C
September 23, 1905.1
and others persons placed in control of the inmates. (6). No woman or girl detained in a place of refuge shall communicate or attempt to communicate with any person except with the approval of the persons in charge of the said place of refuge. (7.) The matron with the approval of the committee of the Po Leung Kuk, and the managers of places of refuge other than the Po Leung Kük, may direct the women and girls in the Po Leung Kuk, or such other places of refuge respectively to wash clothes and cook and do other domestic work, and every inmate of the Po Leung Kuk or such other place of refuge shall perform such work when so directed. (8.) Any woman or girl in the Po Leung Kuk who disobeys any of these regulations, for the first offence may be coufined in a room by the matron for a period not exceding one day. Euch punishment shall be recorded and reported to the committee of the Po Leung Kuk. In case of repeated disobedience and recalcitrancy, the matron may report the case to the said com. mittee, who may order the offender to be con- fined in a dark cell for any period not exceed ng 24 hours. A record shall be kept of such punishment. (9.) The managers of places of refuge other thau the Po Leung Kuk shall have the power to inflict punishments s'milar to those provided in regulation 8. A record shall be kept of all punishments inflicted.
À GRIFFIN AND A WAIL.
The following letter appears in the N-C Daily News:
Sir,-Reading one of your contemporaries a few days ago, I was struck by some very severe remarks about the "Griffins of To-day."
I feel called upon to state the facts of the case as I have found them, and her with ask you for a small space in your paper.
'Look here," says the chief of the firm in London to the young man who applies for a job in the Shanghai branch: "We shall give you a free passage and a salary of $2,200, $2,400, and $2,600" (which is a salary I know to be fre- quently paid)" during the three years of your contract. As you will know, a dollar is about two shillings. Of coure living is a little dearer out there but you will find that this salary is quite sufficient. By-the-bye, most of the young chaps who live a little economically, and do not waste their money, save quite a nice little sum.'
That is what the taipan says and the young- ster is very pleased with his prospects. He always managed to get along well enough with his £120 a year and there could be no earthly reason why he should not do so with double the
sam.
He, therefore. signs the contract and already begins to picture himself coming home at least a millionaire.
When he arrives in Shanghai, he at first has to look for a place th which to live, and as it is very difficult to find private board and lodging, he has to go to a boarding-house. He highly disgusted when the landlady tells him the price of a room, which is not even facing south, is $90 per mensemi !'
"You can keep your own boy, if you like," says the kind old lady, “but if you prefer to avoid the ex ense of $10-12 a
m nth, my servants will, of course, attend to you. In this case I have to charge you $5 a month." He soon finds out that a box of coals costs 40 couts, and liquid refreshment for which he paid 3.1. at home is not less than 25 cents.
Unless he is content with himself as company (and who is?), he asks a friend so put him up for the club. He nearly faints when be is told that the entrance fee is $100, and the monthly subscription, not less than $10. Where shall le find that money?
"Oh," says the amiable friend, "don't bother. There is not the least difficulty about that.. What have you got a compradore for? H- will advance you the money and you pay it off by and by."
"He is a very clever institution, the com- pradore," thinks the young man, and is in debt already.
Now, if you are a member of a club, you want to go there som times, chat a littl- with your friends, make some new acquaintances, and have a drink.
But, alas! how expensive are the drinks! He cannot get one without having “a shake" with
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
the other fllows. He hardly ever saw a dice- box in hi life ad isoon "tkea in." Instead of paying for one sherry he has to pay for five. No," says the well-principled young man to himself: "No, if I go on like that I will soon be 'stoney-broke.' ”
S all he takes now are four whiskys-and-soda a day, i c. 821 a month for his drinks.
"What a wonderful young man he is." I already hear my readers say, who usually have a club-bill of at least 850. But though the perspiration is running down his face on a day with 100 degrees F. in the shade and he would | like to have a bucketful of drinks, he never takes anything more or less than four whiskys-and- soda a day, one with his tiffin, one at dinuer-time and two at night.
What self-control, what admirable self-denial! really should like to make his acquaintance myself and have a look at this charming young
man.
He is a smoker of course. Who does not smoke? He smokes a very cheap cigar-83 a box of 100, and on an average he finishes two boxes a mouth.
After a short time the doctor tells him: "My dear friend, if you go on sitting at home as you do. and if you tave no exercise, you will soon be in hospital, I can tell you. Buy a pony, have a good fong ride every morning. You must do something for your health."
|
The young man falls one step back. Is the doctor mad? Did he hear right? Did that man really say to him: "Buy a pony ?" To him!
"I beg your pardon, doctor," he stimmers, "but do you know perhaps anybody who is going to sell a pony for, say, $5 I really can't afford more. Well than, play cricket, tennis, or something else" says the doctor, and so the young man joins the cricket club, and it costs him his entrance fes and probably another $5 or $10 a month.
What a good old man his compradore is? When the summer is coming, he has to buy white or flannel suits. He requires about a dozen of them. Very likely he takes white duck as it is cheaper, and he has to pay 85 each, i.e. $60. If that were only all! There are hundreds of things he must have which he did not anticipate when buying his outfit at h me. Flannel trousers, thin tennis shirts, white shoes and boots, sun-helme s and goodness knows what else. Can he pay that from his monthly salary? Not half of it! Where does he get the money from? From the compradore, of course!
Twice a month our friend go s to the theatre or to a concert, and twice he takes a carriage and rides out to the Point or to the Pagoda. That is all he will allow himself, and that is little enough, but it cos's $12 a month.
He would like to have a houseboat-trip up-country or go to the Saddles during the hot days, but he has got no money for that
He calculates and calculates, but always gets the same result :—
$188
$ 90. Board and Lodging.
5-Attendance,
10.-Club monthly subscription. 20.-Club chits.
6.-Cigars.
12.-Ricsha.
5.-Washing.
3.-Chemist. 15.-Clothing.
12.-Carriage Hire, Theatre, Concerts, &c.
5.-Petties.
5.-Contribution to a Sporting Club.
not one cent left. Moreover he is about 3200 to $300 in debt to the compradore who advanced him the entrance fee for the Club, and money for summer clothing, etc.
I hope the young chap will never get a tooth. ache out here in the East and have to consult a dentist. He may easily get rid of half his monthly pay there. And there are still other places where that can happen to him, but I will not talk about that, nor put a sum down in the account for it.
One day he takes bis cash-book where he has entered every cent he has spent, walks into the taipan's room, and modestly asks him to enlighten him how to save money, “ which is no easily done," as he was told in London.
The taipan does not point that out,
month
but simply says: “My young friend, when came out to China, I had but $100 and-" And now the taipan goes on talking. for at least half-an-hour, is full of self-praise, but hardly mentions that living is more than twice as expensive to-day as, says, 15 years ago.
If the saving "bonus "does not come and help him the young man will soon get into debt, with the usual consequences,
Who's fault is it now, Sir? I hope you bare changed your mind about the Griffins of To- day.'
I am, oto.,
ANOTHER GRIFFIN.
13th September.
KWANG ROBBERS.
An important telegram has been received from Ping-Ngok Fu, Kwangsi, to the effect that a large gang of bad characters has made a sudden appearance in Ho-Haien, of Ping-Ngok Fu, pillaging the surrounding villages and inviting the people to join them by force or by threat. 'The well-to-do citizens are also com. pelled to bribo them by providing provisions, otherwise they would be rubbed and murdered. The mob is threatening the city of He Hsim and the Prefect of Ping Ngok Fa has sent, in reply to the request of the magistrate of the former, the garrison of the latter to the scene. The Cauton authorities are asked to send reinforcements thither at once. The report that the banditti seized the city of Shek- Shing-Hsion, in the provine of Kiangsi, north of Kwangtung, is somewhat exaggerated. The T'aotai of Cheung-Nam reports that a Shsu Tsoi (ie. B.A. degree) surnamed Man was arrested sometime ago and sentenced to two years' imprisonment charged with making squeezes and bullying other people. The clansmen of the prisoner, numbering several haudred, climbed over the wall of Shek-Shing Hsien and broke into the prison one night. They succeeded in releasing the prisoner, after shooting one of the guards. Two other important prisoners also took the opportunity to make good their escape, hence the rumour that the city fell into the hands of the rebels.- Chung Ngoi San Po.
AN ADMIRABLE CHINESE "OLLENDORF."
We have received (says the N. C. Daily News) a little pamphlet of nineteen pages, Part III. of
series arranged according to the Gonin system, by Roy Scott Anderson, of Soochow Unive sity. Mr. Anderson is not only an educationist but a humorist as well, and some of his lessons are amusing. The following for instance sets out the story of "a young man who wants to be an official : —
His father is very rich.
He is proud of his son.
He goes to Peking.
He buys the rank of a District Magistrate.
The boy is proud of his rank.
He must leave his native province.
He goes to Hunan.
He waits for years.
There is no vacancy. Soon his father dies.
The son receives the whole estate. He mourns for his father thrée years. He sends $30,000.00 up to the throns. They immediately make a vacancy. He becomes an active official. He gives the throne another $100,000.00. He is then given the position of Shanghai Taotai.
He acts as Taotai three years. He has added $600 000, to his estate, Then he retires on soconut of bad health.
CONVERSATION.
4. Do you know Chang? B. Yes, I have known him a long time. 4. He is now Shanghai Taotai.
B. That man is always having good luck. 4. I am sure he'll get as much out of it as possible.
B. Yes they say he made $50,000,00 during the first three months.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.