January 12, 1907.)
From
Road Central and now at 63 Wing Lok Street, Victoria, brought an action against the Union Commercial Company for the recovery of $5,555.55 due under an insurance policy. Mr. M. W. Slade (instructed by Mr. E. J. Grist of Messrs. Wilkinson and Grist) appeared for plaintiffs and the Hon. Mr. H.E Plock K. C., (instructed by Mr. Hursthouse of Messrs. Dennys and Bowley) appeared for defendants. the statement of claim it transpired that the plaintiffs insured their stock and furniture for $10,500 and
ag a fire had occurred in the premises and damage done to the extent of $12,300, the proportion covered by insurance amounting to 85,555.55, the plaintiffs asked for payment of the latter amount. had refused to pay, bence the action.
The defendants Mr. Slade explained that when the fire occurred goods to the value of the claim were on the premises, as would be proved by the only evidence available, the evidence of plaintiffs and the evidence of the books. These, however, were not now in his possession. They ha been taken by the Insurance Company, whe refused to give them up. In consequence they had been hampered in prosecnting the case and making up their claim. The fire took place some four or five days after Chinese New Year and while the shop was closed. Immediately after the fire plaintiff took his insurance policy. which he had stored in another house to the police together with the books of account which had been saved from the fire. be received his policy back from the police and A few days later was informed that the Insurance Company had got the books to the office of the latter' to
When he went round claim his money, he was told
to return in two when
a day the compradores of all the Companies concerned would be present. He did so and, going through the broks there, made out that he had goods to the value of some $13,000 on his premises when the fire took place.
There was a disenssion with the compradores, who maintained that that did not represent the actual value of the goods, and unless he reduced bis claim he would not get paid, at least for a long time. The man having lost his all consented for the sake of immediate payment to reduce his claim to $10,000. This claim was made out and then the defendants refused to pay, asserting that the claim was false. Plaintiff consulted a solicitor and a long correspondence ensued. He sub- mitted that the defendants had treated the plaintiffs in a very high handed manner.
In reply to bis Lordship it was stated that it was customary after a fire that the books should be handed over to the Insurance Com- pany.
or
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
office.
23
myself. I do not forget that your confidence
I do not wish to take too much upon | That would seem like levity. But it is to be hoped that the soldiers are better stuff than the writing or saying the wrong thing and of thus · old foreign residents in particular are exposed, reposes on the knowledge that the risk of coins. In this matter the danger, to which we committing this branch of the Association to a is in treating too lightly the idea of China false position is reduced to a minimum by the wisdom in Council of the rest of the members
profiting by Mr. Haldane's clear thinking and of Committee
becoming a nation in arms. The mere fact that Indeed, it has been their support we are talking about it at all—to say nothing excaped, the risks to which I have alluded.—, about it is a significant sign of the times. It that has pulled me through, if indeed I have of the fact that the whole world is thinking risks increased by recent events.
was the risk of misreading these that constituted the danger I foresaw in taking up my present position.
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rain.
is annoying to find progress so alow, and disheartening-to have to face the fact that these things have got to get worse before they get better. But there ія this reflection to console us. When the river! settles down into some new bed and the waters
subside, the fields will be much more fertile than ever before.
Remember that the stream which is causing the present inconvenienes is a life-time giving stream. The story of its origin and the rise and flow is the history of the world. know the saying
You History, so called. but a comment on the history of commerce,
It is an illuminating remark. The stream of com. merce is the exciting cause of civilisation. When it flowed into China by land across Asia it stimulated into existence the civilisation with¦
which we are familiar. When it was cut off through the breakdown of the old land routes this civilisation was arrested and remained for many centuries
"marking time."
it
China is changing. So are the everlasting hills. But China is changing in a rather more palpitating way. The fertilising stream of foreign commerce flowing evermore freely into have appeared in China during the year Many other significant signs of the times the sluggish yellow river of the old national that has just closed Que of life has greatly altered its character; moreover significant
the most was the despatch its course has deviated noticeably of late as late Commission round the world with the of the an unexpected result of the influence exert ostensible object of discovering some more ed by the erection in the North of great Dai Nippon dam across Manchuria. The for storing the raw product of fermenting liquor the suit ble system than the old ways provide waters of the river have broken down the old already referred to. Many Far Eastern residents banks in many places and the lower levels of the felt qualmish about it: Pictures in the illus- miry in consequence. It is not & great Chinese Common are more than usually trated papers of the Commissioners junketing that views the waste spaces,-the long and politicians gave rise to fears that the attitude of new faner with the Prime Minister and other prominent dreary stretches of flat, boggy land. as a verita ble Slough of Despond. But owing to the questions might not be strengthened thereby. the British Government in dealing with Chinese rising of the river the going is worse than ever. There is certainly no evidence to show that it The old causeway of Force which used to lead throngh the Slough is submerged and abandoned, degree weakened- a probáble aim of the Com- was strengthened. Whether it was in any and the only way across is along paths not mission, true to the traditions of its great marked on any map-paths as slippery and Burlingham prototype-may some day appear, trencherou as paddy bunds after beary
Some contemporary diarist may describe an offer of congratulations by the Commissioners to certain cabinet ministers on their efforts to reduce the already insufficient fighting strength of their own country and, with that, her overses influence. He will not relate that be heard them opposite direction. He may not have noticed add that China was steadily aiming in the anything beld in anyone's cheek. In the mean- of the Commission
is noteworthy that the visit took place in April and that the voice of the charmer was never no distinctly heard as in Peking during early May. The ninth of that month was the date of the Customs Edict. But we may perhaps indulge the theory that, whatever bye-profucts were hoped for from it, the main business of the Commission was to originate a method of retain- ing within bounds of safety the expansive political and economic forces set free by the action of foreign intercourse. Mandarindom's Onlyemmissaries safely circumambulated the globe round the Maly Peninsula and impinged Edict has resuited. Its effect, I fancy, will be to and duly delivered themselves of a report. An
did the process of new birth begin upon the coast of Cathay from the South! create A certain number of poor copies
of foreign political institutions. that have pursued each other during the last prospect has nothing to do with this story. century with increasing rapidity to disturb thể In the first Anglo-Chinese equilibrium of the Far East are merely the
war the mandarin in charge at Chinhai in Chusan throes indicating the inevitable internal pang, memorialised the Throne reporting that the Sixty years of open ports-a cycle of Cathay-¦ foreign devils did not fight fair, and that has created a powerful commercial class in whose minds western ideas, long fermenting, inasmuch as they possessed ships capable of he was consequently unable to repel them, have at last produced a remarkable brew of new moving without sails. A recond mandarin wine. Its expansive force is telling upon the said that he had seen such ships and that inelastic sides of the old bottles. These are he was quite prepared to make them. The is reached some say we shall all see red. strained almost to bursting point. When that first complainant was superseded in his com.
I mand by this confident gentleman eschew prophecy as far as possible.
proceeded to rig out some kind of a junk in only this.
the likeness of a foreign ship with two masts The cleverer young mea of the rising and a funnel. In a well at the lower end of the generation are pushing their way forward funnel he made a bonfire 80 by new roads.
that smoke The steep and slony steps appeared satisfactorily out of the top. He longer the only way up the paths of literary achier-ment are could not make out why the vessel remained to influence and power. stationary. Neither could the higher officials The CHAIRMAN said- Gentlemen, When a
The man of action is coming to the front. The who had taken his promise. No one could homeward-b and P. and O, ranishug in a
soldier is no longer despised. He is even en. realise that the driving power of the foreign ann-lit trail of smoke, carried your late Chair. It would almost appear as if our old friends the
couraged and made much of.
He is even paid. devils' infernal invention was something unseen man away from the Colony and his duties
in the heart of the thing. Without the driving devolved upon me for the sole though inade-
Laternt were being relegated to the back seats power of a national faith capable of lifting quate reason that all the other members of
of honour. Man" observers view these changes the individual up and enabling him to sink some your committee were too busy to undertake China is transferring her allegiance from the good, no mere copying of external designs in with concern. They see in them signs that part of his selfishness in higher aims for common them, I was reminded of the old story of Elijah old rule of propriety to a blind worship of fores being caught up in a chariot of fire, and of There is danger in attaching too much import
social or governmental mechanism can avail. the predicament of his successor, left discon-
It is difficult to make ance to this view. It impresses too deeply the
out, much less solate in the light of prosaic day, encumbered imagination of over-strained politiciaus. It with a mantle several sizes too large for him uneasily contemplating the difficulties of the post thus dramatically vacated. fetched idea may seem to some of you, in the Such a far- absence of any clear, perception of the risks involved in
your Chairman's require an explanation.
duties, to That is not to be found in a "desire unduly to magnify my
The case was adjourned.
· CHINA ASSOCIATION.
ANNUAL MELTING OF THE HONGKONG BRANCH.
The annual meeting of Branch of the China Association was held on the Hongkong Saturday afternoon in the City Hall. Mr. Murray Stewart occupied the chair, and sup. porting him were Mr. A. G. Wo: d, Mr. H. E. Tompkins Hon. Mr. E. Osborne, Mr. D. R. Law. There were also present: Hon. Mr. H. E. Pollock, K.C., Hoo. Mr. W. J. Gressen, Messrs, G. C. Moxon, G. Balloch, C. H. Ross, A. V. Hogg, J. P. (ochrane. A. Parlane and H. J. Batterworth
when the stream eventually found its way
The ereuts
I ste
no
he other hand there is danger in attaching too, weakens the knees of the foreign powers. On
mind of modern Mandarindom is bent on little meaning to the manifest fact that the the creation of big battalions, even persistently than on the manufacture of small coins. I refrain from attempting to make cheap point of comparison between the two,
more
'
That
who
to steer, a safe middle course between sympathy spurious article extensively marquerading as with genuine patriotism and antipathy to a such. Many would be reformers may personally be honest but that must not obscure the fact that s me of the changes which they aim at may not be genuine reform nor restrain anyone from opposing them. Take a case in point- during the past year-the change wrought by the question that has exercised us all so much
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