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Mr. FUNG WA CHUN agreed with Mr. Osborne's remarks. The ladies at the convents were anxious that these institutions should be taken advantage of as a home for sick children. As to having a watchman at the door of each, the convent authorities might have objections on that point.
The President's motion, with Mr. OSBORNE'S amendment added, was put to the meeting and carried.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND people matters they were not likely to readily understand. With regard to the dumping of bodies, no one could have more objection to the practice than the people living in the vicinity where a body was found, and it appeared to be very hard that these people should be made to pay the penalty. Why make the innocent suffer for the guilty? Was any distinction to be made between Chinese and other nationalities ? Suppose a dead body were found in front of a house occupied by a European, would that house and the one on the other side the street be disinfected ?
Mr. OSBORNE Yes.
Mr. CHAN A Fook-If that is the casa, I think it is very hard for Chinese as well as Europeans.
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(May 4, 1901. whether detectives, or special constables, or anything else you like to call them. I certainly think his the best proposed yet made.
The PRESIDENT, in seconding, Mr. May's motion, endorsed all that gentlemen had said, but thought that some exemption should be observed in the case of the dead bodies of children, which could be carried a consider- able
distance.
He also agreed with Dr. Bell regarding the unlikelihood of the dend body of an adult having been carried any con- siderable distance...
Mr. FunG WA Chuen saw no reason why the Government should not employ more people.
Dr. BELL-They can't do it for nothing. Dr. CLARK said the original suggestion he made to the Government was that they engage a number of Indian soldiers and station them at the corners of streets. He thought that scheme far better than the one to disinfect the neighbouring houses. Only the year before laste the body of a plague victim was found right at the door of the Secretary of the Sanitary Board's house, and that happened to be almost opposite the Central Police Station, in Wynd- ham Street, He really thought the best plan was to engage the Indian soldi ra and also to fine people when they caught them.
DUMPING DEAD BODIES IN TAE STREET. Correspondence was submitted relative to the dumping of dead bodies in the street. On the 22nd ult., Dr. Clark wrote to the Colonial Secretary to the effect that it had been alleged by the Medical Officer in charge of the Tung Wah Hospital that the Chinese were being frightened away from that institution by a Dr. BELL said some measure ought to be European and some Chinese and Indian con adopted to stop the reprehensible practice It stables stationed there by the Board, and that was quite impossible to combat an epidemic un- the Chinese were consequently putting the less taken from its source. He advocated the bodies in the street. These officers were with- fiuing of the occupants of the houses on drawn a month ago, but without achieving the each side of the street, and did not think * desired result. Dr. Clark asked if the police that would be imposing a hardship upon could do something to prevent this whole. anyone. There was absolutely no question in sale dumping of dead bodies into the streets, his mind that these bodies were carried and suggested that eight young and on-
from a distance. A dead man could not ergetic European constables could make a be carried over twenty yards in the night thorough house-to-house inspection once a week without being seen by somebody, and there- of the Wanchai district. Dr. Clark pointed fore the body must come from one of out that his suggestion in a letter dated 28th the adjacent houses-probably from the January did not appear to have been acted house directly opposite to where the body was ! upon, and it was quite impossible to stay the found. Most of these bodies, he was sure, came progress of an epidemic when no information from Chinese lodging-houses. The keeper must was forthcoming as to the addresses of a large be aware that he had a sick lodger; a man with Dr. BELL did not think cremation would percentage of the cases. The suggestion re- plague did not die suddenly, and these keepers have any effect. ferred to was to the effect that, with a view knew well that if it be came known a plague case Mr. OSBORNE said that the Chinese banded to preventing the depositing of dead bodies occurred on their premises, the house would be together in other directions--why not carry in the streets at night, the police patrol of disinfected. To prevent this, the sick man that custom a little farther and station watch- the Wanchai district be augmented for the was bundled out at the first opportunity men in the street, if they did not want to ba time being by swearing in as special constables and left to die in the street. He was in fined. perhaps fifty Indians belonging to one of the favour of the suggestion to disinfect the houses native regiments stationed here, these mon, fur-opposite, and thought that would stir these ther, to be controlled by a mounted European officer who should visit each of them at least once every hour.
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people to keep a watchman to see where the body came from. The practice, unless vigor- ously dealt with, would continue until someone got ten years' hard labour or perhaps was hung. He believed that the leading Chinese had tried to do something to ameliorate the evil, but it was an evil that required, as he had already said, the most stringent remedies.
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Mr. Fung WA CHUN-Why not offer a reward of $10 to detectives?
Lieut. Col. Hughes—Yes.
Dr. CLABK again rose and suggested that every body found in the street should be oremated.
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Mr. FUNG WA CHUN explained that in Canton, where these oustoms obtained, the people had no taxes to pay. In Hongkong they paid 13 per cent. He thought it was the Government's duty to engage more people. They could very well afford it. as they had netted three lakhs of dollars more for the opium farm this year than for last year. 2
The following minutes were appended :-- Hon. F. H. May: "In the absence of the slightest assistance from the community it is very difficult to stop this practice. I have tried
Mr. OSBORNE proposed an additional amend. special patrols without result. The people
ment to the effect "that the rates of the tenants watch the police go by, and as several families Mr. FONG WA CHUN did not agree with of the twelve houses nearest to a dead body, in generally occupy one house, all that has to be the suggestion to disinfect the houses! streets or sections of streets, be doubled for done is to put the body out in front of the house opposite to where a body was discovered. He, the quarter, unless the guilty person is forth. and then for all the inmates to deny all know himself had seen, close to Mr. Chater's house, coming.' ledge of it. I have now offered a reward of $2 the dead body of an infant, and that could not for every case of depositing a body brought by possibly have come from Mr. Chater's house. the police. I think the house nearest to the (Laughter.) As to what Dr. Bell had said place the body is found, in Victoria at any regarding the improbability of a dead body rate, should be disinfected, or take the nearest having been carried more than twenty or thirty three houses and see how the Chinese like that."yards, itwas just as easy to carry it that dis-
Mr. E. Osborne: "Disinfect the six houses on each side of the corpse on both sides of lans. If that doesn't stop it, fine the occupants.”
tance as to carry it ten feet.
Dr. BELL-Have you tried it? ·
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN replied that he had Mr. A. W. Brewin: "Fining the occupants not. Continuing, he said the best plan would would be preferable to disinfection. To make be to station detectives and policemen at the disinfection a punishment will only make it corners of streets in infected areas. This would more obnoxious to the Chinese. The Govern. prevent dead bodies from being carried from one ment should be asked to request the Govern-street into another. If a bye-law were introduc- ment of India for information as to the method ed to disinfect the places right opposite where of combating the plague in that country. I a body was picked up he thought it would be believe that there was there the same united very unreasonable. opposition to the enforcement of sanitary measures as there is here.”
Mr. OSBORNE was of opinion that this was a matter upon which their Chinese colleagues on the Board might express their views. It was also a matter on which the Board had received absolutely no assistance from the leading Chi- zese. Whatever had been done in the way of stamping out that curse, plague, had met with Chinese objections. The Chinese didn't like this and they didn't like that--in fact, everything done was
obnoxious to them. Under these circumstances the Chinese members of the Board might express their views.
Mr. CHAN A FOOK said he was sorry to contradict "Mr. Osborne's statement that the respectable Chinese class had not come forward to help the Sanitary Board in the matter of dumping dead bodies in the streets. He knew it to be a fact that the Chinese Commercial, Union had spent a lot of money in printing and stributing circulars and handbills, containing
ions of the rules and regulations, to Chinese coolies and others, and they also aged several Chinese students from the Alice Memorial Hospital to explain to these
Mr. MAY explained that to disinfect a house, unless that house was found to be unclean, would not be legal. As regarded the stationing of policemen at corners, as suggested by one member, he wished to remind the Board that there was a limit to the number of policemen. They had not a standing army of policemen to watch at street corners for dead bodies. He had done his best, and he confessed that he had failed. He concluded by suggesting that the Board recommend the Government to take powers to levy a fine not exceeding $50 upon the occupants of houses persons nearest to the place where a body with infections disease was found, in any of the streets of the City of Victoria and in the villages of Yaumati and Hunghom.
Mr OSBOBNE Would you give them twenty- four hours to trace the guilty party before fining?
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Lient, Col. HUGHES-Why not fine the whole street? I think the best suggestion made is that of Mr. Fang Wa Chun. Plague is an exceptional thing, consequently it wants exceptional treatment. You want more help-you want to employ more hands,
Dr. BELL-I second that. It is no great hardship, because some person told me that it is already done in Ireland, and therefore the Chinese cannot say Oh, here's a case of bullying us." What is done in Ireland can be doue in Hongkong.
Mr. FUNG WA CHUN moved another amend- ment, "that the Government be asked to offer
reward of $0 to anyone who can give in- formation leading to the apprehension of parties throwing dead bodies into the streets, and that policemen and detectives be stationed at stret corners in the infected areas.
Mr. CHAN A FOOK seconded, but on a rote the amendment was lost.
Mr. OSBORNE's amendment was then put to the meeting and carried.
Mr. MAY's motion was not put.
PROPOSED ADDITIONAL, BOOM QVER SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' CLUB. Correspondence was submitted relating to an application for permission to construct a smalle room over the backyard of the Boldiers' and Sailors' Club.
The first part of it was a letter dated 18th April from the Rev. C. Bone, in which the Director of Public Works was asked for per- mission to build one small room over part of the vacant space at the end of the building. The letter stated that the Home, as was probably already known, was surrounded on all sides by an empty space, and there appeared no pro. bability that the proprietors of the Royal Naval Canteen would build over the wide alley-way, between their property and the Homə. It was only desired to build over about one third of the ward, to arrange for one room facing the street on a level with the first floor, so that there would yet remain a big spre underneath. The room was required for the caretaker of the Home, and a great deal depended on their receiving the Board's sanction to ervet it.
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