May 29, 1909.]
colour to the statements which have hither. to been publised that Russia is politically as well as commercially dominating the railway zone in North-West Manchuria. It must be confessed that in the settlement of the disputes as to jurisdiction which have arisen, Russia has shown a much more conciliatory attitude than, perhaps, might have been expected in the circumstances. She would seem to have abandoned her original demands, which originated in cer- tain difficulties with regard to taxation leading to a claim to complete jurisdiction.. One clause of the Agreement declares that the laws, ordinances and the legislative acts resulting from the exercise of the rights o Chinese sovereignty shall be drawn up and published by the Chinese authorities in th form of proclamations, while other clauses provide for the establishment of municipal organisations in commercial centres of in- portance within the railway zone. These Councils are to be elected by the inhabitauts of the district, and the elected delegates are to choose an Executive Committee;"
or the inhabitants themselves may take a share in municipal affairs and elect from among themselves one representative to see to the execution of the resolutions adopted by the Assembly of all the inhabitants." Within the railway zone there is to be "not the slightest difference between the Chinese population and other Nationalities, but all the inhabitants are to enjoy the same right. and be under the same obligations. All local questions of public utility are under the control of the Assembly and the right of election to this assembly pertains to every member of the community who is the owner of "immovale property of fixed value or who pays rent and a designated annual tax." The Agreement seems to 18 to be rather loosely drawn in some respects, and we have little confid. ence in the arrangement as a final settlement of the dispute. However, we note that the Chinese are for the moment well satisfied with the terms of the agreement. The Peking Daily News," which is supposed to be inspired by the Government bureaux, regards it as "a perfectly fair and equitable settlement" and anticipates that the applic. ation of the principles enunciated will have
56
80
no
do 80.
far-reaching effects." Both in Peking and in Tokyo it is regarded as setting a precedent which Japan will be expected to follow in South Manchuria, and far 88 We have observed there is disinclination on Japan's part to The outstanding feature of the Harbin arrangement is that the whole of the railway zone is practically thrown open to international residence and trade, for at China's request two letters are incorporated as part of the Agreement providing that "as regards the rights of people of other nations they are to have such equal rights within the railway zone as are enjoyed by them in all other places in China under Treaties entered into between China and other countries." The door then is wide open this region.
in
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Before Mr. J. H. Kemp at the Magistracy on Thursday two natives were arraigned on the charge of unlawfully taking away two children sged six and eight years, from the care of their parents or lawful guardians at Shanghai. When the s.s. Anhui arrived in port Lance-Sergeant Edward boarded her, and questioned the de- fendants about the children. They told him "that they received them as a present from their parents," but the excuse did not satisfy the policeman, and the men were arrested. The case was remanded for a week, bail being fixed in the sum of $1,000 Detective-Sergeant Wilden appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Otto Kong Sing for the defence.
RANDOM REFLECTIONS.
The question of the week has been What price railways?
It is really too bad of the weather clerk to practically spoiled four Saturdays in succession plague us as he has been doing. He has and made outdoor exercises impossible. Looks as if he acted with malice aforethought. Perhaps,
as Burns said in his address to the "de il, might tak a thocht an' mend. '
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judge has decided that a father had a perfect right to spank his seventeen-year-old daughter, that punishment having been adopted in an effort to keep her away from nickelodeons which, being interpreted, means 'cheap shows. The daughter said she was too old to be spanked; the Judge decided not. Really, it seems that it is worth while to be a father after all.
things, though occasionally we make unpleasant It is interesting to inquire into the origin of
discoveries. When it was suggested to me that the modern walking stick could be traced to the I noticed the other day in a Hankow paper an
anthropoidal ape breaking off the branch of a announcement to the following effect :- tree to support himself when he began to walk We are desired by Doctor-representa- | upright, I felt inclined to leave my stick at home tive of Drs.----- to state that he is leaving afterwards. The reflection hit in a double sense. shortly for a tour through northern ports It showed that man needed assistance in walk- and those wishing his services shoulding upright and it showed that some men were make their appointments early."
not very far removed from their ancestors. Reminds me of the good joke which Mr. Ward perpetrated in When Knights were Bold." A reference to people having had a common family tree led the humorist to illustrate his conception of the common family tree by jumping around like a monkey.
It reminded me of a brass plate on certain doctor's door in Jersey which read "Dr. Accouchements Mondays and Thursdays." Until now I had supposed that in Jersey they managed these things better than they do in most places, but Hankow evidently rivals Jersey in this respect.
It is only a Chinese thief who would dream of stealing teeth, though I have heard an in- dignant father at home complain that his family would not only steal his teeth, but would come back for the gums. Of course teeth have a con- mercial value as we know from certain advertise- ments, but it was hardly to be expected that it was sufficiently high to constitute a temptation for thieves. When speaking of this incident to a Chinese friend he surprised me by stating that it was the practice of Chinese dentists to rub the gums of their patients with some mater- ial which caused them to finally sneeze, when for the accuracy of the statement, but it was their tooth or teeth dropped out. I don't vouch given me as gospel.
There are a few good golfers and a few expert linguists in Hongkong, and if the hero of the following story should be chosen from among them. I would not be surprised. A broker who had the reputation of using strong language on the links started out one afternoon to play nin holes. Looking back after he had driven offe he saw a great crowd following. There were young men and old, good players and bad, all trailing close behind with looks of interest and expectation. The broker paused and turned. He smiled politely and nervously. Really gentlemen," he said, "this is very flattering. I hope I am in good form this afternoon. I trust I shall play well enough to reward all this kindly interest." "Oh, it isn't that," replied out to listen." an elderly lawyer, with a chuckle.
•
"We came
The Duke of Rutland must be a sarcastic old
chap. He advocates evening continuation classes at which members of Parliament might learn something about agriculture. But why not common knowledge?
in Arkansas a bill has been introduced into the It is perhaps surprising to some to read that Legislature making the game of football illegal and punishable by a heavy fine. Football is a very serious game in the States where the reports of matches read almost like the records of battles. Consequently the introduction of only surprise is, perhaps, that it has been so long such a measure need not occasion surprise. The
delayed.
The prohibition of football by an American State legislature is another indication of how history repeats itself. In the early days the Scottish Parliament sought to put a stop to football as it was found that the young men preferred this to practising archery, at which,
when compared with the English. as we know, the Scots were woefully deficient
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We know that young people have ideas as to their own rights and some of us remember the great things we were going to do when we reached our majority. How disgusted we should have been with our parents if they continued spanking us after we had begun to show down on our upper lips or after we had put up our hair and got into long skirts. Yet a Detroit Police
But this is a digression. When I wrote the opening sentence of the last paragraph I had in mind the origin of our beloved game of billiards. I read that it was invented by a pawnbroker, William Kew by name, who flourished in London some time in the sixteenth century. This inventive avuncular relative of the needy used to employ his leisure hours in wet weather when trade was dull by taking down the three balls which were the insignia of his profession, and pushing them about the counter of his shop with a yard stick, after the manner of the game as at present played, and using boxes fastened to the sides of his counter
for pockets. Out of this was developed a table with a fence of slight ele vation about it to keep the balls from rolling off on the floor, and to enable the player to make what have since become known as cushion shots. Marvellous, isn't it? Who would have thought that billiards would have had such a common, yea plebian origin?
If American newspapers may be trusted, the mother-in-law joke has received a blow from which it is not likely to recover. A Pitts- burg father shot himself on hearing that the excitement attending the arrival of twins in his family had caused the death of his mother-in- law, and it was stated that such a display of affection for a mother-in-law ought to put a final quietus on the mother-in-law joke.
RODERICK RANDOM.
HONGKONG,
The Rt. Rev. Bishop Pozzoni returned to the Colony from Swatow on May 29. His Lordship was accompanied by Bishop Meril and several priests..
A coolie, who was found guilty of trespassing on Army Ordinance property, was fined 850 by
26th. Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Police Court on May
For stealing a number of poles from a building under repair in Wing Lok Street, Mr. F. A. Hazeland on May 25 sentenced a native to three weeks' imprisonment with hard labour and six hours' stocks.
thief is not yet known, but some one stole a dentist's stock of teeth on May 21. Of course had in a show case in front of his rooms in they were not in his head. They were some he Queen's Road and were valued at $100.
Whether he was a humorist or a commen
H.E. the Governor, has been pleased, with the approval of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, to appoint Mr. C. W. M. Beckwith, Assistant Harbour Master, to be Assistant Superintendent of Police, in charge of the Water Police, in addition to his other duties.
As a Chinese gentleman was gazing in a shop window at West Point on Tuesday a thief approached, cut his pocket open with a knife, and relieved him of his purse. He was caught in the act, however, and on appearing before Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Magistracy yesterday, he was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and six hours' stooks,
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