.98
In the reports of the typhoon little account in taken of the private losses sustained. thase, in may enses, are considerable. In addition to gardens devastated, windows smashed, doors broken, roofs damaged, etc., many residents have to mourn the loss of valuable china and other precious coll-otions destroyed by the ruthless wind. The Chief Justice is one of the sufferers and Mr. Hough was severely hit at Cadsow, his beautiful bouse being partially wrecked. To say that there was weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth on that night of disasters is not perhaps literally true: certainly not in the case of the gentle man whose teeth, carefully deposited on the dressing table, was smashed by a brick which fell from the roof. "He couldn't gnash 'em," said the unsymphathetic brute who informed me, “he had to gum it."
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Coming in what should have been the silent hours of the night, the typhoon made sleep impossible in most houses, and, as was to be expected, people did not go about business next day with their usual briskness Some explained up all night through that beasily typhoon: bad to hammer windows or doors: then the wife was nervous: it #18 a rough time." | Others were more fortunate. Possessed of the philosophic temperament, and the nature which makes the most of things, they sat down to cards and smokes. What though the wind howled and whistled they could still hear the aDswer to the question "what's trumps?" and with suitable liquid nourishment they recked little of the storm. When quietness reigned once more, they calmly turned in and agreed they had had not a bad night.
There was a touch of grim humour in one of the reports from the New Territory. It stat-d "the Indian police are compelled to live in the cells." Reems a sort of retribution, doesn't it? But what would have happened had there been any prisoners in onstody? Would they have been turned adrift to shift for themselves ?
meat last week concerning the Government', setion in regard to opiam in Hongkong ? Colonel Seely trusted to be able to satisfy the House of Commons that "the best opinion in Hongkong, and that of the Governor osin. cided with the Government'e'
It is no State secret that His Excellency the Go- vernor as soon as he received the peremptory order of the Secretary of State telegraphed an explanation which was in the nature of a protest, and as no steps have yet been taken to close the so-called opium dons, it is not easy to perceive how the Governor's views coincide with those of the Imperial Govern. meat. Lord Curzon's description of Parlia meatary replies in general seems to admirably fit this one in particular.
It looks at present very much as if the Hongkong Philharmonic Society is to drop out of the list of Hongkong's Institutions, for it has lost its tower of strength. That this should be an nounced i the typhoon week is, of course, a mere coincideuce, for Mr. Faller's decision to resign the conductorship must have been reached long before. The Pailharmonic Society cannot get on very well without Mr. Fuller, and it may be hoped that when he returns from his holiday trip in Java the Committee of the Society will succeed in getting him to reconsider this decision, and be able to give him an assurance of greater encouragement in the future than be has appaready had in the pist.
RODERICK RANDOM.
HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL.
A meeting of the Hongkong Legislative Council was held on August 6th in the Council Chamber.
PRESENT:-
JOHN
HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, SIE FREDERICK Or
DEALTRY LUGARD, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.8.0.
M-jor General BROADWOOD (General Officer Commanding).
would the authorities have consented to pri. soners and police consorting together? No doubt the typhoon is a leveller, but still there are distinctions which should be preserved.
I was pleased to read the other day that the Chief Justice and counsel discarded their wigs, the reason being naively expressed by "It was exceedingly hot your reporter thus ; in the Supreme Court yesterdy." At first I thought there had been another of these eballitions which have become rather frequent of late and which have created the impression "that all is not well in the State of Danmark," but I was pleased to see the reference was to the atmosphere of the premises and not to the temper of the individuals. Counsel would doubtless appreciate the advantage of a cool head, an advantage not limited, i may remark, to the bar on that occasion.
We are supposed to "know a thing or two" in the East, but yet it is sarprising to find how easy it is to gall some of our presum. ably hard-headed compatriots. For instance, hen the statement was bublished that the overnment had paid $100,000-mark well de figure-more for the dredger just pur- chased than they ought to have done, many people believed it. Apparently nothing was too bad to be thought of the Government. And the canard was allowed to run for a few days before it was exploded. The Government, with the sublime indifference of the elephant to the thrust of the mosquito, took no nolice until Mr. Slade put a few innocent questions at the meet. ing of the Legislative Council on Thursday. Then the Director of Publio Works rose nobly to the occasion and with such remarks as "gross
(August 8, 1905.
THE TYPHOON-TELIGRAM FROM SECRETARY
-07 STATE.
HIS EXCELLENOY—Í naya ressived from the Secretary of state a telegram which has already been published in the newspapers and whion I desire to read to the Coquoil. It rund ni follows :-
of the typhoon reosived with great regret by "Your telegram of the 30th July, gewa
dis Majesty & Government who desire me to convey to the community of Hongkong ita sincere sympathy at this second disaster within two years.
ADDITIONAL TYPHOON INFORMATIONĮ
HIS EX JELLSNor −1 may add to that that I have recently been in correspondence with the
Commander-in-Chief in South China with a view to arranging that say of mis Majesty's ships which may be ccaising around should send wireless messages to our Observatory of auy typhoon or any atmospherical disturbance wuich they may be able to report. Arrange. ments are being completed and I hope they will materially increase our knowledge of the direc- signalling in this Colony, tion and coarse of typhoons and so improve the
THE TYPHOON SHELTER-IMPOST ON
SHIPPING,
HIS EXCELLENCY-I have now to submit to the Council the following resolution :—
Resolved that on and from the iss January, 1909, the Owner, Agent or Master of every ship waich enters the Waters of the Colony shalt pay the following Dues to such Offloër as the Governor may, from time to time, appoint:-
(1) For all River Steamers, which enter the Waters of the Colony by day or by night — Five sixths of a cent per ton register.
(2) All other ships waica enter the Waters of the Colony :-
Two couts per ton register, Exemptions:
of War.
Britisa and Foreiga Ships
It will be within the recollection of members of the Counch that in the debate on the Estimates. which took place on the 3rd October last year the hon. Mr. Usborne, whose absence I greatly regret, urged upon the government in a very eloquent-I may say in a very impassioned- Hon. Mr. F. H. MAY, C.M.G., (Colonial pecu that there should be no further delay in Secretary).
the erection of another typhoon shelter. He Hon. Mr. W. REES DAVIES KC., (Attorney-boon formed after the typoon of 1874, when reminsed as of the good resolations which had
General).
Hon. Mr. L. A. M. JOHNSTON (Colonial Treasurer).
Hon. Mr. W. CHATHAM C.M G., (Director of Public Works). Hon. Mr. General).
E. A. IRVING (Registrar
Hon. Commander BASIL R. H. TAYLOR, R,N. (Harbour Master).
Hou. Dr. Ho Kai, M.B., C.M., C.M.G. Hon. Mr. WEI YUK, C.M.G. Hon. Mr. MURRAY STEWART, Hon Mr H. A. W. SLADE, Hon. Mr. W. J, GEESSON, Mr. C. CLEMENTI (Clerk of Councils).
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read, and confirmed.
FINANCIAL MINUTĖS. The COLONIAL SECRETARY, by direction of H.E. the Governor, laid on the table Financial minates, Nos 42 and 43, and moved that they be referred to the Finance Committee.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to,
FINANCIAL.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY, By direction of H.E. te Governor, laid on the table the report of the Finance Committee, No. 12, and moved its adoption.
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.
PAPERS.
The COLONIAL Secretary, by command of
Ɑo-
it was said thai, some 28,0 JU lives were lost, and be reproached the overument that nothing 1906, according to his estimate, 10,000 lives had been done for 25 years. In September,
official member represenung were lost, He was supported by the
the Chamber of Commerce, the Hon. Mr. Hewett, who stated that in his opinion the typucon shelter was urgently needed. Mr. Hewett only spoke as he had spoken previously in the debate in 19 6. On that occasion he said that the neeeT- sity for another typhoon refuge was admitted by all and that it ought to be bail: at the sarliest possible date. He contrasted the gost which the colony had to bear by the frequent disasters and loss of property incurred by re- curring typhoons with the capital cost involved in the erection of a new shelter. In that debate in 1936 the seniorunofficial member representing the Chiness community also gave his verdiot in favour of an additional typhoon refuge and argued it on the grounds not merely of the safety of material property bat on the broader graunda of humanity. The Press of this Colony nas been unanimous in supporting the urgent necessity, the immediate necessity of building another
phoon refuge, and they have impressed on heavy responsibility in delaying its construction the Government that they are incurring a very
on any grounds whether financial or otherwise, The speakers in the debate last year spoke to those who were already convinced. I myself said in that debate that I thought it an urgent
mis-statements," pricked the bubble and exposed H.E. the Governor, laid on the table the follow. necessity for the Government to afford adequate
the extreme foolishness of the obarges that has been made. And nobody could say that the rebuke was undeserved. Leg pullers "should now experience some difficulty in working off their jokes.
Lord Carson recently described replies to Parliamentary questions as "those astonishing tours de force which combine to give the minimum of information with a fine air of affected candour." How does this fit Colonel Beely's reply to the questions saked in Parlia.
ing papars :-Correspondence regarding the Typhoon Shelter at Mongkokisui and the proposed Temporary Increase in Light Dues, and the Report on the Botanical and Afforesta- tion Department for the year 1907. The corres- pondenos regarding the Typhoon Shelter had been circulated to members, But since the circulation it had been brought up to date by the a idition of a letter received the preivons from certain European shipping companies and the answer under date of 6th inst
Harbour. I said that in my opinion there should p.otection to the small oraft frequenting this
the pledge given by my predecessor that it be no delay in making that refuge, and I endorsed
should be undertaken at once. It therefore remained for the Government to decide in what. way the money should be provided, after careful study of the finances of the Colony and of the steps which had been adapted in similar crises,
came to the conclusion that the cost should be defrayed by an additional impost on shipping
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