having earned a rest from long and arduous labours, had the business converted into a private limited company. Mr. W. H. Donald was made managing-director and editor, Mr. Bain himself being the chairman of directors, whilst the members of the latter's family were the only other shareholders. In the Daily Press office the management has been of recent years in the hands of Mr. B. A. Hale, Mr. T. Wright being the editor at this time of writing, whilst the Telegraph is now edited by Mr. A. Brebner. These gentlemen worthily fill the responsible positions occupied by them, and the whole Press of the Colony compares most favourably at the present day, so far as tone is concerned, with the best English journals. The journalists mostly take a keen pride in the important work which constitutes their mission, and with an endeavour to promote a kindly feeling of comradeship, formed on December 16, 1903, and inaugurated on January 6, 1904, the first Journalistic Association in the East. It did not last long, although its objects were excellent, and since it has now passed into oblivion and history contains no record of it, no harm will be done by ensuring the safe-keeping of the fact in this volume. The first committee consisted of the following: President, Mr. T. H. Reid (China Mail); Chairman of Committee, Mr. P. W. Sergeant (Daily Press); Committee, Mr. Douglas Story (South China Morning Post), Mr. W. H. Donald, (China Mail), and Mr. E. A. Snewin, (Hongkong Telegraph). The primary object, as shown in the Constitution of the Association, was "the elevation and improvement of the status of journalists in the Far East." This recalls an incident which may prove of interest. In 1850, when the Criminal Sessions of the Supreme Court were held for the first time in the room now occupied in the upper part of the building in Queen's Road, members of the Press were provided chairs at a table inside the bar, and a hope was expressed "that they would testify their regard for the attention shown for their accommodation by appearing there in the ordinary garb of gentlemen." History sayeth not whether they complied with the suggestion, but later on the reporters were given special accommodation immediately in front of the dock. With the increase of papers in the Colony in more recent years greater facilities for work were required, and in 1907 the reporters were once again favoured with seats vis-à-vis the legal fraternity.
Having traversed the history of the newspapers in the Colony, it might be interesting to note the circumstances of to-day. From the news point of view the papers have great difficulties to face. The Colony is small and local happenings are not always interesting, and excessive cable rates place limitations upon enterprise in the direction of obtaining foreign intelligence. However, the papers keep the Colony excellently supplied with the happenings of the outside world. Editorially the papers offer a strong contrast to those of fifty years ago. They are all well-conducted, though editors use rose-water too liberally in their criticisms. Criticism, however, is not so free as is possible in other parts of the world. The community is small, interests are surprisingly interwoven, and a tendency exists in some quarters to prevent even legitimate reference to certain interests by withdrawing support from the paper guilty of the "indiscretion." One or two papers endeavour to stem this tide of demoralisation, and whether the survival of the fittest will ultimately see the editors on top or not remains to be seen. The efforts of the papers are not always recognised by the community as fully as they might be, or they are misunderstood, and some who have so much to gain by the presence of a free and outspoken Press, and so much to lose by the absence of it, would do no harm to indulge in a little occasional heart-searching to adjust the focus of their views and ascertain if, after all, they realise and adequately acknowledge the value and supreme importance of the newspapers which exist in their city. It is essential that they should know fair from unfair criticism, and though in 1904 the China Mail was boycotted for twelve months by a foreign section of the community for commenting upon a matter which the editor deemed fairly within his province, it is questionable whether boycott is a wise or a good thing. But in Hongkong in minor and individual ways it has been used frequently, and the result is that the average editor has to think twice before he publishes an article such as the general reader sometimes looks for. Hongkong, in short, does not cater for a strong Press, and any limpness noticeable is due more
