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Motor Boat Handicappers :-Messrs. E. M. Hazeland and W. A. Crake.
Starter:-Mr M. McIver.
Time Keepers:-Messrs. T. Meek and C. J. Cooke.
Stewards: Messrs. H. Pearman and W. Bassford.
Hon Treasurer, Mr. A. MoKirdy; Hon. Sec. Mr. Lewis Guy. Without the exertions of the last two named, the outing could not have been so successful as it was.
RAILWAY NOTES.
As work progresses on the Kowloon Canton Railway construction, improvements to expedite it are being introduced. The works at the south face of the tunnel at Kowlontsai are fitted with the latest electrical appliances. There, now, it is always day. Darkness cannot impede progress of the work, for when night closes in numerous powerful aro 1mps, the latest extant, light up the surroundings and enable the workmen to carry on with the same ease as in daylight. These lights are also being installed at the north face of the tunnel.
the
Shatin valley, which is surrounded by high hills, is a very unhealthy place. There the deadly malaria reigns, and FO prevalent has it been
the among
excavators and others employed there that the Railway Aus thorities had to consider what could be done to protect the health of the employees. On one side of the works is a high and steep hill. It occurred to one of the engineers that if the men's quarters were built on the top of this, much illness might be averted. Accordingly a bua- galow was erected high up on the hill, and now the workmen are housed in the bracing atmo sphere of the heights. It is a long, steep climb, however, to reach the quarters, and it was not long after the innovation that complaints were rife among the workmen about the exhausting finish to a hard day's work. Their voices were not raised in vain. The employers were generous, and now the men return home in chairs after work.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
EVOLUTION OF HONGKONG·
[Written for the Hongkong Daily Press.
(Continued from last week.)
VI.
B
AS
P
it
[November 11, 1907.
it is acknowledged on all sides. native as well as foreign, that the traffic received in considera. tion of special payments, not only immunity.. but special protection.
The effect of this protection was to increas› enormously the import, the drug being delivered by the Viceroy's own craft at the various ports, and the amount which in the previous half century had seldom exceeded 200 chesta, last month rapidly rose to more than ten times that amount. To the British merchants on the spot especially after the opening of the trade, the improved demand came as a stimulant to the export trade, as it supplied the necessary faads on the spot to enable them to pay for their teas and silks. To the Chinese the enormous deve- Thelopment of the trade seemed dangerous, as it actually turned the “balance of trade" against Chins, and tales of the impoverishment of China through the export of Syces were current from all quartere,
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It was not to be expected from a Chinese government that having gained, thought at the time, so signal victory over the encroaching British Merchant, it would be content to rest in its course of interference with the private affairs of the merchants; their personal submission for the future must be absolute, and they must refrain from any attempt at remoustranos. Chinese went further, and commenced an intrigue to induce the British residents to questiou the powers of the superintendents over their nationals. Above all they were more determined than ever to river on them their dependence on the hong merchants in all their dealings with the authorities. Still noue, they Officials or Merchants, could afford to take the last step of putting a stop to the trade from which both derived their living, though both were equally eager to exploit it to their own individual profit, and the natural result of all theseO combined causes was a complete chaos, in which everyman's hand was against his neighbour. Under the circumstances Mr. Davis prudently determined to resign his unprofitable office, and was succeeded by Sir George Robinson, who as an old officer, and thoroughly imbued with the doctrines of the Company, hated the vary mention of free trade; and was ready to submit to all the dictates of the officials did that only rescue him from the still more galling tyranny of the Free-traders,
It was under these circumstances that the
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It is noteworthy as indicating the artificial nature of the outery, that the moral objection to the trade in all these complaints occupies but an infinitely small space, the issue dwelt on in all the memorials being that China was being empoverished by the export of silver. There were two well defined parties of economists on the subject; the one headstrong and impulsive was for driving out the foreigner altogether aud his trade. The more cautions, in view largely of the impossibility of preventing a smuggling trade springing up if the Government proceeded to extreme measures, was for legalising the traffic und-r a regular tariff. The Emperor sought the advice of his chief provincial officers. As often happens in such cases, the most extreme and virulent of these replies was accepted; and its author, Lin Tsesu, viceroy of the Hukwang, who from his position in the heart of the empire was the least qualified from experience to judge, was ordered up to Peking, and thence sent as Imperial Commissioner with full powers to inaugurat› the new departure.
Opium trade came to be a burning question, never again apparently to die out. The chief promoters of the traffic were the Canton officials, in whose hands it had become a practical Whether Lia was prepared for being thus monopoly, Nominally forbidden by the laws of at his word does not now appear; at all events China, it was carefully nursed by the Canton there was no possibility of withdrawing from authorities, who were thereby enabled to meet the situation that he had made for himself, and the growing demands of the Court at Peking, his only possible course was to rush blindly and who, while in their public utterances ful-forward without thought of possible__con minating anathemas against the iniquities of the trade, were, more sinensi, its main supporters; and bad skilfully contrived to concentrate al- most the entire at Canton. In much the same manner it was never directly acknowledged by the Company, yet was persistently connived at and permitted to be carried on by private Indian HIGHWAY ROBBERY AT THE PEAK subjects in so-called "country ships," manned
But this is not all. The Railway Authorities have decided on an overhead wire railway from the works to the bungalow. The machinery for this is already in the railway stores and it is expected that this novelty will be in work ing order within the next three or four months.
1
his
It is seldom that Peak residents are disturbed by the highway robber, but од November 6th, in broad daylight, he made appearance not far from the Plantation Road tramway station. On that afternoon Mrs. L. Gibbs, of No. 107, the Peak, was proceeding to the station named, intending to come to long kong, when she was attacked by a Chinese whom she said looked like a cook. Without any warning the audacious robber rushed at her, relieved her of a silver wire purse containing some small money and a handkerchief, and threw her down the hillside. By the time she had regained the road and recovered from the surprise the thief bad gone, she believed in the direction of the city. The lady also feels sure that she can identify the highwayman, and gives a description of him which will be seen from an advertisement in another colama,
GREAT CHINESE FETE AT HONGKONG.
DATE FIXED.
The fête organized by leading members of the Chinese community is to take place. The promoters have obtained the sanation and countenance of the Government. Processions will take place on the 5th, 6th, and 7th of December, with fish lanterns and all the usual gorgeous paraphernalia of a first-class Chinese spectacle. The news is now spreading in the neighbouring province of China, and the city that week is bound to be thronged with people. The shopkeepers are all pleased. We hope it may serve as a recovering point for our local trade depression.
by British officers. At one time these ships, fast sailing and well-armed clippers, traded along the coast, but latterly their operations had be come mainly confined to Canton. They were not, however admitted to the privilege of the port, but were anchored just outside under lee of the island of Liutin, where they formed a community of their own, little troubled by or troubling the Company's Supracargoes at the provincial Capital.
Nothing is known of the commencement of the Opium trade with China; it seems to have been already flourishing when the Arab traders were sottled in Canton in the 9th century, and was certainly in full swing when the East India Company first commenced its operations in China, when regular duties were charge i. In 1796, consequent on the bungle made of Lord Macartney's embassy, and the attempt to put foreign trade in leading strings, we hear for the first time of any attempt to exclude opium. As the subject was never mentioned in the course of the conversations with Lord Macartney dar- ing his embassy we are justified in the conclu. sion that it Was 80 afterthought. Lord Macartney had sought to have the northern ports, especially Tinghai in the Chusans opened to trade, but had been defeated by the machin. ations of Canton. Now the one foreign article that had been accepted at all these ports without question was opium; when, therefore, Canton had won its great victory of monopolising the entire of the foreign trade, it was plainly an additional safeguard against trade with those ports that opiam should be specially rendered "illegal."
That is to say that it had no legal protection and might be treated according to As regards the northern ports the discretion. Cantonese officials were always able to quote the illegality of the trade; as regarded themselves
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sequences. Unfortunately he found at Canton as British Superintendent a man as much a ohild in knowledge and experience as himself, and equally obstinate and overbearing, Capt. Charles Elliott of Her Majesty's Navy, and between the two, affairs soon got into such a tangle, that the most superficial observer could see that the only hope of disentanglement lay in a recourse tɔ arms. Many things had, however, to happen first, and the Flag to submit to still mor unworthy insults.
The attempts of Captain Elliot when he took apon himself the duties of Chief Superinten. deat to carry out the instructions of Lord Napier were scarcely less unfortunate; and finding, as he afterwards declared, that the Viceroy had declined to acce le to the condition
of the instructions from H. M. Government as to the manner of his intercourse, he struck
the British flag at the Fastories at Canton, and retired to Macao in December 1837.
During the next year in pursuance of the newly awakened zeal against opiam, several Chinese were ostentationsly strangled in front of the Factories, and a remonstrance resulted in a moral lecture from the viceroy, never- theless, remarking that Foreigners to› had human hearts, the practice was for a time re- mitted: only for a time; for towards the end of the next year preparations were made for strangling a culprit under the American flag. stiff, which resulted in the U. S. Consul hauling down his fag; sad the foreigners generally interfering to prevent the ins lt, a dangerous riot took place. Captain Elliott who was at the time on board ship at Whimpos, on hearing of the disturbance, came up to protect the Factory with a hundred and twenty armed men. A few days after he issued an order that
ail British vessels trading in opium within the Bogus should remove, and not return; and that in case any Chinese should be killed in consequence of persistence in the trade, he would in case of the seizure by the Chinese of the delinquent take no steps for his pro- tection; even if awarded capital punishment as a penalty. Captain Elliott was from long conviction hater of the opium trade,
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