October 15, 1906.]
would be closed. It would be a centre of teaching to those who lived in the peninsula. He would remind them too that the building and the furnishing of that church had been a history of co-operation and if the church was to be a success co-operation would have to continue. He commended the minister to them and con. cluded by expressing the hope that everyone would receive the benediction of God.
The offertory realized $180.
At the close of the service tes was dispensed in the British School through the generosity of Sir Paul Chater.
The services in the church yesterday at 11 and 6 o'clock were well attended.
The Cathedral Church Body promise to provide half the stipend for three years, but the other half and other expenses of maintenance must be raised by seat rents, offertories, and subscriptions as there are no endowments. It is hoped to constitute the vestry forthwith in order to make the necessary arrangements.
EUROPEAN POLICE DESERTIONS.
The desertion of the European police, bringing to light as it did the general discontent among the members of the force, has caused considerable comment. Apart from the official body, there are none of the police inclined to blame those who have taken French leave. On the other hand there is a tendency to commend their action and "Good luck to them" is the fairly general sentiment expressed by those who still wear the uniform. As already stated, financial considerations are the chief, but not the only reasons for this conduct..
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
WARDER.
251
recreation. But worst of all is that for this extra SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST PRISON work they are only paid about $2,60 each per month. A Chinese telephone clerk would receive $35 a month. Further comment is unnecessary. There are other causes of complaint but enough has been said to explain the general discontent which prevails in the police force.
SUPREME COURT.
Tuesday, October 9th.
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION.
BEFORE MR. A. G. WISE (PUISNE JUDGE).
COULD NOT SCE.
The Cheung Lee firm brought an action against Lau Sang, master of the Kwong Tai firm and the Kwong Tai On firm, the claim being for $280 in respect of cement sold and delivered. Mr. Otto Kong Sing appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. Hett, of Messrs. Brutton and Hett, for the defendant.
Plaintiff having stated his case, Mr. Hett asked him if he had any partners, to which he replied that he had not.
Mr. Helt then applied that the case be dismissed, inasmuch as one man could not sue in the name of a firm. There must be other partners.
His Honour struck out the case and gave leave to bring another action.
Wednesday, October 10th.
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION,
TREE PLANTING IN THE NEW TERRITORY,
Wong Wan and Wong Yuk sued Yu Wo Kai for $964.55 for work done by plaintiffs at the request of defendant. Mr. Gardiner, from the office of Mr. O. D. Thomson, appeared for the plaintiffs, and Mr. J. C. Master, of Johnson, Stokes and Master, appeared for the defendant.
In support of the claim it was stated that plaintiff dug 105,000 pits for planting fir trees in the New Territory on behalf of defendant, who was the sub-contractor and that be only received $100 odd for rice.
ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER.
George Street, a warder employed in Victoria Gaol, surrendered to his bail at the Magistracy on Oct. 5th to answer a charge, heard before Mr. H. H. J. Gomperts, of manslaughter in conneo- tion with the death of a prisoner named Wa Luk. Mr. F. B. Bowley (Crown Solicitor) pro secuted and Mr. E. J. Griat of Messrs. Wilkin- son and Grist, appeared for the defendant,
Mr. R. A. Craig, superintendent of Victoria Gaol, stated that the deceased was serving & term of 15 days' imprisonment with hard labour. Defendant was in charge of the party of prisoners to which deceased belonged on September 24th. Defendant's duty was to look after the prisoners and supervise the work. Street was relieved at one o'clock and the deceased continued at his labour until four o'clock when he was shut up in his cell. Next morning at 6.15 deceased was marched out. with a gang of men under defendant's charge. About 10 o'clock witness found deceased in the hospital in a dying condition. He made a complaint that he had been assaulted by the defendant, and in the presence of the latter made a statement to the effect that while he was at work defendant struck bim on the left side with his truncheon. Defendant denied the assault.
Cross-examined-Deceased had every chance of making a complaint but did not do so until he went into the hospital. The rule informing prisoners that they could lodge complaints was read to them and the prisoners understood that they could make complaints. Witness had never known any prisoner to suffer from hard labour.
Dr. Moore, Medical officer for Victoria Goal, deposed that the deceased died as the result of an injured spleen.
Case adjourned.
George Street, a warder employed in Victoria Gaol, again surrendered to his bail at the Magistracy on Oct. 10 to answer acharge, heard before Mr. H. H. J. Gomperts, of manslaughter in connection with the death of a prisoner named Wu Luk.
Mr. F. B. L Bowley (Crown Solicitor) prosecuted, and Mr. E. J. Grist (of Messrs. Wilkinson and Grist) represented the defendant.
For instance men who, attracted by the inducements held out to them by recruiting BEFORE MR. A. G. WISE (PUISNE JUDGE), authorities at home, left the force in Great Britain to come out here, say they have found to their disappointment that these induce. ments have not materialised and that according to their term of service they are not so well off as they would have been had they remained in the home establishment. ln Britain a man only obtains the privileges of doing special duty and receiving the extra pay after a certain period of service but here, according to our informant, there is no such reward for service. Those duties are given to anybody, apparently without selection. Again, and this they consider the most serious aspect of the present state of affairs, the standard of the force has been allowed to deteriorate through local recruiting. Before a
man is brought out from home he has to show a certain degree of educational attain. ments. He must be able to read and write well. Moreover he has to produce tes- timonials as to character and ability. Hongkong, however, they aver that men enlisted in the force who do not come up to these requirements, and the reports which are occasionally furnished by such constables certainly do not enhance the credit of the force for intelligence. Here the chief defect of the policy of the authorities is seen. By allowing the emoluments to be reduced and by the niggardly and inadequate distribution of supplies. detention in Canton. Mr. Otto Kong Sing afternoon of the day in question. Witness
In
are
notably clothing, light and fuel, the better class of men are being driven from the force to seek more luorative employment. A cheaper and less intelligent body of men is the inevitable result, and no one will deny that such a state of things, assuming it to exist, is inimi. cal to the interests of the Colony and not calculated to preserve good government. Economy in administration is desirable, but when it degenerates to niggardiness and cheereparing, and efficiency is impaired, it
seems time to review the situation.
We are advised that what we said the other day about the constables' rate of pay being 860 at 3/- a dollar represented the men's income us being greater than it really is. Only some seven or eight constables are paid at this rate, the majority receiving about $70 which in these days of growing prices cannot be considered ample for the ordinary requirements of Europeans.
After hearing evidence, the case for the plaintiffs closed, and the further hearing was adjourned.
Thursday, October 11th
IN SUMMARY JURISDICTION.
BEFORE ME A. G. WISE (PUISNE JUDGE.)
A JUNK COLLISION.
Yuk Seung saed Fung Lau for the recovery of $224 in respect of damage to plaintiff's junk caused by the unskilful navigation of defendant's junk and expenses incurred by four days'
appeared for the plaintiff and Mr. J. H. Gardiner,
from the offlos of Mr. O. D. Thomson, for the defendant.
Mr. Otto Koag Sing stated that plaintiff was the owner of junk No. 289. On the morning of the 29th August she was being towed by the steam launch Wong Yik. On leaving Wing Lok treet wharf they proceeded towards Capsuimun, but before going far the defendant's junk crossed ahead of the steam launch and when she had got about twenty chains distant, she went about and came towards the plaintiff's junk. The steam launch whistled but could not get out of the way, and the junk was struck on the stern, causing the damage claimed.
Evidence was called in support of the claim, and the case adjourned.
Placards are agaio sppearing in Tientsin City to the effect that during the Seventh and Eighth Moons misfortunes are bound to come One grievance which one of the absentees felt and urging the people to protect themselves by most keenly was the telephone work which, the usual means. The Jih Jih draws attention willy nilly, was forced on three men. After to this and urges the authorities to be strictly doing their six hours on duty these three men on the look-out for those who (circulate such haye between them to undertake 24 hours' l things. The placards are said to be very telephone duty. This gives them no chance of coarsely worded.
Chan Ming was the next witness. He said he was a prisoner in Victoria Gaol and remem- bered seeing a prisoner faint and carried out of gaol on September 25th. On the previous day prisoner was lifting shots. After putting one down, defendant said he had done so in a loud manner, and struck him a blow on the back, and another on the ribs. Witress was several paces away. The prisoner was struck by a truncheon which defendant was holding in his band When prisoner was struck he fell to the ground. Then defendant kicked him, 'caught him by the queue and pulled him up, and prisoner wen on with his work. This happened in the knew Warder Savage, but he did not strike the prisoner. It was the defendant. Next morning he was working in the same yard as deceased, who was carrying stones. While so engaged be sat down, lay back and became unconscious. Then four prisoners carried him away, and afterwards witness saw his corpse.
Cross-examined—Defendant held; the baton
in his right hand, and some distance down. Deceased had just put down the shot when he was struck. He was not standing uprightat the time. One blow was struck on the small of the back, and then deceased was prodded lower down on
}
the side. Witness was on the side of the
There were probably some two or three prisoners deceased, and some seven or eight paces distant.
between him and deceased. He was sitting down picking oakum at the time. 'The warder generally stood on a platform until he saw some- ibing wrong, when he got off. He had been off the platform between fifteen and thirty minutes when the blow was strack. He always struck prisoners in that way. During the time he had been off the platform only the prisoner was. struck, but during the morning two or three were struck. Witness was struck on the neok with a cord. He had been in gaol thres week s
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