294
A RICKSHAW MONOPOLY,
The Director of the Ho Pak Reclamation Bureau has issued a notification inviting people to tender for the sole privilege of running 40 rickshaws on the Ho Pak new band. The noti fication distinctly states that all rickshaws mast be new and have indis rubber tyres.
This would be a good speculation for Hongkong Chinese merchants, as rickshaw pullers will have to be engaged from Hongkong.
October 15th
WARNING AGAINST EMIGRATION TO
VICTORIA.
The Bureau of Local Affairs here received a peti ion from the Chinese Association in Visto i, Canada, stating that there are large numbers of Chinese merchants and labourers in the city of Victoria which is a very prosperous busin place in Canada. A few years ago the Canadian Government imposed an immigration tax of gold $50 on every Chinese immigrant, shortly afterwards the fax WAS increased to $100 and now it is 8500. Wages of the diffe ent olasses of labourers increased oorsiderably, Chinese labourers, attracted by high wages disregarded the heavy poll-tax and flocked to Victoria to earn this live ihood. Coutrary to
and their expectations. Japanese
India labours, who are ex mpted from the emi- gration tax, have in recent years swarmed to Viotoris like bees, uuderselling Chinese labourers and con.. quently the rate of wages is steadily declining. Bat the iufux of the Chinese people is still as great as ever and it has even become rather difficult to earn a living now a-days.. In view of these facts, the members of the Chinese Association in Victoria bave sent a pitition to the Bureau of Local Affairs requesting them to make known to the public the real position of affair
in Victoria.
On receipt of the patition the Bureau of Local Affairs directed the Kwong Chow Prefect to direct the Nam Hoi and Poon Yu Magistrates to issue proclamations exhorting the people to temporarily cease going to Vio'oris. It i reported that proclamations to the sbore effect were issued by the Magistrate y-sterday.
THE CANTON SWIMMING BATH SCHEME.
Mr. Fox, the Acting British Consal Gaueral has issued a notice conreuing another meeting of the ratepayers of the British Cono-Bsion in connection with the propos-d Swimming Bath. The meeting called for October 12th at 4 p.m. was not attended by a sufficient number of ratepayers to allow of the resolution regarding the Swimming Bath being passed by the necessary majority of two-t irds of the total number of votes in the list of voters. Another special meeting is therefore called for Thursday, October 22nd at 9.30 am. at the Consulate when it is earnestly hoped that all rate payers will make a point of being present.
The business of the meeting is ti formulate a request to His Majesty's Off
of Works for the lease of Lot No. 78 to the Municipal Council for the purpose of erecting a Public Swimming Bath thereon.
October 16th.
NORTH B.VAR FLC OD
The Flood Relief Society and the various Charitable Institutions here have again been very busy lately in rendering good service to the people of the districts up the North River.
It is reported that in places in the Hoi Ping and Bun Ning distriots the fields and houses are inundated with 15 to 20 feet of water. The sudden and unexpected rising of the North River to over 30 feet high at this time of the year has caught the country people unawares. Many of them have lost everything and are now homeless and starving, The loss of life in the districts bordering on the North River is considerable and hundreds of corpses are said to be floating in the River. It is reported that the flood has been caused by heavy rains up country which lasted over ten days,
YAMEN REFORMS.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
the Edict, issued notifications to the officials of all the distriots in the Kwangtang Province requesting them to obey the Edict. But on nocount of insufficient funds allowed to officials by the Government for condusting their offices, no change up to the present moment has been made. The Yamen runners purchase their positions and are a source of inc me to the officials; bence the unwillingness to make the change.
Recently Viceroy (hang received a COM. munication from the Bard of Census in Peking asking him whether the officials had complied with the instructions of the Imperial Edict issued in connection with this matter; it so, to farnish the Board with a full report as soon as possible so that they may go into the questions of expenditure and number of men employed in each yamen, and have the same officially recorded. The Viceroy repli d that he
would forward to the Board a statement of the requirements of each yaman and the estimated costs of the soldiers and poli e it will be necessary to maintain.
CANTON MACAO RAILWAY.
The Board of Posts and Communications recently cabla instructions to the Loil Authorities requesting them to inform Lam Tak Yuen to whom a concession was formerly the
granted for
tha construction
conces-
to
Canton Мисло Railway that the Govern ment have decided to give the sion of constructing the railway back him. The officials replied to the Board that Lum Tak Yuen is dead. It is reported that the concession of this Railway has now bжD granted to another group of men who related to His Excellency Tang Shou Yee.
KING EDWARD'S BIRTHDAY.
are
Mr. Fox. the British Consul. Goeral here, presided over a meeting of British residents in Canton, held at the Canton Chub Thestre, yesterday to corsider how the King's Birthday on the 9th proximo should be o-l-brated this year; a re resentative Committee was formed and it is hoped that this year the King's Birth- day will be fittingly c·lebrat-d.
TRIAD 80CIETY CAUSING TROUBLE.
A faction of the Triad Society has ben 0108- ing much trouble to the p-ople in the Yin Toog from the East Gate of Canton City. They and Yung Shu Tao towns situated a few miles drove members of the gentry out of the town of the place and turned it into a gambling Hall in Yin Tong and forcibly took possession
house At Yong 8a Tau the Triad 8 oe'y paled down a large vacant military station Bud
removed the materials to A called Wo g King Toog where the memb-re ploe
of the society are erecting a big ball ✯ the foot of a bill.
THE OPIUM QUESTION—AND MORPHIA. of opium amoking bas instructed the Viceroys The Minister app in'ed for the suprasion
and governors of all the Province in China in cause all anti opium pills and drugs that are being sold in their prov aj s to be analyzed and to its liceres to those only that do not ontain mrphia. All pills containing substitutes for opium will be confiscated and destroyed Unlicensed shop, will be g-ized in fatare, their ontents co sosted and the proprietor will be severely punished.
KISSING SCARF PIN.
|
[October 17, 1908.
to the Commissioner. On his arrival be was told by the Chief Interpreter that the European officer had already redeemed the scarf pin from the pawn shop on presenting the Nam Hoi's letter. The Yamen runner deminded the usual squeeze tes money, bat did not get it.
October 17th.
DISPUTE BETWEEN TWO RAILWAY CONCERNS. About three years ago the Sunding Railway Company applied to the Board of Commerce (now Board of Posts and Communications) for permission to extend their line from Koong Yik to Fat Shan. The Board of Commerce, after investigation into the matter, replied that they were unable to sauofion the request because, in extending their line to Fat Shan, the railway will have to pasa Shun Tak. Sun Woi and several other districte, and the privilege to con- struot B railway in thons districts had already been granted to the Portuguese Go- vernment in the agreement for the construction of the Canton-Maoso Railway, but that per mission for extension of their line in those districts would be sanctioned if arrang ɔmenta could be made with the Portuguese Government after the route had been prospected and massured. In 1906 the agreement between China and Portugaal for the construction of the Canton-Macno Riilway was cancelled whereupon the Sanning Railway Compay immediately petitioned to the newly establishel Board of Pos's and Communications for permission to extend their line from Koong Yik to Pak shek. On this occasion the Canton-Hankow Railway Company stepped in and objected to the Sun- ning line being extended. They say that Pak
Shok is close to Fat Shan and it is their intention to oɔnstruct a branch line from Fat Shan to Kongmoon, presing the districts of
Shan lak, Jan Wei, ato.
The Board of Posts and Communications rea-ntly sent a dispatch to Viceroy Chang stating that in going through the correspon. dence in connection with this matter they discovered that the former Board of Commerce had promised the Sunbing Railway Company that they would grant them permision to assble to sinotion the request at the time extend the lins to Fat Shan, but they were
as it who'd interfere with the agreement made Macao Railway. Now that the ensaion with the Portuguese Government in the Canton
has been cancelled and the Sunning Hallway Company has complated their line, from San- ning to Koong Yik the Beard has decided to sanction the request to extend their line from Koong Yik to Pak 8bek The dispatch states that The Canton-Hankow Railway Co. were unreasonable in objec'ing to the application, Moreover, they had no locks standi to interføri with the application made by the Sanning Railway Company because the Canton-Haokow Railway Company was not even in existence when the application
made to the Board of Commerce by the former Company Further more the Canton-Haokow Railway Company had practically done nothing since
they
redeemed
the concession from the Americ in Development Company. Finally the dispatch requests the Vionroy to in. ves'igate the matter and report to the Bard whether the extension applied for by the Suasing Railway in advantagious so that they may action the requset at an early date.
BEHEADED FOR KIDNAPPING.
A Eampean officer of the I. M. Customs out dcor staff lost a scarf pia comelime ago and failed to find ou who bad stolen it. A few days
be ago
reo-ived information that it was pledged in a certain pawn shop. to the place and it turned The officer went
bat out to be correct,
the pawo brokers The prisoner Tai Ah For, who was recently. the offer to redeem the refused to allow
surrendered by the Hongkong Government to x article without a written order from the Nam
the Canton Authorities in a rendition osse was Hoi Magistrate.
taken to the sxscation ground on the 15th The ofBoar reported the master to the Com-instant and decipitated in the pressna) of the missioner of Customs who wrote to the Nam Nam Hoi Magistrate, Boi requesting that an order empowering the Castoms House redeem the stolen scarf pin. The Na Hoi ! The Director of Military Education in Japan replied that he would forward an order to the has addressed a circular to Ŭovernors of provinces Commis-ioner. Ia the meantime the Comin which he draws their attention to the fact missioner of Customs handed the Nam, flors that, as a rule, only the inferior pupils of higher letter to the officer, who took it to the pawn
educational establishments adopt the military shop and redeemed the scarf pin.
profession, while the more brilliant students On the following day a runner
choose an sondemical career, and requests co- Want His Excellency Nam Hoi Ymea
personally
vation in sa sndeavour to counteract ten- oper Custom House to deliver the
deney so injurious to the interests of the Empira.
An Imperial Ediot was issued last year ordering the officials in Chins to dismiss all their Yamen runners and have them replaced by policemen and soldiers. Chau Fu, ex-Viceroy of Canton, on receipt of
ba
granted offloor to
of the to the written order
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