January 23, 1909.]
has no use for the Europeans in the East. Writing of Colombo she remarks:-
"The Europeans here (olombo) are the one really serious inconvenience. Luckily they are but a handful one sees two whites to two-score natives. They are supercilious, classy, and English-vilely English Everyone talks the highest “high English" and the effect is ridi- culous. I do not like the English here. I shall be very much surprised if they like me. They live in the silver table and show-room style, most of them are up to their eyes in debt and as regards their morals, it is as often as not a case of "For Simla Reasons,"
J
A Ceylon paper adds "Is this caustic criticism of Colomboites the outcome of olombo's caustic criticism of certain amateur theatricals-very amateur- in the garden of the G. O. H. with which Miss Dulcie Deamer was connected ?" However, I shudder to think what would have happened if the modest Dulcie had discovered Hongkong. We should be undone.
It is not my point of view, but a man, whom I suspect of being a humorist, asks what we shall do with our dusty streets if spitting be prohibited.
RODERICK RANDOM.
HONGKONG.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held yesterday at the Board Room. Mr. R. O. Hutcheson presided, and there were present Hon. Mr. W. Chatham, .M.G., olonel Bed- ford, Hon. Mr. E. A. Irving, Mr. A. Shelton Hooper, Mr. H. Humphreys, Mr. Lau Chu Pak, Dr. Pearse (Medical Officer of Health), Dr. MoFarlane, (Assistant Medical Officer of Health) and Mr. A. Gibson (Secretary).
CATTLE DISEASES AT POKFULUM.
A letter was received from the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon as follows:-I have the honour to report for the information of the Board that rinderpest is now at an end in shed No. 10, Dairy Farm ompany's premises, at Sassoon's Villa, Pokfulum Road, and that foot and mouth disease is also at an end in Sheds Nos. 11 and 12, which belong to the same ompany. These sheds have been cleansed and disinfected, and I beg there- fore to recommend that they be no longer regarded as an infected area. There were no deaths from foot and mouth disease, and of the 19 animals in No. 10 shed affected with rinder- pest, two died.
Dr. Gibson wrote a second letter as follows:- I have the honour to report for the information of the Board that rinderpest has appeared in No. 7 shed of the Dairy Farm Company's premises at Sassoon's Villa, Pokfulum Road. There are fourteen cows, one bull and one calf in this shed.
No cases of plague and only one of cholera I beg therefore to recommend that the shed bd declared an infected area under the Importation and Inspection of Animals Byelaws, Ordinance
were reported last week,
The usual ante-New Year petty thefts and 1 of 1903-1908. snatchings are fairly numerous.
A brilliant assembly met in the City Hall on Tuesday night on the occasion of the bal masqué given by naval officers.
A humorous situation was witnessed at the
Magistracy on Jan. 19 when Mr. Kemp had his golf caddie before him on a charge of theft.
The latest bulletins issued by Dr. Jordan, state that the condition of Her Excellency Lady Lugard continues to improve.
Mr. A. Denison, and Mr. C. B. Buyer (Superintendent of the Peak tram line) left for Manila on Saturday to survey a tram route to Beguet.
At the Magistracy on Jan. 20 a Chinese was fined $84 for being in illegal possesion of a quantity of opium and was mulcted in a further sum of $10 for being in possession of three fighting weapons.
A military funeral took place at the Happy Valley on Jan. 18 when the remains of Sapper Shave, of the Royal Engineers, were interred with military honours. The Buff Band was in attendance Sapper Share was one of the best players in the R. E. football team.
A burglary was reported to the police on the 20th inst. Thieves had gained entrance to the top floor of 46 Connaught Road West occupied by a trader by pushing open a sliding door on the roof. They made off with a leather box which contained clothing to the value of $50 and money to the extent of $1,500.
Harmston's Circus opened a season at Cause way Bay on Jan. 18, the commodious tent being well filled with an appreciative audience. After Monday's display there is no doubt that this performance has lost none of the prestige which former visits to Hongkong have gained for it. Many of the turns were exceed ingly clever and earned unstinted appro- bation from the large attendance, while the olowns Pimple and Alberto furnished abundance of mirth.
Mr. William Cameron Forbes, Vice-Governor of the Philippine Islands and Mr. Jose R. de Luzuriaga, the ommissioner, called on His Excellency the Governor on Friday, who invited them to lunch. This invitation, how-
ever, they were unable to accept being pledged to a luncheon party at the Hongkong lub arranged in their honour by Mr. Bolles, but they returned to Government House Ister in the
afternoon and were entertained at tea by the Governor.
On the motion of the PRESIDENT, seconded by Mr. HOOPER, sheds Nos. 10, 11 and 12 were declared free from infection, and shed No. 7 was
declared infected.
GOVERNMENT ANALYST'S EXAMINATION.
The Government Analyst reported having examined two samples of brandy, ten of milk, three of port wine and six of whisky, all of which were found to be unadulterated.
MORTALITY STATISTICS.
The mortality statistics for the week ended 2nd January showed that the death rate of the Colony, based on a rate per 1,000 per annum of the total population was 194 as against 19-9 for the corresponding week of last year.
LIMEWASHING RETURN.
The limewashing return for the fortnight ended 29th December showed that 1,728 houses were limewashed in the Eastern District, and 680 in the Central District.
A CONFIDENTIAL MATTER.
The President was about to refer to the con-
clusion of the term of Messrs. Hooper and asked that a confidential matter on the agenda Humphreys on the Board, when Mr. Hooper
on members should be taken first.
The PRESIDENT moved that strangers be requested to withdraw.
The VICE-PRESID NT seconded. Mr. HOOPER Before you put the motion I
would direct your attention to the fact on under the standing orders all meetings of the Board, whether in committee or not, should be public unless motion is made to exclude strangers, and carried by a majority of the members present. As this is a matter which I think should be made public, I would simply suggest to the members that the motion be not carried. It is a matter affecting the con- duct of an officer: I will not mention his name, therefore it is not discussing it. As a result of the inquiry of the Commission. I am firmly of opinion that if this is made public there will be fewer complaints in the future, and I hope it will be considered publicly.
The VICE-PRESIDENT So far as I am con- cerned, I am not aware that the papers have been through my hands; therefore I am not in a position to express an opinion one way or the
ther.o
The PRESIDENT-No, they have not been in your hands.
The REGISTRAR-GENERAL-Have not they been in mine?
The PRESIDENT-The papers came from your office.
COLONEL BEDFORD-I have read through the papers, and, as far as I have seen, I cannot agree with Mr. Shelton Hooper. I see no advantage at all in the natter being made public. I fail to
see in what way it would benefit the community. Mr. HOOPER-My mouth is rather closed in that the matter stand over till next meeting in explaining, but I will propose an amendment order to let members who have not seen the
papers see them.
Mr. LAU-CHU-PAK seconded the amendment, which was agreed to.
VALEDICTORY.
The PRESIDENT-Gentlemen. This is the last meeting of two of our members-Mr. Shelton Hooper and Mr. Humphreys. I am very glad to see that Mr. Hooper is going to stand again, and I am sure it will be a pleasure to all of us to see him present at the next meeting and able to carry on the good work which he has done in the past. I regret that Mr. Humhreys finds himself unable to stand again for election. At this time, when the new Ordinance is in its initial stages, his experience would be of vast use to us, and I hope that at some future date he will again be able to take his seat at the Board.
Mr. HUMPHREYS-Sir, I am very gratified, and. I thank you fo your remarks. The three years that I and my Colleague, Mr. Hooper, have represented the tax payers on this Board have involved probably the hardest work that any such representat.ves have ever been called upon to perform, owing principally to His Excellency Sir, Matthew Nathan appointing all the Unofficials of this Board & ommission to inquire into the working of the Health Or dinance. The amount of work which that Com-
an
mission did and the corruption it exposed, is, I think, well known. The spectacle of $10,000 squandered every month during the plague season on
unknown and untried disin- fectant, of thousands of dollars paid our every month to unknown' Chinese con- tractors, without business premises and with, ont even a printed form for their bills, will, I trust, never again be presented to the
Community. The Sanitary Board as a Board could not be asked to share the blame in any way because prior to this state of affairs the Government had transferred practically the whole of the executive arrangements to a Sanitary Department composed entirely of Government Officials. There is very little work under the Sanitary law to be done now. Under the new Ordinauce all matters connected with buildings have been transferred from the Board to the Building Authority. I do not say it is not a move in the right direction, but, good or bad, it whittles down the business of the Board to practically nothing. Certainly the last few meetings I have attended have been a farce. For this reason, if for no other, I take my leave of the Board without a single, regret. At the same time I would like to express my appreciation of the courtesy of yourself and members of the Board had every courtesy that your predecessor. It is not always that unofficial
they wanted.
Mr. HOOPER-Sir, I thank you very much for your personal allusion to myself and to the work which I have done during the
last
three years. I join with my colleague, Mr. Humphreys, in thanking you and your pre- decessor for the courtesy you have extended to the unofficial members while they have been under your presidency at this board. I think I should be wanting were I not to refer to the action of his Excellency Sir Frederick Lugard in matters of sanitation and all connected there- with He arrived at an important time, just He therefore as the commission had given their report.
came fresh to it, but he studied it from beginning to end and listened nection with the legislation that has since been to the arguments which were adduced in con- enacted, and the legislation which was proposed. His Excellency has always given an attentive Bar to any communication which any member of this Board (I can speak from personal experience,
has
ever addressed to him. I think he sp preciated the situation when shortly after his arrival it was apparent that there was not good feeling between officials and unofficials w should exist. I, for one, saw no reason why Loy friction should exist, and suggested to His Excellency a certain course to which he at once gave effect: that was with a View to breaking down the apparent phalanx against unofficial members. He adopted my suggestion that instead of officials being seated at the top of the table and unofficials at the bot- tom, he should mix us all up. He likewise gave
Î
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.