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February 6, 1905.]
greatest of her sons, the late Li Hung Chang, write to us in 1887 that "He hoped Chemistry and Anatomy would form a large and particular part of the training we meant to give." We have not yet done all that we wish to do in the direction of the teaching of Ans'omy from the cadaver, but we have gone I think as far as we can go under present conditions, and now we only awaita College building for the more efficient training of our students, especially in the subjects of Anatomy and Chemistry, the former of which requires a dissecting-room and the latter a well equipped laboratory, and I think I may say that this is already beginning to take shape on paper. although we have not yet reached the more practical stage of bricks and mortar. The College has now forty students attending its ourses of lectures, which is double the number of students that we had only five years ago, and this ever-increasing pressure on our space renders it necessary that we should materialize our ideals, and with this aim in view we hope at no distant date to awaken the sympathies and loosen the purse-strings of our many friends here, ani in China, and at Home,
and thus add one more movement to those
which already testify so loudly to the marvellous progress and stability of our colony.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
way for the man who knows whither he is going. Of course, we realize the necessity of a broad foundation. We appreciate the value of history and geography as well as of English and mathematics to the industrial as well as to the literary student, and bitter, indeed, was our disappoin'ment, when we came to this Colony, to find that not one of the many students who applied for admission to our College was able to pass a satisfactory examina. tion in the subjects which have so long been taught here. During the past year, our work in the English department has been largely preparatory. This is not, however, the work we came to do, and we intend to quit it as soon as our own and other schools shall have students prepared for College work proper.
In our Chinese department, we found better material. Chinese scholars came to us from many districts and we were able at once to open scientific classses in the Chinese language. We find, however, that when we depend entire- ly upon Chinese tr nslations for scientific work, we soon come to the end of our rope, and that it is only the English-speaking students who are able to go higher. During the second semester, we were able to open our labe- ratory in elementary chemistry, three of the English-speaking students having passed the required examinations. If any of you wish to see our students at their best, we recommend that you visit them in their labora- tories and see them handling apparatus, per- forming experiments and calculating results. Ours is not a College of Letters, and we cannot be expected to show our best work along the lines of speeches, recitations and debates. We have The Hon. Mr. MAY said: Your Excellency-r ason. however, to believe that our English On behalf of the Hongkong Chinese College of Medicine, I beg to tender you our thanks for coming here to-day. We know how much demand is made on your time at this seaso of the year, and appreciate your pr sence all the
After the presentation of diplomas to Messrs. An Sz Chan, Ma Luk, E. L. de Souza and To Ying Kwan, HIS EXCELLENCY said:-It gives me much pleasure to hand licences to the gentlemen you have presented to me, Mr. Dean, and I congratulate them ou having entere! and qualified in a profession which has for its noble aims the saving of life and the diminution of human suffering.
more.
LI SHING SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL COLLEGE.
PERTINENT COMPARISONS.
The closing exercises and prize distribution in connection with this college took place at No. 66, Queen's Road, Central, on the 28th January, when there was a large attendance of Chinese. The programme was long and varied, including humorous recitations, addresses and debates, which helped to pass away a pleasant evening,
At its conclusion Mr. W. N. FONG, M.A., President of the College, read the first annual report, which stated :-
One of the reasons why China is so far behind Western nations in progress is because she still clings to the antiquated methods of her fore- fathers in all lines of industry. The founders of the Li Shing College realizes that the only way to raise China from her presen' low in
dustrial condition is to educate her sons in modern science and industry, training them to use their hands as well as their brains Our aim is to fit our students to be Captains of Industry, to make them capab'e of directing manufacture, and through them to train and aplift the masses. One of the most pitiful
+
sights in the Orient is the vast expenditur of energy with so meagre a result. The hinese have strength, endurance and willingness to work. What they lack is method. That is what this College aims to supply. desirous that our gradua es should not only be
We are
able to use foreign machinery mechanically, but
that they should understand the physical princi- pl-s that underly the construction of machinery so that they may be able to set up machinery and repair it, as well as to operate. We hope
to train independent workers and not more hands" to be always under the direction of foreigners.
*E
composition work will compare favourably with that of any school in Hongkong, for one of our students recently carried off the honours in a competition open to all schools in Hongkong for the best essay, written entirely by the student himself in English, on Chinese New Year Customs. The essay will appear in the next issue of the South China Collegian." However, we do not intend to study Shakespeare or to specialize in English. We have good equipment »lready on hand for physical and assaying laboratories, but as yet we have no students ready for these lines of work.
-The object of many of the schools in Tong- kong seems to be solely to fit Chinese for service as clerks and compradores. I recently read an article by one of the prominent educators of Hongkong in which he said that he believed that Chines should be taught just enough chemistry and physics to enable them to serve as translators and assistants for foreigners. This is not our object. We purpose to make these Chinese youths as capable of doing independent work as are the graduates of our Preat American Universities. We shall teach trigonometry, calculus, civil engineering and mechanic-1 drawing as soon as students are prepared. Our Professor in this department is expected to arrive here from the United St tes in March. We aim to turn ont masters and not tools. We realize that the aim is bold and that the path is long, being hestrewn with shards and thorns, but from the work accom- plished in one short year, we feel confident of ultimate success. It is our purpose in the near funre to establish shops for metal and wood. working, similar to those already established by the School of Arts and Trades in Manila.
Faring thus stated our object at length. I will review the work of the past year but briefly. In common with most of the schools in the Colony, cur chief difficulty has been along the line of attendance. Over seventy students
ware enrolled. but when
ex mination time
rame, the number had dwindled to thirty-five. Some of the absences were unavoidable, but the Next majority were for insufficient reason year, our rules with regard to absences will be much more rigid. We shall have a physician examine hose who claim to be ill, and none will be excused on that score without his certifi. cate. Those who absent themselves for trifling canses will not be readmit'ed.
Our aim is not t› tura out classical scholars, but to fit men for actual work in life. What- ever doubts may exist in the minds of others The discipline has been an easy matter, the as to what line of work should be taught in deport rent of the majority of the students has their respective schools in Hongkong, we are been splendil. Two have been expelled, one happy to say that our pat lies clear-cut for dishonesty and one for the use of profane before us, and that we believe, with language; three others were caught smoking, President Jordan of Stanford Univer but were allowed to remain upon promising sity, that the world stands aside and makes that they would not repeat the offence.
81
The marks made in the final examinations were very satis factory, the average in the two upper classes being 87 per cent. This was partly due, however, to the fact that the (laxy students stayed away and only the best remained to undergo the ordeal.
Our college has suffered much during the past year from crowded class-rooms and lack of dormitory accommodation. During the coming year, we shall hold our classes in this building and rent a house in the neighbourhood to be used as a dormitory for students coming from a distance. This arrangement, however, is only temporary, and it is our hope that by the end of another year we shall have secured a place in the suburbs where we may have room for class work, laboratories, shops and dormitory as well as for physical drill and athletics.
Dr. WONG TAI FONG then distributed the report cards and prizes.
CORRESPONDENCE. –
DESTITUTE SAILORS: RELIEF
SCHEME BY HIS EXCELLENCY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE “DAILY PRESS,”
Hongkong, 30th January, 1905. SIE, The President of the Benevolent Society has received the following letter from His Excellency the Governor on the subject of making temporary provision for destitute seamen in the Colony.
As the Benevolent Society which has many other demands upon it is not in sufficient funds to enable it to become a guarantor under the scheme suggested by His Excellency, it is obliged to invite residents who are interested in the matter to assist it by becoming guarantors.
•
If any are willing so to assist they will oblige by sending their names to the under- signed.
The Annual General Meeting of the Society will be held in the City Hall on Tuesday, the 7th of February, at p.m., when any further, information concerning the scheme referred to above will be gladly given.
All who are interested in the general work of the Society and in this proposal in particular are invited to attend.—I have the honour to be, Sir, Yours faithfully,
H. A. V. MAY, President Benevolent Society.
Government House, Hongkong, 28th January, 1905. DEAR MRS. MAY,-I willingly accede to your reque t that I should expand my suggestion that the Benevolent Society should render assistance in the difficult matter of dealing with cases of destitute seamen in the Colony, who have become destitute through no fault of their own.
As
you are probably aware, it is now necessary before any destitute who is a seaman can gain ` admittance to the Sailors' Home that be should deposit $60 as a guarantee for the cost of his maintenance, and owing to this rule, which is necessary if the Home is to keep its present satisfactory status of a self-supporting institu- tion, many deserving cases of destitution are precluded from entering the Home and are preforce driven to the House of Detention.
I have, however, recently ärranged that before any destitute is arrested by the Police and sent to the House of Detention as a vagrant he shall be sent to the Sailors' Home and have his 0858 investigated by the Superintendent and Chap- lain with a view to ascertaining whether the man is a seaman and worthy of assistsnos.
Should the case be a meritorious one I suggest that the Benevolent Society should guarantee the necessary 860 and propose in order to effect this guarantee that subscribers should be. invited, in addition to their present subscriptions to underta-e the Society's obligations in the Assume that A, B, C, D, following `manner, and E guarantee 1, 2, 4, 1, 5, sums of $60. respectively in the year. The first destitute received into the Home would be supported by A, the 2nd by B. and so on to El The sixth would le supported by B, the 7th by C; the 8th by E. the 9th by C, the 10th by the 11th by C, and the 12th and 18th by 127 the 2nd and 6th men remained in the Homić 11) and 20 days r spectively B would be called
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