Mr. H. D. Wolfe should feel a proud man for different levels of Victoria, and rendering the enconiams poured upon him for the marked residents more or less independent of chair-
success he and his hard-working committes coolies. The same writer understands that
achieved in their“ send off" ball on Friday efforts will be made to preserve one uniform night, which was mentioned in the Press on grade throughout, and that the car accommod- Saturday. The floor which Mr. J. Vanstone ation will be greater than on the present, line, took under his care certainly proved its repu- tation of being the best in the Colony. The will run through the Public Gardens, which I absence of a band, which s many other engage- hope is not true, for it would be a pity to spoilments just now prevented them from securing. our pretty Gardens. But a tapping different districts, and beginning ia Queen's Road, would be a great gain to the Colony.
I have heard it mentioned here that the line
new tramway,
the Magazine Gap scheme? It is long since I Speaking of tramways, what has become of
have seen anything about it. come in time, I should think.
Such a line must
A special Providence is said to watch, and It think not without some warrant, over children and drunkards, both of whom not infrequently
from danger. I remem
have wonderful
escapes
She
was never missed on account of the excellent
playing of the dance-music by Col.-Sergt. Field- ing. Sherwood Foresters, at the piano, and Sergt. Jenkins, R.E., on the violin. It was an ideal night for a ball, and everyone regretted that this one was bringing a delightful series to a close. Perhaps the energetic and indefatigable Mr. Wolfe will turn his attention in some other direction to find us poor exiles some form of amusement, during the unpleasant season be- He will be quite assured of the grati- tude of those exiles!
BANYAN.
fores.
[FLOM OU SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.]
ber bearing of a man who while intoxicated man- aged to fall over a precipice some 70 feet in height JAPAN DURING THE WAR. into a chalk pit in Kent, and was found next morning, if not perfectly free from contusions. at least with 3 und, unbroken bones. The escape of little Miss Kathleen Craddock on the Harlech Road at the Peak a few days ago is a striking iustance of the way children often evade fatal consequences from a fall. slipped through the iron railing, turned a sumer- sault, and landed on a ledge, and altho .gh this did not entire y stay her descent, for she continued rolling down some thirty feet on the rocks, it broke her fall and let her off with bruises in- stead of broken limbs or concussion of the brain The little lady has been shon of her fair locks, but she is, I am glad to say, doing well, and will of walks at the Peak where accidents could hap- soon make a good recovery. There are pleuty
pen, but thanks to the present head of the Public Works Department, most of the worst places have be u protected by railings, and very few accidents of the kind do occur.
Tokyo, 24th February. The daily question is "What news? what news?" The same reply is always given: There is no news, this is the period of waiting." Strange as it may seem, battles require even more preparation than the acts of a play in a theatre, and the public must wait till all is ready All clamour is useless; the managers keep the curtain down until they are satisfied that all is ready. We try to coax: if we bave to wait, let us go and do our waiting in the place where the preparations are going on, let us amuse ourselves and pass the time watching; But the reply, courteously inflexible, is--what would a correspondent do there? Why, he would correspond, of course; and that is just the thing that cannot be.
Chinese, and others, will, we are cnfident, fally petitioned the Government recently with i secrecy regarding th ir plan of campaign is an
take the opportunity of subscribe to one or other of the funds or even to both.
Te ladies of the community who uusuccess. a view to secure the registration of domestic
+
servants will be interested to observe that in a somewhat indirect way their appeal has the There has been issued from the Statistical support of the Acting Captain Superin endent Department of the Customs at Shanghai a of Police in his annual report to the Govern- copy of the Customs Gazette for the fourthment. After commenting on the fact that quarter of last year. The comparative state larcenies by servants were numerons last year, ment of the total amount of dues and duties col- Captain Lyons says: It would greatly lected during the quarter in 19.3 and 1902 is assi-t the Police in such cases if it were as under, iu Haikwan tarls:--
customa y for persons when engiging 1903.
servants to obtain their photographs and 7,899,888 8,177,891 their names, parents' names and addres es in 186,609 157,114 Chinese characters." Certainly it would, but the Police might wait until the Greek Kalends for 66,400
57,6:4 such a custom to grow up in Hongkong. The only satisfactory way of putting the Police 8,152,897 8,592,652 into possession of this information is for the
Chinese ports
Kowloon and Lapps. Lungehow, Mengize, Sza.
mao, and Tengyueh
Total...
1902.
!
the Jap ness authorities are perfectly right. essential to the success of their life-and-death struggl with the hugePower, the bully of Europe, and the insatiable devourer of Asia, From Port Arthur to Vladivostock is a long, exposed line of communicatious, which Japan can threaten at a hundred points, and keep the Russians in a thither to meet incessant alarms, while a fever of appre ension, running hither and
tre endous, overwhelming combined move may be in preparation at some little-suspected spot. And if Rusia oro pied (orea, so much the longer line would she expos to swift descents of Japanese forces from the sea which they command completely. The trump card which Japan holds, by her ass power, is the ability to attack suddenly at any unknown point of a long line. Suddenness depends on secrecy. And
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