REPORT
ON
THE TUNG WA HOSPITAL
BY
The Honourable T. H. WHITEHEAD.
HONGKONG, 17th October, 1896.
I regret that I am unable to concur in its entirety in the Report of the majority of the Commission appointed by His Excellency the Governor on 5th February, 1896, to enquire into the working and organization of the Tung Wa Hospital, with special refer- Appendix ence to the following details :-
"1. Whether the Hospital is fulfilling the object and purpose of its Incorpora-
"2. If
"tion.
yes, whether the Commission can suggest or recommend any matter "or thing by which the present organization and administration of the "Hospital can be improved or carried on more effectively, and
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"3. If no, whether the object and purpose of the Hospital can be fulfilled by 'any other organization, with any suggestions or recommendations the "Commission may make on the subject."
2. I therefore submit in this separate report my opinions on the various points raised, and my reasons which are based entirely on the evidence taken by the Commission, on official reports, correspondence, etc. For the purpose of obviating the necessity of referring to the detailed reports, letters, etc., I include herein extracts, arranged under their several heads, to which I desire to direct particular attention.
I.—The reasons that led up to the founding of the Tung Wa Hospital.
p. 3.
p. 59.
3. Sir RICHARD GRAVES MACDONNELL wrote several minutes concerning the "I Ts'z" Appendix or Chinese hospital, and his minute dated 23rd April, 1869, reads:--
"There is unquestionably something very revolting in finding suddenly that "such heartless cruelty and filth could be found in any building in this
City."
66
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"Nevertheless, the laws seem not so bad, and the Registrar General himself is "to blame for the existence of such disreputable places as the Chinese hospital which he describes. Under Ordinance 8 of 1858 it seems to me "that he is specially expected and authorised (section 4) to look after the "interests of the Chinese, and that with him rests the responsibility of 'visiting houses and tenements of every description where Chinese coolies "and others--emigrants are particularly mentioned are harboured (not "in the actual employment of the householder); and that (section 19) he "is bound to see after the licensing of such houses, to inspect them, and "enforce therein the observance of good order, decency and morality, and "the prevention and punishment of nuisances and other abuses amongst "the inmates of such houses."
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His Excellency
Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.,
&C.,
&c.,
&c.