}
[September 29, 1900
more than they would ever want, and yet but a few years afterwards they had spent millions of money in bringing water from Tytam. In the same way he could remember there being supplied from Pokfulam with what was ab. solutely liquid mud. If such water had been supplied by a company at home the company would have been prosecuted,, but as far as he could judge Kowloon was getting into very much the same condition. The water supply at Kowloon had long been utterly inadequate, and he certainly thought that they as a Board would fail greatly in their duty if they did not by every means in their power try to get the Government to do what was necessary in the matter. It was all very well for the Government to say they knew the requirements of Kowloon as well as they did. They might do that, but what the Government wanted to see was something being done. He thought the parsimony of the Government in regard to an engineer for such an important work as the waterworks was very much to be condemned.
Major BROWN, in supporting, said Mr. Os borne gave them a splendid phrase just now when he referred to the markets, as a movement of stagnation and decay. The President had announced that the Government were sparing neither time, money, nor energy in putting the Kowloon Water Supply on a proper footing. He might mention, however, that there was a widely spread rumour that the tender put forward by the Dock Company for repairing the pumping machinery wa: 82,000. and that the Chinaman's tender was under $1,000. He heard that $975 was the figure. The last mechanic's cash pay тая about $70 and the present man's cash was $100. * A properly qualified engineer's pay Was $300 a month. The cost of a new pump was 83,000 and of a new boiler $4,500. Referring to the meters, he complained of their registering sir as well as water and this having to be paid for.
The PRESIDENT observed that if Major Brown had come to him for information instead of getting it from mechanics and subordinate officers in the departmext it would have been better.
Major BROWN-I got it from outside. The PRESIDENT said that the information abont tunders was confidential and must have come from one of the subordinate officials. Though the Kowloon water supply was unsatis- factory no doubt, the state of affairs was very much exagerated. Only that day a resident of Huntsford Terrace told him that he had never experienced any scarcity of water, and some other residents in the Terrace had been called upon to pay the small sum imposed in such cases for having used water in excess of the amount allowed by Ordinance. In his opinion the enormous and unprecedented in crease of the population of Kowloon was really what had caused the trouble of the last few months. He was confident that the census when taken next year would give some astonish- ing results as to the population on the other side of the water. It was not possible to carry out a system of water supply for Kowloon at a moment's notice. It was not a case of merely turning on more water. The works at present in Kowloon caused very little complaint until the enormous increase in population took place some two years ago. The military force at Kowloon had been doubled or trebled lately, and the supply which was sufficient three years ago was insufficient now. It was not necessary for him to say more just then. In another capacity no doubt he would be called upon to report on the matter.
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MACAO MORTALITY RETURNS.
243
The number of deaths in Macao for the week ended September 9th was 42, and for the follow- ing week 49.
BAD CONDENSED MILK.
The following report from Dr. Clark was submitted:-
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
The Wharf Company went to the great expense of laying down pipes for supplying fresh water to ships. In the first year they were only able to supply about half of what they were asked for, and the quantity had dwindled down year by year and month by month, until they had not supplied an ounce of water during the last six months. He would not presume to say how the water was to be conveyed to people's seized 20 cases of condensed milk at a grocer's "I have the honour to report that I have houses. That was a matter for the Public Works Department. He merely gave facts., shop at No. 300, Queen's Road Central, in ac- There was ample water at Kowloon through- Ordinance. The milk is unfit for human food, out the writer. During the driest season and I beg to request the necessary authority of there was abundant. There was splendid water running to waste on the hills at the back, the Board to destroy the same."
Icordance with Section 25 of the Public Health
THE USE OF NULLAFS AT KENNEDYTOWN BY W. SHERMEN.
Correspondence was submitted relative to the burial of animals at Kennedytown and the use of nullahs at Kennedytown by washermen. The Colonial Veterinary Surgeon wrote:-
at a level which was high enough to require, THE BURIAL OF ANIMALS AT KENNEDYTOWN. only gravitation for the water to flow into Kowloon. Of course the Hongkong Govern- ment when it did work did it so very thoroughly that it took a tremendous time to do it, but he did not see that was any reason why tem. porary arrangements should not be made for. utilising some of this water in the Peninsula if there was not sufficient from the wells, but he questioned whether it was not sufficient, and whether it was not only a question of pumping. Major BROWN said he had not asked any subordinate official in the Public Works De- partment for the information he had given. He had asked several engineers. As he had lived over in Kowloon for five years he had naturally talked to a great many of them.
A REASONABLE PROPOSAL.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUEN proposed the following motion of which he had given notice That notwithstanding anything contained in sections 7 and 8 of Ordinance 34 of 1899, the Board shall allow the erection of iron bars (not less than six inches apart) across the top of open spaces in the rear of domestic buildings, as a protection against thieves, provided that, in each case the sanction of the Medical Officer of Health be obtained for the erection of these bars." He pointed out that many Chinese had become so frightened because of the unpro- tected state of the back-yards that they had left the colony,
Mr. Chan A Fook, in seconding, advocated the placing of iron bars in the cases in question in order to keep the children from accidents.
The Board considered the proposal a reason. able one and the motion was carried.
THE PUBLIC CONVENIENCE QUESTION.
The following letter, dated 10th September. from the Acting Director of Public Works to the Acting Colonial Secretary was submitted
"Referring to the instructions contained in His Excellency's minute of 17th July. 1900. I, have the honour to report that a public urinal has been erected in the centre of Connaught Road immediately west of the Canton and Ma- cao Steamboat Company's Wharf, and a water supply connected thereto. I would suggest that this report be sent to the Sanitary Board in order that the structure may be properly looked after and kept clean."
The following minutes were appended :- Dr. Clark: The worst possible design-it is a pity the P.W.D. cannot get something more suitable to this colony."
Mr. McKie I propose to visit this con- venience before next meeting."
Dr. Hartigan
Is this convenience of the same type as that near the City Hall? If so, it cannot be kept clean. The Board should be consulted before such works are erected."
It was decided to postpone the consideration of this matter for a fortnight in order that the President and others might inspect the structure in question.
FORTNIGHTLY LIMEWASHING RETURN.
Chief Inspector Dandy in his fortnightly re-limewashing return shows that since his pro. vious report 26 houses have been limewashed in the Eastern District, and 44 in the Central District. There have been 54 prosecutions and the total fines amount to 8500.
Mr. OSBORNE said he should like to correct the impression which the President's marks might create. He did not believe that at that Board or any other Board any thing was gained by exaggerating a thing. He always took very great care to be certain of what he said before he said it, and in connection with the Kowloon water service he had waited a very long time before taking any steps, because he knew the difficulty the Public Works department had had to encounter in consequence of this large increase of population. He had no hesitation in saying that from the very first time the Kowloon Water supply was inaugu- rated it was never more than a partial success, and it had gone from bad to worse. It had never kept pace with the growth of the population.
OUR MILK SUPPLY,
The result of the analysis of a sample of milk purchased at No. 7. Polo Ground Street, was submitted, the Acting Government Analyst (Mr. T. J. Wild) certifying to its being a genuine sample.
THE HEALTH OF THE COLONY,
The death-rate for the colony for the week ended September 15th was 20.0 against 20,0,10 the preceding week, and 23.3 for the corres ing week last year.
1.There is very little available ground left at Kennedytown for the burial of animals, so that it is necessary that some early arrangement be made for the disposal of those which die in the Government Animal Depots. number of dead animals during the past six months has been 158.
The total
2.--Burial at sea is out of the question, as in the first place, there are times when it can- not be done, and secondly, it would cost far too much.
3. I am therefore in favour of a crem- atorium, which should be erected solely for this purpose, and which should be placed at such a distance from slaughter-house and the road leading to it as to render any smoke, smell, or fumes from it innoxious to meat which might be hanging in the cooling rooms at the slaughter- house, or is being conveyed therefrom down the same road to the markets. Another point in favour of cremation is that it would then be im possible for thieves to dig up during the night the carcases of animals which have been buried, and to sell them for food in the streets and licensed shops outside the markets, which is no doubt largely done at present in spite of all precautions. A suitable site for a crematorium would be one some little way back from the road behind the stone-breaking mill at Kennedy. town. Any fears as to the financial position of the slaughter-house and Animal Dopets may be easily set aside when it is known that the nett revenue collected from these buildings from 1895 to the end of 1899 amounted to $233,647 after paying all expenses, whilst the total cost of preparing the site and erecting them, including Inspector's quarters and landing wharf, only reached the sum of $116,316; or in other words they have paid for themselves Hence twice over during the past five years. it may be readily seen that no money difficulties need stand in the way of the proposal.
Dr. Clark wrote :—" It is improbable that a refuse destructor will be built next year, and I think, therefore, that the Colonial Veterinary Surgeon's suggestion for a crematorium for dead
cattle which have died of disease should be con- sidered by the Board. There can be no question whatever as to the utility and even necessity for such a building."
Dr. Hartigan wrote:-" I heard to-day that many more animals have been buried around Kennedytown than there is accommodation for. This would account for general saturation and stink of the soil. I was also informed that washermen use both the nullah at Kennedy- Town and that at Sandy Bay, below Plague Cemetery, I do not think this advisable."
Inspector H. J. Knight reported :-"In an-
beg to state as follows, swer to above
1.- Re burying animals, I myself have only buried on three occasions but I believe this ground to be nearly fall up with dead animals, as at the present time I am finding it difficult to find room for graves for dead cattle. There is no doubt the soil is as described, as I believe
it is almost a daily occurrence for dead pigs to be buried there, and no lime or disinfectants
used.
"2-Re Washermen using the nullah at Sandy Bay. There are four washermen using a stream north and above the Chinese new mor- tuary. This stream flows from the Pokfulam direction, and although it certainly drains a small portion of the Protestant Cemetery, the distance is so long that I have not before reported this