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January 26, 1907.]
ANOTHER "MODEL
SETTLEMENT”.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
80
HONGKONG'S STATUES,
men.
the natives; there were only three deaths The statue of the PRINCE OF WALES 19 among foreign residents, one being a said Sir WILLIAM Gascɔong, in making Japanese infant. The native death rate has the announcement, "is the gift of Mr. BELL- (Daily Press, January 23rd.) been largely decreased. Bakeries, dairies, IRVING. Mr. BELL-Irving is well known to The receipt of the annual report to the butcheries, and ratepayers of the
are subjected to Kulangsu (Amoy) careful supervision. In the Police report sportsman and a perfect gentleman, and you all here in Hongkong. He was a grand Municipal Council is apt to arouse mixed there is a note of despair over the successful though he has left the Colony, I believe for emotions in the mind that retains memories cunning of native thieves, mainly bad gool, vet ons may say he has left his mark of that pretty island settlement. The servants apparently, and there was actually behind him. Though somewhat retiring in thought occurs that in such an Arcadia as a foreign vagrant arrested during the year. disposition, he possessed a common sense Drum Wave Island a municipal councillor Native prisoners break stones and mand and a judgment such as are shared by few is an anomaly, and a rate-collector an ronds, and their cost to the community is outrage. Where every prospect pleases, only six cents each a day. Seventeen gift from a
I think it is a remarkably handsome man should not be troubled with vile persons, presumably natives, were suposition in the Colony, to leave this lasting man who has terminated his references to concrete drains or municipal moned for nonpayment of municipal taxes, memento of himself in this handsome gift. debentures. To the sentimentalist with an showing that there is a leaveu of Arcadians to the Colony, and I am sure you will all so eye for the beautiful and a proper apprecia. who fail to appreciate the blessings of regard it. The statue of the KING is the tion of Nature, it all seems as improper as civilization. It is not as if taxation were gift again-another gift of Sir PAUL a pack of cards would seem in Paradise. burdansone; the total revenue for 1997 is CHATER. Sir PAUL CHATER is perhaps the The product of modern European civiliza-estimated at only twenty-two thousand best known man in Hongkong; he has been tion, however, has complex tastes, and just dollars, and that sum includes revenue prominent in all great public works which as the untutored Indian would shrink from from various contracts, fines, rents, and so setting forth to the Happy Bunting Grounds on. Five thousand of it is spent on police, mide Hongkong his home and be has often have made Hongkong what it is. He has without his earthly weapons, so the foreigner, for the maintenance of order and safety, said to preparing to settle down in an earthly and the bulk of the remainder goes for the benefits in-.'
ine. What benefits Hongkong, paradise like Kulangsu, looks round for a comforts before mentionel.
It is men like him who make There are race course site, and makes a memorandum to the effect that he must order a ballot box may be called the Jersey of the China recognise the munificence of his second gift. worse places than Kulangsu to live in-it
the places where they elect to dwell, and I am quite certain that you, one and all, will first thing. Probably, if the naked truth | Const. were to be extorted, there is a sweetness
Both of these gentlemen, with a diffidence even of nature that cloys and palls. Robinson
which di! them cre lit, refused to allow me Crusoe on his island was by way of being a
to make public this matter until they had philosopher, yet be had to adopt many most
left the Colony." Both statues have been barefaced expedients for killing time. The
modelled by Mr. GEORGE WADE, who had suspicion grows that it is invariably to the
the honour to be selected by both the KING theorist in the thick of city life that Arcadia
and the PRINCE.
Mr. WADE was also most strongly appeals, to the wrestler in civilization's crowded arena, the wanderer in the maze and labyrinth of "pidjin", thar the ideal of the 'Simple Life" appears in most attractive shape. In short, it is the old human weakness of discontent; and just as the city man longs for the country, so apparently the Crusoes of Drum Wave Island have longed for the petty pomps and ceremonies of a municipal council, and have provided themselves therewith. Doubtless in time, should circumstances permit, they will have a chained Mayor, a Carnegie library, a progressive and à con servative party, with two newspapers to champion these, and elections full of fervour, Already, as our news columns have indicated since we began to publish the Minutes of Council, they have regulations for the control of motor vehicles. The tenour of the foregoing remarks suggests that we have not so far received a sufficient number of these annual reports from Amoy to regard them as commonplace, which is the fact. Taking the last one with toore gravity and seriousness, we may observe that it shows the little community to be well- served; and that Kulangsu may be said to deserve, even
more appropriately than Shanghai, the title of "Model Settlement," for it is model in the dual sense of worthı
and of size. The Council is as harmonious as it is international, and includes three committees, Watch, Works, and Finance, During the year nearly three thousand feet of drainage was added to the system, and five public lamps were added to the fifty-six already erected. There is a public tennis ground, well cared for, plenty of servisable stone jetties for the use of residents crossing the river from business, and really excellent roads, which entul considerable
expense owing to the boisterous behaviour of the tides there. A thirteen-foot-high sea wall had to be erected in one place. Twenty thousand dollars' worth of seven per cent debentures were issued last year, chiefly to buy land and erect municipal offices, police barracks, and gaol. The Health Officer reports the conditions there to have been remarkably good, even among
F.
chosen to model the effigy of H.M. QUREN ALEXANDRA for the statue which will constitute the public memorial of the Coronation
(Daily Press, 24th January.) We do not know whether any name has been chosen for that open space which lies between the Club and Queen's Buildings and reaches back from the waterfront to Des Vex Road, but "Royal Square" at once suggests itself as a name which will be singularly appropriate to the locality when the array of statues designed to be placed there are all in position. Hongkong will soon have a collection of statues such as few cities in the Empire can boast of possessing. This year in all probability will see the Colony in possession of seven life-size lack of an official designation, we have
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The statues of the KING and QUEEN and PRINCE OF WALES will be grouped around the statue of Queen VICTORIA. There remains to be mentioned the statue of Sir THOMAS JACKSON, modelled
by Signor Ragat, which was unveiled last year.
喜眉
All are within the area which, for statues in bronze, five being of members of name" Roval Square," or Royal Statue the Royal Family, vir the 1ste Queen Square," and in this connection it will not VICTORIA, King EDWARD VIL, Queen be inopportune to recall a public announce- ALEXANDRA, the DUKE OF CONNAUGHT and ment in regard to this locality made by Sir the PRINCE OF WALES. The first statue
HENRY BLAKE just before the expiry of his erected in the Colony was that of Sir ARTHUR
term as Governor of the Colony. The Hon. KENNEDY, which occupies a conspicuous Mr. GERSHOM STEWART, speaking in the position in the Public Gardens. Sir! Legislative Council Chamber, remarked ARTHUR, who was Governor of the Colony that whenever he passed the DUKE OF from 1872 to 1876, was affectionately remam-
Connaught's statue he bad an inclination bered as The Good Sit ARTHUR.' The to apologise to it for the site which had statue was erected by public subscription | been assigned to it--" a sort of wilderness after his death which occurred at sea when feast of the garden plots in front of the he was returning home in ill-health Bank.
fron
Sir HENRY BLAKE thereupon ex- Queensland, whither he had been prompted pressed a hope that the ground in the from Hongkong. The status was modellt vicinity of the statue would never be built by Signor RAGGI, and unveiled by Governor on, and added that he wished to see the Sir G. W. Des Vaux in November, 1887, site couverte l into a public garden forming Nine years later, on May 28th, 1896, the
with the garden plots opposite an open statue of Queen VICTORIA, erected to dom-
space which would be preserved as such for idea is still cherished by the Government ever. It is sincerely to by hoped that this and that the transformation of the "wilder- Ness is only delayed until the new Law Court huil lings are nearer completion.
memorate the jubilee of her late Majesty reign, ITELY unveiled by Governor Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON. On July 5th, 1902, Major-General Sir WILLIAM Gascoigne, who was then administering the Govern. ment, unveiled a statue of the DUKE OF CONNAUGHT presented to the Colony by Sir PAUL CHATER, to commemorate the visit paid to the Colony by His Royal Highnes in April, 1890, when the Duke laid the foundation stone of the Reclamation Works just then commencing. It Wd8 When unveiling this statue that the announcement
was made that two other statues were, un- known to the general public, actually at the time being made for presentation to the Colony, and these two HB. H. the Doke on CONNAUGHT will anveil on the 6th of February next one the statue of the KING, the other the statue of the PRINCE OF WALES.
JAPAN AND CHINA.
(Daily Press, January 25th.) Notwithstanding that the point has often been emphasized that Japan and the Japanese continue to get their full share of still people who cannot get rid of the idea Chinese "anti-foreign” prejudice, there are that, Japan having defeated a "white" army, all Asiatic races must at once feel drawn together and conspire for further exploits against Europeans instance, in the view of these people, were The Chinese, for
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