May 13, 1899.]
suspected vessels observation is not allowed by the convention and surveillance is only recom. mended. If the colony adheres to the conven. tion the Local Government has power to decide whether it shall adopt this recommendation or -not. ln so far as the difficulties experienced at Hongkong are concerned with the large coolie traffic the Sanitary Board appear not to have, noticed that the couveution dis- tinctly exempts such traffic from the restrictions imposed under and gives absolute discretion to each Government to deal with traffic of this kind in the manner which is deemed beat under the local circumstances. The actual words are, "Special measures may be prescribed for crowded ships, particularly for emigrant ships, and coasting vessels will be sub- ject to special rales to be drawn up conjointly by the countries concerned." I am, therefore, disposed to think that there should be no diff culty in dealing with the greater number of vessels, which would be classed as healthy, sus- pected, or emigrant ships, and I would still urge upon you the desirability of arranging for ob servation or surveillance, preferably the latter, in the case of the remainder, that is, infected ships not engaged in the emigrant traffic."
Dr. Clark minuted:-"The Government of the Colony should, as I urged as far back as August, 1897, become a party to the Vouice Convention without delay. The question of the 'surveillance' or 'observation of persons arriving in healthy ships from infected ports within ten days from their date of departure therefrom is an entirely separate question to be dealt with by the local Government, as was indicated by my making that a separate resoin- tion on that occasion and as is again pointed out to the Board by the Secretary of State. The Board devided in October last that sur- veillance is impracticable in this Colony and that for observation an efficiently equipped quarantine station is necessary,' but in either case the method adopted need only be applied to infected ships, i. e. ships on board which a case of bubonic plague has actually occurred within twelve days previous to the date of ar rival-aud only a maximum period is laid down
in the Convention for this, so that it may cease as desired when the healthy passengers are permitted by the health Officer of the Port to leave the ships."
Dr. Atkinson minuted-"It may be possible for the Sanitary Board to recommend the Go- vernment of this colony to become a party to the Venice Convention, as the despatch of the Secretary of State points out that the Consen. tion exempts emigrant ships from the restric. tions imposed under it, and leaves it to the
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
chiefly Europeans or perhaps one or two better class Chinese
Mr. OSBORNE said one point occurred to him in connection with this matter-what was an emigrant ship? How many coolies would have to be on board to entitle a ship to come under local regulations, because there were a large uumber of coolies, and they could hardly call them emigrant ships.
The motion was carried.
PROHIBITION OF CATTLE SHEDS WITHIN
CERTAIN LIMITS,
Dr. Clarke, Mr. E. Osborne, and Mr. C. V. Ladds, the sub-committee on the prohibition of cattle sheds within certain limits, reported as follows:-
We have the honour to report that we have considered the question of the licensing of cattle sheds within the limits of the city of Victoria, and have interviewed the Chinese cattle owners having sheds in Wanchai. We are of the opinion that the Board should refuse to license or to renew existing licenses for any cattle sheds in the city to the westward of the stream in the Sookumpoo Valley (which has its outlet in the angle of Causeway Bay) after January 1st, 190. This will give the existing licensees in Wanchai some seven months in which to make the necessary arrangements for the removal of their cattle, and as the present sheds are mostly domestic buildings which have been converted to that purpose and are merely rented and not owned by the cattle owners, we do not consider that the enforcement of such a regulation will prove any hardship to these men.'
On the motion of Dr CLARK, seconded by the Hon. R. D. ORMSBY, the report was adopted.
PUBLIC LATRINES,
A letter was read from the Colonial Secretary. replying to a communcation from the Board, stating that a vote of $5,000 for public latrines was to be inserted in the estimates for 1999
APPLICATION FOR EXEMPTION FROM
LIMEWASHING.
Mr. Ho Tuxo applied for exemption from limewashing Nos. 2, 4, 6. 8, 10, and 12. Square Street, and 2. 4. and 6. Taipingshan Street,
"all of which are new houses, having been built and occupied only in October last and are in a cleanly condition." He also made a similar application in connection with other property belonging to him.
-
spector leidie to report upon, and the Inspector The matter had been handed over to I- ad reported that the premises were not clean enough to warrant the exemption asked for. Accordingly, on the motion of Mr. OSBORNE seconded by the Hon. R. D. URMSBY, the ap-
plication was refused.
THE TREATMENT OF RINDERPIST.
A report was submitted from the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon of Ceylon on bile inocula. tion in rinderpest, and also the following report from Mr. Ladds (Colonial Veterinary Surgeon of Hongkong) on the same subject :1
*
Dr. Koch's bile inoënlation for riuderpest has answered fairly well in some cases where it has been applied on draught or store oxen, but in my opinion is unsuited to the treatment of dairy cows In the first case the period of immanity given with bile inoculation alone is said to be very short indeed, sud in the second there is always the danger that when inoculat-
local Government to make special measures dealing with this class of vessel and with coast. ing vessels. As practically all the important steamship lines, e.g.-the Canadian Pacific, the P. and O. Co., the P. M. and the Q. and O. Co., and the Indian boats-carry emigrants, it leaves but very few vessels to be dealt with; i.e. infected ships not engaged in the emigrant traffic, and surveillance' might be practicable with these few ships. Before, I read it that 'crowded ships. particularly emigrant ships,' referred to in the Convention, applied to the ships carrying pilgrims to the Red Sea, and did not include ships carrying coolies in the East." Dr. CLARK said he had no wish to discuss this question again. It was fully threshed outing with bile taken from diseased animals a couple of years ago by the Board, but he thought that in view of the despatch from the Becretary of State for the Colonies he would be justified in moving the resolution he moved in August in favour of the Colony becoming a party to the Venice Convention. He thought the Secretary of State, had now made it very olear to the members of the Board that they could adopt the Venice Convention without any particular difficulties arising.
The PRESIDENT, in seconding, said he would draw the attention of the Board to the fact that two years ago the sole difficulty which prevented them becoming a party to the convention was the large coolie traffic, but as in this despatch it was clearly pointed out it was left to the local Govern ment to make regulations dealing with the coolie traffic, they would have to deal with very few ships, and he thought there would be no difficulty in dealing with those ships which might arive, because the passengers would be
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or those which have died from the disease that rinderpest itself may result from the inoculation."
Nothing was done in the matter.
LIMEWASHING.
802
not done.
The PRESIDENT seconded and the motion was carried.
APPLICATION POR A PLAGUE PROCESSION.
The PRESIDENT said application had been received for permission to hold a procession, and the matter had been referred to the Sanitary Board. It was proposed to hold the procession at West Point on Monday night, Tuesday, and Tuesday night, the procession to stop at mid- night Application was also made for permis sion to fire crackers as the procession passed along.
Mr. OSBORNE This is a plague procession it not?
Dr. CLARK-Yes, it is for mitigating the plague.
The PRESIDENT said the question was whether it was advisable for large crowds to assemble in the part of the town affected with plague. Personally he was against it because the noise would annoy the patients at the hospital.
On the motion of Mr. OSBORNE, seconded by the Hon. B. D. ORMSBY, it was decided to graut the application, on the understanding that the firing of orackers and beating of gongs cease at nine o'clock in the evening, and tual no crackers be fired or gongs beaten with- in a certain distance of the Hospital.
THE PLAGUE AT TAINAN,
A report was submitted concerning the fur- ther progress of bubonic plague at Tainan, Formosa, from April 18th to April 24th (both days inclusive). It showed that there were 178 cases, there being 145 deaths and 39 re- coveries. From Jan. 7th to April 24th there were 1.525 cases, there being 1,117 deaths and 192 recoveries.
This was all the business.
SPECIAL MEETING..
A special meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 10th May for the purpose- of considering an outbreak of rinderpest at the East Point Dairy. From a report of Mr. C. V. Ladds, the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon, it
appeared that 99 cows, 44 bulls, and 22 calves were housed on the premises, in addi- tion to 11 buffaloes and 11 buffalo calves. Of these 8 cows showed symptons of infection. On the motion of Dr. Clark, seconded by Dr. Atkinson, the premises were declared infected. Mr. Osborne nioved that the diseased cattle be Surgeon be authorised to slaughter such other slaughtered and that the Colonial Veterinary
cattle as may show signs of disease and are not likely in his opinion to recover, and he further recommended that the owners of the East Point Dairy take such steps as may be advised them by the Colonial Veterinery Surgeon to prevent the spread of disease. Dr. Clark seconded the resolution and it was carried.
FIRE IN HOLLYWOOD ROAD.
BEVERAL PERSONS MISSING. A WOMAN KILLED,
11th May.
A fire broke out last night in a Chinese honse in Hollywood Road, just beyond Aberdeen Street, going westward. At about eleven o'clock smoke was seen issuing from a room on the ground floor, but before the tire brigade could reach the spot the flames had reached the first storey and cut-off the egress of two or three people, who were slightly burnt before being resoned. The flames made rapid headway and before the reels could be brought into full play the fire took a fair huld of two dwellings and soon extended to two more. Mr. OSBORNE, quoting from a return, said Three or four of the houses were gutted that there were now in the central district only in about half an hour, but when sil the reels about 43 houses which either had not been lime-available were brought into play the conflag- washed or in conection with which notice of their ration was got under, and by 12.30 the baving been linewashed had not been sent in. flames had subsided. The origin as yet is not That was so far good. Now they had to deal | with the Western District, which included some of the dirtiest slums in the colony and where the plague was at the present moment the worst. There were some 2 636 tonements to be cleansed during the months of May and June; of these 825 had been cleansed up to date. He proposed that notiors be inserted in the European and Chinese papers every Monday calling upon the people in the Western District to limewash their tenements, and warning them that pro- ceedings would be taken against them if it is
known.
12th May
The fire which broke out on the ground floor of 118, Hollywood Road, at about eleven o'clock on Wednesday evening has had most serions consequences. Dering the conflagration inmates of the first floor, which was occupied as a dwelling house, and the inmates of the second floor, which was occupied as a boarding house, escaped by a side door leadi Eight persons, however, who
our are missing, and it is fear