December 20, 1909.]
GERMAN SAILOR FATALLY
SHOT IN MACAO.
ANOTHER
STABBED.
Writing on Tuesday, our Macao correspondent states that an assault of a serious nature was committed on two sailors of the German gun. boat Tsingtau, near the Hongkong, Canton and Macao's steamer wharf on the previous morning It appears that the men were returning to their ship, and when under the wharf covering were accosted by two men, who demanded that they should settle accounts owing by them to a certain restaurant, they being alleged to have paid twenty cents short of the bill tendered, The sailors, either misunderstanding or ignoring the request, were proceeding on their way when a revolver shot brought them to a halt, one of the men being severely wounded. His comrade, who stayed to render assistance, was stabbed. They were able to return to the ship, but the bluejacket who was shot died on Tuesday morn- ing and was removed to the military hospital, from which the funeral took place on Wednesday morning.
The commander of the German gunboat reported the affair to the local authorities, who are investigating. Inquiries so far have only elicited the fact that the two assailants were
wearing European clothes and were not Chinese, but the culprits have not yet been discovered.
The second man injured is reported to be in a serious condition, and grave doubts are entertained as to his recovery.
The funeral of the bluejacket who was shot place on Wednesday afternoon, the deceased being interred in the English cemetery. Re- presentatives of the Portuguese forces attended the funeral, a firing party being supplied by the Infantry Corps.
Two retired. soldiers, named Gomes and Guimarães, have been arrested. Gomes is a restaurant keeper, and the other man is chief of the Fire Brigade.
|
HONGKONG PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE.
At a meeting held on the 2nd December, there were present:-The Director of Public Works, Chairman; the Colonial Treasurer, Hon. Mr. E. A. Hewett, Hon, Mr. W. Gresson, and Hon. Mr. Edward Osborne.
RE-LAYING OF ICE HOUSE STREET WITH WOOD PAVING.
The members, having discussed the relative merits and prices of other road materials and the somewhat heavy expense entailed by wood paving, finally unanimously agreed that this street should be paved with this material as an experiment in such paving, adding that it would be possible when re-constructing to then improve this street by abolition of the gutters and in other ways.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
CANTON
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
SPORTS.
December 12th..
The schools boys of Kwongtung are in a state of excitement just now owing to sports which are about to take place on the 15th and 16th of next moon. Sports do not enter very largely into the life of the Chinese schoolboy, but from the enthusiastic way in which the lads of various schools in the city are training it would seem that, had they the opportunities, they would not be far behind their Western brothers. The sports are to take place outside the East Gate at a spot called Tung Kau Cheung. There are not only racing and jumping events, but shooting matches form an important part of the pro- gramme.
GAMBLING.
535
this luckily was not so destructive as the other. The authorities have lately notified the public that should the crime of arson be proved against anyone, that person will be most severely dealt with.
OFFICERS IN DISGRACE.
The Magistrates of the Nam Hung, Hoi Tang and Tiu, Ping Districts have not taken sufficient steps to suppress the growing of native opium. Viceroy Yuen has punished them by giving each a black mark. Other Magistrates have been informed of this pro- ecdure and have been told to take warning therefrom.
In contrast to this the Viceroy has recom- mended that the provincial officers be rewarded for faithful service, and Admiral Li stands first on the recommendation.
THE JAPANESE IN KOREA.`.
A correspondent writing to the Pall Mail Gazette says: Opinions may differ as to the methods of coercion of the Japanese in Korea, adverted to by your correspondent Lady West- macott in to-day's issue of your paper, just as they differ when the question is that of sedition citrant Suffragettes. Doubtless there is much to in India or at Barcelona, or even that of recal-
be said in extenuation of them when all the facts are known, and the difficulties are appreciated, and due account is taken of the almost hopeless-
Many are the modes of gambling, but surely one of the worst among them is to set two male thrushes to fight to the death and bet on the result. This and similar "sport" with crickets is the favourite pastime of the natives of the Ning Shan District, and to such an extent is. this partico carried on that many well-to-do men have ruined themselves and families by this form of gambling. The booths and sheds where the fighting is carried on are taxed and the money goes towards the support of the, local police force. Ning Shan, however, possesses a few men who are of enlightend minds and wholy are disgusted with this rotten state of affairs, and they have joined in sending a petition to the Viceroy asking him to take proceedings to stop these disgraceful practices.
OPIUM.
It is reported that in certain outlying parts of the Province the laws for the suppression of opium have had but little effect and are but lightly regarded. The reason is said to be that there is no strict system regarding the sale of raw opium and it is stated that persons can, in some places, purchase this commodity at will and then, it is to the presumed, they pre- pare and retail it for their own profit.
i
Even members of anti-opium societies are. not always true to their principles. It was noted in the native papers a few days ago that at the marriage of the daughter of a prominent member of the Heung Sha anti-opium society two rooms were set apart and provided with pipes and opium for those who desired to indulge. It was noted, moreover, that though certain members of the police force were present no protest was made against this breach of the opium laws!
▸
SELF-GOVERNMENT SOCIETY,
The newly-formed Self-Government Society of Honan has just established a fire brigade. The engine is considered to be of good pattern and will force water to a distance of over ten cheung. Frequent practices are being held and the scene always attracts large numbers of spectators. To co-operate with the brigade a relief party will shortly be formed, and already several doctors have volunteered their services free of charge. It is to be sincerely hoped that the Honan Society will confine their attentions to these and similar useful endeavours and not, as certain other societies are doing, fritter away their energies in causing useless strife.
EXTENSION OF PEAK TRAMWAY TO QUEEN'S ROAD. The Chairman then stated that he had been asked to "obtain the opinion of the Public Works Committee on the point whether the extension of the Peak Tramway to Queen's Road on trestles along Garden Road is a desir- able improvement in the public interest." The members were unanimously in favour of the extension, but, after some considerable discus sion, they decided that the question of trestles was a difficult matter to come to an opinion about with no plan before them. They stated that the least objectionable form of trestles, being religious processions held in honour if there were no better means of carrying the of a Buddhist deity known as Kwun Yam, tram line, should be adopted, but that as whose temple at Fatshan has but recently been regards the form the line should take from the
To cope with the large influx of nullah to the Queen's Road further details special trains were run daily from
Paired. should be supplied before the Public Works Canton, and the railway must have made a Committee be asked to express an opinion as handsome profit. The launches and junks from to the desirability, or feasibility, of one system up and down river were also crowded, and since Fatshan has been a town it has never had such a large number of visitors.
or another.
They did not, however, think the vicinity to the Cathedral should prevent the extension of this line by trestles or any other form of sup- ports that might be decided upon.
The order regarding the muzzling of dogs which has been in force at Kulangsu (Amoy) since 28th September was rescinded on the 11th instant, the Health Officer for the port having declared it to be no longer necessary,
RELIGIOUS ENTHUSIASM. Last week Fatshan was en fête, the reason
FIRES.
backward conditions in which the Koreans in hand by its present masters. existed before their distracted country was taken
Whatever the miseries of the insurgents may be, it is certain that Japanese rule has brought to the mass of the people an amelioration of their lot in many ways as compared with the unspeakable oppression under which they labour- ed until the annexation of their country.
I have a letter this very day from a friend in Korea who has no connection with politics-
ed, he is a missionary-corresponding with me about a matter tocally unconnected with the country's affairs in any way, and it may be of interest to listen to what he has to say as a mere item of news he thought likely to attract my attention as a causal correspondent. I should premise that he has lived many years in the country, and is universally esteemed and re- spected by natives and Japanese alike, and is one of the best scholars in the realm. He says:-
"You may have seen that we have had an epidemic of cholera. It visits us seemingly about once in seven years, and in the old days the people died off by many hundreds daily. This year, however, the figures are changed; and one hundred was about the highest limit. How one's admiration for the Japanese grows at a time like this; they are really wonderful when it comes to taking most difficult hygienic measures and handling great masses of helpless and indifferent people. Every house where a case broke out was marked and watched by special police. The infected wells were dosed with lime so that the water could not be used, and the keys were left at the hydrants of the waterworks so that all could draw city water freely as they pleased. They have really stamped it out by throttling it at every point. The truth is that Seoul under the régime is one of the cleanest and safest cities in the East. Koreans are beginning to appre- ciate these things, even the most conservative among them is beginning to look with less and less contempt on the odour of carbolic acid and chloride of lime."
new
Anyone who has visited Scoul in the old days or has read about it in such books as Lord Curzon's "Problems of the Far East," will be able to appreciate the benefits conferred on Korea by these wholesome measures of sanitary reform.
The South Manchuria Railway Co.'s stats- The city has been suffering from an epidemicntent of accounts for the first half of the present of fires lately. One of the latest broke out in the fiscal year ended September 30 indicates the Old City in a street near the Tartar General's marvellous prosperity of the corporation and Yamen. The flames spread very rapidly, and shows an increase of forty per cent. in the grose in a short time four houses were totally receipts and of fifty per cent. in the mining destroyed. During the same night another receipts on those for the corresponding term of fire broke out in a street close by. Here the the preceding year. The railway earning, damage originated in a joss-paper store, but during the said term reached Y. 5,830,000,
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