The
Chinese and European, provide satisfactory living accommodation for their employees. A large proportion of the city of Victoria, particularly in the central districts, was built in the early days of the Colony when town planning was little practised, even in Eu- rope, and the major defects of housing are due to the absence at that time of planning and of modern legislation. Public Health and Buildings Ordinance of 1903 was framed to conform with the standards of structure
the standards of structure and hygiene which were then accepted. In the light of modern practice, many of these provisions and many of the buildings originally construct- ed in accordance with these provisions, are now out of date. Control of domestic buildings is now effected by the operation of a newer Buildings Ordinance introduced in 1935, which provides also for the improvement of lighting and ventilation in buildings originally made to conform with the less advanced legislation. Yards and scavenging lanes are statutory requirements which have resulted in gradually improved standards and have rendered possible the provision of latrines and bathrooms. The absence of statutory powers for compulsory demolition of buildings except those condemned as dangerous is responsible for the dis- appointingly slow disappearance of the tenement houses built before 1903.
It is gratifying to record that excellent progress has been made with re-construction of property damaged or destroyed as the result of the Pacific War. From a health viewpoint, the newly- built tenement shows great advance on its predecessor. It has larger windows, and being provided with a yard and a scavenging lane has greatly improved lighting and ventilation; the kitchen is more spacious and bright; a concrete stairway of easy gradient has re- placed the former narrow, ladder-like stairways of wooden construction; and, in most cases, the water carriage system has replaced the former conservancy system. Although there has been a well-remarked tendency to lessen building costs by constructing storeys of lesser height, this disadvantage has been offset by the better lighting and ventilation already described.
An important feature of the normal work of the health inspec- tor, whose other duties are described in the section on "Health", is the inspection of tenement buildings and the cleansing of premises. Houses are dealt with in rotation and the residents are required by law to cleanse their premises under the direction of the health inspector and his staff. Tanks of approximately 200 gallons capacity containing a one per cent. solution of water and kerosene emulson (soft soap and kerosene) are provided for cleansing pur-
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