84
KULANGSU (AMOY)
COUNCIL.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND MUNICIPAL regulation on the subject of Building permits gives us ample powers, we do not propose Baking you to add anything to the existing bye-law, but cases arising where ratepayers The annual meeting of the ratepayers of
think it advisable for the ounoil to prosecute the international settlement of Kulangau, should be brought to our notice. In conclusion Amoy, was held at the Board Room, Kulangau, it is my pleasant duty to record on behalf of on the 19th January 1909. There were
myself and my follow ouncillors our complete present:-Mesars J. H. Arnold, G. W. Barton,
satisfaction with the work of our Secretary H. Bathurst, R. Braun, A. Coghill, W. Davies, Mr. Mitchell, who has displayed his customary W. M. d'Oliveira, F. H. Edwards, J. D. tact and energy in the performance of his Edwards, L. C. Escort, A. J. M. Fanque, M. somewhat various and distinctly arduous duties. Feller, J. S. Fenwick, W. W. Frederick, L. Mr. BATHURST desired, before the accounts Giles, H. Gottwaldt, W. H. Howard, E. Jessen, for 1908 and the budget for 1909 were brought W. F. Kahler, Kashiwabara, H. C. Kohler, W. forward for passing, to call attention to certain Komaroff, W. Kruse, C. Lee, J. J. C. Lorrent-points in the, accounts, budget and annual zen, F. H. Luccasen Rev. J. Macgo wan, Dr. report. He would like to know why the prison. H. McDougall, J. Mencarini, Dr. C. Merz police and general charges had gone up in (Chairman), Dr. J. Moorhead, Y. Mori, J. P. recent years, and mentioned several items; why Morley, M. B. Nilsen, J. Noble, S. Okazaki, S. the police staff, reduced from twenty-eight in Okuyama, Dr. A. J. Otte, P. M. Saugar, A. J. 1904 to nineteen in 1908, cost more in the latter Sundius, J. H. Thatcher, L. I. Thomas, Miss year in wages, and on what scale were the Land Usher, Rev. G. M. Wales, W. H. Wallace, ('. Commissioners paid? J. Weed, C. Whitfield, W. Wilson, A. E. Wilzer, the Secretary (Mr. Berkeley Mitchell) and others.
Dr. Merz, Consul for Germany, and Senior Consul, was in the chair.
The SECRETARY read the notice convening the meeting.
THE CHAIRMAN'S REVIEW.
an
as а bonus on com-
Mr. WALLACE replied that while he could not accept Mr. Bathurst's figures as being by any means correct, the charges he mentioned must in the ordinary course increase automatically. The pay of the Police was progressive and included such items pletion of engagement, deferred pay, and passage money to India, all of which tend- ed to swell the total, and therefore these items must show an increase, and this, would be more apparent in cer- tain years than in others. The Land Com- missioners were paid a fee of $300 each, which was by no means excessive for the work they were called upon to do.
of
course,
Mr. BATHURST then remarked that there were four sergeants in a force of nineteen, and suggested fewer sergeants and more men. As regards the annual report he would like to know how the Council arrived at the number of buildings on the Island?
Mr. WALLACE. From the Land Commis-
oners.
Mr. BATHURST.-But it does not say so in the Budget. How do you arrive at the population? Mr. WALLACE.By the census, which was very kindly voluntarily taken by Mr. Gottwaldt
of the Land Commission.
Mr. BATHURST-If you have only taken a census once it is impossible to tell whether there has been an increase or decrease in the popula- tion. I do not agree to, or see the necessity of, an Assistant Secretary and Superintendent of Police, and as regards the Staff of the Council being a "one man show," if, as suggested in the Council's annual report, the present Secretary and Superintendent of Police goes on leave, although you engage an Assistant, it will still be a "one man show."
Mr. MENCARINI: I would like to know if the engagement of an Assistant is approved. whether his duties will be of a clerical nature, or will he be an outside man?
Mr. W. H. WALLACE, Chairman of the 1908 Council, addressed the meeting as follows:- Our annual report for 1908, which has now been in your hands for some days, is of such a voluminous character that but few remarks from the Chairman of your ounoil are called for. Still, there are points I desire to touch on before you are asked to pass the accounts and estimates. At the end of 1908 we show roughly a balance in hand of $637 after allowing for a payment of $2,800 on new buildings account, whereas we estimated to have a surplus of some $3,000 The difference is principally due to two items, viz. expenditure on new buildings, and an item of 8900 for Land Commissioners' fees. As regards the allowance we have made in the Budget for the current year for an expenditure of $2,000 on a new pavilion, this is only a pro. posal, and the Conncil by no means bind them. selves to such a scheme, as they consider it is a matter that the ratepayers at this meeting should decide, and if you consider such expenditure excessive, or undesirable, or that the scheme should be modified, we are quite prepared to fall in with your views. It would be, however, as well to bear in mind that on the inception of the Council the old pavilion was taken over as Municipal property, so, of course, it is the duty of our Council to keep it in repair, and in making the suggestion of a corrugated fron building in place of one built on similar lines to the old one, we would point but that we think an iron building would be cheaper in the long run, as it would be impervious to white ants, whereas a building such as the old one is constant- ly needing repairs from this cause. The old build- Mr. WILSON (Watch and Assessment Com- ing brought you in a rental of $75 per annum, but mittee.)--Mr. Wallace, the (hairman of the 1908 whatever sum you decide to expend we would Council, has asked me to answer certain questions suggest that the new rental should be on a
which have been raised. Anyone with a little basis of 10 per cent per annum on the outlay, thus, common observation could see that in recent years if we expend $2,000 as proposed, we shall receive the number of houses in the Settlement and the say $200 as rental. I will but lightly touch on population has increased enormously. The the question of an Assistant to your Secretary Council's intention is that the proposed and Superintendent of Police, for it must be Assistant should be primarily for outdoor obvious to anyone conversant with the growth Police and Sanitary work, and so relieve Mr. of work in different Municipal Departments Mitchell considerably. At present it is im- during the past few years, that it has become possible for your Secretary and Superintendent impossible for any one man to conscientiously of Police to go round the Island as often as he and successfully cope with the same. Another would like, or to give that personal attention to matter I think your attention should be called all matters, whether in connection with office or to, and that is the engagement of a trained outside, which he did formerly, before the work nurse, to work under the orders of the Health increased to its present extent. As regards Officer and to be at the disposal of the Foreign Mr. Mitchell's leave-which I venture to remark residents of the Island. Whether such a nurse
he has earned and the remarks concerning the should be engaged by the Council and paid phrase a one man show, his leave would not for out of public funds, or whether make much difference; it will simply mean that obtained by private endeavour, is a matter the one man show" will continue a little longer for the ratepayers, but the Council think that is all. Some of Mr. Bathurst's remarks the question should receive your earnest
were hardly pertinent. attention. The matter of the construction of buildings and the power of the Council to prosecute contractors and others for using materials of an inferior quality or erecting buildings of faulty construction, was brought home to many of us during the severe storm of last October, and has engaged our attention, but as we are advised that our present
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Mr. BATHURST (interrupting), said he did not want any of that sort of thing.-(Laughter.) Mr. WALLACE: You have misunderstood Mr. Wilson; he said "pertinent" not "im- pertinent" remarks.
Mr. WILSON also explained that he had not used the word "impertinent," and, continuing, said, it was necessary to have an Assistant.
[February 1, 1909.
Supposing for instance, Mr. Mitchell's health was to break down, they would be in a bad way for they could not expect any Councillor they might elect to neglect his business to take up Mr. Mitchell's duties; he for one at any rate would not do so. Besides the work had increased to such an extent that it was impossible to carry on efficiently without an Assistant, and as years went by the work would still further increase.
Dr. ÖTTE proposed, seconded by Mr. THOMAS, that the accounts for 1908 be passed,
On being put to the meeting. 43 were in favour, and the motion was accordingly passed.
It was proposed by Mr. SUNDIUS, seconded by Mr. F. H. EDWARDS, that the Estimates for 1909 be passed.
Mr. COGHILL desired to know whether the Island was run for the Chinese or the Foreig-
ners ?
The CHAIRMAN: Both. What? Mr. COGHILL : The CHAIEMAN: Both the Foreigners and the Chinese.
Mr. COGHILL complained that the Island was being run for the benefit of the Chinese.
Mr. WILSON said the Island was being run for the benefit of everybody, and he thought it only fair and right that the Chinese should have every consideration considering that more than half the municipal revenue was derived from purely Chinese sources.
Mr. THOMAS desired to move an amendinent to the Estimates for 1909 as they at present stood; viz that the sum of $2,000 shown in the Budget for 1909 to be expended on the Recreation Ground Pavilion be struck out, and the ruins of the old pavilion be handed over to the Kalangsu. Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club, leaving it to the Club to make their own. arrangements as to a new pavilion. As only a section of the community would benefit, it was hardly right to expend such a sum solely for this section. He further thought that the $2,000 would be more usefully employed, having in view the number of recent robberies, in intressing the Police force.
#
Mr. BRAUN wished to know, before any motion was put to the meeting under what conditions the Recreation Ground was given to the Community. Was it to the whole Foreign community or only part of the community!?
Mr. WALLAGE explained the conditions under which the ground was held and the boundaries, which showed that part belonged to the Foreign community as a whole, and part to the Kalangsu Lawn Tennis and Cricket Club, and, in reply to a further question from Mr. BRAUN, stated that every member of the Foreign ommunity is allowed to use the ground.
The amendment moved by Mr. THOMAS, seconded by Mr. MENCARINI, was then put to the meeting and carried by thirty-eight votes to one.
Mr. ARNOLD then moved that the $2,000 struck out of the Budget be added to the amounts earmarked for expenditure on Police and Sanitary service in 1909, and wished to make- it a second amendment to the 1909 Estimates accordingly.
Mr. LEE having seconded, Mr. ARNOLD'S amendment was put to the meeting and carried by thirty-three votes to one.
The Estimates for 1909, as amended by the. above two amendments, were then put t the meeting and passed by thirty-eight votes to one.
THE ROADS.
On the HAIRMAN asking whether any ratepayer desired to put any questions,
DE. OTTE begged, in no spirit of criticism, to make a few remarks on the present method of building and repairing the roads in the Settle- ment, and said he had been desired to do so by the Chinese, and he was grateful to Mr. Wilson for making it plain that the Council considered the interests of the Chinese equally with the interests of the Foreigners. The so-called macadamising of the roads was really neither one thing nor the other, but he attached no blame to those responsible, for he fully realized the difficulties and he knew it was impossible to. make a macadam road without the proper machinery for the purpose, and especially a steam roller. He would suggest to the incoming Council, and he felt sure they would take his remarks in the spirit in which they were meant, to try the experiment of roads paved with bricks. He could not agree with remarks in the
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