187 (12)
Till such change can conveniently and economically be made (for with such a Head either the Secretary or the Assistant Secretary would not be required) I see no reason whatever to change the existing arrangements.
There should in addition be a Secretary to the Board, but I am strongly opposed to the institution of an Engineering Section distinct from the Public Works Department.
The Director of Public Works in the Memorandum which I attach dealing with various portions of the Commissioners' report not touched on by me, advances very strong objections to the proposal which would I consider lead to hopeless confusion and friction with the Public Works Department.
I am of opinion that some re-organisation of the Staff is necessary and that the method of dealing with applications for modification or exemption under various sections of the Ordinance should be much simplified. The power of dealing with such applications might well be left to the Sanitary Board and Building Authority respectively.
12th April, 1907.
Enclosure 1.
F. H. MAY, Colonial Secretary.
Extract from the Report of the Sanitary Board on the Recommendations of the Insanitary Properties Commission, 1898.
Recommendations of the Sanitary Board.
Every house should have an open space in the rear, of the area mentioned in the following table, which area should extend for at least half the width of the house and from the back wall of such house to the line of division between it and the adjoining house or property:-
Houses not exceeding 40 feet in depth....
exceeding 40 feet not exceeding 50....
59
"}
50 60
"}
??
11
60..
50 sq. ft. 90
1:
130
99
175
Provided always that when the owners of a block of buildings agree to form a lane opening at either end upon a public street, and free from obstruction throughout, the fore- going rules should be modified as follows:--
Houses not exceeding 40 feet in depth: a lane not less than ... Houses exceeding 40 but not exceeding 50 feet in depth,.. Houses exceeding 50 but not exceeding 60 feet in depth,... Houses exceeding 60 feet,................
6' wide.
8'
11'
13' "
""
Should the construction of any such lane involve the demolition of houses at one or both ends of such lane in order to form an entrauce or exit to the public street, such houses should be resumed by the Government.
All such lanes must be concreted, channelled, drained, lit and maintained in a sanitary condition by the owners.
The Sanitary Board should have power in special cases, to modify the provisions of the foregoing regulations, when such modification may appear necessary.
For the purposes of these rules the formation of one or more openings through the wall which under ordinary circumstances would form the party wall between two adjacent houses, shall not entitle such houses to be considered as one house.
Note. In all cases in which a continuous lane is thus provided, we consider that the Government might resume the land, after it has been surfaced and channelled by the owners, to the satisfaction of the Director of Public Works, should the owners agree to apply for such resumption.
In no case should any obstruction whatever be premitted to be erected in these open spaces or lanes and the Police Magistrate should have full power to order the immediate- removal of all such obstructions, including articles of merchandise, furniture, &c., stored in the lane.
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