[ XI ]
Yaumati and Hunghom appears to specially tend itself to the erection of sanitary dwel- lings.
but are
In these villages many of the houses front on a public street and at the back abut on a public lane, over such streets and lanes the tenants have a right of way not permitted to obstruct them.
The lanes which should not be less than 15 feet in with form a convenient mode of access for the scavengers and afford facilities for drainage.
In some instances, however, the lanes are private property and have been more or less encroached upon.
20. In the less important villages the houses are mere hovels, many of the present occupants being the descendants of persons who settled here in the early days of the Colony. The houses are scattered about without regard to level or alignment and little improvement appears possible without dealing with the whole of a village at the same
time.
21. As regards the special points referred to the Committee, we would point out that it appears only necessary to resume insanitary properties in such cases as large areas are proposed to be dealt with i which several interests are concerned. We are, however, of opinion that in inany cases no such resumption is from a sanitary point of view necessary, and would call attention to the various sanitary improvements that have been required by local authorities under the Public Health Act of 1875 without any resumption or compensation to the owners of such properties.
22. Resumptions of large insanitary areas bave been carried out in various cities and towns either by special local Acts, such as the Liverpool Acts, or under the pro- visions of the Housing of the Working Classes Act 1890, and under several Acts of Parliament which were repealed on the passing of this Act.
23. The means hitherto adopted in this Colony for resumption of property have been those contained in the Crown lease, private arrangement, and more recently the provision of the Taipingshan Resumption Ordinance, No. 8 of 1894.
24. The resumption of the Taipingshan area is, as far as we are aware, the only instance in this Colony in which property has been resumed solely on account of its insanitary condition.
The provisions of this Ordinance appear to be inuch more favourable to owners of insanitary properties than those contained in the Housing of the Working Classes Act, 1890, which it will be observed contains provisions for making certain deductions on account of buildings unfit for habitation or in an insanitary condition or where the rental is enhanced by reason of overcrowding or illegal use.
25. In all cases where property is not resumed, it appears desirable that the owners should effect the necessary alterations, but in the event of large areas being resumed, it appears desirable that where possible the alignment and gradients of the streets should be improved, which work together with the laying out of new streets and lanes and preparation of building sites should be done by the Government.
26. All legislation in England, with the exception of the Liverpool Act of 1864, has rendered it compulsory for the part of the public authorities effecting the resump- tion of property for the purposes of improvement to provide accommodation for the persons disturbed.
This provision has, however, been generally held to have practically prevented many desirable improvements being carried out.
In dealing with the City of Victoria it must be remembered that there is at present a large area in Taipingsban unoccupied, and the progress of reclamation will add a