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October 22, 1904. ]
Messrs. Butterfiel and Swire's Docks at Quarry Bay, was charged with having caused the death of a coolie there on 20th ult. He pleaded not guilty Mr H. G. Calthrop, bar- rister-at-law (instructed by Mr. H. Hursthouse of Messrs. Dennys and Bowley, solicitors), ap- E peared for the prosecution, and Mr. Pollock, K.C. (instructed by Mr. H J. Gedge,
Stokes of Messrs. Johnson,
and Master, solicitors), was for the defence.
The jury was as follows:-Messrs. R. T. D. Sayle, J. A. Stopani, J. I. Andrews, H. Skott, H.T. Richardson, W. M. Anderson, and H. S.
Bevan.
After hearing the evidence to a conclusion the jury found the prisoner not guilty, and he was discharged.
The Court rose.
Thursday, 20th October. BEFORE HIS HONOUR SIR HENRY BERKELEY (CHIEF JUSTICE).
WHAT IS CONTRABAND.
Hon. E. H. Sharp KC. (instructed by Mr. Hastings), moved on behalf of the Osaka Shosen Kaisha that the award dated the 26th day of September, 1904, of Edbert Ausgar Hewett the arbitrator, aéting under the submission to arbitration contained in an agreement of Charter Party dated the 10th of February, 904, and made between Messrs. Sander. Wieler and Co., as agents for the captain and owners of the Norwegian s.s. Prometheus, and the Osaka Shosen Kaisha asharterers, be set down for hearing as a special Case. Mr. Sharp put in a number of affidavits and documents, and re- marked that the whole question was as to the meaning of the word
Mr. Hewett had acted as sole arbitrator by consent of both parties, although in the charter party, it was stated that in cases of dispute an arbitra. tor should be appointed by each side with an umpire or referee.
contraband."
His LORDSHIP made the order in the terms asked, the date of hearing to be subsequently arranged.
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION:
BEFORE HIS HONOUR T. SERCOMBE SMITH (PUISNE JUDGE).
CLAIM FOR SALARY.
Frank Jorge sought to recover from the Sun Life Insurance Company, of Canada. the sum of $125. being one month's salary n lieu of notice.
Mr. E. J. Grist (Messrs. Wilkinson and
Grist) appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. Harding (Messrs. Ewens and Harston) defended.
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The plaintiff was engaged early in August to canvass business at a salary of $125 a month. He introduced nothing during the month and the manager, when paying his salary, said to him "Your business is entirely unsatisfactory, but I recognise the difficulty of a new man taking up insurance business. I will give you another month's trial, and if you do not prove more successful we must sever relations," In September plaintiff did nothing at all, and he was paid off on the 1st inst, when he gave a receipt in full.
Mr. Stein, the local manager of the defendant Company, gare evidence, and denied that there was any contract, expressed or understood.
His Honour gare judgment for defendant wilh costs.
One of the ringleaders of. the Hunghutzu named Chin Shao-shan publicly celebrated his mother's birth ay at a district in Fengtien last week, when not only the magistrate of the district gave him $300, as a present, but the native gentry and merchants sent him a birthday curtain as a mark of respect for him and his mother's longevity. It is calculated, says the Peking Times, that he received more than a 1,000 such curtains in the course of the week as well as many other valuable presents. This man is employed by the Japanese, and his force is armed and paid by the Japanese army. He is now one of the most important chiefs of the Hunghutzu, but it is said that owing to miscon- | duct a portion of them have been disbanded.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
ZONE TIME FOR HONGKONG. |which forms the
The following interesting correspondence makes quite clear the cause and origin of the Governor's order now being published, for the adoption of sta dard time in the colony on and after the last day of this current month.
Colonial Secretary's Office.
Hongkong, 29th June, 1904. SIB. I am directed to forward for the information of your Committee a Memorandum by Mr. Tyler, the Coast Inspector of the Imperial Maritime Customs, on the desirability of adoping Zone time in this Colony.
I also transmit a copy of a report by the Harbour Master on the subject and to state that the Officer Administering the Government would be glad to be informed of the views of your Committee in the matter.—I have, &c.
A. M. THOMSON, Colonial Secretary. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce.
MEMORANDUM ON THE DESIRABILITY OF HONGKONG ADOPTING ZONE TIME.
Quietly and without any public notification a standard time has been adopted in the Eastern part of China, and is now in use from New. chwang and Swatow, up the Yangtse as far as Hankow, and at Weihaiwei and Tsingtau.
In addition Zone time is in use in Japan and in the Philippine Islands.
A great and important progressive movement has thus been inaugurated in the Far East.
Introduced now, when railway development in China is in its infancy, none of the usual incon- reniences connected with the initiation of its
introduction are felt.
Put off until different railway systems were running, with traffic tables adjusted to local time, the difficulties in the way of obtaining the necessary co-operation for its introduction would be immense.
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enclosure to your letter. From the minute of the Honourable the Harbour Master it would appear that no advantage to Hongkong would be gained by the change at present, and, at first sight, the Committee were rather inclined to hold similar views, but further consideration convinced them that the inauguration here of 8 hour Zone time would not only cause no inconveniene, but would prove rather an advantage than other wise. On the other hand, great inconvenience. will result, not only to China but to the Colony, if the change is not made before Hongkong is linked with the various railway systems now extending over China..
Local time being in force here, the only change necessary would be to put clocks on 23 A slight advantage would be gained by the minutes, or thereabouts, on the appointed day.
business community through the fact of the working day starting earlier and closing correspondingly sooner than now, thereby giving 23 minutes more daylight after the usual closing hour of 5 o'clock as at present. The Committee are unable to find any likelihood of complaint from the naviators using the port, and indeed they are of opinion that they would welcome the change for the reason that it would simplify their calculations. It is plainly much easier for them to deduct 8 hours from the observed time of the falling ball of the local Observatory than, as at present, the regulation figures representing hours, minutes, seconds and decimals of seconds in order to ascertain the errors of their chrono- meters. This may not appear to be a great advantage, but it is the sum total of such small matters which secure the safety of navigation, and the elimination of a possible source of error should not be passed over lightly.
That Zone time has been successfully in- troduced by the Imperial Maritime Customs in the ports of China north of Hongkong, and Now in the future expansion of this system a even up the Yangtse as far as Hankow, without check exists. Zone time is in use as far south exciting adverse criticism and practically with- as Swatow. But at anton and the West River out reference in the local papers is a great ports it has not yet been introduced owing to
achievement and adgurs well for its easy the interdependence of these places with Hong- adoption in Hongkong. It does not therefore seem desirable that this British Colony should kong-it is seen that considerable inconvenience would occur were an attempt made to establish withhold its support to a scheme which practical. a standard time in this part of China except it wasly sets in motion Greenwich time throughout done in co-operation with Hongkong and Macao. the Chinese Empire.
Until these ports agree to the adoption of Zone time an obstacle exists in the way of the further expansion of the system in China.
As His Excellency is aware, Zone time is not a new iden.
It has been found necessary to adopt it in countries such as Canada, Australia This check has more thau a local effect. For and United States of America which have great until the Western limit, on the coast, of the 8 trans-continental lines of railway as it was hour Zone is decided on (and it is possible found impossible to properly regulate the branch that Hoihow and Pakhoi, though strictly out-line connections unless some easily calculated side the Zoue. may for practical purposes be included) it is unadvisable to take any steps towards establishing a boundary North and South between the 8 and 7 hour Zone.
W. FERD TYLER, Coast Inspector. Canton 22nd June, 1904.
Harbour Master's Minute. So far as Hongkong is concerned such a change would, so far as I can see, be of no advantage. We should. I take it, benefit Canton if she is dependent upon us for making a change due to her railway expansio; it seems to me purely a matter for China. In our own consideration we are essentially a shipping Port and Zone time is not popular with navigators. On the whole I should say that the change should not be contemplated without more reason than is at present apparent. It might be made the subject of an interchange of an opinion with Macao and also our Chamber of Commerce. My own view is that there would seem to be no necessity for the change
L. B. L., Harbour Master. 27th June, 1904.
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
11th August, 1904.
SIB. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your confidential communication dated 29th June, last (No. 5015/4/C. 8. O.) relative to the question of instituting Zone time in this Colony,
The Committee have given this matter serions attention and they are unable to see any reason. able grounds for disputing the proposition as put forward by Mr. W. Ferd. Tyler, Coast Inspector, of the Imperial Maritime Cus toms, in his Memorandum on the subject
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system of hour or hourly zones divided these countries. The Phiippine Islands have also adopted 8 hour Zone time as proposed for Hongkong.
In view of the great extension of railways in the Empire of China which will undoubtedly take place in the near future it is obvious that some such system as Zone time will presently become imperative. My Committee therefore endorse the viw expressed by the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs Officials that this change should be made now rather than at a later date when the various railways are completed.
The fact that these systems are being deve- loped by so many different syndicates embracing so many different national interests adds weight to the request that the change in official time should be made before, rather than after, the railways are completed.
From its geographical position China lends itself very readily to a Zone system of 7 hours in the Western portion and 8 hours in the Eastern.
The 8 hours Zone East of Greenwich would be 112 to 1274, therefore the Eight hour Zone could well be made to embrace the whole of China eastward of say Hankow on the Yangtse, and Canton on the hukiang. Thus not only would the main railway systems in China be worked on the official time of 8 hours east of Greenwich, but also all the treaty ports at which the main coasting and river trade is conducted, as well as those ports at which ocean-going vessels call.
The nature of the Yangtse and West Rivers is such that steamers proceeding up river beyond Hankow and Canton respectively have to be especially constructed for the purpose and therefore will not have to run from the Eastern into the Western Zone time.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.