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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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[Angust 6, 1908...
1 am hopeful that they might be con- vinced of the validity of the reasons which convince me that the proposals are reasonable and moderate.—if that is, they still remain unconvinced by Your Excellency's statement of the case. In any case I have been asked by the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce to bag Your Excellency to postpone this most important résolution, not for long; only to allow time for the suggested meeting to take place, and I therefore think it is my duty on behalf of the Chamber to make this appeal.
to the engineer who prepared it to see if boat, was driven ashore. Several other vessels, the resulting land, I am a little dʊnbifal it could be reduced. On December 18th the belonging_to_that Company had a Harrow whether that point was put forward with the revised report of the engineer had been received, escape. The Kowloon Wharf and Godown Co. idea of attributing Machiavellian intentions to and was immediately laid before the Public lost two, one drifting away and many the Government, or merely by the way of subtly Works Committee when they asked for further many other craft were blown out, including supplying a hint of a hitherto-anthought-of- time to consider the report and the plans "Blue Fannel" lighter. Another firm was said way out of our present difficunities. The Govern- on a work of such great magnitude. Oa to have lost eight lighters. I think this goes
ment should at least give an assurance that if January 4th they reported. There was still to show, as I said before, that European built there is any suchį intention, or if when the some lingering doubt in my mind as to the craft will benefit very much indeed from proposed shelter at Mongkoksui is finished, it position of the shelter, and I took the op. the typhoon refuge at Mongkoktun as well as should seem desirable to reclaim Cansoway Bay, portunity to again consult the Chinese native craft. You must bear in mind that s
tue fands so realised will be devoted to reducing merchants through the Hon. Registrar-General, European industry, the Wharf and Godown the outstanding debit appearing as the cost of and asked their views as to the position of a Co., have. I believe, something like eighty the Mongkoksui soheme. In any case the point shelter. I was assured that they were strongly vesels employed in serving the shipping inter raised opens up a new possibility which should. in favour of Mongkokisui, and if they had ests of the Colony. To them, at any rate, the perhaps be discussed. I can easily understand hesitated between that and any other position refuge would have a very great value. The that it must seem from the official point of view it was simply because they believed the Govern- letter gees on to say that Causeway Bay was that an enormous latitude has already been given ment would not erect an adequate one which not fall on that occasion. I submit to you that to discussion over this matter, bat the extra- would afford. perfect safety against typhoons, it is very hard to say whether Causeway ordinary rapidity with which the personnel of Having received the unaninons report of the | Bay W88 fall or not, seeing that the this community changes, outside official sireles, Publio Works Committee I went fully and typhoon occurred at midnight, but
it cous.itutes a valid excuse for the reappearance, carefully into the question of finance. That is admitted that there was a great com. even of old arguments brought forward by now naturally occupied some little time, and on pression just outside the entrance late in the men, and justifies a special claim upon the March 7th I submitted the proposals to the evening. I have some direct evidence on that consideration of the oflointa. The need of the moment is that conviction should be Secretary of State. On May 27th, having had point. The Wharf and Godown Company, of no reply fr m him, I telegraphed the Secretary whom I asked the question, informed me that brought home to the minds of those who of State, receiving in reply the answer that they sent their lighters at 5 p.m. to Causeway are immediately and at the moment concerned, the matter had been referred to the Lords of the Bay and at six o'clock they were told that I am such a true believer in the superiority of Treasury and the consulting engineers. On Causeway Bay was full, and began to tow their discussion over correspondence as a means of July 15th I again telegraphed, and I received lighters to Stonecutters, over a mile distant. arriving at agreement, and this method having the reply that the consulting engineers proposed When they arrived there safe they were blown borne such excellent results in the recent dia- certain modifications. On July 20th I again out. Even if Causeway Bay were not fall I cussion of the Health Bill, that even at the telegraphed, and I asked whether the don't see that this is a good argument against
eleventh hour in view of the influentially signed consulting engineers could submit by tele having the shelter on the other side of the har. protest which has been made, I would beg the graph the chief points on which they wished bour, because it is admitted that craft from the Government to consider seriously whether it farther information, On August 4th I west could not get to Causeway Bay. I have
would not be desirable in the public interest, and in the interest of the harmonious working received a reply saying that the consulting been furnished with these figures showing the engineers adhered to their desire for number of vessels which had been counted
of this scheme, to afford an opportunity for the information on certain points, but that we outside the shelter entrance early on the signatories of that protest to meet the per could proceed at once with a portion of the morning of the 28th-93 junks, 88 European manent officials, who have the subject at their dredging. Meanwhile correspondence was oon- lighters sought refuge in Kowloon Bay, Haag. fingers ends, and to hear the case for the tinued with the Chamber of Commerce, the hom Bay, off Yaumati and behind Stonecutters,
Government proposals in all its bearings. result of which is now before you on the table. while 200 sampans were counted off Yaumati. We also secured the dredger, and Council will, There were also 112 native craft and foar I think, agree with me that there has been no European lighters in Chinwan Bay. Presum- waste of time in this matter. They will also ably, had there been an adequate shelter at agree that overhaste in so important a work Mongkoktsui, all these vessels would have found would have been even worse than some
refage inside. The signatories to that letter delay. I have alluded to the dredger. also say that the Government suggest there was At the last meeting of Council, in answer plenty of water in Causeway Bay. That, I to a question from the hon. member on my think, is certainly not
the case, and is right, the Hon. Director of Public Works sufficiently disproved by the fact that we gave full information regarding that purchase. are now spending $50,000 in deepening
I have nothing more new to I think we may say it was a good bargain. and it.
add I hope that its acquisition will redace the cost gentlemen, in submitting this resolution to the of the typhoon shelter. I may remind you that Council. it is a resolution of the greatest if the dredger had been sold out of the Colony importance. It is not merely a question as to we should have had to pay monopoly rates for the prosperity of this Colony, or as to the whatever work we had to do, and I have good commercial profits of our port. It is a question reason to believe it was likely to be sold out of humanity. It is a question which has been of the Colony, and within 48 hours an offer debated since the year 1874, and was accentuated was made. She was surveyed as late as by the great typhoon of September 1906, when November last, and I was advised that to redeox 10,000 lives were said to have been lost; also a her now would be an unnecessary expense to
vast amount of property belonging to the Colony. She was surveyed in working Chinese fellow subjects was destroyed. The psy condition and found to be everywhere sound an i a large proportion of the revenue of this Colony, fit for her purpose. I may add too the figures and I don't think this Council should hesitate to given by the Hon. Director of Public Works pass this resolution which imposes some extra when he contrasted the capacity of the St. taxation which in this instance falls ohiefly Anoch
revenue. "with the "Canton River" that the upon the European community. I recommend intenance of the one compared with the other for your acceptance the resolution which I 44 per cent. in favour of the "St. Enoch " commenced my observations by reading, will add a few remarks before I resume my seat regarding the last letter which I only saw this morning from the shipping interesa They say that the last typhoon goes to show that there is no necessity for construoting another shelter at Mongkoktaui. I am in formed, gentlemen, that according to the police returns, that the last typhoon destroyed 56 native craft within the limits of the harbour, and 45 lives so far are known to be lost. As you all know, these figures must be very much under the mark. In that number of 66 just quoted are included very many craft of Euro. pean make. The typhoon of July 27th-28th came from the north east, and returns from the Observatory show that it never reached any point west to south. It therefore was not so destructive to native craft, and conse- quently to native life in the harbour as the one of September 1906. But we may any day have a typhoon from the west, with the same destructive results then experienced As it was the craft in the western portion of the harbour-were unable to reach Causeway Bay. Many fled to Stonecutters and there the
Morning Star," the Star Ferry Company's'
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The ATTO¤NEY-GENERAL 800oaded. Hou, Mr. Murray Stewart—The corres- pendence which was circulated during week gives the views of the Chamber of Commerce amply up to yesterday and I had hoped would have relieved me from the necessity of addressing the Council on this much discussed subject. A new feature has, however, been introduced into the controversy by the letter from the Shipping Companies, addressed to the Government yesterday afternoon. A copy was sent in to the Chamber of Commerce but there has not been time to hold a Committee meeting. I do not know whether a Committee meeting would result in the unanimous adoption of the views of the Shipping Companies, but it thaa probable that opinion would favour postponing this resolution until the matter has been again discussed, and in an affair of such importance it is natural that I should wish to represent fully the views of Chamber. Two new points were raised in the letter, the first drawn from the experience of the late typhoon; the second covers the sugges lion that the Government intend to fill up Causeway Bay and make a fine profit out of
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Hon. Mr. Gason--Your Excellency, I think that the discussion has not been sufficiently brought to the notice of members of this Council, and that circumstances alter 03808. It has been mentioned that in 1906, as a member of the Typhoon Committee, 1 was in favour of ar expenditure for the Mongkoktani refuge. That is undoubtedly so. Tae figures that I had laid before me, and which were sanctioned by the Pablic Works Committee about the same time, comprised an expenditure of some $600,000. But at that time the revenue of the Colony was not in the precarious state it is now, We did not know that at one fell swoop we were going to loss a great and important part of our
Also I understood that the contribu- tion which was promised by your predecessor to the fund, a sum of $300,000, would be available for payment of work at this refuge.» Therefore Sir, you will see that at that time the Typhoon Committee only anticipated an expenditure of $300,000. That is a different thing to the sanctioning of an expenditure of $1,500,000. Your Excellency also laid great stress on the fact that the chairman of the Chamber of Com- merce and its representative in this Council strongly supported it. But he also strongly opposed any increase of light duse to pay for it. The feeling in the Colony seems to me some- what changed as to the advisability of a refuge, and I think the proposal made by the represent- stive of the Chamber of Commerce well worth your Excellency's consideration. I would also sak that the decision should be postponed till we have had one further opportunity of discuss ing the whole matter, and I will second the amendment of the representative of the Chamber of Commeros.
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Hon. Dr. Ho Kai-Sir, I must say I am in- favour of the Government granting the request of the hon. member representing the Chamber of Commerce, which was supported by the hou member who has just taken his seat. Personally * I think a conference would be sumèlent to nettles
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