874
SIR CLAUDE MACDONALD ON AFFAIRS IN CHINÄ.
(Daily Press, 31st October.)
The speech made by Sir CLAUDE MAO- DONALD at the dinner given in his honour at the Hotel Metropole, London, on the 28th September, is interesting from many points of view. His Excellency stoutly maintained that Great Britain had more
than held her own in China, and it cer- tainly was not to be expected that the British Minister would cry stinking fish. Bir CLAUDE carefully avoided all reference to Russia, France, or any individual Powers, as was to be expected from Her Majesty's Representative, and he was characteristi- cally modest in claiming but a small share
of credit to himself for the "concessions
obtained from China. Indeed, he not only passed over the matter of the extension of the boundaries of this Colony altogether, but he declined to regard the opening of the West River and of certain new treaty ports as concessions; he considered them only as re- sults, "results which, if carried out in a right "and proper spirit, and with liberality, will "be of immense benefit to China herself "and to civilization generally." We think this is the right way to look at these changes, which go towards the opening up of the Chinese Empire to trade progress, to the increase of the Imperial revenue, and the great enrichment of the
and
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
[November 4, 1899.
told that the inland waterways had been driven to and have good excuse to make opened to foreign trade was that steamers private accommodation, "which generally could call at all treaty ports and touch at "consists of a leaky wooden bucket placed any other places, where there was a Customs" in the yard, on the roof, and even in the such conditions there would undoubtedly "thereof is unsound the subsoil is polluted Station, to land passengers or cargo. Under "kitchen of their houses, and if the surface be a considerable development of trade, but" and the inmates suffer later on in some with the restrictions now imposed, and “ which were recently applied, the prospects says that owing to the filthy habits and manner or other.” Proceeding, Mr. Drury of developing trade are very slender. We poverty of the people a great number of the Excellency the British Minister that the most convenient gully under cover of night, cannot quite agree, therefore, with His population empty their nightsoil down the Regulations should be allowed further which 18 one of the greatest causes of the time for a fair trial. They have had fouling of the storm-water drains, the a fair trial and have been found so effluent of which is shown by an analysis, strained and interpreted against foreign given as an appendix, to be still sewage trade as to render them prohibitive. It pure and simple, in one case fouler than the will be open to Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD effluent of the sewer proper. We would of these Regulations in the sense of ridding the advocates of the bucket system; it to apply to the Taungli Yamen for a revision commend this passage to the attention of them of any ambiguous clauses which can appears to show that that system, which so be construed into a barrier against the many regard as the best guarantee for the exercise of the important privilege obtained health of the colony, is attended with all by him, and from which we had reasonably the evils and dangers of the water hoped so much. His Excellency will, we carriage system without any of the safe- trust, on his return to Peking, be able to guards associated with the latter. This crown his work in this respect by obtaining and other passages in the report also invite a fresh understanding by which the inland reflections on the much vexed question of waterways will be made free to foreign trade the separate versus the combined system of and navigation unhampered by discriminat-drainage. We note that Mr. DEURY says ing regulations devised to nullify the value "We have a splendid sewerage system," but it is clear from his report that very stringent precautions are necessary to prevent the
of the "result.”
Chinese producer and trader. We are glad SANITARY CONVENIENCES AND misuse of the storm-water drains. Practical
it
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OX.
18
"
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INSANITARY ARKANGEMEN18.
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recommendations are made in the report to note that Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD
for dealing with the evils it exposes. acknowledges the justice of the criticism
Briefly these recommendations are that in- passed on the Chinese Government's methods
(Daily Press, 30th October.)
creased and conveniently situated free of carying into effect the "concessions The Hon. R. D. ORMSBY, in seconding latrine accommodation should be provided, tracted from them. His experience, he says, the motion for the second reading of the that privately owned latrines should be somewhat justifies this criticism. The Chi- Insanitary Properties Bill at the last meet-done away with that the sanitary arrange- nese Government have an uncomfortable ing of the Legislative Council, quoted the ments of private houses should registered way of whittling down a measure until opinion of an eminent authority on sanita- and supervised, and that European drain becomes worthless. This is really tion, supported by statistics, to the effect inspectors should be appointed, who should the main grievance we have at the pre- that overcrowding is the greatest of all have no other duties whatever than that sent moment, with regard to the open- sanitary evils, and said:"I have little of looking after the drains. Mr. DRURY ing of the inland waterways, from which "doubt in my own mind that the ultimate anticipates that the sale of the fecal so much was expected when the step was predisposing cause of plague will be found matter from the latrines would cover first decided upon. Yet while admitting to be overcrowding, and that the unenvi- the cost of his scheme. It would pro- the justice of this criticism, we find Sir
"able notoriety of our city is due to the bably lead to more satisfactory CLAUDE MACDONALD quoting Sir ROBERT "fact that we have the densest population sults, however, if the mercantile element HART's famous memorandum in which he
of any city in the world, amounting in one
were eliminated altogether from the con- gives an interpretation of the Regulations "distriet to nearly 1,000 persons per acre." sideration of the question, for it is of vastly for Inland Navigation which has rendered When to this fearful overcrowding is added
more importance to the community that the the privilege almost valueless to the foreign a deficiency of ordinary sanitary con- colony should be placed in a state of tho shipowner and trader. The British Minister veniences, and conditions are maintained rough sanitation than that a little benefit is inclined to echo the Inspector-General's that incite the overcrowded population to should accrue to the revenue. From a sani- opinion that the provincial official's fears the daily commission of sins against sanitary point of view the provision of trough for his revenue and the foreigner's alarm tation, the usual evils of overcrowding closets in all public latrines would be the lest the restrictions imposed should thwart must be multiplied many times over. A best method of dealing with that side of the the development of trade both argue from useful and interesting report on the latrine
case. The water supply question might be fears and not from facts. At any rate, says and urinal accommodation of the city and met by pumping up sen water for the Bir CLAUDE, it would only be right to give its connection with the fouling of storm these regulations a fair trial. This is, we water drains has just been presented to the regretfully note, merely an echo of what Sanitary Board by Mr. R. F. DRURY, the (Daily Press, 1st November.) Mr. BAX-IRONSIDE said in his letter to the Sanitary Surveyor, and is to be considered In his report on the latrine question Mr. Steamboat Companies of the 24th August, at the next regular meeting of the Board. DRURY, after recommending the provision which concluded by remarking that suffi- The state of affairs it discloses is almost in- of increased public accommodation, points cient time had not elapsed, nor had suffi conceivably disgusting and reflects the out that the female Chinese population cient data been forthcoming, to enable him greatest possible discredit on the Govern- must continue to use the bucket system, but to take action to obtain a modification of ment, and especially on the Colonial Office he suggests that “Legislation should make the regulations at the present time. As a Authorities, who have hitherto obstructed "it compulsory for all Asiatics having a matter of fact, no further experience of the proposals that have been made to increase pail or commode in their houses to obtain working of these regulations is required to the latrine accommodation. From Mr.“a licence or register the same, with a view convince any reasonable person of their DRURY's report we learn that there are "to give the Government an opportunity obstructive and unreasonable nature. twelve Government and seventeen privately "of inspecting" the place in which it is Mr. Mansfield, the British Consul at owned latrines, the whole twenty-nine hav- proposed to place the bucket."
This Canton, has shown in the clearest man ing 687 seats to be used by the Chinese revives a controversy of ten years ago. The nor possible that, in the light of the in-male population of 116,650, giving an Building Ordinance as originally drafted terpretation placed by the Inspector-Gen-average of 169 persons per sent, which, as provided that "
Every hall cause who shall eral on them, the Steam Navigation Inland Mr, DRURY says, is a most insanitary state erect a new domestic building Regulations are absolutely valueless. In of affairs to obtain in a tropical climate. "the same to be provided with a suitable affect the inland waterways are now not Owing to the inadequate provision of seats,
privy of brick
so constructed as open to steam navigation ; only certain ports the distance apart of latrines, and the and calling stations are open, and even fact that private latrine owners make a the can only be touched at under coudi- charge of one cash per head for the use of What was expected when we were the latrine, a great many of the Chinese are
purpose.
44
to open into the outer air and not into “the building. This provision met with strong opposition and was ultimately with- drawn. In the debate in the Legislative