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The Committee unanimously agreed that the best way of meeting the requirement was to provide a sufficient number of fire escapes throughout the City, which should be stationed in the flat portion and also on the upper levels, at suitable points. They recommended that such provision should be made as early as possible.
5. Provision of Yard-space in relation to Houses. (C.S.O. #).
The Chairman explained that, under the Public Health Ordinance, back-yards of 10 or 15 feet in width were compulsory in the case of all domestic buildings erected on land sold by Government since the 30th May, 1888. The provision of public lanes, 15 feet in width, along the backs of houses in the laying out of lots for sale, had hitherto been treated as fulfilling the requirement referred to, but the Honourable Acting Attorney General had recently advised that this was not in compliance with the provisions of the Ordinance, which required a back-yard to be provided by the owner of the lot on his own land. The consequence was that the space had to be provided at the back of the house where it would be of little benefit as there was already a good laue in that position. In the plan for an improved type of house which he himself had designed, the space was much more beneficially dis- posed by providing it along the side of the house and as, in this way, the yards belonging to two houses were contiguous, each house reaped the benefit of a double or combined yard-space.
Mr. CHATER referred to an improved type of house which he had under consideration in which the space would be more beneficially disposed than as required by the existing law.
The Committee unanimously agreed to recommend that the stipulation as to back-yards, already referred to, be amended by specifying that a yard-space bearing a certain proportion to the area built over should be provided by the owner of the lot in addition to the scavenging lane provided by the Government.
W. CHATHAM,
Chairman.
Laid before the Legislative Council this 25th day of November, 1901.
R. F. JOHNSTON,
Acting Clerk of Councils.