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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND |
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[January 5, 1901.
Mr. May's question enquiring what steps the loss of time trying to formulate big schemes. cute him because the Magistrate might not Board had taken to formulate a comprehensive It had been pointed out that improved means of convict him or a jury find him guilty. He did scheme of sanitary improvements, and in view transit to outlying portions of the colony would not want to get into any heated discussion. of the censure implied by that question it would be a very efficient means of increasing the ac- They were entering on a new year, and what he be well to review the circumstances under which | commodation in the city. A scheme had been did want to see was the Board setting to work it has arisen. In the early part of last year talked about, but the Government itself had and tackling this question. They had not yet touched upon a comprehensive scheme. They the Board proposed to Governinent that a Trust made no attempt to forward it. And now a should be formed, having for its object the sort of slur was sought to be cast upon them by had spent a lot of time over details, and he one of the members of the Board because he thought they should take up the question pro- prevention of overcrowding and reduction of rents by opening up new building areas and insinusted they had not done what they should perly. He did not care who carried out a by gradually resuming and rebuilding the have done. They were like the peri waiting scheme of sanitary improvement in the colony,
When the gate was
He did not care whether it was carried out by a unhealthy parts of the city. Into the details at the gate of Paradise.
Sanitary Board, or a Trust Corporation, or a of the scheme it is unnecessary to enter, as going to be opened, he could not say.
The Hon. F. H. MAY said he read the other Municipality, or by the Governor, but he wanted the proposal was rejected. Und-terred, how- ever, by this rebuff, the Board again approached | day about an address being given to a number to see some thing done. He wanted to see some Government with the same proposal shaped in of young men about to enter business. They plan formulated for getting this city into a a different fashion, viz. that a percentage of were given a lot of advice about putting the better state, and not only that, but some plan the rates and premia on land sales should be right letter in the right envelope, keeping upon which the colony could grow. The colony was not yet in its teens. It was only a child, set aside annually for purposes identical with copies of telegrams, and so on, and the lecturer the objects of the Trust. This the Govern-ended by advising them never to over-state and it was going to grow into a very big man, ment also rejected, but in doing so asked their case, but rathor to understate it, if any- and if it was allowed to grow the way it had the Board to draw up a comprehensive thing. In Mr. Osborne's address there was rot grown, with that stupendous want of foresight scheme of sanitary improvements, from which one single fact in his long indictment against the and forethought which seemed to be the char- There was nothing but genera-acteristic of the British race, all he could say it was presumed that, whilst unable to adopt | Government.
was that it would be a very bad thing. At the the recommendations 28 put forward, the tities, and he certainly thought that, as far as the
Government was sympathy of
with the work of recent years was concerned, Mr. Osborne, next meeting of the Board he would propose a Board, and we might therefore hope that had grossly overstated his case. Taking the resolution that the Board appoint a committee if a comprehensive scheme were formulated administration of the present Governor, he did to draw up a scheme of Sanitary reform Let them begin embodying our various proposals made from not think there was a single question of any for the city of Victoria. time to time it would at least receive favourable magnitude which that Board had approached with the city of Victoria, and he thought consideration. Stimulated by this prospect the His Excellency upon which had not been taken that in a very few sittings they would be able Board set to work. Meetings were held, sng- | up with great energy, and which had not led to to get out a scheme which would have some. a number of measures being taken for the thing to recommend it, and if it was a reason. gestions made, resolutions carried, and there seemed every prospect of arriving at definite | sanitary improvement of the colony. Take able scheme such as recommended itself to reasonable men, he ventured to think that there conclusions when unfortunately the late Colonel | the Insanitary Properties Bill. It had been on
was no man in the whole colony who would take Ryan, who took a leading part in the discus- the tupis for years when the Governor arrived sious, was removed by death, and from that day in the colouy, and mainly through His Ex-it up with greater pleasure and zest than His Exce leucy the Governor, and he was quite sure to this nothing further has been done. Now, collency's exertions it was put into law. It was
the officials who sat in high places would take sir, there must be some good reason for this the best law they had to-day, and the reason
it was not better Was because in certain it up with zest also. apparent abandonment of a good canse, this
Dr. BELL said he did not think the Board had seeming surrender by the Board of its aims quarters opposition was raised to certain of and ambitions. That reason is, I think, to be its provisions, and it was the very same opposi- any right to make conditions with the Govern- If they were keen on sanitation as their found in the fact that from the commencement tion which emasculated Ordinance 24 of 1887, ment.
members of a Sanitary Board it was the Public Health Ordinance, and then mon of the enquiry it was felt that as each of our
to the Govern- recommendations had in turn been rejected came and held the Government officials to blame business to lay down their requests and go there was very little hope of a comprehensive for everything. Then the Board pressed the on working, but to say
We will give you no advice, and do embodiment of them being accepted. It was Government to augment the sanitary staff, and ment. felt that our suggestions and recommendations five inspectors were added and one or two clerks. nothing for the sanitation of the colony made little or no impression on Goverumout, The Board got everything they asked for, ex- unless you bind yourselves to do what we was, he thought, bad policy. Thore- cept an assistant Medical Officer of Health, and want' and that having been refused half the loaf we wre not likely to obtain the whole. This, I considering the increase granted only the year fore he proposed voting against the motion.
Dr. CLARK said he thought every member of take it, is the reason why members of the before, when a chief inspector of nuisances Board have not been disposed to re-open the was appointel, he thought the Government the Board was in accord with Mr. May in wish- matter or spend further time in preparing a was right in waiting to see what the Boarding for the sanitary improvement of the colony, scheme. It is because we fear, and have good could do with the increased staff before and especially of the city. At the same time In fact he did the point was not what they had done during reason to fear, that our recommendations will anything further was done. bo ignored, our proposals rejected, and our not mind telling the Board that when he had the past 12 months, but whether they had laid labour wasted. Let the Government support the honour of acting as Colonial Secretary such before the Government sufficient schemes to the Board in its efforts to cleanse the slums of
was his own advice. Then the Board, in reply occupy all their time for some few years to their filth, to improve the surroundings of the to the letter asking what sanitary improve come, or whether the Government were at pre- working classes, in whose cheap labour lies the ments they had to recommend, asked for more sent in a position to undertake some further large He would just recapitulate a few of This year four scheme. keystone of Hongkong's commercial progress urinals and more latrines. let the Government give tangible proof of its latrines had been built and more were provided the things which had been laid before the sympathy in our crusade against plague, awako for in next your's estimates. The Board asked Government. For the past five or six years the from its apathy in regard to the serious questions for more water, and there was being inserted Board had been urging the necessity for item of public latrines and public urinals, and yet it of overcrowding and burdensomo rents, apathy in next year's estimates a "small
a special was only during the last nine months that any which finds illustration in the Taipingshan $140,000 to meet this want, and
from home to attempt had been made to provide additional resumed area, where land has lain wasto for engineer was being sent
The only item the latrines. The public urinals in the city were years past, because Government will neither carry out the work. build on it nor sell at a price which will enable Board did not get was their old and well-four in number, each capable of accommodat-
Let the Govern- private enterprise to do so.
worn friend the refuse-destructor, and, as he ing one person at a time. They were totally ment do those things and there will be no lack bad said before, that was thrown out by the unfit for Europeans to enter, and they could of responsive energy on our part. But until Public Works Committee, upon which there hardly consider therefore that the question of some such assurance be forthcoming, until we happened to be a majority of unofficial members public urinals had yet been touched. For the He did not past two years the Board had been urging-upon can be satisfied that our labour is not in vain, I | —and let them not forget that. for one, and I think other members of this Board
want to say that the unofficial members ought the Government the necessity for a refuse are with me, have neither the desire nor the to have passed the refuse-destructor, but what destructor, which was intention of occupying myself in the prepara- he said was that many of the Sanitary Laws of Government had yet to carry out. Last year tion of elaborate reports the utility of which this colony which were not as good as they the Board also considered seriously the ques- will be ignored and their value unappreciated. ought to be, and which they blamed the Govern- tion of the night soil at the Peak. It was a Dr. HARTIGAN, in seconding, while admitment for let the blame be put on the right matter of common knowledge that the night- ting that the Government had attended to some shoulders and let the community, which did spit at the Peak was frequently thrown into small matters, complained of the indifference not take sufficient interest in the matter, the open gulleys, the storm-water drains being with which the reports of the Inspection Com- and let the representatives of the com- fonlod thereby. With the view of mitigating the trouble the Board recommended the voted against certain pro- mittee had been treated. He said that these munity who reports showed the absolute necessity of some visions in those measures, and who threw establishment of a small sewage farm in the form of Artisans' Dwelling Act being intro-out certain other recommendations, share the Aberdeen valley, which would not have been duced, with the view to providing tenements blame. It was no defence at all to say that the a nuisance either to the city or the Peak for the poorer class of people to prevent Boaid had not sent to Government any exhaus-residents, and which would have mitigated their being driven into the streets; and tive and comprehensive scheme of sanitary to some extent the foul smells rising from yet when the Board, after extensive enqui- reform because they thought the Government the storm drains on the lower levels. That ery, after a great deal of trouble and per- would not take it up. That was no way of scheme had not been carried out
1
a scheme which the
sonal inspection of the slums, had tried to for- doing their duty, even though it was true. It the Board had strongly urged the f* Then
mulate a report, in which work Mr. May took an important part, nothing whatever was done by the Government, cold water being thrown on their efforts from beginning to end. He thought that was the reason why the Board felt it was a
was their duty to put before the Government what they thought was right, and if the Go venment did not choose to do it that had nothing to do with them. They might as well tell him he was not to run a man in and prose
of
a European reservation at Kowloon. Nothing done in this direction, though had been every day's delay made it more difficult to carry out. In July the Board asked the Government to extend their powers with regard to dealing
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