THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 27TH JULY, 1878.
371
Chinese texts in a satisfactory manner, and from their point of view seem in no way deficient in regard to supplying the space for the admission of light and air which is required by their habits, ideas and wants.
Now these habits although your Memorialists are given to understand that they are condemned by the more recent rules cf Western science are, as a matter of fact, the outcome of a lengthened experience among the Chinese of living in large and crowded cities, and are as deep rooted as most of their social customs, so that it is quite certain that the tenants for whom these houses are intended as they would not understand the reason, would in no way avail themselves of the facilities for the free access of light and air which the Surveyor General's proposed alterations would provide for them.
The windows looking out into the proposed alleys would be kept closed and the alleys themselves not being intended for use as thoroughfares would be made receptacles for the deposit of refuse and filth which would beyond question be suffered to accumulate to an extent in itself dangerous to health. Such in fact has been the practical result of providing similar alley ways in other parts of this city as, for instance, in East and West Streets, Taipingshan, where, owing probably in great measure to this cause, epidemic diseases are frequent in the hot season, and at times when houses in Tung-mun Lane, Gilman's Bazaar and other streets leading from the Queen's Road to the Praya where houses have been built back to back remain altogether free from such visitations.
The great cities in the mainland of China such as Canton and Fatshan, are singularly free also from epidemic disease, and there all along the streets and main thoroughfares it has been the practice from time immemorial to build the houses back to back.
In Hongkong, as your Excellency is aware, land has become extremely valuable, and in order to make it profitable as an investment, it is necessary to take advantage to the utmost of the space at command. Chinese tenants are, as a rule, on the other hand, unable or unwilling to pay high rents for their dwelling rooms, and it is only by so dividing the houses that many families or persons can reside in each division that Chinese property is made profitable and at the same time the necessary lowness of rents attained. Having regard then to Cnese habits, it is practically certain that all available building space taken out from any given plc, of land for the mere purpose of ventilation will be so much away from the comfort of the tenants and will only lead to further overcrowding.
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reasons your Memorialists ventur to point out to your Excellency that the principle of providing alley spaces for the purposes of adnitting light and air to Chinese residences would meet with but little measure of success and would oe in no way appreciated by those whom it is kindly intended to benefit. On the other hand, it certainly calculated to alarm and irritate those interested in land and to depreciate the value property. It is a principle never, as they believe, hitherto carried into effect in Hogkong, based un no local Ordinance, and investors who have bought land have done so in ignorance that they uld have to abide by it.
Your Memorialists belong to a law abidin rder, to whom, as the long experience of the Government of this Colony has shown, factious position is unknown: and they should not in this instance depart from their usual habit of silent-ibmission to such laws and regulations as are made for their obedience, if they did not feel stropy that the points apparently decided in the letter of the Honourable the Surveyor General tend to pr
ess with injustice upon them, and are such as they think ought not to be finally decided without their having a hearing and some voice in such final decision.
Within the limits of a Memorial such as his, it is not possible to enter fully into the details of all the objections which exist on the part of your ctions can be supported; but they think they have Temorialists to the conclusion arrived at, or to do more than indicate the arguments by which their obj, should not be allowed to rest where it is, and that it than indicate the arguments by which their objctions sufficiently succeeded in shewing that the matte
is of sufficient públic importance to require a futher investigation.
Your Memorialists therefor humbly pray that your Excellency will be pleased to take the subject matter of this morial into your consideration and cause enquiries to be made either by means of a mission appointed to take such evidence as your Memorialists may be able to laybefore it and to hear their arguments, or by such other means as may seem to your Excelency th Hongkong, 24th May 1878.
T
- fitted to elicit the truth.