13
at the front of the building and possibly the one at the back can have windows into the external air. No person can legitimately claim the right to house tenants in window- less rooms, merely with a view to increasing the rental of his property, and where such has been done, no clain to compensation should be entertained for the discontinuance of this dangerous practice.
Every inaterial amendment of the present law has, we believe, been enclosed within square brackets so that the reader may see at a glance what is new and what is not, and the following is a table showing the arrangement of the clauses, together with a brief resumé of the amendments with notes of the reasons why they have been incorporated in this Bill. where such reasons appear to be called for.
HONGKONG.
THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND BUILDINGS BILL.
ARRANGEMENT OF CLAUSES.
Nection.
1. Short title.
PART 1.
Preliminary.
2. (1) Repeal of Ordinances. (2) Bye-laws continued in force. (3) Rules and Regulations
continued in force. (4) Existing officers to continue to hold their appointments.
3. Contracts. Any contracts entered into under the existing building laws may be carried out under such laws if the buildings are commenced within three months of the approval of the plans by the Building Authority.
4.
Government wills, buildings and works exmpt.
5. Rights or liabilities between landlord and i mant.
6. Definitions. A number of new definitions have been included, which have been taken mostly
from the Imperial Acts.
7. List of “authorized architects.” This clause has been framed with a view to preventing the
erection of buildings by incompetent persons.
PART II.
Public Health.
CONSTITUTION AND GENERAL POWERS OF THE SANITARY BOARD.
8. Constitution of the Sanitary Board. We have provided here for the appointment of a Sanitary Commissioner who shall be ex-officio Chairman of the Board. In order to pre- serve a majority of unofficial members on the Board we have been reluctantly compelled to provide that the Medical Officer of Health should cease to be a member of the Board, his seat being taken by the Sanitary Commissioner, although we consider that the services of the present Medical Officer of Health on the Board have been invaluable.
In any case, however, the Medical Officer of Health should attend the meetings of the Board as their professional adviser, and chief executive officer.
9. Rules for clection of certain members of the Board,
10. Names of members to be gazetted.
11.
12.
Substitute members.
Vacancies on the Board.
13. (1) Board meetings. (2) Quorum.
14. (1) Standing orders. (2) Appointment of select committees.
15. (1) Delegation of powers to Sanitary Commissioner or to select committers. (2) Failure to
comply with orders of Sanitary Commissioner or of select committee.
16. Emoluments and powers of Sanitary Commissioner.
17. Matters with regard to which the Board has power to make bye-laws. 18. Legislative Council to approve bye-laws.
639