July 2, 1898.1
should undertake the daily collection of night- soil from private premises, on the lines laid down in the specification submitted to the Go. vernment by the Sanitary Board in 1896. Apart from the desirability on general sanitary grounds that night-soil should, especially in a tropical climate, be removed from dwelling. houses as early as possible, we would point out that such removal is rendered still more im- portant where plague prevails. It is now recognised that the excreta of plague infected persons are highly infectious, and we cannot but view with the gravest concern the continuance of the present system under which, for purposes of economy, night-soil is not removed daily from the dwellings of the poorer classes of Chi. We feel that, with proper explanation, the opposition of the Chinese to the scheme can be overcome. It is confined altogether to the richer classes, who are under a complete misapprehension as to the powers and authority of the Government night-men if they think that there will be any invasion of their domestic privacy."
mese.
BACK TO BACK HOUSES.. The Board then refers to the recommendation made by Dr. Clark at page 13 of the report that section 66 of the Public Health Ordinance, No. 24 of 1887, should be amended so as to apply with some modifications to all new buildings erected in future. Dr. Clark pointed out that under the existing law there is no power to prevent the erection of back-to-back houses ex- cept upon land purchased from the Crown after the passing of Ordinauce 24 of 1887, which practically means that the whole of the City outside of Taipingshan can be re-erected with back-to-back houses." After summarising the evidence on this point the Board says:-
The balance of the evidence is therefore in favour of Dr. Clark's recommendation, but in spite of that fact the recommendation is not even alluded to in the body of the report. Fortunately, two of the Commissioners— Messrs. Whitehead and Ede--the latter of whom was a member of the Sanitary Board for 13 years, recognised the importance of Dr. Clark's suggestion and supported it in an ad- dendum to the report which we have already quoted in paragraph No. 8 but which we may for facility of reference again quote here:-- "Upon mature consideration we strongly recom- mend that the further erection of dwelling. houses of a greater depth than 30 feet, which cannot be ventilated and lighted on each floor from the back as well as from the front, should be absolutely prohibited, and such ventilation should be provided by means of an open space, or yard, of an area not less than one-eighth of the area occupied by the building. We regret that Messrs. Whitehead and Ede should have eliminated houses of a depth of 30 feet and under from their recommendation. We have shown in paragraph No. 6 that dwelling-houses for the lower classes of Chinese of whatever depth should have light and ventilation at the back, and we caunot therefore agree to the elimination proposed.
<
In our opinion it will be disastrous to the future sanitary condition of Victoria if steps are not immediately taken to prevent the further erection of insanitary dwellings in the City.
The effect of the want of control in that direction is well exemplified by the blocks of buildings at present being erected on the site of the old Victoria Hotel, and on the east side
of Cochrane Street between Wellington Street and Stanley Street.
The houses in these two blocks are all back to-back, and will be in no respect better lighted or ventilated than the houses referred to in the
Colonial Surgeon's Report of 15th April 1874, and which he strongly condemned when he wrote
"in fature no houses should be built without sufficient yard space at the back, and in no case should they be built back-to-back.'
"In their report of the 29th of June, 1894, the Permanent Committee of the Sanitary- Board advised that in any Ordinance to be passed the erection of blocks of houses back-to- back shall be absolutely prohibited, and that every house to be hereafter built shall be re- quired to have at the back or one end of it an open public scavenging lane,'
In the same report we find it stated that 'light and air are the best preservatives against plague,' au opinion which we most fully endorse, and we say that
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
until means are adopted to thoroughly and effectually light and ventilate the dwellings of the teeming population of this city, so long may we look to the recurrence of the scourge which has already cost the community so much, and which will, as long as its visitations con- tinue, always seriously injure the prosperity of the colony."
HEIGHT OF BUILDINGS. On this subject the Board says:—
In conclusion, we would express the strong opinion that the height of buildings in relation to the width of the streets upon which they frout, as provided for in section 12 of Or- dinance 15 of 1894, is in excess of what can be regarded as sanitary, and we strongly recom- mend that this section be repealed and that in lieu thereof it be enacted that no domestic building to be erected in future shall exceed in height one and a half times the width of the street upon which such building fronts, and that the width of any street shall be measured from the building lines, as defined by the Director of Public Works, on either side of such street, and at right angles to such line or lines.
"
"The surface-crowding in Victoria is already excessive, especially in the central portion of the city, and we notice with apprehension the tendency to increase the height of buildings on re-erection.
"Unless the height of buildings at present authorised and which we consider excessive is curtailed, the sanitary condition of the city even with the enforcement of the open spaces we have recommended, will be little improved, for the increased height of buildings will dis- count the wider spaces at their rear."
ASSAULT ON AN INDIAN CONSTABLE.
A GERMAN ROMEO.
At the Magistracy on Wednesday, before Com- mauder Hastings, a German bookkeeper was charged (1) with unlawfully setting his dog on
an Indian constable while in the execution of stable while in the execution of his duty. his duty; and (2) with assaulting the same con-
Complainant said that at half-past one that morning he was on his beat when he saw defen-
dant. He called to him, as it was so late, saying defendant abused him, and refused to come to What have you got to do here?" whereupon
the Police Station when requested. He called a Chinese constable to his assistance. Defend ant set his dog on him and it bit him on the
left leg. Witness added that his suspicions were aroused because her saw defendant climb- ing up to the verandah of a house.
A Chinese constable said defendant had
climbed up to a window on the verandah. He refused to accompany them to the Police Station, and they had to drag him. Defendant had a dog with him, and he set it on the Indian constable,
whom it bit
Sergeant Fenton said that when in the Police Station defendant was very abusive. He put him in the side room, but he became so
disorderly that he had to remove him to a cell
outside.
Defendant, when asked if he had anything to say made a long statement He said- About midnight I went to the house named. came out The young lady I wanted to see to the window. I climbed up to the win-
dow. About a quarter of an hour later I was still there when an English policeman passed the house. I did not come down from the window. He stopped, just looked up at me, and passed on. He did not say a word, About ten minutes later but went quietly on. an Indian policeman caine. He stood still and looked at me. I wared to him, and spoke to the lady again, who had disappeared. Two minutes later a Chinese policeman came. He I saw the stopped, looked at me, and went on. Indian Constable advance quietly to the Chinese constable. I saw the Indian pointing to me. When he was about 20 steps from the house I waved to him, and he came quickly up to me, followed by the Chinese constable. When I saw this I took up my hat, put it on, and climbed down. When I got to the earth the Indian policeman sprang up to me with the words You-fool." I admit I got very excited. They both cot hold of me, and I shook them
off. The Indian caught me by the shoulder and the Chinese blew his whistle. I was furious. said to the Indian constable in English, “I will go with you." He seemed not to understand. He was very excited, and kept gnashing his teeth. I was dragged by them to the Police Station. On the way I asked the Chi- nese constable what was the matter with the Indian constable. He said something in Chi- nese, adding "A new man, he no sabey." The Indian shook me. Station I said to the sergeant. "Sir, I request When I got to the Police you to arrest this Indian policeman, as he has very seriously insulted me." I was told I was a prisoner. I do not think the sergeant listened to my words properly. He kept saying if I- would keep quiet and behave like a gentleman he would treat me like one.
Commander Hastings told defendant he was in a very equivocol position, seeing that at about half-past one in the morning he was climbing up to a window, and the constable was right to call him down. Neither could speak the other's language, and under the circumstances the Indian con- stable was only doing his duty in arresting him. Defendant would be fined $15 or a month for the fist offence and $20 or a month for the second.
THE CHARGE AGAINST A NUISANCE INSPECTOR.
WITHDRAWN,
At the Magistracy on Saturday the charge against Daniel McAllister, inspector of nuis- ances in the employ of the Sanitary Board, was withdrawn. Our readers will remember that he had been arrested on a charge of having unlawfully accepted, in his capacity of public servant, a bribe of $20 with a view to inoline him to do an act contrary to his duty as such public officer, namely, to refrain from reporting and causing the alteration of an illegal structure on the third floor of No. 6, Queen's Street, at Victoria, in this colony, contrary to the rules of honesty and integrity, on 17th inst.
THE OPENING OF CHINA'S WATER- WAYS.
The Echo Macaense says:-"The regulations governing the navigation by steamers of all the rivers of China have already been formulated and published. From any ports open to foreign trade steam-launches may go to ports in the interior on any river of China. Nothing is said with respect to Macao and Hongkong. Will steam-launches be allowed to leave Macao for any port on the West River? Will the Lappa Customs be authorised to issue licences to such launches ? Or will it be necessary that the launches shall clear from Canton, the open port of the province of Kwangtung? Will licences have to be obtained from the Cantou Customs ? If the first of these hypotheses is correct we will do well; if the second, we are lost altogether. The doubt ought to have been cleared up long ago."
With reference to the above, so far as we
have been able to ascertain the regulations have been drafted but are not yet finally settled. As they stand, however, the inland waterways are only open to vessels that have cleared at the Customs at an open port. Consequently launches will not be able. to go direct from Hongkong or Macao to any river port other than an open port, but will have to proceed first to an open port to clear, This disability will probably affect Macao more than Hongkong, but it is an unfortunate cir. cumstance for both places. It might perhaps be possible to secure an amendment of the regulations in this respect, so that lanuches : might he able to clear at the Kowloon or Lappa Customs.
fused to give any account of his antecedents, Edward Allan Wallace Mackay, who has re-
was indicted in the Kobe Consular Court, before Mr. J. Carey Hall, on two counts for fraud. The first was for obtaining by false pretences from Inouye Mankichi of the Yaami Hotel, Kyoto, the sum of 50 yen, and the second with obtaining from Inouye Kichibei, cash and goods to the value of 100 yen by the same means. He was sentenced to six months' hard labour on
each count, making twelve months in all,