more to
THE SANITARY BOARD.
(Daily Press, 8th July.) Dr. ATKINSON, the Principal Civil Medical Officer, as he reads the eulogies on his services to the community pronounce ! by Mr. SHELTON HOOPER aud Mr. LAU CHU PAK at the meeting of the Sanitary Board yesterday will probably have a few perplex- ing moments if he allows his mind to wander back to the publication of the Report of the Sanitary Commission, and he might not inappropriately murmur:
20
THE HONGKONG WEEKŁY PRESS AND "splendid development " has been wit-Trade movement depen is upon the election nessed, and the petitioners say they believe of Mr. TAFT, and it is declared at his they can pledge to Congress for the Philip-defent would mean that the Philippines pines an equal return in commerce, in pro- would be set back indefinitely. portion to population, if they are given the fame legislative advantages. That is to say, "where the million Porto Ricans purchase twenty-five million dollars' worth of goods in the United States, eight million Fili- pinos will, within ten years from the enactment of a Free-Trade law, be purchasing two hundred million dollars worth." Equal trade advantages with Porto Rico will also, the petitioners claim, remove the economic troubles with which the islands are afflicted and bring them once a condition of prosperity and happiness." Looking at the official report on the Commerce of the Islands for 1907 one, might derive the impression that the Philippines were now in a fair way to attain that happy state even under present legislative conditions. An increase of pearly three millions dollars was shown in the value of the imports, compared with the returns of the previous year, while the export trade reached "the maximum in the history of the islands." But the petitioners state that "while sections of the Archipelago that yield hemp, copra and rice haye continuel during recent years under a fair measure of prosperity, the country has lacked the stimulus of capital, and the producers of many articles, notably sugar, have laboured under conditions that precluded success; and during the present year the low prices that have prevailed for hemp and copra, together with a partial failure of the rice crop, have prostrated industry and precipitated an acute economic crisis,'
21
Eduly 11, 1908,
the
in the Medical Department. community long since learut to invechite with his name.
The welcome accorded to Mr. Mol. MESSEE, the new Administrative, Head of the Department, was no lesa grapeful, for it will not have been forgotten that when the Commission expressed in thair-Raport the opinion that the President of tha Sanitary Board should not be a medical man, they did not count on the Principal Civil Medical Officer being replaced by another ex-officio President They desired that the Sanit try Board should have the right to elect its President annually, as in all municipal assemblies; but the overa- ment vetoed the idea, and decided to appoint to the position "a cadet officer with experi- ence of the Cuinese, in the Uninase: lang unge, and of proved administrative capacity." The choice has fallen on Mr. MoI. Musser and the compliments pail him yesterday by the unofficial members give assurance that if the business of the Sanitary 30ark is conducted in the spirit of the Governor's speeches in Council on the subject,. Mc. MESSER may confidently count upon the unanimous support and co-operation of the Board.
THE SITUATION IN PERSIA.
Perhaps it was right to dissemble your love. Bat-why did you kick me downstairs ? The removal of Dr. Atkinson from the Sanitary Board of which he has for some years past been the President is one direct result of the Report of the Sunitary Com- mission, and it is pleasing to note that on the inauguration of the changes in the constitution of the Board effected by the law which is the outcome of that Com mission, one of its most active land hard working members should avail himself of the opportunity to emphasise the fact that the recommendation to relieve the Principal
(Daily Press, July 9th.) Civil Medical Officer of the Presidency of The utter failure of a parliamentary. ré- the Sanitary Board implied po lack of ap-gime in Persia, was perhaps in most.quarters preciation of Dr. ATKINSON's zeal and ability. not entirely unexpected. There are, of The recommendation was made because the
course, two accompaniments absolutely Commissioners considered that it WJB humanly impossible for an official charged Rule; it needs the intelligent understanding necessary for the success of Parliamentary with such multifarious duties as devolve of both Sovereign and People, and both these, upon the Principal Civil Medical Officer of it is hardly necessary to mention, were Health in this Colony, to give all the atten- conspicuously absent in Persia. Russin may tion that is obviously desirable to the work be quoted as another instance of a very of an Administrative Head of " one of the similar failure, in both cases the cause of largest and most important Departments in the breakdown proceeding from the same the Goverment of the Colony, with an annual expenditure of close upon $500,000 the workings of the parliamentary machine cause, the utter want of understanding of and a staff of upwards of 60 members on the part of both rulers and ruled: In exclusive of a large number of clerks and the days of JOHN STUARD MILL, a politician of coolies, and day-to-day employes." Dr. of as little practical experience of men and ATKINSON was described in the Report as Medical Adviser to the Government and Parliamentary Government was to be the measures, as the SHAH OF PERSIA himselfj head of the Medical Department having the great panacea for all the political ills to supervision of a large medical staff, the which humanity is. subject.
"Have you Government Civil Hospital, with branches J. S. MILL on Liberty ?" asked once in the of maternity hospital and infectious presence of the writer. an applicant. at a hospitals, the asylum, gaol, bacteriological leading library. The reply was characters Departments, and Victoriam rtuary, and istic, and marked the general trend of as is well known, he is not only liable feeling at the period:- No, Sir,, but we but actually is called in to act as consulting have. Parliamentary Government. " surgeon to the above establishments. In two were evidently interchangeable concep addition to all th's the Principal Civil tions in the mind of the young lady who Medical Officer is resident surgeon of presided over the issue of books. This the chief hospital in the Colony for misunderstan ling. of the objects and limit. women and children, containing 40 ations of parliament was conspicuous in the beds. This hospital, the Commissioners first Duma summoned by the TSAR. In the declared, is in itself sufficient occupation sovereign's mind, the doctrines of J. S. for one surgeon. In the face of this MILL. kept continually jostling the Roma- catalogue of occupations it is easy to n idea of autocracy, and prevented most recognise the truth of the statement that it effectually any definite scheme ba ng drawn: is humanly impossible for any man holding up. At last in desperation, and shutting them all to give the attention that is his eyes to the possible, or certain, result necessary to the administration of the the T gave the word for the assembling Sanitary Department. No one, we imagine, of the first Duma. It promised to be the has more reason to be pleased with the story of the "Constituent Assembly "over change the new law effects in the constitu- again. No rules had been evolved to direct tion of the Sanitary Board than the proceedings, and no one knew what to do, Principal Civil Medical Officer himself. or how to do it; while with the exception of His duties as Principal Civil Medical general discontent, no, two individuals Officer are sufficiently onerous and exacting, opinions coalesced on any point.
A scene and it may be accepted as eloquent testi- of wild confusion was the natural result; and mony to bis zeal and administrative the TSAE's responsible advisers found it capacity that he has been able for so long necessary to council the dissolation of the to add to these duties the beavy respon House, even by violence, if necessary. The. sibilities of "almost despotic rule" in the Duma sullenly, yielded: in the face of the Sanitary Department without any apparent military preparations made, andrescancond sacrifice of that high state of efficiency was elected with little better results, and
The demand which the people of the Philippines are now forcing upon the attention of Congress is not a new one. It has been voiced by the leading representa- tives of American commerce in the islands on many occasions, and the demand for the removal particularly of the American tariff on sugar and tobacco grown in the Philip. pines has had the powerful support of the Hon Mr. W. H. TAFT. In the extremely probable event of Mr. TAFT succeeding President ROOSEVELT at the White House the, desires of the people of the Philippines as expressed in this petition are likely to receive the most sympathetic consideration. It seems indeed that he has promised, if ejected, to call an extra session of Congress in March to consider the proposal. But while there is this movement in the Philippines, it is interesting to other na ions trading with the islands to note that manu- facturers in the United States are declaring in favour of the closing of the Philippine Islands to trade with all countries other than the United States. The Convention of American Manufacturers in New York in May passed a resolution embodying this claim. We note, however, that it does not meet with approval in the Islands, and a vigotong projest made a year ago by Bishop BRENT is recalled in which he spoke of "corporate interests in the United States interfering with the Philippine market by trying la impose upon au unwilling popula. tion, at an advanced price, the products of American looms." It may be added that experience has already shown that under preferential tariff conditions the products of American looms have derived a considerable advantage in the islands, and probably the policy of "free trade between the Phikp- pinas. and the United States" will go a considerable way towards ousting all com petitors in the main lines of commeres. It Reams, however, to be recognised in the Philippines that the success of the Free
1
*
'The
5.
?
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.