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CANTON.
[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.}
8th November. DÉLIBERATIVE COUNCIL'S OFFICES.
The grand building which is to be the office and meeting place of the Deliberative Council is in course of construction just outside the East Gate. The land opposite to the site is owned by a Manchurian, who has begun to erect some small houses thereon, thus detracting from the dignity of the Council's building. The members of Council appealed to the Tartar General, and the offending Manchu has been ordered to cease his building operations and to remove the materials without delay. It has been further suggested to the owner that the Government would think him a very generons person if he were to present the land to the authorities.
PRISON OUTBREAK.
Some time ago there was an outbreak among the criminals confined in the Shun Tak Prison. A large number escaped and terrorised the neighbourhood. The authorities have, how- ever, been successful in re-capturing nearly all these rascals. The gaolers of the prison were taken to Canton for trial and found guilty of gross negligence. They were sentenced to two years' imprisonment and the case was reported to the Viceroy. The Viceroy questioned the Provincial Judge as to whether he considered that there was any other cause for the outbreak beyond the carelessness of the warders, but the Judge considered the blame to be due to that cause only. The offending gaolers have been condemned to serve their time in the very prison of which they formerly had charge.
CHEAP OIL..
Reports from Kwong Sai state that the crop of ground nuts is a remarkably good one this year, and not for twenty years have such good results been obtained. Ground nut oil has been somewhat dear lately and the merchants have reached a good harvest of profit, but the price is already falling and before long it will be lower still. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of rice, which seems to be for ever on the rise. Rightly or wrongly the merchants attribute the high price to the recent storms which are reported to have destroyed very large quantities of the growing grain.
TRIAD SOCIETY. -
In the district outside the East Gate there are very many persons belonging to that brotherhood known as the Sham Hop Wui," or Triad Society. This fraternity, which has for its ostensible reason of existence the over- throw of the reigning dynasty and the restora- tion of the Ming, is in reality but too often a brotherhood of thieves. On Saturday more than ten were arrested near Sa Ho. They at once confessed to being members of the league, but protested that they had committed no robberies. Being further questioned, they said that the sole reason for joining the society was that the locality contained so many members of it, that the only means of preserving one's safety was in joining this fraternity.
CUTTING DOWN EXPENSES.
For many years the clerks attached to the Viceroy's Yamen have been in receipt of a gratuity for chair hire. The Viceroy has ordered that this shall be no longer paid. He says that these men have a sufficient salary and that if they wish to ride in chairs they must do at their own expense, and if they do not choose to pay, they must walk.
SO
POTTERY-MAKERS ON STRIKE.
In the Nam Hoi District there is a little town called Shek Wan that is greathy noted for its excellent pottery. The workers lately went out on strike, the reason being that becoming too greedy in their demands for more pay the masters dismissed many of them and employed female workers. The strike speedily grew into a riot and the assistance of the authorites was asked for. Deputy Kam called both sides to a conference and a compromise was agreed to. The women were dismissed and the men taken on at the old rate of pay. Work was then resumed.
DANGER ON THE RIVER.
The attention of the Water Police has been called to the over-crowded state of many of the passenger junks. From time to time serious accidents happen and the crowded state of the
THE WEATHER.
After several days of bitter winds and biting cold, warm weather has again set in and to-day is as warm as any day in the summer. No wonder that many persons are suffering from colds and kindred evils! *
[November 13, 1909.
CONCERT AT THE THEATRE.
小
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
vessels makes the loss of life very great. The presence of steam launches is another source of danger, as these vessels rush up and down the
The concert given by the Port and Starboard river as if the place belonged to them and seem.
Light Pierrots, in aid of St. John's Cathedral ingly having no care as to whether they run Organ Fund at the Theatre Royal on Monday anyone down or not. Only yesterday a sampan was from beginning to end thoroughly en was knocked to pieces by one of them, and last. joyable one. H.E the Governor was present night a boat in which the writer was crossing with a party from Government House but the the river was within an ace of being run down audience was not a large one. The first part by a launch which was tearing along with only of the programme was devoted to miscellaneous one small light about the size of that of a faruumbers, the second being occupied entirely thing dip. It would be to the credit of the by the pierrots in costume. In the first Water Police to see that a slower rate of speed part after a pretty opening selection by is maintained while travelling on the crowded the String Band of the Buffs, Miss reaches near the City.
Parke, in a sweet voice and with excel- lent expression sang "Love's Garden, and being recalled gave a short but equally accept- able song as an encore. The next item was a duet" Watchman, what of the night ?" which was rendered by Messrs. E. B. Ayris and R. E. White in capital style and may well be described as the best number in the programme. Mr. H. Wilkins contributed an amusing musical sketch on Hongkong, which was very well composed, and in response to an encore he gave a musical recitation. A trio "I Navigante" (The Mari- ners) by Miss Parke, Messrs. Ayris and White followed and was much appreciated. Mr W. Hannibal evoked much hearty laughter by his humorous recitals, as he always does, and he was followed by Mr. R. E. White with the The Trumpeter" which was finely song rendered with string band accompaniment. The first part of the programme conclud- ed with a well-played selection by the band from "The Country Girl. Part II con- Starboard Light Pierrots who elaborated the sisted of eleven numbers by the Port and
entertainment which they supplied on a pre- vious occasion at Kowloon and the audience
November 10th
REVIEW OF TROOPS.
Yesterday the Viceroy went to Yin Tong to review the newly-trained troops. Before his arrival, Admiral Li, the Provincial Judge, the Taotai of Industries and the Salt Commissioner had assembled in the camp. His Excellency first made a full inspection of the barracks, parade ground and stores and then proceeded to see the troops drill. The Viceroy then took tilin in the barracks, after which was another display of drill. Having expressed his satisfaction His Excellency returned to the Yamen.
BRIGANDAGE.
In the Luen Kow village in the Shun Tak district is the large house of a wealthy man named Chang. On Monday night a gang of well-armed robbers proceeded to the place with the intention of looting it. They were challeng- ed by the village watchmen, and a fight took place, Two men were which lasted for over an hour. fatally wounded and the watchmen were driven off. The brigands then pillaged the house at their leisure and made off with over $5,000 worth of valuables.
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A WASTE OF MONEY.
They know well how to waste money in the Shun Tak district. In one village they hold periodical processions in honour of a deity called Yuen Fan, but latterly the funds for this purpose have been used to support a school in the village and the processions have fallen into abeyance. Now the village elders have shut up the school and the procession is to be revived, and the 7th and 8th of the 10th moon have been fixed for the purpose. Considerably more than $1,000 is to be spent on this useless performance.
AN ENLIGHTENED VILLAGE.
A well-known family in the Tai Fu village in the Nam Hoi district some time ago opened a school for the study of the principles of Self-Government. Persons came from the surrounding villages to receive instruction and have used the knowledge so gained to better the condition of their own places. In this village opium dens and gambling places are strictly pro- hibited, and though formerly noted as being one of the most turbulent villages in the whole district, it now has the reputation of being the abode of law-abiding persons,
CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT.
A meeting of the Deliberative Council for the preparation of Government was held on Sunday. The Viceroy and most of his higher officers were present. Nearly all the time was taken up in discussing ways and means for the suppression of gambling. It was especially noted that the Tartar General and all the other Manchurian officers were absent from the meeting.
BURIAL OF THE DOWAGER EMPRESS.
Following the instructions of the Minister of War, the Viceroy granted a holiday yesterday to the military forces and the students of the Government Schools. The occasion was the burial of the Empress Dowager.
A Spaniard named Honorato Apestagina Pascual, who is stated in the Manila papers to have been running a cinematograph show in Hongkong, is charged with attempting to smuggle 17 kilos of opium into the Philippines. He has been released on a cash bail of P. 1,000 pending the trial.
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A.
applauded their efforts heartily, encores being
numerous.
VOLUNTEER CAMP.
To-day (Saturday) the Hongkong Volunteers go under canvas at Custom's Pass in the New Territory for a period of eight days. Hitherto the annual camp has been held on "Stonecutters' Island, when the period of training extended to sixteen days. The proximity of the encamp. ment enabled Volunteers to go to camp and yet attend business daily, but it has been decided this year that the camp should be conducted on more military lines. Naturally it does not permit Volunteers attending in such large numbers as formerly, as the greater distance does not allow them to get back to business, but it is hoped that the new arrangement will result in the greater efficiency of the Corps.
The Volunteers will leave by launch on Saturday afternoon and will arrive in camp at 4 o'clock. The Artillery, Engineer and In- fantry sections will undergo a special course of training, the Artillery being engaged with the quick-firing guns, and howitzers, the Engineers doing field work, and the Infantry taking part in tactical schemes.
Visitors will be allowed in camp on Sundays.
CHINESE OFFICIALS DISMISSED FOR “SQUEEZING.”
An imperial edict is translated by the Peking Daily News as follows:-
On presentation of the Memorial to the Throne by the Yuchuanpu impeaching some officials, an Imperial Decree is isued to the effect that Expectant Prefect Lu Hsi Kuei, the Chief Translator of the Peking-Fengtien Railway Administration, being a covetous man, with unseemly behaviour; Sub-Prefect Wang Ai Chi, the Chief Translator of the Pin-Lo Railway Administration, being avaricious and in the habit of squeezing contractors; Expectant Magistrate of an independent Department, Lo Chun Hsü, Secretary of the Peking-Fentien Railway Administration, being a brazen man, and the charge of extortion against him has been proven; Assistant District Magistrate Lin Ping Chang, Station Master of the Peking. Fentien Railway Administration, being a man of malignant feelings and in the habit of receiving bribes; are all to be dismissed from service and are not on any account to be rein- stated. Lu Hsi Kwei is to be sent back to bis native place by the local authorities concerned
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