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January 3, 1895. }
7
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
DOMICILIARY VISITS.
ascer-
But
of how narrow streets are to dealt with. property being much more liberal. Mr. caused by the visit, the irritation can hardly This matter stands on quite a different LEIGE pointed out that there was practically fail to be acute. We know what the feeling footing from that of the insanitary condition no Crown land remaining for sale in the would be in any town or village in England of houses generally. The duty devolving on city and suggested that the provision should if an Inspector went round the houses a landlord to keep his house in a sweet and be made applicable to all houses to be built during the hours of the night:10 wholesome condition and not to allow it to hereafter, whether on land which had tain their condition either as regards be overcrowded is self-evident, but where already passed into the hands of private cleanliness or overcrowding. And the feeling narrow lanes have been permitted by the owners or on land to be purchased from the will be very much the same in Hongkong Government, to throw on the owners the Crown.
general, This suggestion was adopted by if the inspection be made g expense of widening those lanes or of reduce the Board, practically without discussion the law does not require inspection; it ing the height of their houses seems to be and without any representations being made merely permits it, the provision being that
owners. The imposing on them a burden which they can-as to its effect on property own
Any officer of the said Board specially au- not fairly be called upon to bear. According men Iment was accepted by the Go- thorised by the Board and subj et to such directions as the Board may impose, may to the figures mentioned by the Hon. C. P. vernment apparently in the same off-hand CHATER on Saturday, to carry out the policy manner, but has been modified in deference enter and inspect at any time any domestic embodied in the section as it stood on the to the opinion of the unofficial members" building for the purpose of ascertaining thereof second reading of the Bill would have of Council. either at the hands of the whether such building or any part
We must muleted the property owners in some four-vernment, nor of the Sanitary Board, nor is in an overcrowded condition." teen private lanes running from Queen's of the community at large has the subject look to the Sanitary Board, therefore, to Road to the Prava in a sum of some two eceive I due consideration. The Health exercise this great power with due discretion million dollars. The loss, it is true, would Bill generally is a matter of urgency, but this and to authorise inspection only in cases have been extended over a great nun particular subject is not urgent and might well where there may be good prima facie reason ber of years, for it is only when houses have have been left over until it had been more fully to believe that overcrowding really exists. to be rebuilt, either through having been gone into. Anything in the nature of spolia- The ordinary common sense of the Board sufficient burnt down, damaged by typhoons, or in con- fion is to be deprecated, and the new born may perhaps he onsidered a sequence of natural decay, that it is proposed to zeal for reform should not be allowed to guarantee against abuse of the power. The Where a man Governor also gave his personal guarantee, compel the owners to set them back from the run to that extreme. old frontage or to reduce their height. Accord. wantonly neglects bis property and allows but that is. worth practically nothing. His ing to the amendment adopted yesterday it to fall into such an insanitary condition Excellency can exercise no direct control in is confided. these particular lanes will not be materically as to become a danger to the public health the mater, which by law interfered with by the Bill, though others in we would not consider out and out confisca absolutely to the Sanitary Board, except different parts of the Colony may be. But tion too severe a penalty for his neglect, but that the by-laws of that body are subject to if it is important that these lanes should be where it is a question of carrying out a the approval of the Legislative Council. widened, the question suggests itself whether great municipal improvment and of altering. Moreover, His Excel nay, in a few years it is expedient to wait for the slow operatio: conditions for which the present property will be succeeded by another G vernor, who of the causes above mentioned, In large owners are in no degree responsible, such as would not be bound by any personal towns at home it is not an uncommon thin the widening of narrow lanes, due consilera- guarantee given by his predecessor Pr. for the municipal authorities to decide on tion should be given to the principles of sonal guarantees in respect to the adminis
tration of the laws are in fact entirely out of the widening of streets, and especially in aquity.
place; they ought not to be offered, and London bave large operations of this charac ser been carried out. In such cases, the
certainly ought never to be accepted. The law has to be interpreted solely by what “ uqual course has been for the authorities to acquire by purchase the property affected The Insanitary Dwellings Bill passed last contained within its four corners an 1 per- and deal with in accordance with week establishes the power of the Sanitary sonal feeling and personal opinion ongħt to the general plan decided upon.
The loss Board to order domiciliary visits, which be entirely eliminated from its administra probably has not been great; in many in- may be made at any time, either by day or tion, stances there has no doubt been a profit, night. We must trust to the Board to exer- values being enhanced by the improvements cise the power with discretion, and no when the operations have been carried out doubt the public will feel greater confidence
At the last annual meeting of the British on a large scale by public authorities; in its right use when entrusted to a semi- but if the work were thrown on pri- representative body than if any individual Medical Association an interesting discus- vate owners acting individually as circum- Government official were made responsible sion took place, in the section of Public M
The reasons advanced in support of dicine, ou sewer ventilation, a question of stances might render rebuilding necessary, for it. the present loss would be considerable, and the necessity of inspection were weighty special interest to us in Hongkong, where if ultimately, when after the lapse of many and, as regards certain classes of houses, the foul stenches arising from, the drams years the scheme had been completed, values convincing, but it would have been prudent form a subject of constant complaint. The the use discussion, though interesting, was inconclu- should become largely enhanded, as would to place some limitation on
No one disputes the sive in its outcome, the doctors being very no doubt be the case, it would be another of the power.
the case much divided in opinion. The opening generation of owners that would reap the necessity of inspection in benefit. Instead, therefore, of dealing with of common lodging houses, and from these paper was read by Mr. J.T. NEECH, L.R.C.P., the matter in the way proposed in the pre to the tenement houses let off in cubicles to who said he was inclined to think that no one sent Bill, by which no benefit will be felt separate families is but a step. According system would be found successful in every for the next half century-for no owner to the Acting Colonial Secretary, at the time case. Pipe ventilators, he said, were not always would enter on rebuilding operations under of the plague inspections it was found that effective, for reasons which he assigned, and such conditions as long as an old house the latter class of houses were more over he gave a description of a system of auto- matic valves he had invented to prevent would stand-it would be better to deal with crowded than the former. it on broad grounds and as a question cannot be supposed that nightly inspections sewer air being carried down the sewer. sui generis. Under any circumstances the will be welcomed by the occupants of tene-As to the merits of this system we do not subject is out of place in the present Billment houses, they will perhaps not be actively | feel competent to form an opinion. What we find most interesting in the discussion and would have been more appropriately resented. The circumstances under which
the references to first principles, dealt with in an amendment of the Build.these people live do not allow them much are ing Ordinance. The matter might hd privacy at any time and the visit of especially as to the extent to which sewer vantageously form the subject of inquiry the Inspector will not wound their sus-ventilation is desirable. Dr. SIDNEy Davies, much. But in the Medical Officer of Health, Plumstead, contri- by a Commission, both as to the necessity ceptibilities very of widening in respect of each lane in-case of the better class of houses ocbuted a paper in which he urged that whether dividually and the means by which the cupied by a single family, or where the or not microbes were present in it sewer improvement could best be carried into whole of one floor is occupied by one family, gas was undoubtedly injurious. He held that effect. The question has been sprung upon it is to be feared that the Inspector's visits thorough ventilation in large sewers was the colony suddenly, almost at a moment's made during the night will be considered a only needed for the men who worked in notice, and it may be useful to explain how real grievance. The Attorney General says them, that ventilation did not, diminish but. it has arisen. It was not mentioned in the that as the law stands an Inspector might perhaps increased the formation of fœtid Bill as read à first time, but in the visit his house, and the hon. gentleman does gases, that shaft ventilators up houses draft submitted to the Sanitary Board on not seem to think the visit would constitute were not much less objectionable than open the 17th inst. a section appeared providing any very great hardship. Lawmakers must manholes, and that all houses should tie dis- that the height of houses on land heree supposed to be willing to submit to the connected from sewers and only so much after bought from the Crown should be laws they establish, but with the ordinary ventilation supplied as might be requisite to limited according to the width of the streets, Chinaman, unfamiliar with the object of serve as safety valves, which was very little, the conditions with regard to existing the law, and sensible unly of the annoyance for the danger from
Although it
SEWER VENTI
ENTILATIO