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185 (23)
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199. The Medical Officer of Health thinks it is the duty of the Sanitary Surveyor to exercise supervision, and carry out the law at the cemeteries, while the latter has it in his mind that the Senior Inspectors, acting under the orders of the former, should attend to them. Even the Principal Civil Medical Officer, as the administrative head of the Sanitary Department, is not clear on whom the responsibility rests, and before the question was raised by the Commission had never issued any instructions in reference to the requirements of the bye-laws, or concerned himself with the conduct and supervision of the cemetery work.
200. As a matter of fact, things have been left entirely in the hands of the so called sextons, who are Chinese coolies paid $9 per month. These men know just sufficient Chinese to write a few names an I numbers, but cannot speak a few words of even pidgin English." Yet they are made absolute masters of the cemeteries at Caroline Hill and Mount Davis, controlling everything in their own way, and carrying on business there as undertakers, stone cutters an I contractors.
201. The sexton at Mount Davis even carries his powers so far as to arrange for remains to be disinterred and removed froin one section to another, and under- takes to construct large graves far exceeding the regulation sizes, without the knowledge of the Sanitary Board or paying fees for the extra ground.
202. All these malpractices have been allowed to go on for years without detection, and only quite recently as a result of the investigations held by this Commission, a case has been reported to the Principal Civil Medical Officer by those officers whose duty should be to visit the cemeteries and prevent irregularities.
203. The Principal Civil Medical Officer stated he was satisfied with the explanation given by the Sanitary Surveyor, the Senior Inspector, and the sexton, who endeavoured to shift the blame one on to the other, and allowed the matter to drop. The question having been referred to the Commission, we find ourselves unable to endorse this decision. Such an attitude on the part of the administra- tive head of the Sanitary Department is calculated to have a demoralising effect upon those who are to blame, emboldened as they would be by immunity from
censure.
204. As long as these malpractices are allowed to continue, not only will the Government be defraudel of a great deal of land, but the owners of burial sites will also suffer hardship and annoyance.
205. The sexton on duty at the Mount Davis cemetery Lo CHUNG, is a cousin of Lo MAN Kars. He has been performing dual work as a servant of the Sanitary Department and as the caretaker of the mortuary of th Tung Wa Hospital at Sandy Bay, for which he receives $18 per month, without, the know- ledge of the Government. Though in his evidence he has not fully admitted the truth, there are good grounds for belief that he is guilty of malpractices, having a joint account with the grave.diggers under him and another man named Lo PUN, for carrying on business at the cemetery as a contractor, pig rearer and head stone
cutter.
206. It was stated in evidence that the Inspector in charge merely visited the cemetery for an hour a week. He measured the trenches without looking into other details, alleging want of time, an excuse which we do not accept.
207. As regards the Inspector's report to the office and the records kept by. the office, they are all one and the same, being the translation of the particulars furnished by the sexton, who keeps a rough register in Chinese entered up from
memory..
evidence.
208. There has been no supervision or check whatever. Without asking the See Lo sexton, the inspector would not know even the boundaries of the different Chance
Chung's sections, nor how much ground has been taken up. The sexton can please Pages himself about reporting a burial, as no officer actually checks his returns.
392/416. See Inspector Conolly's
Page 2307.
209. Of the cemeteries other than Chinese, no proper plans appear to have evidence been kept. The Sanitary Surveyor is now preparing one for the Ceinetery, instructions to do so having been given him quite recently.
Colonial See Mr.
Bryan's evidence. *Page 2296,