322
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His Excellency the Governor visited the camp of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps at Stonecutter's Island on the 26th instant. There was a good muster of the men, who went through their drill smartly. Afterwards. His Excellency, who expressed his satisfaction with the appearance of the Corps, dined with the officers. Oct. 26th being Guest Night & considerable number of civilians went across to the Island, and they were entertained by the volunteers. A smoking concert was given, and the talent of the Corps found full expression during the evening. With regard to the work of the volunteers the programme on the 26th pre- sented no feature of special interest. The usual routine work of drilling, working with the fifteen-pounders and maxims, and attending lectures sufficed to fill in the greater part of the day. The principal event is, of course, the in- spection on the 29th, to which the men are now looking forward. So enthusiastic are some of the volunteers and officers that they were actually practising their company drills after darkness had fallen.
men
A guard of honour received His Excel. lency, who proceeded to inspect the and afterwards the tents. The volunteers were put through the evolutions of the King's Birthday parade, firing the feu de joie. Finally they were marched before His Excellency and
dismissed.
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
The Hon. GERSHOM STEWART, in seconding said: I am sure I express the general opinion of the shareholders in saying that we are extreme- ly contented with the very satisfactory report which is put before us for the period `under review (Hear, hear). I think as long as we pro- ceed on the very safe lines that we are going on of distributing in dividends only half our earn. ings we shall continue to prosper. I am very pleased to see the continual building up of a strong reserve, and I hope that policy will be long continued. It might possibly come under the consideration of the directork at some not very distant date as to whether, some of that reserve should be in gold.
The report and accounts were nanimously adopted.
The CHAIRMAN moved that the nomination of Mr. H. P. White to the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. J. H. Lewis le confirmed. and that the resignation of Mr.
J. H. Lewis be accepted.
He also moved that the Hon. Sir Paul Chater, C. M.G.. Messrs D. E. Brown. F. Maitland. H. P. White, and E. Shellim be re-elected members of the Consulting Committee.
Mr. RoGGE seconded.
The motion was unanimously adopted. The CHAIRMAN proposed the re-election of Messrs W. H. Potts and R. Chatterton Wilcox a. auditors.
Mr. Ho Fook seconded.
The motion was unanimously adopted. The CHAIRMAN said the dividends would be ready this (Saturday) morning and those for local shareholders would be posted the first thing in the morning.
The proceedings then ended.
Some 150 altogether. including about! seventy visitors, sat down to dinner in the mess matshed, which was gaily decorated with bunting. The menu cousisted of soup. ham, chicken, vegetables, curry and rice. cake, and -cheese. Ás soon ax the tables were cleared, singing commenced. Mr. P. W. Goldring gave several good songs, as also did Lieut. G. P. Lammert, Messrs. Lapsley and Hays contributed banjo solos Messrs. J. Wit chell, Allcock. Darby and Terrell songs: Lieut. M. S. Northcote a stump speech; and Mr. J. W. Bains a recitation. Lieut. G. P. Lammert and Mr. Sheffield acted as accompanists. A
An interesting case which should appeal to very enjoyable evening was closed shortly before the large anny of young men who are running eleven o'clock by singing the National Anthem.orghave been concerne with messes has just
CANTON INSURANCE OFFICE, LTD.
:0:
The twenty-third, ordinary general meeting of the Canton Insurance Office, Ltd.. was held at the offices of the general agents. Messrs Jardine, Matheson & Co., Hongkong, on October 21st. The Hon. W. J. Gresson, chairman of the Consulting Committee, presided, and the others present were the Hon. Sir Paul Chater, C.M.G.. Messrs. D. E. Brown, F. Maitland, H. P. White, and E. Shellim. members of the Consulting Committee.; the Hon. Gershom Stewart, Messrs C. Rogge, A. G. Morris, A. V. Apcar. J. Orange, J. Whittall, P. Tester. F. J. V. Ribeira, G. Potts. Ho Fook, Chan San, Ho Kom Tong. Ho U Sang, and G. T. Veitch, secretary.
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SQUEEZING " A MESS.
been decided in the British Court at Shanghai. A Chinese cook entered a claim for $75 30 against a Mr. C. H. Rutherford It was alleged that the money had been expended on provisions supplied by defendant's orders. Mr. Rutherford did not dispute the claim-accord- ing to the report-but he told a delightful story of how he ran his mess in Shanghai. The cook when he was engaged in August was dis- tinctly told that the food should not, come to more than $40 a head per month-there were four in the mess, so that the idea was to spend $160 a month on food. But this was not to the cook's liking, and at the end of the month he calmly presented a bill for 8300-or $75 a head for the month. And what an amount of food these four messmates had consumed in the month! According to the cook's little bill, the quartette had waded through 2,000 lbs, of solid fare, close upon a ton of fish, flesh, fowl, and vegetables. There was apparently a lively day when the bill was presented and Mr. Rutherford refused to pay every thing. Next month expenses were reduced and the bill only amounted to $165. To show the Court how impossible it was that so much food could have been consumed by four men in a month. Mr. Rutherford quoted some of the items in the cook's accoust. The four in the mess were said to have made away with 310 pounds of meat. 100 chickens, 806 pounds of potatoes, 482 eggs, 126 pounds of butter. 44 pounds of sugar, 85 pounds of bread. 25 pounds of ham and bacon and numerous other things, the whole totalling over 2,000 pounds. In two days they had consumed 30lbs. of medt-which shows what a healthy place Shanghai is. The cook had offered to reduce his bill by 850, but the offer was refused. The cook alleged that there had been plenty of friends invited by the masters to chow, and that was how the food was used up. Mr. Rutherford said that he was not prepared to make an offer to the cook, but left the matter to the discretion of the Court. But his Honour said he was not supposed to settle other people's housekeeping bills.
I have quite enough,” he added naively. I have quite enough to do with my own. you find a boy squeezing' why get rid of him The CHAIRMAN then formally moved the at once. That is the way to do." The cook got adoption of the report and accounts.
The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report and accounts. said: Gentlemen-With your permission we will adopt the usual custom and take the report and accounts as read. The result of last year's working I trust you will consider satisfactory, as also our recommenda. tion as to the disposal of the available balance of $445,494:34: viz-by paying a dividend of $17 per share, strengthening the Reserve Fund by the addition of $100,000 which will then stand at $1,400,000, increasing the Re-Insurance Fund by $25,000, and carrying forward the balance of $150,494.34. Our premia income, you will have noticed, shows an increase over that of the previous year. This in some measure was owing to the rate of exchange at which the sterling premia was converted, viz:-1/8 as against 1/10 in 1902. Sterling losses were also calculated at the same rate. The present year's working, to date, I have pleasure in stating. continues satisfactory, although in this quarter, owing to the existing war, business is somewhat restric- ted. As regards our mortgages, our surveyors report ample margins on the sums advanced. Before proposing the adoption of the report and accounts, I shall be pleased to answer any questions appertaining thereto which share- holders may ask.
No questions were asked.
$60 and costs.
If
[October 29, 1904.
HONGKONG TO SHANGHAI
ON FOOT.
The police officer in charge of the station at Shatakok, on the frontier, was on the 21st inst. considerably surprised by the appearance of four foot-sore travellers. They told him they were starving, and asked for food. They had been in the Hongkong house of detention for at least ten weeks, and were so thoroughly sick of it that they were going to try their luck at Shanghai. They were walking to Shanghai. Could the police officer kindly tell them if they were near that place then?
"Not by a long way." replied the constable. "and when you get into Kwangsi, after a couple of days' walk, you will very likely be attacked by rebels."
· We don't care," Was the reply, The Chaplain has been getting jobs ou ships for meu not desperately in need of them, and letting us be overlooked. We are going to walk right on to Shanghai. We thought. though, that we were pretty near Shanghai now, for we have had a long tramp. having left the Kowloon Institute after a bun fight."'
The kind-hearted officer took compas- sion on the poor fellows and gave them a little money and some food. He said that they ate between them at least 7lbs. of bread and half a hum
skin and all.”
+4
THE GARRISON RELIEFS.
WEST KENTS TO RELIEVE THE SHERWOOD
FORESTERS.
Eight companies of the Royal West Kent Regiment will leave Colombo for China on or about the 4th November, arriving here about the 18th November. Four companies will be land- ed here, while the other four will proceed north to relieve the two companies of Sherwood Foresters at Tientsin. the two at Peking, and the 80 men at Weihaiwei. The four relieved companies will then come down to Hongkong, where they will be joined by their comrades, the other four companies already relieved. The eight companies of Sherwood Foresters will then leave for Singapore-to remain stationed there for probably two years-on the 4th December.
The new arrangment is for regiments to go from South Africa to Ceylon, there to remain two years; proceed to China (another two years): to Singapore (two years); and then India, the soldiers goal. The Sherwood Foresters came from South Africa to Hong- kong, the West Kents went to Ceylon, and the Manchesters to Singapore. The lat er are considered to be the luckiest, as they get first turn at India. That is, as soon as the Sher- wood Foresters relieve them at Singapore. The evacuation of Weihaiwei does not
yet appear to be contemplated. Some of the officers of the West Kent Regi- ment are Major Isacke; Captains Moody. Tulloli and Venables: Lieutenants Case Morris. G. L. Stevenson and Humphreys,
THE IMPORTATION OF PETROLEUM.
NEW RULES.
It is notified in the Gazette that on the 20th inst. the Governor-in-Council made the following addition to Rule 2 of the Rules and Regulations published in 1900, respecting the importation of petroleum :-
2A. No case containing petroleum in a leaky or damaged condition shall be shipped or tran- shipped in any port in this Colony, and should any such leakage be found to have taken place from cases already shipped on board of any vessel, it shall be lawful for the Harbour Master to cause such vessel to be removed, at the ex- pense of the owner, agent or master thereof, to such place as he may deem necessary to safe- guard the interests of the harbour.
28. During the landing, shipment or tran- shipment of case-oil, it shall be lawful for the Captain Superintendent of Police to place a Police guard over the same, such guard to be maintained at the expense of the owner, agent or master of the vessel.
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