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HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
On Thursday afternoon, 20th inst., a meeting of the Hongkong Sanitary Board was held. The President (the Hon. R. D. Ormsby) Director of Public Works, occupied the chair, and there| were also present Dr. Bell (Acting Principal Civil Medical Officer), Mr. J. McKie, Dr. Hartigan, Mr. E. Osborne, Dr. F. Clark (Medical Officer of Health), Mr. Chan A Fook, and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary).
BUSINESS PÓSTPONED.
The PRESIDENT said that with regard to item No. 2 on the agenda the Vice-President, Hon. Mr. May, had written him to say he would not ask his question till next meeting, and Mr. Osborne had also decided to adopt a similar step concerning his resolution, item No. 3 on the agenda.
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The Hon. F. H. May's question was:- "What steps have the Board taken in answer to an invitation made to the Board in May last by direction of the Officer Administering the Government to formulate a scheme of sanitary improvements in this Colony?
Mr. Osborne's motion was:- -"That in regard to the Acting Colonial Secretary's letter to the Sanitary Board of 1st May, 1900, asking the Board to formulate a comprehensive scheme of sanitary improvements, a reply be sent that the Board are not disposed to formulate such a scheme unless some assurance be forthcoming that the Government will give immediate effect to some at least of the Board's recommendations. THE PROPOSed use of wATERING CARTS.
The following reply (dated Dec. 13th) relative to the proposed use of watering carts was sub- mitted from the Colonial Secretary
With reference to your minute of the 23rd alt. relative to the proposed use of watering carts in the streets of Hongkong, I am directed to request you to be good enough to furnish me with a full statement of the reasons why the Sanitary Board are of opinion that the present system should be altered for that now proposed. I am also to refer you to the minute of the Medical Officer of Health of the 16th October last in C. 8. O. No. 217 of 1900, of which I enclose & copy, and to enquire why the views of the Medical Officer of Health have not found acceptance among the other members of the Board."
Dr. Hartigan minuted: -"Because we are now living in the 19th century and not in the dark ages, to which alone the present system, which is no system, is applicable."
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along in donkey cart. No one can say our pre- sent arrangements are perfect. They are on the contrary sloppy, wasteful, and ineffective. Carts besides being in every way more suitable will actually make a large saving of fresh water; the sea-water can be pumped into these carts. Besides traffic has enormously increased lately with corresponding wear and tear of the roads, so that the cost will be more than compensated by the improved method. I trust the local Government will not treat us as Downing Street treated the colony in the matter of electric light- | ing, where, because electricity did not suit upper Tooting, it was gross impertinence for Hong: kong to want it This is surely a rate-payers' question, and they may be allowed to spend their own money in the most advantageous manner. I beg to propose "That the Go- vernment be informed that, the Board have considered the views of the Medical Officer of Health as to the greater cost of street-watering by means of carts, and are of the opinion that the greater efficiency of this method will more than compensate for the increased cost. We propose, moreover, to limit the use of the carts to the lower levels, as suggested by the Medical | Officer of Health."
Mr. OSBORNE expressed his willingness to, withdraw his motion and to second that of Dr. Hartigan.
Dr. BELL said that while he was in agree ment with the proposal as to the sending of a letter, he thought some sort of explanation ought to be offered to the Government as to why they wanted a more expensive method of The watering the streets on the lower levels.
There was explanation was a very simple one. a tremendous amount of vehicular traffic in dust which did not exist to the same extent, if Queen's Road and a necessity of laying the it existed at all, on the higher levels.
The motion was carried.
REPORT OF THE QUARTERLY INSPECTION COMMITTEE.
PAINFUL STATE OF THINGS AT WANCHAI.
Messrs. E. Osborne and J. McKie (the In- spection Committee) submitted their fourth quarterly report. It ran as follows :—
[December 22, 1901.
"Between Wing Tak Lane and Wing Fung Street is a block of new houses of the modern type and concerning which, whilst they were in course of erection, the These houses Board drow public attention. fully deserve the criticisms passed upon them at the time and serve to show the necessity of compelling back lanes as well as backyards in new buildings. The only provision for ventila- tion and light is a small square shaft (built in accordance with the law) which we consider in- adequate for the purpose.
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The crowds of so-called hawkers in Nullah Lane, Cross Street, Wing Fung Street, and other places is a matter which, though to refer to it means re-opening a very voxed question, vitally affects the health and well-being of the colony. The whole of Wing Fung Street, a street 20 feet wide, is lined on either side with hawkers' stalls, leaving but a nar- row passage for traffic, and one enterprising man had even gone the length of placing a 12-feet table, spread with white cloth, on which were displayed eggs, condensed milk, tea, coffee, buns, and other sweet-meste. · Bona- fide hawking is a convenience and a necessity to the poor, but these are not hawkers; they are traders pure and simple driven into the streets by impossible rents, choking the drains with garbage, creating noise and disorder wherever atmosphere of their dwellings people who but they settle, and elbowing back into the polluted for them, after the day's work is over, would be The whole town oast and west, go where enjoying such fresh air as the streets afford. you will, appears to be more overcrowded every day, and high rents, congested streets, polluted drains, filth and plague, point with unmistakable space, more room for expansion. warning to the great need that exists for more
"P.S.-Though not coming within the scope of this report, we think it right to say that the verandah pillars of houses Nos. 49 and 51, Queen's Road East, were pointed out to us as being badly cracked and liable to collapse." The following minutes were appende d
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Dr. Clark- The committee's previous re- port on Shek Kai Lane stated that more ventilation both on ground and first floors "On the 4th inst., in company with Ins can easily be provided from the back. This pectors Hoggarth and McKenzie, we visited has since been done by the opening out of one- the Wanchai District, the general appearance half of the kitchens under Ordinance 34 of of which shows an improvement in cleanliness. 1899. The lane is only six feet wide, and has The houses occupied by coal coolies were, as three-storey buildings on one side and two-storey usual, the dirtiest, and considering that the buildings on the other side. The only remain. wages of this class have of late improved, we ing remedy is to ask the Magistrate to close think an endeavour should be made to compel the premises as unfit for human habitation. The a little cleanliness in their dwellings and pres-houses in Sham Pin Lane comply with the law sure brought to bear upon the licencees of the houses where they live.
"Floors in Nullah Lane accommodating 12 ricksha coolies fetch $12, while a whole house of three upper floors in this street is let for $64. The sunshades of Nullah Lane should be removed if, as we understand. they are illegal, for so little sunshine can possibly pierce the gloom and dust of these premises that a sunshade cannot, we think, be a necessity, and is distinctly undesir able.
Mr. OSBORNE said-In regard to this matter it is common knowledge throughout the world that the dust of streets affords a dangerous medium for spreading disease, and the Sanitary
The upward tendency of rents continues, Board, desiring to introduce a more efficient and until relief is provided there is little hope method of street watering than the "bucket" of any real or lasting improvement in the saui. system at present in vogue, after obtaining in tary condition of the slums. In Albany Street formation from Shanghai on the subject, $3.50 is the cost of a space eight feet square decided that so far as the crowded lower levels wherein to accommodate parents, children, were concerned the work should be done by and possibly a relative or two. The stats of carts, and having obtained tenders for the con- affairs which compels a coolie earning probably struction of a few carts as an experiment $7 a month to pay $3.50 rent for a wretched Government was asked to approve the expendi-hovel eight feet square is not calculated to im ture. Nothing could more forcibly illustrate the prove the sanitary condition of the town. ridiculous position in which this Board stands in the carrying out of sanitary improvements or the spirit of jealousy that thwarts almost every effort we make, than the reply now before us, which practically amounts to a refusal to adopt the Board's recommendation even in so paltry a matter as the building of half a dozen watering carts. I beg to move that a reply be sent that the Board disapproves of the present method of watering the lower levels, and consider that watering by carts should be substituted at once. Dr. HABTIGAN said Mr. President, I have a motion somewhat on the same lines as Mr. Osborne's, and perhaps Mr. Osborne would not mind adopting it. There seems to have been some misunderstand Jing regarding this watering question. I cer- tainly did not understand the M.O.H. to object to the proposed scheme per se, but simply said that in his opinion things were at present work- ing fairly well, and that the improved scheme would entail much additional expense, and that we had already exceeded our allowance. All improvements are expensive and the only question to bo` considered is one well worth the additional cost. No one can ride in a carri- age for the same price as he can jog
"Wanchai Market is greatly improved by its coat of whitewash and paint, and it is to be hoped the Government will repeat this cleansing
half year.
every
On our last visit to Shek Kai Lane we made suggestions which we regret to find have not been entirely carried out, and the alterations that have been made do not appear satisfactory, We recommend these houses to the special attention of the Board.
"In Sham Pin Lane there is a terrace of comparatively new houses, the ground-floors of which are dark and ill-ventilated-so dark in- deed that the inmates at 5 p.m. were eating their meal by rushlight. The doorway measures 27 feet, the window 16 feet, and the floor area 546 feet, and we recommend the Board's atten- tion to these houses also.
as to backyards, but the ground-floor rooms are dark. The Magistrate might be induced to order the provision of more open space in the rear. The question of sunshades in Nullah Lane and the condition of the surface of the lanes should be referred by the Board to the Public Works Department, while the petty traders who erect stalls in Crown streets, under the excuse of being haw: kers, can only be dealt with by the police, who are at present very lenient to these offonders.”
Major Brown:-"This report discloses & painful state of things, and should be widely known. The Sanitary Board ought to urgo upon Government the necessity of prohibiting hawkers setting up in (and practically blocking) any street under, say, 50 feet."
药物
Dr. Hartigan This report should be most carefully considered. It opens up a very largo question. A housing for the working classes scheme seems the only remedy. The law as it stands seems unable to make healthy dwellings. I can corroborate the statement about hawkers and their garbage. The police appear not to interfere with them. Why P
The Hon. F. H. May I have stated be- fore officially and publicly that I decline to make a crusade against hawkers in the present condition of the city, unless I am specially instructed to the contrary. Messrs. McKis and Osborne aptly describe the situation when they say these hawkers are driven into the street by impossible rents.”
Mr. OSBORNE moved that the report be for- warded to the Government and to the news- papers, and also that the attention of the Go- rernment he called to this question of so-called hawking. These men, as had been pointed out in the report, crowded the streets--especially the side streets-sometimes selling warwe ex-