July 10, 1909.]
Mr. Fuller said in principle the law absolutely prohibited the entrance of Chinese labourors into the United States. It specified and defined the classes of Chinese who were admitted.
His Lordship-How does a labourer become a labourer under the law?
Mr. Fuller--It is a rather long definition. The law regards everyone as a labourer who does not come within the exempted class.
His Lordship Then the onus is on the person seeking entrance to prove he is exempted.
·
Mr. Fuller said the law outlined and defined the exempted classes, and the conditions under which they were admitted, and also prescribed fines and penalties for breaches of the law. The penalty was a fine or imprisonment, or both. The person
who attempted the illegal, importation Was the person liable. 1 he person imported would be sent back to the port or place from which he came.
If a Chinese got in illegally and was discovered after ten years he would still be deported. An exempted person who wished to enter the United States must obtain a certificate from the government where he is ordinarily resident, and that cer- tificate must be vised by the United States Consul there. An agent would not be heard in such, a case. Witness would not discuss such a matter with an agent. Continual attempts were being made to break the laws, and all sorts of trouble occurred.
―
Cross-examined by Mr. D'Almada
If au agent had papers vised by the Consul at Can- ton he could obtain a ticket from the shipping firms in Hongkong.
Re-examined-There was a general order to the Consulates prohibiting dealing with third persons in these matters. That was issued with a view to preventing brokerage.
After hearing evidence his Lordship reserved his decision.
THE KOWLOON RAILWAY.
QUESTIONS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
In the House of Commons last month, Mr. Ginnell (West Meath, N., Nat.) asked the Under-Secretary for the Colonies whether he would inform the House of the rea on why the construction of the Kowloon Railway at Hong. kong, laid out by a competent engineer, the length being about 22 miles, and the final estimate of cost some £500,000, was not let by public tender to any of the responsible contract- ing firms willing to construct it for that sum within a specified time, but was being carried on departmentally, with no time limit, at a cost now estimated at over £1,000,000; why the principle of public tender, enforced by the Gov- ernment Departments, was departed from by the Colonial Office in respect of engineering works in the Colonies; and whether, seeing that the payment to Crown Agents of a per- centage on the amount such works cost
gave them an interest in increasing that amount, and the control of such works gave them extensive patronage in the Colonies and unlimited discretion in the placing of orders for manufactured materials, also without any test by public tender, he would say when the Colonial Office would, like other public departments, abandon nomination and patronage and adopt public tender in the Colonies as in this country.
Colonel Seely-The decision to construct this line departmentally was taken on the advice of the consulting engineers after full consideration of the circumstances. The increase in the estimated cost, to which my hou. friend refers, is due partly to unexpected difficulties in con- struction, and partly to extensions of the original design. The question whether such works shall be
į
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
PROMENADE CONCERT AT
KOWLOON.
*4
The conditions were ideal for the promenade concert held at Kowloon on Saturday night. There was not the slightest suggestion of rain, the air was pleasantly cool, the turf under foot was soft and springy, and the moon had raised her lamp on high," revealing the King's Park and its environs in a magic light and imparting ย beauty even where little existed. The promoters of the concert, however, did not rely entirely on Dame Nature for fine effects. The pavilion of the Kowloon Cricket Club was outlined in electric lights and the entrance to the ground was brilliantly illuminated, the letters K. C. C. forming the chief feature of the scheme of illumination, while au avenue of Chinese lanterns added materi- ; ally to the beauty of the aspect. The programme, too, arranged for the occasion, was of considerable merit, so that the atmos- pherical conditions being favourable it was not to be wondered that there should be an exceptionally large attendance of the public.
ณ
44
The band of the Rajputs under l'andmaster Coke had the honour of opening the program me. Verdi's great work Il Trovere received very fine interpretation and praise was lavishly bestowed at the close. Another ambi- tions effort was the overture William Tell," which was greatly enjoyed, as well as the barn dance Coou's Honeymoon (Cole and Coke). That such excellent results should be obtained from a native band is highly creditable to Mr. Coke and to the sons of | Iud who follow his baton. Miss Parke's sweet clear voice was heard to advantage in "Kashmiri Song" and Love's Garden," both very fine efforts, while Mrs. Belilios, who proved to be in excellent voice, gave her usually culture rendering when she sang A Chain of
|
Roses.
..
The
The inevitable encore was demanded to which she responded. Mrs. Kew was unfor- tunately unable to appear owing to indisposition In the duet "A Night in Venice," but Mr. Richard White joined Mr. Ayris in the duet "The moon hath raised." Mr. White should prove an acquisition to Hongkong entertain- ment, as he is the possessor of a fine robust voice of considerable compass. partnership proved very acceptable. It created a desire to hear Mr. White again, which Was gratified when he rendered The Trumpeter." a selection which suited him ad- mirably. He too had to respond to an encore. Mr. E. Gregory supplied the humorous element and delighted the audience with the display of his attainments in getting music out of glasses and bottles and also in playing brass instru- ments. Mr. Frank Anderson and Professor Gonzales were also absentees, but the entertain- ment proved long enough for those who had ferries and trams to catch. In conclusion, it
may be said that the concert was a decided success. The promoters had made adequate provisious which appealed to the eye, to the ear, and also to the palate.
DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE AT CLUB LUSITANO,
The Amateur Dramatic Club of the Portu-
a per.
39
FAR EASTERN TELEGRAMS.
THE STRIKE AT HAWAII,
T
Tokyo, July 6th. A consular report from Hawaii states that neither the employers there nor the Japanese are willing to yield, and that there is prospect of an end to thet rouble.
[FROM THE “CHUNG NGOI BAN FO
THE BOARD OF FOREIGN
AFFAIRS.
no
Peking, July 6th. It is reported that Tang Shao Yi will succeed Liang Tun Yin as President of the Board of Foreign Affairs.
A PAWNBROKER'S GRIEVANCE.
Inspector Dymond, who prosecuted an Aber- deep fish dealer for conducting a pawnbroker's business without paying the requisite licence, illustrated the hardships which the licencee suffers through the competition of such men, The case was tried at the Magistracy before Mr. J. R. Wood, to whom Inspector Dymond stated that the sum paid for a licence was $750 a year, but as a result of this unfair competition one pawnshop in Aberdeen had to close down, there- by depriving the Government of $750, and another was in a shaky condition, yet the defen- dant, who was a salt fish dealer and charged a higher rate of interest than a pawnbroker, had been doing business for over a year without a licence. He saved the $750 for a licence, and though the maximum penalty is $200 he was fined only $100.
ANGLO-CHINESE BOXING
TOURNAMENT.
Although the general opinion is not always correct, there can be no doubt of the fact generally proclaimed at Saturday night's boxing contests in the City Hall, that the whole affair was a farce. A large crowd, composed mostly of admiring Chinese, assembled to witness various battles with the gloves between Occidentals and Orientals, but the average Chinese pugilist is not yet far enough advanced to face the more experienced European boxer. Consequently there was but one of the numerous native combatants who gave anything like a decent display, and this man was a pupil of the great Sandow. To the Europeans the whole affair was a huge joke, and when they entered the ring they simply played with their opponents as a cat does with a mouse. Certainly it was very kind of them not to hasten the defeat and thereby dis- hearten the Chinese brave, but the two minute rounds and three minute intervals began to pall on the men who had turned up to see some sport. It was interesting, however, to watch a pair of "battlers " spring up to the sound of the gong.
The Chinese would pose with all the grace of an ancient Roman warrior, but the European proceeded to jump about him, would appear considerably disconcerted when tapping him about the head and body, while the forceful counters of the native would be wasted on the air. One Oriental received 8 blow on the nose which ap. same science as the historic one dealt by Sam Weller. He did not. appear to realise exactly where he was after- wards, and as he walked towards his chair his seconds got ready with towels to give him a much needed "breather". But the boxer didn't wait. He stopped through the ropes and disappeared,
guese cruiser Vasco da Gama gare formance at the Club Lusitano on Saturday night on behalf of the sufferers by the recent earthquake at Ribatijo in Portugal. The spacious hall of Luiz de Camoens was decorated for the occasion by the crews of the the harbour, and Portuguese cruisers in despite the heat there WHS a good atten.parently carried the
The programme proved very accept- Ferreira is to be congratulated
numerous. Lieut having trained the capable performers who made such an agreeable impression on the auditors. The Orchestra Philarmonic contributed to the
dance. able, and
were encores
on
constructed departmentally or otherwise is decid-pleasure of the evening, and the entertainment | being followed by a salvo of cheers and a chorus of
ed in each case on its merits, and I may mention
was concluded by the playing of the Portuguese
"hi yahs". Then, for diversion, a sailor waS
that more than one important work in the Crown National Anthem and the British National | knocked out by a thinaman. But many of the
Colonies is now being executed by contractors as the result of competitive tenders. The Crown A gents are not paid by percentage, but receive fixed salaries. The colony does not pay to them a percentage on the amount of the work in question, and the Crown Agents have neither the control of the work nor any patronage in the colony in connection therewith.
Anthem.
The directors of the Hotel van Wijk Co., Ltd., Singapore, have just declared an interim dividend of 15 per cent. for the half year ending May 31, 1909. During the past two years the dividends paid have been 20 per cent. and 30 per cent, respectively.
spectators, including Chinese, were unkind, and said it was a fake. The Chinese, however, are only beginning to acquire a knowledge of the science of the "manly art". Perhape, months hence, some of the Europeans who take them so cheaply will recover from a knock-out blow to realise the wisdom of not giving away any
chances.
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