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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
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not possible to adopt any other course than to bring it through the house the pipe should. laid above the floor. That gentleman, howeve did not explain how the dimoulty of many the cook-house floors being level with or below the remaining portion of the ground floor of the house was to be got over in view of the fact that water will not run up hill.
from what it is where the population, is only 15,000 or 20,000, I would point to the very : material reduction in the consumption of water that has taken place in recent years in cities and towns in England and express a hope that the pub Ally will before long show that they the residents in those sitios and endenvours to check unnecessary
It would only be a waste of time on my part number of meters now in use is 188, and to deal in detail with the various questions raised the quantity of filtered and unfiltered water evidently by persons with no, practical know- supplied by meter has been 108,534,000 gallons|ledge of the arrangement of Chiness houses, ela- and 71,856,000 gallons repectively.
mentary hydraulics, or of what is meant by the separate system na being introduced into the city of Victoria and by persons who have not even taken the trouble to read the various published reports on the manitation and drainage of Hongkong.
Applications) for the construction of new services and the repair of existing ones have been - received in 877 cases.
MAINTENANCH OF SEWERS.- The sewers and storm water drains bavo nas für as practicablé been maintained in a satisfac- tory condition during the past year without any rexceptional expenditure.
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EXTENSION OF TYTÄM WATERWORKS. A contrast has been entered into for raising, the water level in the Tytam reservoir 10 fest, by which it is hoped that an additional storage capacity of 100,000,000 gallons will be obtained. The work was commenced just before the close of the year, plans being approved by the Publis Works Committee 28th November, 1894, and adopted by the Legislative Council 6th Decem..
PROPOSED WORKS.
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If the funds will admit of it, I quite endorse the Commandant's recommendation for khakes elotálky and brown belts and Kinga to be sub- stituted for the present white drill clothing and buff belts and slings of the Field Battery. as retards his propónal, for extending seaton over a long period I should longer test of the present system, adopted after much consideration na being adapted to the peculiar local, sir the elasticity of which—as provided ing regulations--sems to have availed of to the full extent.
The post of Acting Commandant which been so long and ably held by Colonel Jerrard to whem to a great extent the succes Corps is due, has been well filled by Major berton, 1st Rifle Brigade, who has entered, much seal into the work, in which he has large experience as Adjutant of Volunteers England; and the Corps is to be congratulated espable upon having the services of such offour.
This my final report on the Hongkong Volnn- teers would not be complete without bringing specially to your Excellency's motion the ver valuable services rendered by my Aido-de-Campo Captain Murray, în having organised and com- maaded from its commencement the Maxim Gun Company, which mainly by his untiring exertions, great tact, and popularity has been brought to its present state of emciency. --I have the honour to be, sir, your Excellency a obedient servant,
That complaints have been received of the smell arising frem some of the storm water drains I am fully aware, but it must be borne in mind that so long as decomposing matter is die charged into sewers or drains, smells are inevit» able and in order to avoid them it is absolutely:] [bor, 1834.
bessary that not only the publie sowers but Iso sach and every house drain must be so ar- Kowloon Cattle Depot; Married Quarters ranged as to permit of their contents being dis-Central Police Station; Signalling Station charged before decomposition sets in, and far- Kowloon; Village Water, Drainags and Sewer- ther care should be taken not to store sewage up age works. The shove works appear in the on private premises till it attains a state of de- estimates for this year, and it is hoped that the composition and becomes so offensive that it san Erst three will be commenced at an early date.
G. DIGY BARzun, Lieutenant-General. no longer be endured in close proximity to human Water and Drainage works are required' in habitations, and then discharge it down a drain, many of the villages, which will include the His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong.
Everybody knows that any fuid that has a formation of streets, roads, and emoient drainage. | 380M TÉE ACTING COMMANDANT, HONGKONG
VOLUNTEER CORPS, TO DEPUTY ASSISTANT strong odour, whether it be cabbage water, otto Some of the villages have during recent years
ADJUTANT-GENERAL (A.), CHINA. ; of roses, or anything else, will carry with it that grown considerably, and contain buildings of a
Head Quarters, Hongkong, China, odour wherever it goes, and if foul smells are substantial character. Several improvements
10th April, 1895. not to be emitted from sewer ventilatora it is of during the last two years have been effected in
Bir. I have the honour to forward the primary impertanos that the sewage discharged the alignment and position of buildings and the into the sewers should be fresh.
time has arrived when it is absolutely nscommary documents, as per mergin, connected with the that more attention should be paid to the forma- | training of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps for tion and drainage of the streets and to the publie the season 1894-95, for the information of His water supply in these localities for the protestion | Excellency the Lieutenant-General Command- ing and favour of transmission to his Excellency of the health of the residents.
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Dificulty is at present experienced in prevent ing foul smells arising from the large storm water drains on socount of their large capacity and the small flow in them during the dry season, and this bar been somewhat aggravated during Approximate plans and estimates have been | the Governor.
The appointment of Mr. Watling, so strongly recent years by the dilatory manner in which the prepared for the erection of new Government reconstruation of defective and inmnitary house offees, and doubtless considering the much recommended by the late Acting Commandant drains and their connection with the now sower-mended provision of improved accommodation | Lieutenant-Colonel F. B. 'Jarrard, 'has proved
system has been proceeded with. The whole the Legislative Council will at an early date be of the house drains should be put in a thoroughly asked to vote the money necessary to meet the mnitary condition and connected with the new | expenditure on those buildings.A
swers without delay. It must be remembered the new system of sewers has been designed to be pinotically self-cleansing with the dry weather flow, but no long as those sewers are deprived of half the dry weather flow owing to the hous Iraina bolny unconnected with them it cannot be |
THE HONGKONG VOLUNTEER
CORPS.
The following reports were laid before the Legislative Council on Thursday :--
Head Quarter Offee, Hongkong.
19th April, 1895. Sir.I have the honour to inform your Er- celleney that I personally made the annual in- spection this year of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps, in regard to which I have to report as
of sarprise to any thoughtful person that the full advantage of the system should not be sinod.. And further dilatory procedure in the mommenting of the house-drains from the storm stardrains only aggravates the nuisance that is existed for years in connection with these
by reducing the dry weather fow in them, | follows :— and the pollating of the sub-soil by sewage: Both branches of the Corps are now in a state of | efficiency. The turn-out of the men and their drill escaping from many of them.
It is hardly conosivable after the various re- was most satisfactory. The officers know their ports and discussions that have been recorded | drill fairly well and are sealons in the perform- that there should exist any such idea that the ance of their duties. The guns, small arms and
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most satisfactory. The arms, clothing, ognip. meat, and stores are now properly looked after and the books are up to date.
The substitution of coolie for pony draft has proved a great anoosss.
The officers have assisted me greatly by their regular attendance at drills, and by the example they have set, and I fool that the increased efficiency of the Corps in largely due to their efforts.
The non-commissioned offesra are nearly all most sealons and have shown a good example to the men by regular attendanos at parades, and by the interest they take in their work.
With regard to the men I notice that the increase in the number of efisients over last year is as under
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Field Battery ............ Maxim Gan Company
new system of sewers had diverted the storm'] equipment are well kept up, the maxim gune | Patties be substituted for the summer ɑlothing
water from the old drains, and yet I find it re corded in the mail insus of the Daily Press, June 27th, 1894, that at a meeting of the Sanitary Board a member stated that the carrying out of the new system diverted storm waters of the colony from the old fashioned storm water drains by which alone these drains were kept in order. It is interesting to note that in the opinion of this member the flow of storm water is necessary to keep these drains in order. This I have al- ways contended is the case so long as they receive sewage, and their inevitable condition during the dry season of the year when there is practically no storm water must be insanitary. That sơn- dition is one of the main reasons why I have always advocated diverting the sowage, but not the storm water, from the old storm water draina. During the past year various questions relat- ing to the introduction of the separate system and the advisability of having open drains throughout the greater part of the city have been again brought forward, in most cases by anonymous writers."
One member of the Sanitary Board, however, stated that in his opinion no drains should be laid under the floor of any house and if it was
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I venture to recommend that khakes and blus worn at present by the Field Battery, the Maxim Gun Company retaining their present looking pårticularly serviceable.
With reference to the annual report of the uniform. Should this proposal meet with 'ap- Commandant which, with its enclosures, I for-proval I would respectfully suggest that brown ward herewith, I have much pleasure in bringing' feather belts be substituted for the pips clared to your Excellency's notice the increase in buff accoutrements now, worn by the Field the number of members during the year from Battery, 95 to 112, and also the increase in the number of efficient by 24, facts which indicate a very satisfactory progress which, I trust, will be continued,
The several changes which I had the honour to recommend last year have been carried out with markedly satisfactory results.
The substitution of coolie draft for ponies has been a complete success.
The appointment of an experienced Quarte, Master Bergeant has added much to the smciency of the Corps.
;; The handing over by the Government to the which its Corps of the complete building headquarters are situste-thas embling the members to feel that the Corpa hai home of its own, with space for all its requirements, social
has largely tended to place the Corps on that permanent footing which was so much required,
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I think that the drill season as at present fixed is not sufficiently elastic. Lieut.-Cola:F. Jerrard on handing over to me mentioned that this was also his opinion. :. It is not easy to obtain good masters at any parades after April lat. I would ask that sanction may be given for the drill season to commençs on October 1st and close on 31st March. I feel certain that- this alteration would enable members to attend the requisite number of drills with less incon- venience to themselves and their employers than is the case at present. In England the drill season is during the summer months, and the minimum duration is four months.
Sinee last inspection the rest of the building usod na head-quarters has been handed over, and will be furnished as a recreation room for mom- bers of the Corps. I am strongly of opinion that the handing over of the building will oven. „tually prove very beneficial to the Corps gon