May 12 1897.1
Health or to any such other officer as the Sanitary Board may appoint for that purpose, who shall inspect the premises reported on, &c." Without this amendment an officer who found a house in a dirty or insanitary condition would be able to order the furniture and so on to be taken out. As amended, he will have to make a report either to the Medical Officer of Health or to another officer specially appointed by the Sani- tary Board. The Medical Officer of Health would not be able to do the whole of the work in the districts and it might be necessary to appoint some other medical man to assist him in his work. It is the person who receives the report and that person alone who has any power to take steps. The Medical Officer of Health said it would be absolutely impossible for him in case of an epidemic of plague to visit every dirty or insanitary place in the colony. There might be urgent need for him in the east or west end of the town and he could not be ex- pected to do anything else whatever; therefore what he could not do himself should be deputed to some other responsible officer.
His EXCELLENOY--He would be a man of ~-equal standing; a man well qualified to do the
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held at the offices on the 6th May. Dr. Atkinson (Acting Colonial Surgeon) presided and there were also present--Hon. F. H. May (Captain Superintendent of Police), Mr. W. Chatham (Acting Director of Public Works), Dr. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. N. J. Ede, and Mr. H. McCallum (Secretary),
MINUTES.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed.
A VOTE OF THANKS TO DR. AYRES. The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE -Before we proceed with the order of the day I desire to move a resolution. At the last meeting of this Board I myself and the other members of the Board were not aware that my predecessor in the Vice-Presidentship of this Board would not attend the meeting to-day. We were not aware that he was leaving the colony so soon, and I feel sure that if we had thought that that meeting was to behis last The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE here we should have expressed to him our --I think it would seriously hamper the Gov-thanks for the work he has done on this Board, ernment to add the word "medical."
The resolution I beg to move is-"That this Board desires to convey its sincere thanks to Dr. P. B..C. Ayres for the valuable assistance he has rendered to the Board as one of its members and for some time as its Vice- President, and to express its deep appreciation of the important services rendered by him in the interests of sanitation in this colony." There are present here to-day gentlemen who have had a longer experience of the colony than I and who can testify to the good work Dr. Ayres did in the early days of the colony and before this Board existed. I can only say that I think all members will concur with me that in recent years and at all times Dr. Ayres has been of the very greatest assistance to this Board and has always given us the benefit his long and wide experience, and I feel sure that the members of this Board will regret very much his departure from this colony.
work.
Hon. C. P. CHATER-I think he should be a medical officer or any member of the Board, otherwise, Sir, it might be that the senior inspector would be appointed and therefore the clause, as it stands now, would be of no benefit whatever. The object is that a responsible man should be the only one who could order the pulling down of cocklofts and the burning of furniture, &o.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY-Your Excel- lency has already explained that he would be a man of equal standing. You wish to get over the subordinate officer, and the man appointed would have similar qualifications to those possessed by the Medical Officer of Health;
The CAPTAIN SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE I submit that the Sanitary Board-certainly as far as I know-commands the respect of the community. I do not know whether it does or not, but I should be sorry if it does not, and I should imagine that the officer specially ap pointed by the Board would command the respect of the community. In 1894 it was not possible to find sufficient members of the Board to undertake the work of supervision during the time of the plague, and we were obliged to call for volunteers. We did not get a great many civilian volunteers; I did not see any unofficial members of the Council volunteering, but we did get men from the army, and I imagine that in a similar difficulty we should probably get assistance from the same direction, His Excellency. Major-General BLACK suggested that the additional officer should be named by the Board and approved by the Governor.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL then altered his amendment and embodied the suggestion made by His Excellency Major-General Black.
The amendment was seconded by the COLONIAL TREASURER and the by-law was approved.
The remainder of the by-laws were approved without amendment.
of
Mr. EDE-I entirely concur with what has been said by the Captain Superintendent of Police with regard to Dr. Ayres. Some of the good work he has done in the interests of sanitation in this colony has come under my own personal knowledge, not only while he was a member of this Board, but before the Board was established. On one occasion he made a seaching inspection and investigation in some of the slums of this city, the consequence being that he had a very serious illness from which he very nearly lost his life. I most heartily second the resolution which has been proposed by the Captain Superintendent of Police and I only regret that the genial doctor is not here himself to hear what has been said.
The PRESIDENT-In supporting the motion proposed by the Captain Superintendent of Police and seconded by Mr. Ede I would refer to the loss the Board has sustained since its
last meeting in the departure from the colony of Hon. F. A. Cooper and Dr. Ayres. At the last meeting Mr. Ede referred to the con- spicuous ability and the extremely able manner with which Mr. Cooper always conducted the business of the Board. This afternoon the Captain Superintendent of Police has referred to Dr. Ayres's connection with this Board. I am sure that you will all agree with me when I state that Dr. Ayres has never spared him- self in the performance of his public duties; indeed it was whilst investigating an outbreak of typhoid fever shortly after his arrival here that he himself contracted the disease, the attack nearly proving fatal. It is more in con- nection with the Medical Department that I have been associated with Dr. Ayres, and whereas Mr. Cooper has left behind him many lasting monuments, such as the Central Market, The Council then adjourned until next Mon- &c., Dr. Ayres will be chiefly remembered by day.
The COLONIAL SECRETARY then moved that the by-laws as amended be referred to the Sanitary Board for its consideration, with the request that the Board would send in its report before the 17th inst..
The COLONIAL TREASURER seconded, Carried.
-ADJOURNMENT.
his skilful medical attendance on the Govern- ment officials and their families and his many acts of kindly charity, known in most cases to Messrs. John D. Humphreys & Son, General the recipients alone. Regretting as I do the Managers of Olivers Freehold Mines, Limited, departure of these officials from the colony I inform us that they have received the following would that their mantle had fallen on more telegram from the Mines:-"The Eureka Mineable shoulders. In undertaking the duties of 150 tons 138 ounces Mill starts again on the 10th of May the developments of the Mine fully justify the expectations which have been
formed.
this post I can only say that I shall make it my utmost endeavour, with your hearty as sistance and support, that this Board shall con tinue in the future, as it has done in the past,
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to safeguard the public health of the colony and to fulfil the many duties required of it.
The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.
SURVEYOR'S REPORT FOR 1896. The annual report of Mr. J. R. Crook, Sanitary Surveyor, was laid on the table. During last year plans had been deposited for the redrainage of 1,786 houses, and 1,449 houses were carried forward from 1895. The redrain- age of 2,128 houses had been completed during the year, leaving 1,023 carried forward to 1897. New notices for repairs or additions to the drainage arrangements of 328 houses had been received and 43 were carried forward from last year; of these 290 had been completed, 9 cancelled, and 72 carried forward. The report also showed the work done in connection with the inspection of private drains and water closets. Certificates had been granted during the year to 425 houses as having been built in accordance with the provisions of the Public Health Ordinance. Terraces had been set out and formed at the south end of the Mount Caroline cemetary to accommodate 216 graves. which, it was estimated, would suffice for ten months reckoned from January last.
It was agreed to send the report to the Colonial Secretary for the information of the Governor.
PLAGUE IN BOMBAY,
From the 18th March to the 7th April the number of cases of plague in the city and suburbs of Bombay was 1,471, and the number of deaths 1,327. This return showed an average of 70 cases per day and a death rate of 90 per
cent.
MORTALITY STATISTICS,
For the week ended 24th April the death rate was 18.3, as compared with 31.4 for the corresponding period of last year. For the week ended 1st May the death rate was 14.1, as compared with 27.5 for the corresponding week of last year.
ADJOURMMENT,
The Board adjourned until next Thursday week.
1
THE HONGKONG GENERAL CHAM-
BER OF COMMERCE.
At the monthly meeting of the General Committee of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, held at 3 p.m. on the 7th inst.,-
Present Messrs. R. M. Gray (Chairman), H. Smith (Vice-Chairman), N. J. Ede, T. Jack- son, St. C. Michaelsen, N. A. Siebs, T. H. Whitehead, and R. C. Wilcox (Secretary),
The minutes of the last monthly and special meetings were read and confirmed.
APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEE. The Chairman proposed that the Arbitration Committee should consist of the same members as last year, viz., Messrs. J. J. Bell-Irving, G. B. Dodwell, St. C. Michaelsen, N. A. Siebs, and T. H. Whitehead. He also proposed that the Correspondence Committee should remain unchanged, with the substitution of his own name for that of the late Chairman, viz., Messrs. R. M. Gray, N. J. Ede, T. Jackson, and H. Smith.
Seconded by Mr. Ede and carried.
RULES FOR REGULATION OF TRANSIT PASSES.
Read letter from Colonial Secretary trans- mitting copy of letter from H.B.M's. Consul at Canton enclosing copy of provisional rules governing the issue of outward transit passes at that port.
Acknowledgment had been sent to Colonial Secretary and copies of the rules supplied to local Press.
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PROPOSED REGISTRATION OF CHINESE TRADE MARKS AT SINGAPORE Read letter from Singapore Chamber stating that it had been asked by Straits Government to consider the advisability of passing an Ordinance for the Registration of Chinese Trade Marks, and asking for information as to the working of such Ordinance in Hongkong.
Draft reply considered and adopted.
THE LIGHT DUES QUESTION. Read letter from Leith Chamber of Com- merce, in reply to Chamber's circular letter and enclosures of the 28th Jan., expressing readiness to join in any representations to be made on the
+1.