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March 26, 1896.]
THE RECONSTITUTION OF THE SANITARY BOARD.
The following papers respecting the recon- stitution of the Sanitary Board, which will be laid before the Legislative Council at its next meeting, have been forwarded to us for publica- | tion ---
Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce,
Hongkong, 19th October, 1894 Sir, The Committee of this Chamber, in their capacity as representatives of the com- mercial interests of this colony, deem it their duty as well as their privilege to address to your Excellency some observations on the recent terrible visitation of disease, which had such alarmingly fatal results, and which for some months so extensively disorganized the normal trade of the port.
The Committee gladly recognize the prompti- tude and the energy with which the Govern- ment, when the presence of the epidemic had once been fully demonstrated, set to work to repress the outbreak, and gratefully acknow. ledge the devotion and self-sacrifice of the military, navy, and volunteers who lent their valuable aid in this important work. It is with no little satisfaction the Committee express their belief that these gallant efforts have at length been crowned with complete success in stamping out the plague, which they sincerely hope may not appear again.
In view, however, of the lamentable loss of life, the atter derangement of the business of the port, involving enormous loss aud incon- venience to those engaged therein, and the serious set-back to the prosperity of the colony not yet recovered from the severe financial blows dealt it by the dislocation of exchange, and the long period of depression following the unsound speculative policy of a few years ago, it now becomes important to enquire how far this last and crowning disaster was due to pre- ventible causes, and, if so, to whom should be apportioned the blame and the responsibility.
In embarking on such an enquiry the Com- mittee are actuated by a desire to bring to your Excellency's notice and attention some facts and suggestions thereon that may serve to prevent the perpetuation of a faulty and prefunctory system, repetition of past errors, or possible perseverance in a policy of "drift" and pro- crastination.
The fact that the sanitation of the City of Victoria was far from satisfactory was officially recognized some fifteen years ago. It is only just to say that, long prior to such recognition attention had been earnestly called by the Colo- nial Surgeon, Dr. Ayres, to the ever-increasing saturation of the soil by sewage, owing to bad drainage, and he predicted the calamity which has now taken place, if the evil were not abated. It was not, however, until 1881 that the official recognition of the impending danger took any concrete form, when Mr. Osbert Chadwick was commissioned to make a report on the sanitation of the colony, and in the following year the con- clusions of this expert were given to the Secre- tary of State for the Colonies in some exhaus- tive reports. Lord Kimberley, when forward- ing these reports early in 1883 to the Officer Administering the Government (Hon. W. H. Marsh), remarked in the fourth paragraph of his covering despatch :-
What appears to me to be most argent is "that immediate steps should be taken to "organize and enforce a thorough house to "house and street to street service for the "removal of night-soil, garbage, ashes, "house sweepings, and rubbish of every "sort." Soon after the receipt of Mr. Chadwick's re- ports Mr. Marsh appointed a permanent Sanitary Board "to supervise and control the practical sanitation of the colony." The Board con- sisted of the Surveyor-General, the Registrar- General, and the Colonial Surgeon, with a sanitary inspector and staff. Three months later & Bill entitled "The Order and Cleanliness Amendment Ordinance" was passed by the Legislative Council. Section II. of this Ordinance empowered the Governor to constitute a permanent Sanitary Board, con- sisting of the official members above named, and two other unofficial members to be appointed by the Governor. Section III gave powers to such Sanitary Board to abate overcrowding or filth, while section IV. conferred on the Board autho
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
rity to enter and inspect houses. In 1886 Mr. A. P. MacEwen and Dr. P. Manson were appointed by the Governor the first unofficial members of the Sanitary Board. The meetings of the Board as then constituted were held in private, and little was known of their work and progress, but it is certain they were usefully employed, and made recommendations concerning the Public Health Ordinance, which was read a first time in the Legislative Council on the 6th May, 1887. This highly important and greatly needed enactment, which, after a long disens- sion, was duly passed, sent to the Secretary of State, and approved by Her Majesty, contains all the powers necessary to secure the proper sanitation of the colony. By it the Sanitary Board is authorized to make bye-laws re- specting-
(a) Proper construction, trapping, ventilat- ing, and maintaining of private house drains.
(b) Cleansing, lime washing, and proper sani- tary maintenance of all premises in the colony.
(c) Closing of premises unfit for human habitation and the prohibition of their use as such.
(d) Prevention of overcrowding in premises,
&c.
Nuisance-
(a) Defective drains, want of light and ven- tilation, and accumulation of house refuse, dirt, or any unwholesome matter.
(b) Any act, omission, or thing which is or may be dangerous to life or injurious to health or property.
The Board may authorise any officer to enter and inspect premises on reasonable pre- sumption of the existence of of a nuisance, after lapse of six hours from giving notice
to occupier.
If nuisance is not abated proviso is made for
punishment by Magistrate.
Drains.-The Board may require reconstruc- tion of defective house drains and may inspect premises if they believe drains to be defective.
Overcrowding.-Less than 300 cubic feet of clear internal space for each adult shall be con- sidered a nuisance, and proceedings for its abatement be taken.
In order the better to give effect to the Public Health Ordinance, the Governor (Sir G. William Des Voeux) reconstituted the Sani- element, and giving the ratepayers the privilege tary Board, materially increasing the unofficial of electing two gentlemen as their own imme- diate representatives. Unofficial members appointed and elected on the 11th Jane, 1888.
were as follows:—
Messrs. Wong Shing
James Cantlie
N. J. Ede
Ho Kai
J. J. Francis
Appointed.
J. D. Humphreys Elected.
On the reconstruction of the Board it was provided that its meetings should be held in public, and the proceedings have accordingly been regularly reported in the Press.
From what is above stated it will be apparent that the newly formed Sanitary Board was armed with very ample powers, and that it entered upon its period of office with the full knowledge of the urgent importance of effectively scaveng- ing the city. Although this was the case it would seem that this department of the Board's work was never performed in the thorough manner which was absolutely neces- sary, for the state of Taipingshan at the outbreak of the plague, so far as the accumulation of garbage and filth is concerned, could not have marked an improvement on the condition de- scribed by Mr. Chadwick in 1881.
253.
the by-laws in question. Nor, on the expiration of the stipulated period of suspension, was the Board found less averse to the assumption of the responsibilty of the delaying the enforce- ment of its own regulations against over. crowding, for at its request the date of the operation of these by-laws was again deferred by the Legislative Council--with what result this policy has been attended your Excellency is, unhappily, only too well acquainted. The responsibility for this failure to carry out one of the most essential requirements of the Public Health Ordinance seems to be divided between the Sanitary Board and the Government.
The legislative steps would seem to have been wisely taken, but they were allowed to fall into abeyance by a lack of prompt administrativé and subordinate action.
It has generally been understood, and there is good reason for believing the statement, that the Sanitary Board has been well served by its inspectors, who have not failed to report apon the insanitary condition of the city, and there- fore the Committee do not wish it to be sup- posed that they imply any censure of these inspectors. Indeed, it has been frequently stated and the Committee pray your Ex- cellency to investigate the statement that the Sanitary Board had numerous reports and com- plaints in reference to sanitary matters. In the interests of the public this allegation should, in the opinion of the Chamber, be thoroughly sifted, and information be afforded to the public as to what action was taken by the Board in each case brought to its notice.
With regard to the drainage of the city, there is a wide-spread belief-but the Chamber has no means of verifying it-that the scheme, by Mr. J. M. Price, the late Surveyor-General, as drawn up by Mr. Osbert Chadwick, endorsed
carried out on the original lines, and that the and approved by the Government, has not been
separate system has been more generally applied able that the public should be thoroughly than was intended; upon this point it is desir-
enlightened. In December, 1890, the unofficial members of the Legislative Council, in a memorandum regarding the estimates for Public Works Extraordinary for 1891, sounded a note of warning on this subject to the follow- ing effect :-
"We do not feel satisfied that the enormous expenditure of $282,500, already voted, on the sewerage of Victoria was a desir. - able one to incur, but as the work has been commenced and has therefore to be gone on with, we do not disapprove of th decision of Government to sanction a carry out Mr. Osbert Chadwick's pro- posals and plans, but we are no of "opinion that it would have been better "when such decision was approved of by "the Council that it should have been arrived at in such a manner as would have guarded against any possibility of any changes in and departures from these "plans by a change of officers."
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In the opinion of the Committee, before adopting the separate system of drainage for the Chinese town, the views of experienced resident engineers, familiar with the habits of the Chinese, ought to have been ascertained. It is a very debatable question whether the system can be satisfactorily availed of for the densely packed districts of the native town, and how- ever excellent it may be in a European, it is, at least, open to serious doubt whether it is safely applicable to a Chinese city.
Having regard to the foregoing, the Commit- tee of this Chamber are unhesitatingly of opinion that, whilst it is almost certain the plague was introduced from the neighbouring province, it was only in consequence of the insanitary con- thedition of this city that it was able to germinate and to become an unparalleled disaster, and that, therefore, it was due to preventible causes.
The neglect of all effective sanitary measures through- out a period of years, and in the face of con tinuous and repeated protest, makes it abun- dantly manifest that there has been no effective administrative sanitary system in this colony.
The much needed by-laws for regulating sanitary condition of common lodging houses were not made by the Board until 1891, and when these were approved by the Legislative Council in May of that year, the date of their coming into operation was, at the instance of the Board, deferred to the following year. It is alleged that representations on behalf of the Chinese in opposition to the provisions of the Public Health Ordinance against overcrowding and the possible interference with trade which would be caused by more active interference on their part, mainly influenced both the Board and the Govern- ment in this postponement of the operation of
The Committee's excuse for addressing your Excellency at such length is the vast import. ance of the subject. I have the honour to be, sir, your Excellency's most obedient servant,
J. J. KESWICK, Chairman. To H. E. Sir William Robinson, K.C.M.G.,