February 24, 1902.]
MARQUIS ITO IN HONGKONG.
Late on on the 18th inst. the German mail steamer Kiuutschou arrived in Hongkong harbour, bringing with her the distinguished Japanese stateman Marquis Ito, whose visit to Europe has been fraught with such important consequences to the position of affairs in the Far East. Owing to the late arrival of the Kiautschou, it was impossible that any recep- tion ceremony should take place on Tuesday night, and it was midnight before the Japanese Consul, Mr. M. Noma, boarded the mail steamer. It was 9a.m. on the 19th inst, when te Hon. J. H. Stewart Lookhart, C.M G., Colonial Secretary, and Mr. R. F. Johnston, Private Secretary to the Acting Governor, H. E. Major General Sir William Gascoigne, C.M.G., arrived in the launch Victoria to pay their respects. On the return journey they brought Marquis Ito with them and conducted him to Head quarter House about 10 o'clock. Here the Marquis spent about half an bour in conversation, and expressed his great regret at being unable to stay and witness the opening day of the Race Meeting. As he was leaving by the Kidutschou and had some business to transact with the Japanese Consul before his departure, he had of course no time to visit Happy Valley. The Kiautschou resumed her voyage to Shanghai on Wednesday night.
HONGKONG SANITARY BOARD.
A meeting of the Sanitary Board was held on the 18th inst. in the Board Room. Pre- sent;-Dr. J. M. Atkinson, Principal Medical Officer (President); Dr. F. W. Clarke, Medical Officer of Health; Hon. W. Chatham, Director of Public Works; Mr. Lau Chupak; and Mr. G. A. Woodcock (Secretary).
COMBATINg outbrkAKS OF PLAGUE. It was
intimated that the Government had approved of the Board's recommenda- tions relative to the measures to be taken with
reference to Professor Simpson's memorandum discussed at a special meeting of the Board held on the 23rd ult. The recommendations
are :-
(a) That the Board recommend that Profes- sor Simpson's recommendations to obtain by telegram from India five additional. assistant surgeons specially trained in plague work- Anglo-Indians or Eurasians, if possible, prefer-
red-be carried out.
(b) That the Board obtain authority to rent three small offices-at say $30 a month-in the City of Victoria, for the use of the assistant surgeons and senior inspectors, and that these offices be placed in telephonic communication with the Sanitary Board offico, and that each office be supplied with a telephone clerk at a salary of about $35 a month.
(e) That the Board request the authority of the Government to engage 2) additional rat- catchers for the City of Victoria and a Europein to superintend the work of the whole gang of 40, and also authority to engage 15 additional rat-catchers for Kowloon and a coloured foreman.
(d) That the Board request the authority of the Government to erect a matshed on the vacant site of Crown land to the east of the Disinfecting Station in Taipingshan, for the accommodation of the additional Chinese disin- fecting and rat-catching staff.
The probable monthly expenditure will, it is estimated, be as follows:--
Five assistant surgeons at $200
a month
Three clerks at $35
One temporary inspector
One foreman...
..$1,000.00
Thirty-five rat-catchers at $5 and
8 cents per rat
105 00 125.00 35.0)
175.00
Total, $1,440.00 The cost of the matshed will probably be $200 to $300. -
THE CLEANSING GÅNGS.
The report of the work done by the cleansing ganga during the fortnight ended 31st January shows that 1,145 houses were dealt with, 1,921 floors fumigated, and 3,694 floors cleansed.
Hon. W. CHATHAM-Is there any informa- tion available as to when the work is likely to be completed?
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CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Dr CLARK-In about a month's time, but I may say that I have just been informed to-day -in fact, only five minutes ago-that the con- tractor from whom we are obtaining our fresh water cannot get any fresh water, and that we shall have to make other arrangements. We cannot get on with the work till we get fresh water, and unless we can get that the work will have to stop altogether. However, if it goes on, it will be finished in a month's time.
he PRESIDENT -It is most important that this work should be finished as quickly as pos- sible.
Hon. W. CHATHAM-I think I can assure you that you will have aз much water as you want for that purpose, and I hope that when the arrangements now in progres are completed you will be able to get all you want.
PRIVATE PLAGUE HOSPITAL,
The Board considered a request from Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co. for permission to erect a matshed on land at Soo Kum Poo Valley in which to treat cases of plague which may occur among their employees.
$
133
the heading "Precautions to be taken in every household" is apt to be misleading. It has been suggested that the sentence I refer to implies that strong carbolic acid should be thrown upon rats caught in traps before they were drowned. That was really very far indeed from being my intention in drafting this list of direc tions. What I meant, I need hardly say, was that the rats should be first drowned and then disinfected, because everyone knows that there are people of the lowest class who are only too fond of having an opportunity of torturing the animals, and if it appeared that they received any official en ouragement it would be very untor- tunate indeed. I take this opporunity of draw- ing attention to the fact that any rats caught in traps shonll be droved bɔfora bɔing dia- infected, and I have no doubt the police will tak, measures to prevent the torturing of the animals either by pouring carbolic acid on them or in any other way. In the Chinese circular that point should be made very clear indeed, and it has been altered considerably to explain that.
THE HEALTH OF THE COLONY,
Dr. Clark minuled “I have no objections to The morta ity statistics for the week raise to the principle, but the site must be most ended 25th January show a death-ra'e of carefully selected, and the sanitary arrange- 17.5 per 1,00 per annum, as compared with 11.6 ments of the hospital must be under the care in the preceding week and 16.8 in the corre and authority of a duly registered medical prac-sponding week of last year. The death-rate for titioner approved by the Bar). The struc- the ensuing week, ending 1st February, was tural arrangements of the hospital should also 13.8, against 15.3 in the corresponding period be subject to the Board's approval."
last year.
Dr. CLARK proposed a motion in accordance with the terms of his minute.
The PRESIDENT--Do you know where this site is?
Dr. CLARK-They only speak vaguely of it at present.
Hon. W. CHATHAM-1 beg to second the motion by the Medical Officer of Health. I think the stipulations he has stated are those which were enforced in all other similar cases during the last plague season, and it is but right that we should adhere to the same stipulations in this case,
The PRESIDENT-It is understood that the hospital will always be under the sanitary super- vision of officers of the Board, of cours- always subject to inspection?
Dr. CLARK-Oh yes, subject to inspection. The motion was put to the meeting and car ried unanimously.
SMALLPOX IN THE COLONY,
Dr, CLARK-Smallpox seems to have again broken out in the Colony. Three cases have been reported in the City during the past three days; two cases were already dead, the bodies having been found in the street. This suggests that there may be a considerable amount of smallpox in the Colony not get recognised, and I think that the Board should revive the recommendations of last year on the subject. As you are aware, this is the time of year when we may expect smallpox, and I think we should make our preparations in ad-
vance.
Last year we had a considerable number of cases so many that we had to tlegraph to Saigon for vaccine, and so I think we ought to take steps at once. It will be a fortnight before the Board meets again, and during that time there may be a considerable number of cases. I move that the recommendations of last year be again made applicable.
The PRESIDENT-I second it. It is just as well for us to bo on our guard, although, in my experience of the last fifteen years, is it seldom we have a smallpox epidemio in two successive years. There have been only two cases to date, but it is possible there may be more.
The motion was agreed to.
PLANS PASSED.
Plans were passed for new quarters for the Disinfection Station stiff and for a bath-house for Chinese at Crow Lane.
1
This was all the public business.
EUROPEAN EDUCATION IN
HONGKONG.
The following letters have been forwarded to us by the Hon. the Colonial Secretary for publication:
་-
Colonial Secretary's Office, Hongkong, 15th February, 1902. SIR, I have the honour to draw your atten⭑ tion to a matter of great importance connected with the British Kowloon School, recently built at your expense. In past years the Go verament of Hongkong has held that in schools maintained or assisted by the tax payers no distinction of race or creed could legitimately be drawn. Lately, however, the Government has been induced to regard the question in another light and has arrived at the conclusion that an education given in schools attended in- discrimately by the children of various races and langangǝs is not efficient, and that the best interests of the inhabitants of the Colony will be served by the establishment of separate schools in which the children of each race can obtain the education which is specially suited to their needs.
2. This being so, the Government views with some embarrassment the position created by the terms on which the British Kowloon School has been established. The position may be briefly stated as follows. You, Sir, made the generous offer of a large sum of money for the erection of a pablio school at Kowloon open to all races, and the Government gratefully accepted that offer. But in the two years that have since elapsed the views of the Government have developed and at the very time when the principle of separate schools has become establish- ed it finds itself in the position of having to open a new mixed school.
3. Under the circumstances, there is but one course to pursue, however ungracious it may appear to be. Happily the Govera ment is emboldened by the confidence that you had no motive in your liberal action beyond the welfare of the Colony, and it has therefore the less reluctance in requesting you to re-consider the condition which yon attached to your gift, that the building should be devoted to a mixed school. The Government is convinced that a mixed school is not likely to prove a success and Bye-laws were passed relating to the pre- will curtainly fail to benefit the European section vention or mitigation of epidemic, endemic, or of the Kowloon community, whose wants were be contagious disease. The only material altera-yond doubt the immediate objects of solicitndə tion in these bye-laws from those up till now in when the scheme was evolved. On the other hand force is that the Board, instead of declaring the present wants of the Chinese are well provided any district infested with plagus, now defines for by the Government school at Yaumiti. The it as a district in which house-to-house visita-Government has already recognised the desir- tion shall take place.
PREVENTION OF CONT \GIOUS DISEASE.
AN AMBIGUŊ ́8 SENTENCE.
Dr. CLARK-With refereno, to the mem ir- andum that has been issued regarding the prevention of plague, it has been brought to my knowledge that one sentence under
ability of securing proper quartors for this school, and a large site in a central position has been reserved and plans have been prepared for a school to accommodate 100 pupils.
If the educational system of the Kowloon Peninsula is to fall into line with that of the