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April 20, 1907.1
TYPHOON RELIEF FUND.
- HOW THE MONEY WAS SPENT.
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The public has eagerly awaited the infor mation which appears below in official form, First comes the report to His Excellency Sir Matthew Nathan, K.C.M.G.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE KEPORT.
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advances up to about one-third of the valus of the | immediately undertaken by the Iospital. It boat should be made, on the condition that the was also resolved that the Registrar General bosts were ready for work by a certain date and † and the Chinese members of the Sub-Committee that they should be registered in the Colony. should meet the boat builders and ascertain, the In all 160: cares were assisted of which one possibility of getting bouts built at an early was a boat owned by an English pilot. The date. total expended being $198,002.00.
Attached is a table showing the number of boats of each class for which assistanos was 818,-I beg to inform you that the Com-granted, this included cargo-bats, sampans and mittee appointed by Your Excellency to rowing boats, fishing sampans, fishing junks collect funds and to deal with cases of distress and miscellaneous junks. caused by the storm of the 18th September last have completed their work and I have now the honour to enclose a copy of the accounts and to make the following observations on the work done.
Hongkong, 12th April 1907.
The total 80m received amounted to $279,902.96 of which the General Committee collected $127,494,19 and the Chinese Com- mittee acting through the Tung Wa Hospital -$152,408.77. The above sum included
contribution of $1,000-received from the Municipal Commission, Saigon, while the Chinese contributions included sum of $10,000 which had been raised for the relief of sufferers in the San Francisco Fire. With these exceptions the money collected was contributed by residents in Hongkong or by firms doing business with the Colony.
The Committee consider that they should specially draw your cellency's attention to the exceedingly generous spirit in which our friends of all uationalities came to the assistance of the Colony with whom they do business although they themselves are not British subjects.
In accordance with the power given them the General Committee very considerably added to their numbers so as to include a number of Chinese Gentlemen whose assistance was most useful. A list of the full Committee is attached. The General Committee have held some eight meetings in all at which were fully discussed the various questions raised from time to time as to the best manner of disposing of the Funds and as to the class of people who were to be assisted,
A bub-Committee was appointed consisting of The Hon. The Registrar General, Mr. E. A. Irving, The Harbour Master, Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, Hon. Mr. Wei Yuk, Messrs. A. G. Wood, ung Wa Chun, Lau Chu Pak, Tang Chi Ngong, Francisco Tse Yat, Ho Kom Tong and Kwok Yiu Wun.
The Committee are greatly indebited to these gentlemen for the very valuable services rendered and wish to record their appreciation of the work done. The Sub-Committee arranged that a special investigating Committee under the Chairmanship of Mr. Fung Wa Chan should sit at the Tùng Wa Hospital a8 a permanent committee, and this was done for many weeks running in order that any one making a claim on the fund could immediately be heard and as soon as possible be granted temporary assistance if found necessary, pending a final decision as to the particular claim presented.
The numbers of alaims to be considered was very great and required very careful consider ation in order to ensure that the fund was administered to the best advantage and that only those really deserving of assistance should receive it.
The first and most pressing matter demanding the consideration of the Committee was the relief of destitute widows and orphans, and the recovering and burying of the dead.
In all 205 women and children were assisted at a cost of $16,128.45. Most of these returning to their native villages. The above account included payments to the widows of four Eu. ropeans drowned, either in the form of a gratuity or assisted passage home.
The sum of $17,935.30 was expended by the Tung Wa Hospital in feeding destitutes and in recovering and burying the dead.
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2. At a meeting held on the 26th September it was resolved that the purchase or building of that a grant equal to at least one-third of his bosts by the Committee was undesirable; also loss should be made to each bortman upon the condition that he should get to work as soon With regard to the relief in the new terri- tories north of the Kowloon hills, Messrs. | sureties.
as possible, the condition to be enforced by Messor and Orme kindly undertake this work 3. On the 1st October an Investigating and a sum of money was at once placed at their | Committee consisting of twelve members was disposal to enable them to deal with cases appointed to enquire into the claims for relief. demanding immediate relief 'the total sum They commenced work at once and on the 16th thus expended came to $12,554.00 made up as follows:-
October reported to the Sub-Committee that the preliminary enquiries had been complet- 1,768 applications had been received and that ed in all but 250 cases, and recommended that in 201 enquiries had been made, relief to
cases in which the final the amount of 27,436 should be granted. The distribution of relief was thereupon commenced simultaneously with the completing of the enquiries, and from time to time as the work progressed, the recommendations of Investigating Committee were presented to the Sub-Committee for consideration and adoption.
Grants to 27 women for loss of relatives 81,750-small grants to 35 people (chiefly women) $449. Compensation for loss of orope and repairs to embankments $9,45. Grants to Peng-Chan Village for boats 31,000-Repairs to houses and free rice $310.
The credit balance of the account now re mainiog in the Hongkong and Shanghai Bank amounts to $33,768.12 to which will be added interest when the account is finally closed.
The Committee beg to suggest to your Excellency that this balance be taken charge of by the Government as a trust fund to be used as the Governor may from time to time direct in assisting people resident in the Cology who may on future occasions suffer similar lose by storms.
When the fund was first started your Excel- lency undertook that the Colony, should double the amount collected by subscription.
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In consequence of the generous response made our appeal it has fortunately not been nece Fary for the Committed to ask the Government for any part of their contribution. The General Committee hare consequently unanimously agreed to suggest to Excellency that under these circumstances the your sum for which the Colony booms liable to the fund be expended for commencing, at the earliest possible date, the construction of the new typhoon refuge for small oraft, a work which is so greatly needed in the interests of humanity and the prosperity of this Port,
We believe that no better means of disposing of this surplus could be found as a typhoon refuge for boats is so closely allied with the relief fund for which this money was to have been voted.
I have the honour to be,
Bir,
Your Excellency's Obedient humble Servant,
C. P. CHATER,
Chairman.
EDBERT A. HEWETT,
Hon. Secretary. GENERAL COMMITTEE OF TYPHOON RELIEF FUND.
Hoa. Sir Paul Chater, C.M.G. (Chairman), Messrs. H. E. R. Hunter and R. R. Hynd, (Hon. Treasurere), A. J. Haymond, D. M. Nissim. A. Babington, A. G. Wood, A. Haupt, E. Goets, Hon. W. J. Gressoo, Hon. Wei Yuk, Hon. Dr. Ho Kai, C.M.G., Messrs. Lau Chu Pak, Fang Wa Chun, E. A. Irving, Hon. A. W. Brewin, Messrs. H. N. Mody, Tang Chi Ngong. Ho Kom Tong, Francisco Tse Yat, N. A. Siebs; D. R. Law, Hon. E. A. Hewett (Hon. Secret ary), Messrs. Chan Chan Tsun, La. Yam Tsun, Chiu Taau Sam, Li Sau Hin, Ku Fai Shao, Un Oi Yu, Un Lai Chuen, Yip Oi Shan, Tseung 81 Kai, Pun Yan Teun, Leung Pui Chi, Tong Lai Taun, Yip Shun Kam. Lam San Ting, Hoi Tau, Chan King Wau, Tang Lan Kuk, Choi Lup Chi, Yung Hin Pong, Chan Kang Yu, Chan Lao Hin, Mai King 8hak, Chan Chok Ping, Li Yau Tong, Chan Siu Ki, Chan Kit shan, Loo Kuen Ting.
ELPORT OF THX NUB-COMMITTEE OF THE HONGKONG TYPHOOS RELIEF FUND, GENERAL COMMITTEE.
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The main reason for raising the fund however was to enable the trade of the Colony to be car- ried on with as little loss and dislocation as The Sub-Committee appointed on the 22nd possible and to this end money was given or September 1906 met the mme day, and steps advanced, to owners of certain classes of boats were at once taken to ascertain the loss of boats to enable them to repair, rebuild or parchse by directing the sureties of the boatmen to bosts as promptly as possible. As these boats report to the Tung Wa Hospital and by satho- are in most cases owned by the men who mail! rising the Hospital to advertises that claims for them their loss means in many cases absolute i relief should be received at the Hospital; and suin, and after full discussion it was decided that the work of registering the claims for relief was '
the
Each claim was made the subject of two distinct enquiries by two or more members of the Investigating Committee; the individual recommendation were than revised by the Com- mittee and systematized, and flually at the sotual distribution, occasion was taken to verify the claims.
4. By the 23rd October 302 cases had been relieved at a cost of $40,302.
5. On the 24th October the power of the Sub-Committee were further defined meeting of the General Committee.
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6. On the 1st November it was resolved that no grant should be made towards building a boat unless security could be given that the boat would be built before China New Year (13th February).
7. During November searching enquiries were made by the Sub-Comittee into claims made by masters of janks and large fishing boats, and a report was finally adopted recom mending the General Committee to approve of grants in the case of 272 such claims.
relief to
8 By the 1st January the distribution of
Chinese was subsequently one claim from a European was completed, though
met by a grant.
9. As cach bɔat is completed the master bas it measured, and the certificate is endorsed by the Inspector who made the measurements to show whether the boat in a new one, or from some other port or simply repaired, and the surety's bond is then cancelled. There remain about 350 bonds to be dealt with, but in con- nection with this work no expense will fall on the fund.
10. The relief distributed by the Sub- Committee is shown in the accompanying schedule. The names of the Sub-Committee and Investigating Committee are also attached,
AW. BREWIN,
Registrar General, Chairman. 7th March, 1907. Fund:-The Registrar General (Mr. A. W. Sub-Committee Hongkong Typhoon Relief Brewin), Chairmin; The Hon. Capt. L A. W. Barnes-Lawrence, the Hoo, Dr. C.Mo., the Hon. Mr. Wei Yak, Mesars. A. G. 0 Kai Wood, Fung Wa Chun (secretary), Ho Kom Tong. Lau Chu Pak, Tiang Tas Ngong, Fran- cisco Tae Yat, E. A. Irving (appointed 11th October 1906) Kwok Yiq Wan (appointed 16th October 1906).
Investigating Committee Hongkong Typhoon Relief Fund :-
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Messrs. Fung Wa Chan (Chairman), Chan Keng Wan, Chau Ya Tang, Lin Chu Pak, Lau Yam Joun, Leung Pui Chi, Ho Kom Tong, Ku Fai_8ban, Pan Yen Twan, Tang Trầ Ngong, Francisco Tas Yat, U Hoi Chan.
FUND,
HONGKONG TYPHOON BALIOF
STATEMENT OF EXPENDITURE BY SUB-COMMITTEE, I.
Grants made up to the 7th March towards procuring new boats or repairing damaged boute.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.