1909-04-01

12 HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 1ST APRIL, 1909.

PRESENT:―

Financial

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR, SIR FREDERICK DEALTRY LUGARD, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.

H. E. COLONEL DARLING, R. E. (General Officer Commanding).

HON. MR. F. H. MAY, C.M.G. (Colonial Secretary).

SIR HENRY BERKELEY, K.C. (Acting Attorney-General).

HON. MR. A. M. THOMSON (Colonial Treasurer).

HON. MR. W. CHATHAM, C.M.G. (Director of Public Works).

HON. MR. E. A. IRVING (Registrar General).

HON. MR. F. J. BADELEY (Captain Superintendent of Police).

HON. DR. HO KAI, M.B., C.M., C.M.G.

HON. MR. WEI YUK, C.M.G.

HON. MR. H. E. POLLOCK, K.C.

HON. MR. E. A. HEWETT.

HON. MR. H. A. W. SLADE.

Mr. A. G. M. FLETCHER (Clerk of Councils.)

Minutes

The minutes of the last meeting were read, and confirmed.

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY―I have the honour to lay on the table Financial Minutes Nos 10, 11 and 12, and to move that they be referred to the Finance Committee.

THE COLONIAL TREASURER seconded.

HIS EXCELLENCY ― Gentlemen, with regard to Financial Minute No. 12, you will see that it embodies a resolution by the Council to spend a certain sum for the Observatory. You will recollect that in September last when the Estimates were introduced I promised the Council that I would instruct the Director of the Observatory to visit Manila with a view to comparing our instruments with theirs and in order to get into touch with the Director of the Observatory at that place. Since that date I have been able to inform the Council that by the courtesy of the American Government in the Philippine Islands we hope that a wireless telegraphy station will be established at Santo Domingo de Basco which will be of great value to us, and I have also informed the Council that the Admiral commanding the China Fleet has promised that men-of-war cruising in the neighbouring waters shall communicate any observations that may be of use in forecasting storms.

I propose in connection with this financial minute to briefly inform the Council of the

HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 13

results of the visit which has been paid by the Director of our Observatory to Manila. On February 16th, as soon as his annual returns were completed, Mr. Figg started for Manila and remained there until the 23rd February. Every day during his stay he visited the Observatory, and I need hardly say that he was received with the utmost courtesy by Father Algué who placed his entire time at his disposal during his residence in the Islands. The Manila Observatory, Mr. Figg informs me, cost about $145,000 and the staff consists of one director, three assistant directors, a secretary and librarian, and ten native observers, calculators, draughtsmen, and mechanics. There are some forty out-stations in the archipelago connected with headquarters. Some of them report three times a day, some twice a day. The ordinary observation hours are between six a.m. and seven p.m. Father Algué agreed that the primary object in view for improving the information regarding typhoon warnings is the creation of as many stations as possible and the more frequent despatch of observations from existing stations. In this connection he promised to send extra observations from other stations in the Philippines whenever the station at Aparri should be interrupted, which unfortunately frequently occurs. He also said he would send any additional information which might be useful for the determination of the position of typhoon centres. Mr. Figg, on his part, promised to send extra observations from here whenever they might he required by the Manila Observatory, the Manila Government defraying the cost of transmission. He also promised, at the request of Father Algué, to send all typhoon warnings, (which has hitherto not been done), whether the typhoons arise in the neighbourhood of the Philippine Islands or not.

With regard to the instruments for forecasting storms. The Manila Observatory has two seismographs and a tromometer. The seismographs, Farther Algué said, were of some indirect use in the Philippines, but he had considerable doubt whether they would be of any use to us as we fortunately are not subject to earthquakes, and as they are very costly instruments, having to be mounted on stone pillars, we do not propose to adopt them. In regard to the instruments for registration; the Manila anemograph registers in the office

whereas ours can only be consulted by going on the roof which is always difficult and often impossible. It was moreover damaged during the last typhoon. The Director strongly recommends the purchase of a pressure tube anemograph of the Davies-Baxendall type with a recording apparatus mounted on the lower floor. We propose to purchase this and the necessary vote is before the Council now. As this is primarily a pressure instrument he is of opinion that it may be valuable to the Building Authority and to civil engineers in the colony, since the instrument registers the wind pressure momentarily,―the pressure of each gust of wind―and is of course of more value for gauging the resistance of any building than our Beckley which only registers the average velocity of the wind. These pressure tube instruments are adopted by many of the British Observatories. The cost is estimated, including some alterations to the building, at about $1100.

It is also said that our instrument could be very greatly improved by fitting to its velocity gear a cheap chronograph in order to measure the wind velocity at short intervals by the aid of an electric current. We propose to adopt that to our existing instrument at a cost of about $100. This suggestion was made by Mr. Hunt, who is the meteorological expert of the Common-wealth Government, and who has been visiting during the last eight months the principal Observatories of America, Europe and India in order to see their instruments, and ascertain whether the instruments in Australia could in any way be improved. He spent a day in Hongkong at the end of January and Mr. Figg was able to obtain from him valuable information of exactly the nature we were seeking. The Manila Observatory has a Spring-Fuess barograph which registers mechanically instead of photographically as ours does. It is of advantage as the records thus registered are immediately available. Mr. Figg tells me it would be a convenience but would add nothing to his ability to forecast storms and since it costs about $2,000 it is not proposed to adopt it.

On the main principle of forecasting typhoons I am glad to say that Mr. Figg finds himself in complete agreement with Father

14 HONGKONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

Algué that "the chief reliance for the early prediction of storms must be placed on observations of barometer, wind and weather telegraphed promptly from surrounding areas." Manila Observatory has a barocy-clonometer, but Father Algué did not recommend it. He said he possessed one but did not consult it frequently. He con-considered it useful for isolated observers but not for observatories connected with other stations.

The motion was agreed to.

Resolution Under the Rating Ordinance

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY moved the following resolution:

Resolved by the Legislative Council that the precentage on the valuation of tenements payable as rates in the undermentioned places be altered from the 1st day of July, 1909, as follows:―

per cent. per cent.

Tokwawan ........ From 9 to 9 34 Hok Un ............. " 10 34 " 11 12 Taikoktsui ......... " 10 34 " 11 12 Hunghom .......... " 12 14" 13

Tsimtsatsui

(Kowloon Point) " 12 14 " 3 Yaumati ............ " 12 14" 13 Monkoktsui ...... " 12 14" 13

He said―In these districts fire hydrants have now been fixed and fire appliances are available for use in case of fire. Therefore it seems reasonable that the rates be increased by the usual three-quarter per cent.

THE COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, and the motion was agreed to.

Public Health and Buildings

Amendment Ordinance

THE ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL moved the first reading of a Bill entitled An Ordinance to amend The Public Health and Buildings Ordinance, 1903.