442
&
"
Besides
[June 12, 1895.
man would bay land without first enquiring what the Crown rent was. So what he means by recouping by raising Crown rents after selling the land I am at a total loss to understand. He also states that the adoption of this report is a great speculation. Well, sir, if speculation in connection with this project existed at all it ex- isted when this Council passed the Ordinance for the resumption of Taipingshan. It was not then a question of pecuniary profit; it was a question of sanitation, a question of doing some- thing for the good of this colony, from a sanitary point of view. To talk about speculation com- mencing at this period is, I think, quite out of the question. I think, sir, the hon. member touched on a great many matters which were totally irrelevant-outside railways, &c., which I must say I do not think have any thing to do with obtaining a return on the sum of money already expended on the resumption of Taiping- shan.
HIS EXCELLENCY-The amendment not hav- ing been seconded the resolution is carried
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
standing in the condemned district. these buildings it will be remembered the Sani. tary Board condemned 100 odd houses in other parts of the city. These honses were by a mere fluke, a mere accident, not resumed by Government. Yet we see that these the houses are being cleansed, renovated, and occupied, whilst we are hesitating as to what might be done with this large property in our hands. I bere are good and bad localities in every city in the world. There is the East End and the West End of the city of London. It would be wise, sir, to reserve in our midst a cheap, healthy district for the occupation of our poor. We should not compel them to pay high rents or compel them to desert this island on account "for fresh woods and pastures new of high rent. To spend money in improving the land in Taipingshan would be tantamount to spending scent in the desert air. The land is not adapted for much improvement, and it oaght therefore to be left alone. If the Public Works Department have time and labour to spare, they had better devote such labour in opening out sites to the east and the west of If the Government have money to spare, better let the money ont in the construction of a tramway round the island, and open ont cheap sites and thus relieve the crowding that is going on in the centre of our city. This is a matter which concerns almost every resident in the colony, and it affects the public purse. It is a huge venture, a great undertaking, and a big speculation. In order to be sure that we are not making a mistake it would be wise to seek for the advice of experts outside this Council, and I beg to propose this resolution-" That, before a final decision as to the condemned area of Taipingshan be arrived at, a Committee formed of representatives of the comm nity, to consist of Messrs. Granville | Sharp-(laughter)--W. Danby, S. G. Bird, and A. Denison, be appointed, to associate themselves with the Hon, the Director of Public Works, and
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg to conjointly give a report on the best means of dis' posing of property resumed by the Government.'- move the first reading of a Bill entitled "An On the last occasion this question was before the Ordinance for the naturalization of Samuel This gentleman wishes to be- Council you kindly permitted all my official col-Donnenberg." leagues to vote as they thought fit on this sub-come a volunteer, and you will notice that the ject. I hope on this occasion you will give them Bill is confined to Hongkong. the same latitude, so that we may arrive at an honest decision.
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us.
over.
He estimates the cost of laying out the area afresh at $83,000. Now to carry out this plan, sell the sites, and get them all built upon. so that rates and taxes may again be collected from the district, will take, I believe, at least six years. There would therefore have to be reckoned five years' interest on $820,000, the cost of the resumption, which at 3 per cent. per anuum would amount to about $145,000 added to the $83,000 for laying it out, or altogether roughly $1,050,000. Now is it at all likely this amount would be realised by the sale of the ground ? I do not think any member present will pretend to say that such a sum can be obtained, the building area having been re- duced from 257.000 to 188,000 square feet, a
Half reduction of 69,000 square feet. million dollars is much nearer the figure the Government is likely to get. It should not be forgotten that the Praya Re- clamation is going on simultaneously, and land can to-day be purchased on sea frontage for from $1 to $6 a foot. Is it at all probable we can get on an average more than $23 per foot for the land in Taipingshan? Happily "there is an alternative project. As it is now "known that fire is not necessary as a cleansing agent, and that the germs of disease are neither in the houses nor in the soil, the resumed area can readily, and at a comparatively small outlay, be placed in a good sanitary condition. The streets were quite recently drained, channelled, kerbed, and paved. Some of the houses might even now serve as models for improvement to the owners of hundreds of tenements in worse slums in this city, and with a reasonable expendi. ture the district could be converted into cleanly and healthy one. Fortunately we have in the Government Gazette of the 6th March, in the re- port by the Arbitration Board-Messrs. Ackroyd, Alford, and Danby-a careful estimate of the cost at which the honses in the condemned dis- trict can be made fit for human babitation. Details are given of every lot, and the gross amount is only $30,924.79. Say, however, that this estimate would have to be exceeded, and allow $40,000. That is less than half the cost of destroying the property and laying it out afresh, and as a matter of fact Mr. Cooper's estimate would also probably be exceeded and the area for sale would very possibly be re- duced 80,000 square feet. Then have regard to the saving in time. If the houses were placed in a sanitary condition the work might be done in twelve months, and the district be available for babitation before the summer of 196. On the other hand, if it be decided to destroy and lay the district out afresh, shall we not be in The D:RECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS-Though danger of a repetition of the wauton waste of the hon. member's amendment has not been public money which followed the clearing of seconded, I think his speech may be considered the site for the present Queen's College, which as one opposed to the motion before this Council. I should therefore like to make one or two re- lay idle for about ten years and cost the co- louy by loss of interest alone tens of marks in reply. The hon. member has given me thousands of dollars ? The vacant land and the credit of a good deal perhaps, but I think a ruined bungalow still standing in front of the more careful perusal of my report will show that Police compound furnishes an instructive lesson in that report, especially as regards the source of of the procrastination of Government in such infection, I absolutely confine myself to recording matters. It has been lying useless and non- facts and not expressing opinions on what is productive for more than twenty years. I hope entirely a medical question, and not an en- that in this question of the disposition of the gineering one at all. The hou. member has resumed area in Taipingshan business principles again referred to his wonderful and economical will be allowed to prevail. There will, I take scheme, but I should like to point out it, be a loss in any case, but let us do our best important matter that he has entirely over- to limit it to say half a lakh of dollars and reconp looked. In the project I laid before the Public ourselves by raising the Crown rent when we Works Committee the back lanes had been laid resell the land. Hou, members will be interested out in such a way as to render it unnecessary to bear that the total area of public and private to construct back yards. If the scheme referred property resumed consists of 356,000 square to by my hon. friend on my left is carried foot. Out of these the hon. member proposes out a portion of the building sites or of the to set aside 163,000 square feet for streets, leav- 417 houses which he takes credit for will have to ing only 188,000 square feet for building pur-be devoted to back yards. If you compare the poses. In other words, to use up 15 per cent. of total area for domestic occupation as proposed the land for streets. A most injudicious and in his scheme with that proposed by mine you inadvisable mode of dealing with the property. will find that in the hon. member's scheme you By adopting the plan of the Director of Public will have to take from the area of each lot, proba- Works, and allowing $75,000 for errors, bly in the case of three storey houses fifteen feet omissions, and price of loose materials, we shall and in the case of two storey houses ten feet. augment that loss to half a million dollars. Are If the hon. member will figure that out I think we prepared to accept that responsibility? he will find that the area which is proposed to be Have we any right to so squander the public devoted to the streets, thus obviating the neces- money? I say we have not, and I solemnly sity of providing back yards to houses, will not be wash my hands of that responsibility. I should ill of such magnitude as the back yards which in have discharged my duty to the public had Inot, bis scheme it will be necessary to provide. business-like man. to the best of my poor ability, offered my protest He has talked about a against this proposed waste of funds, which are ner of dealing with the question. I must so urgently needed for improvement of other por- say that the remarks of the hon. member did not tions of the city not one whit less in need of it. strike me as being business like. He has talked If we adopt this plan we shall have only 200 about selling the land and then recouping the odd houses in the place of 417 houses now expenditure by raising the Crown rents. No
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HIS EXCELLENCY-Į shall be glad to do so Does any. when the amendment is seconded. body second the amendment ?
There was no seconder, and His EXCELLENCY remarked-I am afraid you have no seconder.
Hon. E. R. KELILI08-I should like to point cut that the hon. member did not follow my speech.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL--The hou. member is quite out of order.
THE ARMS CONSOLIDATION ORDINANCE. The ACTING ATTORNEY-General-I have to move the first reading of a Bill entitled "An Ordinance to supplement Ordinance 8 of 1895. (The Arms Consolidation Ordinance, 1895)." In doing so I might mention that the object of this Bill is to supplement certain sections— sections 6 and 15 of the Arms Ordinance passed the other day. In those two sections there is no penalty. They deal with dealers and their re- gisters, and the absence of a penalty is clearly an omission. This Bill provides for a penalty.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I beg to second. Bill read a first time, carried through allåts stages, and passed.
NATURALIZATION ORDINANCE.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I bog to second. Bill read the first time. oarried through all its stages, and passed.
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ORDINANCES POSTPONED. The COLONIAL SECRETARY--I have the honour to move that Orders No. 4 and 5 be dis. charged from the Orders of the Day. It is not the intention of the Government, at any rate for the present, to proceed with these Bills.
The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL seconded. Carried.
AN AMENDING ORI'INANCE. The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-I beg to move the third reading of "An Ordinance to amend Ordinance 17 of 1887," This is a very short Ordinance. As a matter of fact it puts in only one word in section 7 of Ordinance 17 of 1887. When this Ordinance was brought up before there appeared to be some difficulty in the mind of my hon. friend opposite as to the interpretation of the word Government. The Ordinance is to enable the one object of the
Government to have these depots under their own control, and to eliminate outside depots, because these depots are not likely to be so well constructed or so well looked after as Govern- That is the reason for the inser- ment depots.
tion of the word Government.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-I beg to second. Hon. E. R. BELILIOS-I wish to point ont- The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL This is the third reading of the Bill.
Hon. E. R. BELILIOS-Supposing- The ACTING ATTORNEY-GENERAL-It is rather late for explanations; this is the third reading.
The COLONIAL, SECRETARY-The Bill has
hon. passed Committee, on a resolution formally the Acting Attorney. moved by the General, and seconded by myself. The hon. member hal full opportunity of making any re- marks he wished fo make on the point to which he refers when that resolution was before the Council. I beg to second the third reading of the Bill.
Bill read the third time and passed. THE SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION BILL.
The ACTING COLONIAL TREASURER-In moving the second reading of the Supplemen
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