August 30, 1909.]
"to go
to school with kids." I suggest that it be named "The Peak Private School."
Only ten men are wanted to come along and guarantee only $40 per month each.
The population, as you say, is a moving one, but I venture to say that at any time it should be possible to find ten people to give the neces- sary guarantee.
I would start the ball rolling myself, but as yet I am only an embryo pupil provider. Yours faithfully.
PARENT.
A STAR FERRY COXSWAIN FINED.
Before Lieut. C. W. Beckwith, R. N.. at the Marine Magistrate's Court on Aug. 25, Lance- Sergeant Caygill proceeded against the master of the ferry launch Southern Star for failing to observe the rules of the road for preventing collisions at sea.
Prosecutor stated that at about 12.10 a.m. on Aug. 23 he was a passenger by the Southern Star from Hongkong to Kowloon. When about half- way across the harbour witness observed a junk on the starboard bow close to the Kowloon praya wall The junk was burning the regulation lights, and going from east to west with the tide and wind. When within one hundred yards of the sailing craft the Southern Star went to port instead of keeping straight on and going under the stern of the junk. The latter
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
REPORTED HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
INDIAN POLICE ESCORT ROUGHLY HANDLED.
collected
as Crown rent,
News reached the city on Aug. 20 of a desperate encounter between an escort of Indian police and a gang of highway robbers near Au Tau police were in the New Territory. We understand that the which had been
in charge of a sum of $400 and the robbers were apparently cognizant of this fact and laid their plans accordingly The police were taken unawares, but they put up a bold fight and only yielded up their treasure when most of the meu comprising the escort escaped with the booty. were injured, many seriously. The robbers
It is stated that a European police sergeant his services was formerly in charge of this escort, but that were dispensed with on the recommendations of the Retrenchment Com-
183
OPIUM IN HONGKONG AND THE STRAITS.
AN APPEAL TO RESIST THE CONTRIBUTION
TO HONGKONG.
The House of Commons on July 27 went into Committee of Supply on the Colonial Office Vote, when Mr. Bennett called attention to the opiam traffic ia Hongkong and Ceylon. The since this subject was last debated, met at International Opium Conference had, he said, Shanghai, and had settled once for all the unquestionably evil character of the traffic, and the absolute sincerity of the Chinese Govern- ment. In Hongkong there had been some the utmost opposition from measure of progress, although it had met with the Imperial servants of this country. Sir F. Lugard had said that Lord Crewe had asked the Imperial Government for & sum of money to make good the loss caused by the clos-
of the highway robbery which occurred near
Following on the Daily Press exclusive reporting of the opium dens. He hoped that Lord Crewe did not make that statement, but if he did he trusted that members on that side and the Labour Party would strenuously resist the application of the money of the British taxpayer to such a purpose. The opposition of Government was very deplorable. That our a ritish Governor to the action of the Imperial Imperial officers should be permitted openly to
mittee.
14
Au Tau last week, we now
learn that the hinese brigands who held up" the police escort found it necessary to commit a dal murder before they were able to secure the $400 of Government money which was being conveyed to Taipo. Ahinese coolie carried the money. which had been collected for Crown rents, and
had to alter its course to port to avoid a collision, he was escorted by an Indian sergeant and thwart our policy was intolerable, and some
and rubbed alongside the ferry. Witness went down to the wheel-house and found the No. 2 Coxswain in charge.
Defendant stated that he altered his course after the junk, and would have been clear had the latter kept its course.
His Worship held the coxswain to blame, but as his record was a good one he would impose a fine of $2 only, as a warning.
DISOBEDIENCE AT SEA.
The entire crew of the s.s. Syria, numbering twenty-seven Lascars, were charged at the Marine Court yesterday, before Lieut. Beck- with, R.N, with wilful disobedience while at
888.
Capt. D. C. Gregor stated that the men refused duty from the 21st to the 25th of Adgust, and in spite of being twice logged and fined they again refused to obey orders while in dock. They assaulted the artificer in charge of the refrigerating machine, and for this they were again logged and fined, but they repeated the conduct later and had to be separated by the officers.
Charles Dear, the boatswain, stated that he had had great trouble with the second tyndal, who had repeatedly insulted the chief officer and also threatened to kill him as well as witness. The four ringleaders incited the crew to insult the officers and refuse duty, and also dared witness to give any further orders to the Lascars in pursuit of his duty.
His Worship sentenced the second tyndal to 12 weeks' hard labour, and to forfeit 12 days' pay; the five ringleaders to eight weeks! im. prisonment with the forfeiture of eight days pay; and two others to six weeks' imprisonment and the surrender of six days' pay.
te told the remainder to go back to the ship and work, but they refused to do so and he ordered them to be imprisoned for four weeks each and to forfeit four days' pay.
STABBING AFFRAY ON THE S.S. "LIGHTNING."
A serious stabbing affray took place on the s.s. Lightning while the vessel was lying in the harbour on hursday. It appears that two Chinese seamen quarrelled while at work, and as they were in the midst of wordy strife another seaman rushed in between them with a clasp knife, stabbing one of the disputants on the arm, and with a second blow he drove the knife into the back of the same man. Europeans on board at this stage intervened, the wounded man was re- moved to hospital and the other two were handed oyer to the police. They were charged before Mr. F. A. Hazeland at the Magistracy yester day and the man who used the knife was sent to jail for two months with hard labour. The other defendant was discharged
ยอ
were
armed. The robbers, apparently, were aware
Indian constable, both of whom
of the movements of the escort, and were
prepared to meet them in a quiet spot where the ambush they arranged was almost sure to be successful.
As the treasure bearer and his guardians were passing through a deep gulch, the sides of which were densely matted with undergrowth, eight armed Chinese awaited them. Rounding a hend, they saw two peaceable looking natives approaching. One said "Cho san" to the Indian sergeant, in a cheery voice, but before the other effective blows fell on his body, absolutely latter could reply a chopper clove his skull, and disabling him. The second man, the constable, was rushed upon by the other Chinese, and with the assistance of those in ambush was promptly despatched. eantime the coolie carrying the cash dropped it, and was successful in escaping. He lost no time in reporting the occurrence to the police, and it was through his immediate action that detectives were set on the trail early Prompt as the response of the police was, however, it is expected that the highwaymen have evaded them by passing over to Chinese territory.
in
very sharp treatment should be dealt out to those Govern ors who resisted our efforts in different parts of the world. In eylon, instead of making progress, we had gone backwards, the opium ordinance introduced at the end of last year having been withrawn. Both Hongkong and eylon more stringent measures were necessary to deal with the opium traffic. before the International pium Commission, Mr. Laidlaw referred to the evidence given and urged that pressure should be put upon the Government of Hongkong to proceed more rapidly with the closing of opium dens in that
opium traffic we must set our house in order in city. If we were to carry out our promise to do all we could to help China in this matter of the
our own colonies. We must impress upon our officials that the suppression of the opium trade was not a Liberal fad, and that things would ment went out of office. not revert to the old way directly this Govern- The officials in Hong-
koug ought to look to some source other than registration of opium smokers, which had proved opium for immediate revenue. A system of
The hon. member also complained of the beneficial elsewhere, might be tried in Hongkong, prevalence of gambling under the British flag in the Federated Malay States. Gambling was more in evidence in those tatea than it was at Monte Carlo. People went to Monte Carlo afford to lose, but in the Federated Malay with sums of money which they could very well
States the persons'engaging in the vice were almost entirely Chinese coolies. A ctive measures should be taken by the Colonial Office
Itappears that our reporter received erroneous information when he was informed that the Retrenchment ('ommittee recommended that it was unnecessary to employ a European sergeant on this escort duty. The change appears to have been made prior to the appointment of the Committee. We understand that this escort always was in charge of a European sergeant until a few years ago, when a number of the to repress this evil. British police were recalled from the New Territory.
Colonel
PHILIPPINE BONDS ISSUED IN THE said that
UNITED STATES.
The latest Philippine bond issue of P3,000,000 has been taken up without the slightest hesita- tion, says the anila Cablenews. It has been subscribed to by the National City Bank and Mercantile Trust Company on a joint bid by Payne and Company; by Morris and erritt, and by John Selvrom. The bids of these firms were as follows:
The National City Bank and Mercantile Trust Company, P2,776,000 at 100,28.
Payne and Company, 200,000 at 100.51. Morris and Merritt, P10,060 at 102. John Selvrom, P6 000 at 101. One of the terms of the purchase of the bonds was that the purchaser shall pay accrued interest on the bonds from August 1.
The Guaranty Trust Company of New York made an offer of 100.23 for the entire issue, on the terms that they should be allowed to take all or none.
There were no other bids than those men- tioned.
Seely, referring to the opium ing question, said that in Hongkong by the end of February, 1910, all the opium dens would have been closed. There were people who the result would be to drive the smoking of opium into other quarters, but tho Conference was in favour of closing the divans, and the best information the Government could get led them to believe that this was a good plan. It was intended to continue to restrict the amount of opium imported. With regard to the Federated Malay States, the Government was about to set up a State monopoly of opium, which he thought met with the general approval of those who wished to see a diminution of its consumption. They wished to check the habit of gambling and their aim was to reduce it to the narrowest limits with a view to ultimate prohibition. On the question of the view of the Government in regard to opium generally, they considered it to be a bad thing for a race, and that the more it could be checked and stopped the better for all concerned. It this matter they had the example of the Japanese, who were stamping it out by savage penalties, and of China, who was also trying to shake herself free from the habit. They would not cease to do their best to assist China and to diminish as far as possible, and as soon as
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