104
the masses are expressing their feelings and emotions offer such opportunities. Meaning to scrutinize the behaviour of the Hongkong Chinese with some closeness this New Year time, our attention has been distracted by the conduct of their foreign neighbours, with the result that the odd question of their respective claims to civilization has forced itself into consideration. It is the phenomenon of noise, particularly, as an admitted manifestation of barbarism, that has demanded attention. Considerable licence is allowed, and the colonial laws
relaxed, to enable the Chinese at this time to give vent to their feelings in customary ways; but the curious feature of the holiday is that "civilized " foreigners, white men or semi-white, have seized the opportunity to let themselves go. In the crowds in the streets of Chinatown where the stalls of alleged barguius were, as much noise was made by "civilized" foreigners as by the natives, a favourite trick of civilized humour being to explode crackers in the crowd to see nervous people jump. Apparently also the vendors of fireworks were as extensively patronized by foreigners as by Chinese, and these not all children. The very juvenile representative of Christian civiliza tion is frankly barbaric in his love of noise,
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRE88 AND
SHANGHAI BUDGET.
;
[February 18, 1907.
Indian draft, though, if carried into effect, it will form a first step towards securing adequate protection for the Settlement by other means than those sanctioned by the Rate-payers last March." The figures show that provision is made also for an Indian sergeant and 220 additional Indian constables, also for the latter six months only this year,
(Daily Press, February 16th.) Though Sbanghai may not be regarded by all as the "model settlement " of the Far East, there can be no disputing the fact that it is one of the most progressive com- munities, if not the most progressive, on this side of the world. We cannot think of a place entitled to enter into competition with it for this honour. The latest in- formation of the municipal finances appears
money warrant this claim for pre-eminence,
to
Seven years ago, the estimated annual income as it appeared in the budget for 1900 was under a million taels. For 1908,
it is reported to "
verge on two million taels." The municipal outlay has apparently kept more than level with this growth, and the chief satisfaction that the residents who pay the piper can be expected to take in these swollen figures will be based on their value as evidence of the importance of Shanghai and its interests. Here and else-
where in the Far East, of course, there is no
likelihood that the vastness of those interests will ever now be under-rated, but it appears that in certain quarters in Europe, there are people whose official information does thein beyond the conviction that
not carry
✓
Other increases mainly refer to depart- ments whose expenditure would naturally or automatically grow with the port; hat it does not detract from Shanghai's reputation for progressiveness to note that, even while is tight, the City Fathers have invested or proposed to invest Tls. 6,600 for motor cars for the Police, Wealth, and Pablic Works Departments. This may als › in Hongkong. excite feelings of envy
Bridge-building, a necessary and long at Shanghini, is wanted undertaking responsible for most of the extraordinary expenditure.
HON. MR. F. H. MAY.
(Daily Press, 18th February.) The telegram from our Singapore corres-
pondent, which has received the earliest publicity we could give it in this morning's issue, might conceivably be misunderstood
passing from infantile howls to boyish Shanghai is a little place on a Chinese anywhere else than in Hongkong, where the drum-banging without the slightest recogal | river where a few intrusive and pertinacious | history of the Hon. Mr. F. H. Mar's pre- to set the Chinese a more dignified example. } of diplomacy less easy. Perhaps the figures ship has been an open secret from its
tion of the responsibility that is on his race
He makes no pretence like his older na- tionals, who at such times as the present show their real temperament by taking advantage of an indulgence intended for the
t
"
foreigners have assembled to make the task
when they get Home may correct this slight error. The leading figures, as given in our Shanghai contemporary from advance copy of the Budget, are thus set
out:
Ordinary income
expenditure
Estimated surplus... To be raised by debentures
Available for extraordinary
expenditure
Deficit from 1906-Tls. 13,071
Extraordinary Expenditure......
Tix. 1,953,305 1,544,285
409,020 250,000
639,020
663,350 676,421
Estimated total deficit......Tls. 17,401
an
The issue of £48,750 of debentures squares the sterling budget, and there is no present increase of taxation proposed, but apparently the Municipal Council feels obliged to let some "urgently required " works stand over for want of funds. In addition to the usual
ferment to the Ceylon Lieutenant Governor-
commencement.
That the appointment which we reported some time ngo should now be cancelled affords no matter for local
surprise, for it has been thoroughly well understood that high personages concerned with the best interests of Hongkong have been earnestly endeavouring to persuade Mr. MAY to remain, and the authorities to The Hon. Mr. F. H. permit him to do so. MAY is the only official who can be said to be practically conversant with all local conditions, and with every detail aud ramification of local governmen'. His ex- perience of so many departments, to all of which be in tarn devoted thorough and painstaking attention, has made him to valuable a servant to be lightly parted with, and it is openly hinted that His Excellency the GOVERNOR was anxious to retain him as
right hand inan.” The rumour of Sir MATTHEW NATHAN's possible early retire of the railway scbenie alone enchains his meut is not believed, since the development personal interest and enthusiasın, and there is fortunately now un indication that His EXCELLENCY's health will not permit him the gratification of staying for the com pletion of the important undertaking with which he has been so remarkably identified. That he himself, like the able lieutenant whose services he is now perunitted to retain, has been long marked for proferment
Chinese, aud rival the latter in his discord. ant orgies. 1s it that such opportunities are equivalent to the idea of scratching a Russian in order to find a Tartar; that there is no really civilized p ople, but only a few intellectuals whose antipathy to diu marks their elevation above the common herd? That the word "noise should have the same root as the word "nausen argues that the Latins were perhaps a little further advanced in civilization than their modera descendants who love to seize at every chance to make clatter and uproar. The comings and goings of Royalty still provoke members of the higher civilizations to noisy demon- strations like those familiar to barbaric pageants, and the "royal salute" of our Services may be reckoned on a par with the a black chief's cor- tom-tom "-ing at robberee. But in the case of white or semi-white people who jump at the oppor- tunity of China New Year to discharge
sources of revenue Land Tax Tis. 452,000, quantities of cheap, and noisy fireworks General Rate Tl. 860,000, Whariage Charges from their windows, with none of China's Tls. 200,000, Licences, Tls. 392,780, and Rents ideas of "joss" in this connection, we find
from Municipal Properties, Tl. 36,950, there it hard to think of comments sufficiently is a new one this year, entered as Contribue contemptuous to fit such noious, noisome tious from Public Companies, Tls. 11,575. yahoos. It is a degrading thing, a treach-This, our contemporary explains, "includes, ery to the civilization they repre-cut, and besides amounts from the Water and Gas the police should endeavour to make it Companies under the recent agreements clear to such that the temporary licence made with those holies, a dividend expected allowed to Chinese does not extend to those from the Mutual Telephone Company when who are erroneously supposed to know
the new agreement is put through and a better. The Chinese are supposed to be
nominal Tis. 1,000 as royalty from the fully filled in the capicity of locam tenens. Tramway Company." Extra money is to It is, however, not altogether due to this scaring away devils;
be spent on police, a by no means unusual:bility and natural ambition that the necessity in the case of such a rapidly grow- Hon. Mr. F. H. MAY has decided to abide that the trouble with the Sikhs has perhaps has done so much, and whose interests have ing place, though our contemporary suggests with the Colony for whose development he
"convinced the Council that the policing of the Settlement demands a very much larger at all times received from him such uniquely number of foreign sergeants and constables." expert consideration. We have reason to Provision is, accordingly, made to increase the believe that from the beginning, when the foreign branch of the Force to the maximum change was first suggestel, the Hon. Mr. number the stations can accommodate, or 160 MAY found himself unable to contemplate men exclusive of detectives. The actual addi. the removal with whole-hearted satisfaction, tions allowed for, and contemplated as for the and that he entertained hopes even then that latter half of the year only, are ten sergeants and
a way would be found which would enable thirty constables. It is to be noted that this measure is not proposed as an alternative to the him to run sentiment and self-interest in
their foreign imitators have no need to do so, since no self-respect ing demon would willingly endure their company. The pioneers of Western civili- sation in China should all be asked to flock to Hongkong just before next China New Year, to turn their batteries of persuasion and prayer on the people who thus discredit
it.
The Gazette notifies that J. R. Lee, Inspector (third class) in the Sanitary Department has, by direction of the Secretary of State, been dismissed from the Government Service for corrupt practices, with effect from December, 1906.
24th
f
*
Hongkong for
cannot be doubted, and when he leaves emolutnents, it is more than probably greiter dignities and that the Hon. Mr. F. H. MAY wil be invited to accept the substantive appoint-
meut which he
HO bas twice
SIICCESS-
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