Mention of the functions of the Press, in the airing of matters of public concern, invests with interest outspoken editorial comment made by the "Hongkong Telegraph" on raft and corruption in certain branch= 5 of the Government service. The journal, after referring to widespreea Public belief in the existence of a well-organized, but largely secret, system of graft and corruption Involving employees of more than ong Government department, spoke of the hundreds of illegal establishments, of a certain type—the reference is obviously to sly brothels—the me males of which, it is strongly rum-ured, contribute regular - monthly sums to a fund, said to be handed over to an individual who keeps well in the background, and who, in turn, by indirect methods, distributes the money to Government" employees, The amount involved is said to. be Several thousands of "dollars per month, The "Telegraph." in hesitating to make mention of these rumours, says It would not. do so but for their 18, however, no easy task to trace 4 tots soures, "he public, none the ess, does expect that some sincere effort be. made to get at the facts, Tuberculosis Scourge 'A typical gute in the weekly health report, just issued, gives some impression of the extent to which tuberculosis is rife among the. Chinese community of this Colony. No fewer than 80 persons succumbed to the disease during the week. When itis borne In mind that. tuberculosis {is not a notifiable disease, and when it Is further remembered' that many Chinese sufferers leave the Colony in the last slages of the disease, so that they may die in their own country, It will be realized how high the mortallly' is, -It-has, -in fact, eon computed thai at Toast 80.000 inhabitants of the Colony, that Is, one in every ten, suffer from the disease, 'A doctor, reckoning what these. sutforers spend in medicine, on a basis of 50 cents per day, recently pointed out that this involved. some $14,000, 000 per annum, to say nothing of hospital expenses or loss of wages, 'Yet, in face of these facts, there exists' in this Colony no organized method -of combating the-disease—a fae which was mentioned Gil Peiping Union Medi oan address at the Rotary Club on the measures which are there taken for the prevention and cure of "1B, Dr. Hall showed that the clinic at the P.U.MC. is doing splendid wone ata relatively small cost, and he laid Stress also on the point that much fan be done in the home to combat He disputed the idea that tuberculosis is an economic problem, saying that if known principles of licelth were followed it could be fought at any economic level. There can, nonetheless, be no questioning, the' point that the low standard of iving of the masses of this Colony is a contributory cause both to the incurring of the disease and to its spicad. There Is at present sitting a Housing Commission, one of whose problems. will be the overcrowding evil, "Tis report is awaited with deep Interest, Mul-tsai Problem The mule tsai problem continues to provoke attention, the latest body 0 discuss the matter being the Society for the Protection of Children, whose executive committee, a representative body. with influential foreign and Chinese membership. "At its monthly meeting, a member brought forward motion desiring that the Government furnish the society with an advance copy of the proposed Bill which it is likely to introduce in the ear future on the subject, Despite the fact that the society's constitu-lon charges it with Interest in all matters pertaining to the well-being of children and even specifies as one of its objects the promotion of legis lation where, considered necessary, the resolution was heavily defeated.
"The principal round for objection to approaching the Government on the subject was that the issue Intensely controversial one, and the it the society were to Intervene the matter, it might be wrecked by dissension.' So, its name notwithstanding, the society still confines its activities to roller work of various kinds, with particular reference infant welfare amongst the poorer classes. Thanks to the generosity of Chinese resident, it hay just opened.
creche specially for Chinese babies whose mothers are at work all day. 'The usual custom among this class of women is to place thole offspring, in charge of people who are onse fit (o look after, infants, at cost which absorbs about. one-third of the mothers' earnings. Tu the now roche, the babies will be cared for tree of charge by Canadian Sietors, and be supplied with sullable food hygienic surroundings.
"Meanwhile, there. is "apprehension among the better class Chinese. that the legislation which the Government introduces in dealing with the mul-{sai problem may result in system of inspection which will make serious finronds on the privacy of the home. But such fears may be found (0 be altogether groundless, widespread circulation and the cir= cumstantial manner in which they are retailed. It suggests, in fairness to those employees. and departments to whom the stigma. of association does not rightly belong, "that the whole matier should be made the Subject of rigorous Investigation, and adds that if the Government itself is tunable to discover the fads, the task might be entrusted to an nomial commission, "A fruitful avenue of Inquiry for such a body." it adds, "would be the source of incomes of subordinates of the typo who are. obviously living at a standard of life far beyond that made possible by legitimate earnings." That there is corruption in certain Government do-partments, there can be no question, The War Office announces that Ma}.-Gen. A, P. Wavell will succeed It-Gen, J. G, Dill as General Oncor Commanding the British Fores in Palestine and Trans-Jordan, He will ake up his appointment at about the lend of August, Siam's cabinet under Col, Phya Babel Bolabayuhasena has resigned and Prince Aditya Dirabha, Chairman Of the Regency Council, has relinguished his post following a fierce [debate in the Assembly on the alleged scandal over the sale of the youns King's tand, which was said to have been sold privately and at a low price.
was generally agreed the Premier was not concerned.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.